Ethics @ AIP: Project Guidelines

Step 1 - Description, Proposal & Scope Requirements :

Description:

Throughout our course I have presented the argument that the connection between the ethical and the artistic is critical in the work of many well-known artists. There is also a connection between the aesthetic dimensions of expression, cultural forces and ethical debates. In fact, ethical outrage and discontent often fuel artistic attempts to expose despair, injustice, poverty, and cruelty. In addition, happiness, contentment, celebration and victory have also been well-documented.

Your task is to find an artist, style or work of art either in, or close to, the medium in which you work and connect this to one of the ethical theories we have discussed during the quarter. You are also free to use one of your own pieces. The idea is to find something that either displays or expresses one of the concepts we’ve covered in class or in our text.

Proposal:

There are a few steps involved in completing this project. First, find the piece of work that you want to use. If the work is produced by someone else and there are critical commentaries published, you should know what popular interpretations have been attached to the "meaning" of the work. In order to do this part of the project well, you should be prepared to research one of the following: the artist you've chosen to profile, the work you’ve chosen, or the background of the style of art you've chosen to feature in order to show why it is a good vehicle for exploring the ethical idea in question.

Second, you must type a short one paragraph proposal that describes your artist, style or work of art and the comparison/contrast you intend to present. It is your job to identify the theory that you want to use for comparison, but I am happy to provide guidance if you have done the preliminary research well.

Scope Requirements/Media:

If you are using or making a video, be sure to cut the clip to 1 1/2 minutes or less. Before showing the clip you should be able to explain the ethical aspects of the piece and how these moments express something that connects with the ethical theory you are using for comparison/contrast. Also, inform me well in advance of the presentation date so that we can have appropriate media available. Remember you have to have a digital presentation to project on the Smartboard to show the class during the presentation stage of your project.

Step 2 - Presenting your work: visual media requirements...

At the end of the course. we’ll devote the last half of our class sessions to presentations and discussion (Weeks 8-10). Each student will be responsible for making a 5-7 minute presentation of his/her project detailing the ethical theory being represented. Students should be ready to answer basic questions about the piece: when created, by who, why, etc. A short question session will follow. Presentations will be graded on creativity and style, so be ready to "sell" your idea.

Grading Criteria: each is worth 1/3rd of the presentation grade

Communication: Does the presenter speak clearly and announce the major comparison to be made in the course of the presentation?
Clarity: How clear are the background details concerning the work of art and the aesthetic theory? Does the presenter understand the subject matter he/she has covered in preparation for the presentation?
Relationship to an ethical theory: How well does the presenter explain how the work of art in an example of the ethical theory up for comparison? Is the theory applicable in the way the presenter suggests? Does the presenter show that he/she understands the comparison by demonstrating the ability to field two or three short questions about the work of art and theory?

A Word Concerning Presentation Dates & Grades:

Once you choose a presentation date, you may not change that date without a 10% grade penalty.
Graduates should present during Weeks 8-9 as your final is given during Week 10.
No one will be coerced to present, but the presentation is your entire project grade so if you choose not to present, you are giving up 25% of your total grade and seriously jeopardizing your chances to pass this class.

Grading your work...Project Rubric

The table below summarizes my method for evaluating your projects. When you read the chart below, it should be easy for you to see the criteria necessary for receiving various letter grades.

A	Communication: Student communicates in a professional manner; introduces him/herself and the project; does not use slang/street language throughout the presentation; student is also able to answer complex questions about the presentation in a professional manner. Clarity: presentation is well prepared; visuals contribute to clarity and introduce both the artist and the theory for the audience; the visuals were designed versus copied from other web sites/media (e.g., texts, periodicals, magazines, etc.) ; the media presentation is tightly interwoven with the talk such that the audience is not watching the student set up visuals (everything is ready to go and flows smoothly) Student summarizes but does not copy most information from other sources (e.g., text, web, library); student notes these primary and secondary sources in tech course of the presentation (e.g., by providing web links or bibliographic references in the visual presentation) Student is able to connect the artist/style they've chosen to contemporary trends in media/ Relation to theory: student understands how the work of his/her chosen artist or artistic style relates to the ethical theory that he/she is presenting. Student also has good knowledge of the artist/style and historical time period in which the artist/style originated. The comparison between the artist/style and the ethical theory is clear at the close of the presentation.
B	Communication: Student communicates in a professional manner; introduces him/herself and the project; does not use slang/street language throughout the presentation Clarity: presentation is well prepared; visuals contribute to clarity and introduce both the artist and the theory for the audience; the visuals were designed versus copied from other web sites/media (e.g., texts, periodicals, magazines, etc.) Student summarizes but does not copy most information from other sources (e.g., text, web, library); student notes these primary and secondary sources in tech course of the presentation (e.g., by providing web links or bibliographic references in the visual presentation) Relation to theory: student understands how the work of his/her chosen artist or artistic style relates to the ethical theory that he/she is presenting. Student also has good knowledge of the artist/style and historical time period in which the artist/style originated. The comparison between the artist/style and the ethical theory is clear at the close of the presentation.
C	Communication: Student communicates in a professional manner; introduces him/herself and the project; does not use slang/street language throughout the presentation Clarity: presentation is well prepared; visuals contribute to clarity and introduce both the artist and the theory for the audience Student summarizes but does not copy most information from other sources (e.g., text, web, library); student notes these primary and secondary sources in tech course of the presentation (e.g., by providing web links or bibliographic references in the visual presentation) Relation to theory: student understands how the work of his/her chosen artist or artistic style relates to the ethical theory that he/she is presenting. The comparison between the artist/style and the ethical theory is clear at the close of the presentation.
D	Communication: Student does not communicate in a professional manner; does not introduce him/herself or the project; uses slang/street language throughout the presentation Clarity: presentation is not well prepared Student has copied most information from other sources (e.g., text, web, library) and only recites the material, in effect becoming a reader rather than a researcher Relation to theory: student barely understands the ethical theory that he/she is presenting and cannot elaborate any further The theory in question remains unclear even after the presentation is finished.
F	Communication: Student does not communicate in a professional manner; does not introduce him/herself or the project; uses slang/street language throughout the presentation. Clarity: presentation is not well prepared Student has copied most information from other sources (e.g., text, web, library) without really understanding the material Relation to theory: student does not understand the ethical theory that he/she is presenting and misreads the theorist's position or ignores significant details

home | guide questions | journal guidelines | syllabus | contact dr. bowser