DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN. Aalto-yliopisto Taideteollinen korkeakoulu. Assessment Criteria and Their Application for Master of Arts Theses

Transcription

1 DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN Assessment Criteria and Their Application for Master of Arts Theses Master of Arts theses at the Department of Design may be production-based, artistic or research-oriented. Begin by defining the right category for the thesis, and apply the relevant assessment criteria. The thesis assessment criteria are intended as a guideline to support thesis assessments of the degree programme. Attention must be paid to the criteria whilst checking the thesis, although their significance and applicability for each individual work is determined by the checker. Even theses of a high standard are not required to fulfil all of the criteria. Assessing a Production-Based Master of Arts (MA) Thesis Assessing an Artistic Master of Arts (MA) Thesis Assessing a Research-Oriented Master of Arts (MA) Thesis Summary of Assessment Criteria The minimum requirement for the written section of the thesis is 60,000 characters, although this requires a strong focus on the artistic or production section. Assessing a Production-Based Master of Arts (MA) Thesis A production-based MA thesis constitutes design work, where a design solution is created as a starting point on the chosen topic. The purpose of the thesis is to demonstrate the students skills in independently solving design problems as well as to integrate their input into the multidisciplinary whole of production development and research. A production-based MA thesis includes a written document and presentation of the work. In addition, the thesis usually includes a production section. Thesis assessment focuses on the choice of topic, managing the design process, documentation of the work and the outcome of the design work. Documentation includes both a description of the work process and production section that enable their assessment. In case the thesis is part of a larger whole, the student's own input must be clarified. The choice of topic must have professional and societal significance and be demanding and appropriately outlined. Significance is increased by the subject s topicality, design-orientation, ethicalness and professional and societal impact. The demands level is increased by the complexity of the design task as well as the production of new professional know-how required to complete the work. Outlining the topic refers to the scope of the work as well a coherent processing of the design problem, so that the examination of the topic is adequately in-depth and comprehensive. 1 (5)

2 Students must be able to justify the choice and outlining of the topic as well as to link these to professional practices or theory. The work process must demonstrate the student s ability to master design work and to indentify its points of contact with product development as a whole. The use of resources for the design work must be appropriate. Background knowledge for the design must be identifiable, acquired, produced if necessary and utilised in accordance with the requirements of the topic. The main themes of the design work must be identified and developed. Choosing the design, information retrieval, assessment and process management methods, and an ability to use and develop the chosen methods are an integral part of the work. Methodological solutions must be justifiable. in using methods and project responsibility are seen as merits. The results of the design work are evaluated as a whole as well as from the perspectives of functionality, aesthetics and usefulness, emphasising the individual characteristics of the work. The starting points for assessing the results include the requirements set by the students themselves, their relation towards the general requirement level set by professional practices, individuality of the design and pragmatism. The student must justify the presented solutions. Documentation of the work must be consistent, clear, truthful and linguistically correct. The different sections of the work must be presented from perspectives that support the structure of the work as a whole as well as with an appropriate scope. Processing must be comprehensive but concise. Attention must be paid to the aesthetic and visual quality of the documentation. All sections are assessed by paying attention to consistency, thoroughness and creativity. Assessing an Artistic Master of Arts (MA) Thesis The starting point for an artistically oriented MA thesis is the student s need to process a specific problem through artistic means. Students must aim to pose the problem in such a way that it has significance for both their own professional field and for the art form. The purpose is to demonstrate the student s ability to function in the field of art handcrafts and in the wider context of applied art. An artistically oriented thesis includes a production section, written documentation section and presentation of the work. Thesis assessment focuses on the thesis as a whole as well as the way the production and documentation sections support and complement each other. Assessment is influenced by the choice and handling of the topic as well as the functionality of the different sections. The documentation section presents the production section, the related written section as well as the possible presentation of the work as a whole, so that assessment can be carried out for each part. The choice of topic must be of professional and societal interest as well as significant and demanding. Interestingness is influenced by the topicality, artistic level, design approach, ethicalness and professional and societal significance of the subject. 2 (5)

3 The outline of the topic must pay attention to the scope of the work, while the posed problem must be processed with adequate depth and comprehensiveness. The documentation section presents the thesis and clarifies the posed problem and basic questions set for the artistic section. The content must be comprehensive. Documentation of the work must be consistent, clear, truthful and linguistically faultless. The different sections must be in balance. The artistic production section must demonstrate the students artistic maturity, vision and identity towards their art field. Assessing the piece or collective piece is influenced by the relation of the form of expression towards thinking, technical skill, individuality and insight. The work must express the student s confidence and depth. The implementation must reflect thought and control. It must also display subject-specific skill in the form of expression and functionality in the context of the chosen art form. The production must demonstrate the student s confidence in independent expression and creation. Assessment of the written section focuses on the students' ability to justify their choices and present motivated perspectives within the context of their art form. The choice, outlining and processing method of the topic as well as the relation of the thesis to the art field in question need to be justified. The written section must also define and justify solutions that influenced the work and its outcome. Students must demonstrate their ability to understand, outline and analyse the production section, i.e. their own artistic work. Assessment of all of the sections emphasises consistency, finishing touches and the artistic level. Assessing a Research-Oriented Master of Arts (MA) Thesis The MA thesis may constitute research that is based on a chosen topic. The purpose of the thesis is to demonstrate the students independent design problem solving skills as well as to integrate their input into the multidisciplinary whole of production development and research. A research-oriented MA thesis includes a written document and description of the work. The work does not include a production section. Thesis assessment focuses on the choice of topic, managing the research process, research documentation and the level and reliability of the results. The document includes a research description that enables assessment. In case the thesis is part of a larger whole, the student's own input must be clarified. The topic of the work must be scientifically significant, demanding and appropriately outlined. Significance is increased by the subject s topicality, design interest, ethicalness and professional and societal impact. The outline of the topic refers to a balance between the scope of the work and the research problem, so that examination of the topic is adequately in-depth and comprehensive. Students must be able to justify the choice and outline of the topic as well as to link these to professional practices or theory. 3 (5)

4 The research must demonstrate the student s ability to manage research work. It is considered an advantage if students identify the meeting points of the research with product development. Resources must be used appropriately. Theoretical and pragmatic literature for the research must be identified, acquired and utilised according the requirements of the topic. The main research themes must be identified and developed. The research question must be logical. An ability to use and develop the chosen methods is an integral part of the work. Methodological solutions must be justifiable. in applying methods and mastering multidisciplinary knowledge required by design research problems are considered as merits. The research outcomes are assessed in general as well as from the perspective of the reliability of generated information. In addition, the research must provide new information for research literature in the field. The starting points for assessing the outcomes include the relation of the results to the requirements set by the student and to the general requirement level of research in the field as well as the uniqueness of the research. Documentation of the work must be consistent, clear, truthful and linguistically correct. The different sections of the work must be presented from perspectives that support the structure of the work as a whole, as well as with an appropriate scope. Processing must be comprehensive, yet concise. Attention must be paid to the aesthetic and visual quality of the documentation. All sections are assessed by paying attention to consistency, thoroughness and creativity. Approved by the thesis evaluation panel of the Department of Design on 19 October (5)

5 Taideteollinen korkeakoulu Summary of Assessment Criteria Assessment on a scale of 0-5, which are equivalent to the following written value statements: 0 = Fail 1 = Satisfactory 2 = Very satisfactory 3 = Good 4 = Very good 5 = Excellent MA Production-Based MA Artistic MA Research-Oriented Topic Process Outcomes Docu mentation General grounds Significance Resources Use and production of information Use and development of methods Multidisciplinarity Project responsibility Functionality Aesthetics Usefulness Inventiveness Comprehensiveness Correctness Integration into theory Thoroughness Interestingness Process management Use of methods Conceptual level Possible production responsibility Artistic level Individuality Viability Innovativeness Comprehensiveness of content Ambitiousness of set targets Artistic level Publicity Significance Resources Understanding the research problem Use of literature Logicalness of the research design Use and production of information Use and development of methods Multidisciplinarity Reliability Contribution to research literature Usefulness Comprehensiveness Correctness Integration into theory Thoroughness 5 (5)