2007 DCG Chief Examiners Report

Having assessed the process of sketching and what it consists of and also the different modes of sketching, it's becoming clear that sketching is not just a process which consists of "purely objective drawing, with no mental manipulation" (Fish and Scrivener 1990 p. 120). It's becoming clear that this skill has an associated highly complex cognitive process, these processes will be explored later in the review. If the skill is highly complex in nature we must explore if this skill is worth developing and is beneficial to pupils and students. It has been concluded that "the inherently creative process of form production...seems to result from a special systematic, casual relationship between two modalities of visual reasoning, induced by sketching"

From my own experience and from my observations on School Placement this year it is clear that there is a certain degree of nervousness and anxiety surrounding sketching. This strongly reflects back on the 2007 DCG Chief Examiners Report, in which it was stated and recommended that freehand sketching "could be further developed in the teaching and learning across all areas of the subject" (SEC 2009 p. 59). Pupils were all of the opinion that they were not able to sketch, nor were they willing to learn or express their ideas fully through the medium of sketching. It was reported, having completed the initial phase of strategic activities which were aimed to develop students competencies in sketching which I will discuss in more detail in the following section, that "85% of students claimed that they experienced periods of anxiety and frustration" (Lane et al 2010b p. 80). This finding associated to the initial activity which students were required to engage with also depicts their previous feelings surrounding sketching as it was an observational drawing task in which they experienced anxiety. It was also reported that "75% of students expressed difficulty" (Lane et al 2010b p 80). These findings are informing my opinion further and supporting my observation of students

Previous preliminary studies carried out "provide a significant indicator that sketching is a teachable skill, which can be developed by people with novice sketching ability" (Lane et al 2010b p. 72). A study was then carried out among 124 undergraduate students of a technology education programme in which a similar procedure was followed which would conclude "whether a set of empirically derived activities from observation to imagination, improved the ability of students with novice sketching ability to develop, manipulate and synthesise graphical libraries through the medium of freehand sketching" (Lane et al 2010b p.68). To support the set of activities a paradigm was established which considers "the modalities of 'seeing as' and 'seeing that' (Goldschmidt 1991) within the 'observation' to 'imagination'(Fish 1990) continuum" (Lane et al 2010b p. 71) These set of appropriate activities shifts students focus and ability from observation to imagination while also shifting the focus from seeing as to seeing