From fine art to visual culture: assessment and the changing role of art education

The influence of digital technology in recent decades has affected all aspects of ordinary visual experience through rapid reproduction and communication of images ultimately contributing to a massive increase in the exposure of children to popular culture. The nature of the fine arts has also changed in response to the impact of digital technology and the pervasive influence of popular imagery and this has, in turn, affected the ways in which culture is represented. This article discusses ways in which art education is responding to these changes with specific attention to the relationship of curriculum and assessment. Appropriate portfolio assessment strategies intimately related to curriculum content are described with reference to specific student work