Understanding Assignments and Rubrics at New Masters Academy

Assignments in Courses

At New Masters Academy, our courses are structured to provide an experience akin to in-person art classes but with more extensive content. Each course is broken down into weeks, with video lessons designed to represent a week’s worth of education. Within these lessons, under the assignments tab, students can find specific assignments crucial for applying what they've learned and receiving interactive feedback.

Importance of Assignments

Assignments are an integral part of the learning process at New Masters Academy. They allow students to practice techniques, apply new concepts, and demonstrate their understanding of the course material. Completed assignments must be submitted to the NMA Feedback Team for approval, which assesses them based on detailed rubrics.

Role of NMA Rubrics

NMA Rubrics are carefully designed frameworks that ensure fair, consistent, and educational feedback on student submissions. These rubrics help clarify expectations for students, guide their work, and provide a standardized method of assessment that supports learning and improvement. Each rubric typically includes:

• Criteria for Evaluation: Clear criteria that outline how each aspect of your work will be assessed.
• Common Mistakes: Tips on what to avoid and how to improve the quality of your work.

Here’s how assignments are typically evaluated:

• Handling of Materials: Evaluates your understanding and application of chosen materials. Exceptional skill and understanding can earn you the highest marks.
• Composition & Design: Assesses your execution of design elements such as line, movement, rhythm, color, and texture. Outstanding execution is crucial for top scores.
• Value & Light Logic: Looks at your ability to group values, design Notan, and render light sources and halftones. Clear value grouping and logical light rendering are essential.
• Construction: Examines your understanding of structure, perspective, and proportions. Accurate construction and varied edge quality are key components.
• Expectation & Presentation: Measures how well you meet the course expectations and present your work. Exceeding expectations and presenting your work neatly will score highly.

Course Formatting: Formatted vs. Unformatted Courses

• Formatted Courses: These courses are thoroughly developed by the NMA Education Team to maintain a high standard of learning. Each course features well-defined video chapters, assignments PDFs, reference images, materials lists, and concise video bumpers, all designed to enhance the learning experience and ensure students have clear guidelines and resources.
• Unformatted Courses: These are older courses developed before the formulation of the structured approach currently used at NMA. While still valuable as educational resources, they may lack some of the structured elements found in formatted courses, such as assignment PDFs and segmented video chapters.

Assignment PDFs

Assignment PDFs are provided in formatted courses to give students detailed instructions and criteria for their assignments. These documents are vital for ensuring that all students understand the requirements and can adequately prepare their submissions to meet the expected standards. Each assignment PDF typically includes:

• Detailed Instructions: Step-by-step guidance on what is expected in the assignment.

Addressing Changes and Updates

It is important to note that not all lessons include assignments, particularly in older courses that are pending updates from the NMA Education Team. As these courses are updated and reformatted, assignment PDFs and other supporting materials will be added to enhance the course structure and provide a more comprehensive learning experience.

Example Rubric

To help you understand how assignments are evaluated, here is an example rubric used by the NMA Feedback Team: [Link to Example Rubric PDF]

Enhancing Your Learning Journey

• Detailed Instructions: Assignment PDFs offer clear, step-by-step instructions that help students understand what is expected. This clarity helps in preparing submissions that meet the standards set by the NMA Feedback Team.
• Consistent Evaluation: The use of standardized rubrics ensures that all student work is evaluated consistently, providing fair and constructive feedback that supports continuous improvement.
• Interactive Feedback: Submitting assignments through the assignments tab allows students to receive personalized feedback. This interaction is crucial for refining skills and deepening understanding.

By following these guidelines and utilizing the provided resources, students at New Masters Academy can maximize their learning experience, ensuring that they develop the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their artistic endeavors.