Advanced Higher Curriculum

Purpose and Aims of the Course

The course is broken down into two areas, which students must choose one of (holding in mind their particular strengths) – Design OR Expressive – (Design Studies with a Design Enquiry OR Expressive Studies with an Expressive Enquiry.)

Advanced Higher 003 Advanced Higher 004 Advanced Higher 001 Advanced Higher 002

“The Advanced Higher Art and Design (Design) Course provides opportunities for learners to develop their creativity and apply their understanding of design practice, function and aesthetics. This involves exploring and researching challenging design contexts, issues and opportunities, and evaluating and incorporating visual stimuli and other information from a variety of sources.”

“The Advanced Higher Art and Design (Expressive) Course provides opportunities for learners to develop their creativity, visual awareness and understanding of aesthetic, while exploring how to communicate their personal thoughts, ideas and opinions through their expressive artwork. This involves visually exploring and responding in an individual way to stimuli, researching challenging expressive art contexts and evaluating how artists respond creatively to stimuli.”

Advanced Higher 009 Advanced Higher 010 Advanced Higher 011 Advanced Higher 007

For a detailed specification of what is involved within each unit of work please click on the links below:

Design Studies – SQA link

  • Explaining the selection and relevance of a chosen area of design.
  • Producing an action plan for carrying out research and investigation.
  • Analysing examples of design work and practice.
  • Presenting substantiated judgements about designers’ work and the contexts
    which influenced it.

Design Enquiry – SQA link

Outcome 1 – The learner will plan a personal design enquiry by:

  • Producing a design brief establishing a personal focus to the enquiry.
  • Selecting design stimuli and collating visual investigative research material for the
    design enquiry.
  • Analysing opportunities and design constraints with reference to their
    understanding of designers and design practice.
  • Planning initial approaches for developing design ideas and concepts

Outcome 2 – The learner will:

  • Produce investigative work in response to the design brief and outline plan
    by:
  • Producing visual research and investigation showing in-depth understanding of
    the design process.
  • Using a range of design materials, techniques and/or technology in effective and
    highly creative ways.
  • Analysing the impact of their creative decisions and choices and their personal
    response to the design brief.

Outcome 3 – The learner will:

  • Develop and refine developmental concepts and ideas by:
  • Developing initial design ideas and concepts towards potential design solution(s).
  • Using a range of advanced problem-solving and planning skills in the design
    process.
  • Independently evaluating their design work and practice.

Expressive Studies – SQA link

Research and investigate an area of personal interest in art by:

  • Explaining the selection and relevance of the chosen area of art
  • Producing an action plan for the research and investigation
  • Analysing examples of art work and practice
  • Presenting substantiated judgements about artists’ work and the contexts which influenced it

Expressive Enquiry – SQA link

Outcome 1 – The learner will:

  • Identify suitable expressive stimuli for a visual enquiry by:
  • Identifying suitable stimuli and establishing a personal focus to the enquiry
  • Identifying potential creative or expressive connections between the work of others and their own enquiry
  • Analysing opportunities and creative choices with reference to their understanding of artists and art practice
  • Planning and identifying initial approaches for developing and producing expressive ideas

Outcome 2  – The learner will:

  • Produce creative investigative research material for the enquiry by:
  • Using a wide range of art materials, techniques and/or technology in sophisticated and highly expressive ways to explore and investigate stimuli
  • Developing initial visual concepts, expressive ideas and creative investigative studies which communicate their ideas, feelings and thoughts about their stimuli
  • Analysing and critically reflecting on the impact of their creative decisions and choices and their personal response to stimuli

Outcome 3 – The learner will:

  • Develop and refine experimental development ideas for expressive art work by:
  • Selecting initial expressive ideas with potential for further development and exploration
  • Using selected art materials, techniques and/or technology and visual elements to develop ideas for art work
  • Independently evaluating their art work and practice

Students also undertake critical research and written work using the online software programme Google Classroom. This enables students to be able to log on to any computer or device and access their work online (from home or school) in order to carry out classwork and homework whenever required. This removes the need for paper copies of assignments, all work can be carried out, marked and logged without printing.

Google Classroom Graphic Google-Classroom-Logo1

Please go to the SQA website by clicking HERE and chose which area you are interested in (Expressive or Design) to gather an overview of what the course involves and view support documentation.

For further inspiration, please see the Aberdeen Grammar Art Department Pinterest page here.