Sketching is one of the key activities that characterise the process of visualising ideas in the creation of design products and artworks. Sketching skills are necessary to record observations. In addition, sketching can be used to capture new information. In the new State basic education standard of Latvia, sketching has a noticeable place in both design and technologies and art. The study aimed to investigate the role of sketching in the general education of students – future teachers of primary school education, future design and technologies teachers, and future designers. A survey (n = 126) was used to achieve the aim. The results show that sketching is to a greater extent and more diversely taught in visual arts than in home economics and technologies. Almost a fifth of the respondents (19%) did not learn sketching in visual arts, and almost half (48%) – in home economics and technologies. Most respondents consider that a sketch is a rough idea for a work, a draft of a work, and its main characteristic is quickness. 43% associate sketching with drawing techniques. Students use sketching most in free sketching situations and in generating ideas for visual artworks. Students sketch equally to record observations and stylize them as well as to visualize design product ideas. Most students emphasise that sketching needs to be practised, it is a way to visualise thoughts and ideas, and it stimulates creativity. Most students believe that sketching has an impact on the result of product design (both speed and quality), and they also stress that sketching ideas makes it easier to choose which idea to pursue.

No abstract

The paper describes the cultural competence portfolio, which is an innovative approach to the organisation and evaluation of the study process. This includes an active involvement of various study process components: creative work, expression of original ideas, recording of the research process and prevalent self-evaluation. The relevance of the subject of this paper is highlighted by the ongoing education reform in Latvia, which is built around a purposeful, systematic competence development in eight of the basic components for lifelong learning (European Parliament recommendations of Key competences for lifelong learning-2006/962/EC). One of these components is cultural awareness and expression. The research consists of three parts: • the portfolio approach in the study process; • cultural competence as a quality indicator of the education; • specific options of realisation and evaluation. According to the definition, a portfolio is a collection of artefacts, materials and works, accumulated over a certain period of time and it includes three equally important elements of the competence: knowledge, skill and attitude. The portfolio demonstrates accomplishments of a study process and serves as a positive self-evaluation in one or several areas. The portfolio approach can be used in different areas, but it has an especially high value in culture and arts studies. Therefore, the main topic of the research is the cultural competence portfolio in particular, which can ensure the compliance with the education levels, defined by the European Qualifications framework (EQF). The cultural competence portfolio is a collection of personal documents, which can and preferably should be supplemented, re-organised and changed over a long-term period in line with its aims. Such portfolio is a tool to fulfil the aim of education and to reflect on some specific achievement. Not only is it an important tool in the areas of culture and artfor actors, musicians, architects, and models but also for every, student and human, who intentionally wants to develop his / her cultural competence as a lifelong process.

No abstract

The paper focuses on freehand sketching as a method and part of the curriculum in a historical context. Using material published in the Latvian press in the 1920s–1930s, authors attempt to find out what role sketching played in general and professional education, and what ideas pedagogical and art theoreticians came up with almost a hundred years ago. The study of the publications makes it possible to deduce what forms of sketching have been historically focused on, how sketching as a method has been valued and supported in the methodological programmes of primary and secondary schools, and how it has been integrated into the content of the courses organised by various professional organisations. The study raises four research questions to help clarify these aspects. In addition, the inter-war press highlights areas where sketching skills were needed and broadens the understanding of the applicability of sketching. 18 articles from Latvian periodicals were selected for the study. From the analysis of the texts, it can be concluded that publications mentioning sketching can be divided into several groups. The first group includes descriptions of school teaching or study programmes at various levels, the second group includes articles related to vocational or lifelong learning courses organised by professional organisations and schools, and the third group includes articles devoted to the formulation of the basic principles of sketching as a pedagogical method or as a skill necessary for a profession.