Stage One
Stage 1 Units/modules at this stage introduce students to distance learning and undergraduate study. Special consideration is taken to support students who have not participated in formal education for many years and learners with a range of abilities, guiding them through the fundamentals of academic study. Students are encouraged to develop core skills and experience a wide variety of processes and approaches to map the territory of drawing. Projects are varied and cover an ambitious range of aspects of practice including material properties, gesture and performance, space, and temporality. Integral to the practical projects, students are supported in developing contextual research skills and critical engagement with the work of others. Students are aided in building relationships with peers and tutors, and being part of the OCA learning community.
Stage Two
Students at this level are supported in the transition from novice undergraduate to skilled, knowledgeable, and independent learners, putting into practice skills acquired at stage 1 and developing a personal approach to their drawing practice. The unit/modules at this stage expose students to a range of current themes and practices, the aim being to encourage the development of a practice that is personal yet located within contemporary or emerging discourse. The projects have been designed for distance learners studying within their communities and actively celebrate this aspect of OCA study, valuing the opportunity to embed practice in daily life. Themes include material and formal experimentation, personal and social concerns, and environment and place.).
Stage Three
This stage of study equips students with knowledge, understanding, and skills for a sustainable ongoing practice. Students develop and carry out personal research projects in their chosen field of drawing and associated research. Individual drawing practice is achieved through rigorous and challenging intellectual inquiry, resulting in a distinctive body of work. Projects focus on developing a sustainable research practice to support studio inquiry, developing professional relationships, audiences, and networks, and establishing a healthy and meaningful drawing practice. Students are supported in the articulation and dissemination of knowledge through formal academic means; academic essays and presentations, and less formal means; blogs, workshops, and artists' talks.