This panel centered on the teaching of Arts 1 and PhilArts 1, and how teachers can respond to the challenge of creating authentic assessments of learning to students who are not necessarily inclined to the arts, e.g. science majors. This involved the creation of artwork that is eventually exhibited and/or published, as well as participating in larger national projects like cultural mapping on a micro scale. Presenters shared creative outputs of their students that showed application of artistic concepts as well as analysis of how the socio-political context can shape art.

Prof. Labayne explained how using the tech tool Voyant in analyzing the output of his students in response to a Dadaist prompt demonstrated their exercise of freedom of thought. Referencing Terry Eagleton, this freedom involves “recognizing determinants and turning them into one’s own,” thus, the constraints of the assignment led his students to their own creativity.

Prof. Aguinaldo emphasized that the teaching of Arts 1 in UP Los Banos is a shared and team effort, as evidenced by a shared online gallery of student output. In his presentation, he discussed the value of asking his students to submit their creative outputs to various online publications and galleries. He noted that student creative work is done and presented in the context of critical reflection on their creative process.

On the other hand, Prof. Gumanay focused on teaching PhilArts 1 through the study and practice of what turns art into cultural heritage. Using the cultural mapping form of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, she challenged her students to revisit their own communities to search for heritage trails and sites. She highlighted the importance of retrieving the community stories behind these sites to contribute to the country’s cultural map.

While the two GE courses are taught separately, we must try to integrate the teaching of Philippine art in the general arts course in order to address the critique that art studies is Eurocentric. All three presenters agreed that most of their students are inherently motivated to participate and even excel in these GE courses.