The Foundation Course is an interdisciplinary preparatory programme designed for candidates holding a high school diploma or equivalent qualification, who do not fully meet the admission requirements for a three-year degree course. Upon completing the Foundation Course in either English or Italian, students will have acquired the linguistic, historical, and cultural competencies necessary to proceed to the admission entry tests and subsequently enrol onto a three-year degree course.
Upon successful completion of the Foundation Course, students will receive a certificate issued by NABA.
Throughout the Foundation Course, students will be offered various opportunities to achieve key learning objectives, including:
- Enhancing their linguistic skills.
- Acquiring knowledge of methodologies and historical processes related to design and visual arts within their area of interest.
- Understanding the Italian historical-cultural-social context.
Foundation Course: On-campus and Blended Modes
NABA's Foundation Course is offered in two modes: on-site at the campus and blended. The structure of the blended course, with programmes equivalent to those delivered on-site at the campus, entails some lessons being conducted asynchronously, while others occur synchronously during live sessions with the lecturer.
The blended mode is only provided for the first semester and its respective examinations: from the second semester onwards, attendance at classes on-site at the Academy is mandatory. Remote teaching modes are not provided.
Attendance is compulsory for both the blended and on-site pathways to obtain the final certificate.
Foundation Course in Blended Mode: Synchronous and Asynchronous Activities
The percentage of synchronous and asynchronous activities in the Foundation Course in blended mode is correlated to the subjects covered in the first semester: in some cases, it may be 30% asynchronous and 70% synchronous, while in others, the percentage may be 50-50.
Asynchronous activities involve individual or group participation and are divided into the following learning components:
- Discussion board
- Theoretical video lessons
- Video screencasts
- Reading materials
- External resources (videos, articles, interviews, movie excerpts, links, tools, etc.)
- Quiz
- Assignment
- Project work
- Case studies
Active participation from students is expected, as they are required to engage in all activities and discussion boards and submit assigned tasks by deadlines to enhance the effectiveness and applicability of live lessons.
During live lessons, the lecturer facilitates and moderates discussions among students, answers questions, and provides timely feedback on assignments, projects, and asynchronous work completed during the week.
Live lessons will be designed to actively engage students, utilizing integrated tools in Blackboard, such as:
- Instant poll (Wooclap)
- Collaborative project board (Miro)
- Word cloud (Mentimeter)
The Course aims to foster a sense of participation within the student class group, thus anticipating the teamwork dynamics encountered at NABA during classroom teachings.
