Table of Contents
Directions
Your professor is teaching a class on Art. Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response, you should:
- express and support your personal opinion
make a contribution to the discussion in your own words - An effective response will contain at least 100 words. You have ten minutes to write.
Class Discussion
Welcome to today’s class on Art. Apart from the economic benefits and speed of production brought by modern factories, we must consider cultural and historical values. Is the preservation of traditional crafts more important than modern industrial efficiency?
I believe preserving traditional crafts is essential because these crafts represent our unique cultural heritage. Unlike mass-produced industrial goods, traditional crafts maintain techniques passed down for generations, which connect us to our history and identity. If we focus only on industrial efficiency, we risk losing these irreplaceable skills and the diversity they bring to our culture.
While I respect the value of tradition, I think modern industrial efficiency is more important in today’s world. Industrial methods allow us to produce goods faster and cheaper, meeting the needs of a growing population. Also, efficiency can improve living standards by providing affordable products. We can preserve crafts as art, but for everyday needs, efficiency must take priority.
Sample Answers & Evaluation
🏆 Perfect Score – The Sniper Approach (30/30)
While Liam argues that industrial efficiency is paramount, he fails to consider the fundamental cultural implications of losing traditional crafts. The core of this debate lies not in speed or cost alone but in the irreplaceable value of cultural identity sustained through craft. Why does this matter? The gradual disappearance of traditional crafts results in a profound loss of community autonomy, defined as the ability of a people to maintain unique social practices independent of external homogenizing forces. For example, the Japanese art of Kintsugi—repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer—not only preserves the functional object but carries deep philosophical meaning about embracing imperfection and history. This craft’s survival symbolizes cultural resilience amid globalization’s pressures. Hence, prioritizing industrial efficiency without safeguarding such traditions risks a paradigm shift that favors uniformity over diversity, eroding the richness of human heritage at an alarming statistical probability.
Teacher’s Feedback
Score: 30/30
Logic: This student identified a critical flaw in the opposing argument by focusing on cultural identity and autonomy, not just efficiency. They used a specific, real-world example (Japanese Kintsugi) to support their point, making the argument precise and authoritative.
Golden Vocabulary: autonomy, paradigm shift, statistical probability
🏆 High Score – The Standard Approach (25/30)
I think modern industrial efficiency is more important because it helps produce many goods quickly and at low cost. Many people need affordable products to improve their daily lives. For example, factories can make clothes and tools faster and cheaper than traditional craftspeople. Although traditional crafts are valuable for culture, they cannot meet the needs of large populations today. We can still keep traditional crafts as a form of art or hobby while using industry for most products. This way, both can exist without conflict.
Teacher’s Feedback
Score: 25/30
Logic: This essay clearly states an opinion and supports it with logical reasons. However, it lacks deep analysis and specific real-world examples. The argument is general and less persuasive compared to the 30-point essay.
Golden Vocabulary: affordable, conflict