debauhaus1-4, Exercise 1: The preliminary course

Model answer:

The preliminary course (Vorkurs) was a first stage that every new student took, usually lasting about six months (check). Its purpose was to strip away students' habits and give everyone a common grounding in colour, form, texture and the behaviour of materials, before they chose a workshop. It was first taught by Johannes Itten (1919 to 1923), then by László Moholy-Nagy and Josef Albers from 1923 (check the division of roles), with Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky teaching form and colour theory in separate courses.

It mattered for later art education because the idea of a foundation course, taken by all students before specialising, spread to art and design schools in many countries, including Britain (check how direct the line of influence is). Much of what is called Bauhaus influence in teaching is really this one idea.