March 8,

2015

Digital Learning Environments

Castro, J. (2012). Learning and Teaching Art: Through Social Media. Studies in Art Education, 53(2), 152-169.

Type of Article: Research Based

Summary: This article presented findings from a design-based research study that explored how the dynamics of learning and teaching art change through implementing social media in the classroom. Specifically, the study observed how using the open source Elgg (http://www.elgg.org/) platform affected the curriculum and pedagogy with a goal to gain insight on how learning and teaching art changed in this environment. The Elgg platform was design to mimic social environments students were familiar with using allowing students to post blogs, digital photographs, and videos and also allowing them to send messages, chat and open discussions. There were two phases to the study, with the first four weeks being dedicated to reshaping ideals of happiness in culture and personal lives by using weekly writing prompts and the art documentary Euphoria as a basis for inquiry. The first week’s curriculum was predesigned with the following weeks’ curriculum incorporating the students’ discussions from the prior week. The second phase focused on collective knowledge. Basically, the curriculum asked students to conduct artistic inquiry based on the evolving dialogue, images, video and text produced in the online environment.

The results of the study showed four characteristics of learning and teaching in an online environment:

1. Learning through Looking and Dialogue2. Learning through Encounters with Difference3. Dynamics of Attention and Learning through Social Media4. Shifting the Spatial

In short, the study found that teaching art through social media changed how the learning occurred as it was not based on the ideas of one individual. The learning was based on the fact that the identity of the teacher and student shifted and both were co-participating in a dynamic and collective system of meaning.

 Critique: The study reinforced the benefits of an online learning community where teacher and student are participating in the learning process together.  In this study, “Learning occurs at multiple scales, from the individual to the collective, in complex systems.” (158) All participants become teachers and learners in this classroom model. While the study does suggest a positive outcome from using social media in the art classroom, there is a detail of this study I find concerning. The study was conducted with a group of 15 students as an extra-curricular activity. I believe the study would have more accurately determined impacts of social media in the art classroom had it been conducted with a more varied sample group including at risk students, and English Language Learners (ELLs). These two subgroups of the general population of a school often struggle with ability, motivation and self-direction, which are key elements needed when students are learning in an online environment. Despite my concerns with how this

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study was conducted, I do believe the topic warrants that further studies be conducted to prove or disprove the impacts of social media on the art classroom.

Lowther, D.L., Ross, S.M. & Morrison, G.M. (2003). When each one has one: the influences on teaching strategies and student achievement of using laptops in the classroom. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 51 (3), pp.23-44.

Type of Article: Research Based

Summary: This study was intended to offer understanding into the extent to which a school’s laptop program impact students’ education and learning. To start, a pilot study was conducted to evaluate the first year results of the implementation of the laptop program based on Anytime, Anywhere Learning (AAL). Students participating in the pilot study were provided a laptop for a monthly lease fee of fifty dollars. Therefore, sampling was dependent on families’ interest in the study and ability to participate because of monetary costs. After the first year, the design of the study was redeveloped to include analysis of preprogram achievement scores, all teacher participants being NTeQ trained equally, and measures of student performance in problem-solving and writing skills.

There were two research questions being focused on:

1. Is teaching and student behavior different in laptop compared to control classrooms? 2. Do students achieve differently in laptop classrooms?

The results from the second year of the study indicated that teachers in the laptop classes were implementing more student-centered teaching strategies, like project-based learning, independent inquiry, teacher as coach and cooperative learning. In general, laptop classes were observed to be busier and have more active learning environments. Consistent throughout both years of the study was the frequent use of the laptop as a learning tool rather than just for delivery of instruction.

Critique: While the article does suggest that student one-to-one devices positively impact student achievement, there are a few details of this study I find concerning. The study was conducted in a district that predominately serves suburban middle-class families. I believe the study would have more accurately determined impacts on achievement had it been conducted with a more varied sample group including at risk students, and English Language Learners (ELLs). Also of concern, the observations of classrooms conducted in the study were said to be prescheduled. If a teacher knows that they are being observed, they are going to make sure they have planned a “model” lesson. The data from these types of prescheduled observations would not be valid as they are not a true representation of what is actually occurring in the classroom. I believe the observations should have been unannounced. However, I did find it appropriate that the observers were not aware that the data they were collecting was in reference to the one-to one program. Lastly, with the changes that were made between the year one pilot and year two study, I do not believe that the two years are comparable anymore. There were too many factors not considered to accurately pinpoint that an increase in student achievement was linked to a one-to-one device. Despite my concerns with how this study was conducted, I do believe further studies

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should be conducted to prove or disprove the positive impacts of one-to-one on student achievement so that districts can make better choices for their students.

Foster, A., Katz-Buonincontro, J. (2013). Integrating the Visual Arts Back into the Classroom with Mobile Applications: Teaching beyond the ‘Click and View’ Approach. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 30(2), 10-17.

Type of Article: Research Based

Summary: This study addresses how teachers can select appropriate visual arts mobile applications and use them to successfully integrate art back into the classroom. The study uses a content analysis approach using two frameworks: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) along with the Inquiry, Communication, Construction and Expression framework. The results of the study show the extent to which sixteen mobile applications promote physiological features, physiological learning principles, pedagogical voice, socio-cultural dimensions, aesthetic understanding and creative self-efficacy.

The main research questions were:

1. To what extent do the top downloaded mobile applications that focus on visual arts promote technological pedagogical content knowledge for use in a classroom context?

2. To what extent do the top downloadable mobile applications focusing on the visual arts present opportunities for inquiry, communication, construction and expression in arts education?

The results of the study showed that “the mobile applications are designed in an imbalanced way that fails to holistically develop and sustain learning opportunities for students in the visual arts beyond a “click and view” approach.” It is further suggested in the study that teachers Play, Curricular activity, Reflection and Discussion Model (PCaRD). In this model, students engage in naturalistic play with a mobile application, reflect on play with friends and then engage in curricular activities connected to using the mobile application.

 Critique: This study is an excellent resource for providing art teachers with insight to top downloadable visual arts apps. One of my concerns in reading this study is that the search for visual art applications was conducted on the IOS platform and only free applications were part of the study. The study should have included other platforms, such as Android, to expand the sample. Also of concern, the search terms used to find the applications was limited to three terms Art museum, art, and painting. I feel there are more terms that could have been incorporated into the search.

While the study does suggest that the applications reviewed in this study fail to provide complete learning experiences, I appreciate the fact that the PCaRD was brought to attention. I do not feel the applications are worthless to the learning process and PCaRD approach would be very useful in allowing teachers to incorporate mobile applications in a meaningful way.

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Budge, K. (2012). Art and Design Blogs: A Socially-Wise Approach to Creativity. International Journal of Art & Design Education, 31(1), 44-52.

Type of Article: Research Based

Summary: This study explores how artists, designers and makers who blog about their work, use a social approach to encourage creativity with a sense of community and environmental and ethical awareness. The blogs being researched in this study were evaluated using a reflexive research methodology. From the study of twenty-five blogs, five key themes emerged from the data: sense of community, sharing of creative practice, environmental awareness, support for the creative work of others and awareness of globalism.

The main research questions were:

1. Is there a way to include participation in the broader art and design blogging world as a part of art and design education?

2. What can we learn from such a social approach to learning in art and design programs?

This study shows that there is value in blogging as a socially-wise approach to creativity in learning environments because the students participating in this community will be the artists of the future. Promoting social approaches in art education allows students to see that there are many ways that artists work and that creative processes are more varied than often suggested.

 Critique: While I do believe this study is accurate in its research of the twenty five blogs and their ability to encourage creativity, I do not believe the research was done allowing for any decision about the effects of blogging in the art and design classroom. The five themes determined by the data are all topics that should be considered in an art and design classroom and blogging may be a socially-wise approach for students to increase their creativity.

I do believe that this calls for further research to be conducted. I would like to see a follow up study which includes a classroom actually participating in the creation of personal blogs and the following of professional artists’ blogs. Even if a second study was conducted, I believe there would be too many variables to consider in accurately determining whether or not blogging increases creativity in the art classroom.

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Leake, M. (2014). Social Engagements With Contemporary Art: Connecting Theory With Practice. The Journal of the National Art Education Association, 67(5), 23-30.

Type of Article: Theory-into-Practice

Summary: This article addresses social learning theory and students exploring contemporary art both inside and outside of the classroom to spark dynamic social learning interactions. The article asks the reader to consider the question: How might we as educators reconsider how community engagements with contemporary art and social learning theory are relationally interconnected and why is that important?

The article references how technology, including blogs, is a contemporary forum for articulating subjective truths”. (28) Blogging in this sense allows students to become part of a contemporary art community. Social media, such as blogging, is supported by social learning theory in that there is a community connecting on social issues and life experiences, in this case through contemporary art. There is an ongoing and generative process of knowledge acquisition unfolding between participants. This article suggest that “exploring contemporary art both inside and outside of the classroom is an effective approach to connect learning about real-world issues and concerns with our own personal experiences, thus reinforcing how art is a reflection of life”. (25)

 Critique: This article was a very interesting read for an art educator. I believe that Leake did offer valuable insight into the relationship between social learning theory not only through contemporary art, but art in general. Art educators have the responsibility to ensure students are learning about art both inside and outside the classroom and the authors suggestion of using blogs to explore contemporary art is a great resource. Through blogging, students become part of a learning community that allows for social learning interactions to occur with artisans from around the world. It allows learning to be centered in worlds beyond the classroom and students develop their relationship to those worlds.

While I do appreciate the author relating blogging in contemporary art communities to social learning theory, I do believe there could have been further discussion of other technology tools that could create further social learning interactions for students. I believe that other social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Deviantart could be possibilities to shift student learning from being classroom centered to a social media community.

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Jones, B., Overby, A. (2015). Virtuaal LEGOS: Incorporating Minecraft Into the Art Education Curriculum. Art Education, 68(1), 21-27.

Type of Article: Professional Practice

Summary: Digital technology is not new to art education, as many art educators have explored virtual environments for teaching and learning. However, what might not be so familiar to the art educator is the implementation of game-based learning, specific to this article, Minecraft. “Gaming as a learning tool fits within the art education paradigm because of the aesthetic choices players make during gameplay”.(22) It is also mentioned in the article that video games such as Mineccraft can help with issues of visual perception, interpretation, and aesthetics within a digital space.

Using Minecraft in the art classroom can help art educators teach basic programming skills required for creating interactive digital art, pixel art, and offer challenges in creating buildings to scale and using perspective. Besides teaching key art skills, Minecraft also encourages students to create, collaborate and reflect.

 Critique: This article does a great job at empowering art educators to incorporate Minecraft into the classroom. The authors give a clear explanation of the benefits of game-based learning and how Minecraft can enhance the art classroom. The article also expresses how user friendly Minecraft is and how it can easily be adapted for different skill levels. Differentiation occurs automatically within the game.

There are issues that might cause some art educators to be skeptical of incorporating digital technologies into the classroom. Since there are no instructions with the game, only user created YouTube videos, teachers might be a bit intimidated to start using the program, especially if their own technology skills are lacking. Also, there are many art educators who have not made the shift in teaching the “digital generation” and therefore do not see the value of games like Minecraft.

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Burwell, C. (2013). The Pedagogical Potential of Video Remix: Critical Conversations About Culture, Creativity and Copyright. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 57(3), 205-213.

Type of Article: Professional Practice

Summary: This article suggest that students are generating new ways of producing knowledge as well as new forms of identity and community through multimodal spaces such as Facebook or Pinterest and the practice video remix or musical mash up. In the article, the author focuses on how remix can become a part of the classroom curriculum.

The art form of video remix opens up discussions of digital text and explores possibilities for students to analyze their everyday media involvements, which becomes important when young peoples’ identities and worldview are shaped through digital text and interactions. Burwell suggests that the use of video remix in the classroom “opens up discussion of theoretically rich concepts such as media ideology, creativity, appropriation, intellectual property, and fair use”. (212)

 Critique: I did find this article very informative on the use of video remix in the classroom. I can see remix as a powerful teaching tool and a way to teach literacy through the arts. Video remix opens the door to literacy as students create a vocabulary for critiquing not only a remix but other digital texts. I believe that incorporating video remix into the curriculum is a great way to bridge the gap between teachers and 21st century learners. In respect to art education, I agree with Burwell that it is important for students to be able to view digital media, discuss it, describe it and reflect on it.

I also appreciate that the author gives steps for immediate implementation of remix in the classroom. However, I think that before teachers begin to incorporate remix into their classroom, they should ensure that they themselves and their students understand copyright and fair use practices.

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Myer, E. (2009). Photography Education in a Web 2.0 Classroom. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 36-39.

Type of Article: Professional Practice

Summary: This article explores a teacher’s journey in implementing Web 2.0 tools in a photography classroom. Myer used Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis and social networks to engage and inspire his photography students. Using these tools, Myer was able to “showcase student achievement, open new lines of communication with current and former students, manage classroom workflow and collaborate on projects with teachers I have never met”. (36)

To start, Myer was simply looking for a way for students to publish their work to an audience who could quickly respond and so, he created a photo blog. Next, he used Facebook groups to organize his photography lasses into Facebook groups. Myer used a wiki to communicate classroom expectations with his students as well. Skype also became a collaboration tool for Myer as he worked on projects with his advanced students.

Myer contributes his students’ level of professionalism and enthusiasm to the use of Web 2.0 tools in his classes. He suggests that his students are not just completing work to get a grade, but that they are actually learning and have a deeper understanding of design elements and principles and are more aware of their personal aesthetic.

 Critique: Myer’s use of Web 2.0 tools seems to have had a positive impact on the levels of learning occurring in his classroom. The way that he is using these web tools is certainly engaging for his students. Just as the author, I find it very important to showcase the achievements of students and a blog is a perfect way to take work from the hallways to the world.

However, I have to question the use of so many different tools. I can see the tools as a great way for the teacher to organize and manage students, but I also think it would be rather confusing to students to remember to check the wiki and to check in on the Facebook groups. I think he and his students would benefit from a web 2.0 tool that allowed for multiple uses for the teacher and the students.

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Buechley, L., Zoran, A. (2013). Hybrid Reassemblage: An Exploration of Craft, Digital Fabrication and Artifact Uniqueness. Leonardo, 46(1), 4-10.

Type of Article: Professional Practice

Summary: Craft, Destruction and Restoration are the areas of discussion of this article. Digital fabrication, specifically 3D printing, is at the heart of this article. The crafting process results in a unique artifact created by a craftsperson. Digital fabrication allows an object to be designed on a computer and be produced by a machine. “The marriage of craft and digital fabrication that we explore is made possible by destruction”. (6) A handcrafted object can be destroyed and in turn the opportunity for restoration is made possible by 3Dprinting.

This authors coin the term Hybrid Reassemblage as their approach to using digital fabrication to restore broken ceramic pieces. Buechley and Zoran believe craft, digital fabrication, destruction and restoration can be integrated into a hybrid creative process. This creative process asks the craftsperson to surrender the original meaning of the object and transform it into a memorial. The authors view the destruction and reassemblage as a rite of passage for the craftsperson, as he is forced to accept the reality of change.

 Critique: I find the idea of students being able to create an object using a computer and having a machine 3D print the object to be fascinating. However, I do not see the idea of “hybrid reassemblage” to be a creative process appropriate for the high school classroom. Nor do I see, the point of destroying a handcrafted item only to turn around and recreate it using a machine. In my opinion this is a waste of time and ultimately devalues the craftsperson’s original piece of work. Where is the art in this process?

As the article has piqued my curiosity about students being able to 3D print their original designs, I wish the authors would have spent some time discussing original 3D printed works. A project that utilizes a 3D printer would encourage students to be independent thinkers, problem solvers and inventors. I wish the article would have explored these aspects of 3D printing in the art classroom.

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