Abstract

Learning visual arts and design requires special capabilities and a creative mind; students must manipulate information they receive during their classes and from their research, and then convert it into creative, aesthetic, and functional ideas. Brain-based learning assists visual art and design students in understanding how their brains work, think, and perceive. They need this knowledge to effectively develop creative skills at different stages of the creativity process. Moreover, brain-based learning offers students an understanding of the physiology and performance of the human brain and helps them learn how to convert this understanding into educational tools and principles. Over a ten-year period, involving 400 students, the study investigated the practice of six brain-based learning principles for teaching and learning visual arts and design. After an experimental application of the six principles in design studios, the study ultimately modified the initial brain-based learning instructional approach for successful application to art and design education. A six-step brain-based course structure for freshmen students is suggested to trigger their creative capabilities and help them gain control during the stages of the creativity process. The study revealed that when students were presented with traditional learning methodologies, they experienced negative frustration that hindered their performance; conversely, when brain-based learning techniques were applied, performance was enhanced beyond students’ own expectations. These findings have strong implications for visual arts and design educators and students, and suggest that brain-based learning has the potential to transform the high-stress, negatively frustrating experience that learning can sometimes comprise into a positively frustrating experience leading to enhanced performance and increased success.