Ways of Knowing
Asynchronous Session
Featured Breaking with Tradition in the Art Academy: Avant-garde Art Production and Art Education Reforms in the 1980s in China View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jianan Qi
The 1980s is seen as a turning point of social transformation and modernisation in China. Avant-garde art produced by artists who were affiliated with art academies had a substantial impact on the development of contemporary Chinese art, while traditional teaching methods designed for Socialist Realism were being questioned. My research aims to investigate debates on art education reforms which resulted from the discrepancy between teaching and learning in the unprecedented time of artistic shifts. It examines experimental courses in three representative art academies during the 85' Art New Wave. Drawing upon methods such as multiple case studies, qualitative interviews with twenty artists and retired professors, and the analysis of documentary sources, it provides an in-depth investigation on students’ self-learning process, and new teaching methods in contrast with traditional technical training. It argues that the art pedagogy at academies in the 1980s had both limitations and privileges for emerging contemporary artists.
Narrating History with Art View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Julie Taylor
This paper explores how visual art has been successfully used by educators in an alternative high school in the United States to advance historical knowledge and cultural understanding. The study is based on interdisciplinary action research. The author shares findings from work that has been conducted during an eight-year period.
Experiential Learning Projects as a Form of Assessment to Develop Contemporary Arts Pedagogies in Initial Teacher Education View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Louise Jenkins, Renée Crawford
Initial teacher educators have an imperative to develop students’ skills and knowledge in contemporary arts pedagogies to support innovative practices in the teaching profession. Experiential learning is an approach that we have used in our music education method classes to develop our initial teacher education (ITE) students’ understanding of the positive impact of authentic and real-life teaching and learning experiences. In higher education, experiential learning can provide a more personalised experience for students as it positions teaching and learning in real-life and authentic practice using varying formats such as project-based work and activities in different contexts. However, for such teaching and learning to be effective there needs to be stronger links between theory and practice. It is also crucial to consider the role of assessment in facilitating this process. This paper presents the themes and challenges as identified in the related discourses to guide future Arts pedagogy and practice. We recommend using experiential learning projects as a form of assessment to provide opportunities for initial teacher education students to apply their knowledge to authentic real world issues. Our work highlights a significant opportunity to expand the current repertoire of progressive approaches to assessments that will influence and inform future pedagogy and curriculum in teacher education.
Theatre, Film, and Research: The Art of Engagement View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kathleen Sitter, Brooke Allemang
As part of a three-year study, a group of breast cancer patients created short videos about their personal treatment and aftercare journey. The themes from the videos informed key recommendations for breast cancer patient care and were then retold through a theatre production which was subsequently made into a film. The process is a powerful representation of the Arts in healthcare that weaves together research, storytelling, theatre, and film. As part of the study, the research design, ethics, and overall development are discussed. A short clip from the film is also included.
Embodied Knowledge - Balinese Master Teachers Train University Students: A Case Study of the Asian Theatre Program at the University of Hawaiʻi View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kirstin Pauka
The paper provides an analysis of the training process involved in the artistic collaboration between Balinese master teachers and university students in the creation of a traditional Balinese dance-drama and puppetry production of "The Last King of Bali”. The production integrated traditional Balinese training methods and rehearsal processes by hosting three master teachers as artists-in-residence for a duration of eight months. The master teachers led the training of a large student cast, culminating in the public performances of a Balinese babad tale featuring traditional and contemporary compositions, choreographies, and shadow puppetry. This paper analyses the process of developing and refining the artistic expression of the narrative material through Balinese music, dance, and shadow puppetry. A special focus is directed towards the shadow acting aspect, in which actors learned to manipulate their own shadows in a fashion inspired by shadow puppetry; they also interacted with puppets of various sizes, with shadow scenery, and with special effects. Actors had to learn how to create an “out-of-body” presentational style: controlling their own shadow on the screen, while infusing that shadow with the emotions of their characters. Sections of a newly released documentary on the "behind-the-scenes" creative process will accompany the paper to illustrate key points in the training process by the master teachers from Bali.
Interdisciplinary Art Education - the Missing Narrative in Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Catie-Reagan King
This study addresses the problem of insufficient emphasis on the significance of art courses on the development of 21st-century skills in university curricula. As globalization continues and the economy develops, industries increasingly interconnect, creating the need for individuals with design thinking skills. Universities are responsible for equipping the next generation of scholars and innovative thinkers with the skills needed to succeed, such as creativity, adaptability, innovation, and collaboration. However, universities provide a disservice to students and their future employers by isolating departments and overlooking opportunities for collaboration. Rather than this narrow-minded approach to education, there must be a disruption in academia to challenge the status quo and begin reflecting on the needs of an increasingly globalized world. This research study used a qualitative single case study methodology based on constructivist learning theory and design thinking to analyze the effect of art education courses taken by non-art majors on students’ development of 21st-century skills. The literature examines why a lack of emphasis on the arts exists and what skills students gain through arts exposure.
