Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

This paper is based on a practical research article that seeks to add to the existing, yet limited discourse on utilizing avant-garde inspired methods in the college classroom, particularly to foster higher levels of student engagement and promote critical and creative thinking among students – two common pedagogical issues. Central to modern avant-garde movements such as Dada, Surrealism, and Futurism, was the development and dissemination of easy, simple, creative, and collaborative methods that sought to disrupt established art practices, in turn shifting the power from institution to artist. In re-adapting these practical methods, while grounding them within the theories of critical pedagogy, instructors foster a democratic learning environment that allows for a dynamic and engaging learning experience focused on process over product. In turn, specifics of this experimental research will be shared, along with historical context, and practical pedagogical examples that are designed to be re-adapted and re-invented in classrooms across disciplines and grade levels.