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Teaching Visual Arts with Digital Technologies

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Abstract

Visual arts education has been significantly influenced by technological progress and attracted significant research attention. This study focuses on how the exploration of visual arts in a digital environment (art software) shapes new ways for children to improve their visual literacy and social skills. The study followed a mixed methodology design that included observations, tests, children’s digital creative works, and works with ordinary materials. A 3-month intervention was implemented with a class of 21 primary students (12 years of age) and 1 teacher in Greece. Each week, students were introduced to, and explored, works of art (paintings of the late nineteenth to early decades of the twentieth century) through an educational art software application specially designed for this intervention. Students were engaged with interactive activities using the computer and learned to critically observe and understand the aesthetic characteristics of the paintings. Through a process of thoughtful dialogue and writing routines, students enhanced their visual perception and expressed their judgments about the aesthetic value of the observed artworks. Additionally, students designed and created their individual or collective pieces of art with digital and physical means. Findings suggest that the intervention had a positive influence on students’ creative engagement and aesthetic perception and value of artworks and on promoting peer collaboration. Overall, the study offers useful insights for teachers on how to efficiently integrate technology into visual arts education to support children in becoming informed citizens, critical consumers, and creative producers in this highly visual information age.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Maria Kalamatianou

  2. Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Maria Hatzigianni

Authors
  1. Maria Kalamatianou
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  2. Maria Hatzigianni
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Correspondence to Maria Kalamatianou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Susan J. Danby

  2. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

    Marilyn Fleer

  3. School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

    Christina Davidson

  4. Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Maria Hatzigianni

Appendix A: Student’s Transcript from the Observation in Greek

Appendix A: Student’s Transcript from the Observation in Greek

  • αΑ2: Εγώ νομίζω ότι ο καθένας θα πρέπει να κάνει μόνος του την επιλογή του, δεν είναι ανάγκη να το κάνεις μόνη σου, είναι εύκολο για όλους (εννοεί να πάρει το ποντίκι και να επιλέγει ο καθένας μόνος τις τονικότητες του χρώματος, χωρίς εκείνη να εκτελεί τις επιλογές του καθενός)

  • κΑ1: (δείχνει ενοχλημένη από την πρόταση, αλλά δίνει το ποντίκι σε συμμαθητή της στην ομάδα). Ν…., θέλεις να το κάνεις μόνο σου; Μπορείς;

  • αΑ4: Πού πατάω; Εδώ; (ζητά διευκρινίσεις από την ομάδα)

  • κΑ1: (του εξηγεί δείχνοντας την οθόνη με το γραφικό σχέδιο και το μεταβολέα των δύο χρωμάτων, μπλε και πορτοκαλί που έχουν επιλέξει ως συνδυασμό για το συμπληρωματικό σχήμα) Πρώτα διάλεξε το κομμάτι που θα χρωματίσεις, και μετά το χρώμα.

  • αΑ4: Το 29, ποιο είναι; αυτό το κομμάτι, στο βάζο… αυτό έβαψε; Ναι, στο βάζο, δεν ήταν πριν… Θα το κάνω μάλλον πορτοκαλί…

  • κΑ1: Πορτοκαλί, θέλεις; Ωραία, ανοικτό ή πιο σκούρο από αυτό στην οθόνη; Όχι, αριστερά, πρέπει να το τραβήξεις, τα πιο σκούρα είναι από εκεί… (του δείχνει στην οθόνη). Βλέπεις; Σου αρέσει αυτό το χρώμα; Ναι; Ωραίο είναι! Μπράβο!

Copyright Note

The artworks for the educational software are all retrieved from https://picasso.shsu.edu/: Mallen, Enrique, ed. Online Picasso Project. Sam Houston State University. 1997–2016.

The use of the Online Picasso Project is restricted to educational and academic purposes only. The users are required to sign in with a password and username in order to access the page after they are granted electronic permission.

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Kalamatianou, M., Hatzigianni, M. (2018). Teaching Visual Arts with Digital Technologies. In: Danby, S., Fleer, M., Davidson, C., Hatzigianni, M. (eds) Digital Childhoods. International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development, vol 22. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6484-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6484-5_13

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6484-5

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