Running Head: Web 2.

0 in Visual Arts Education

Web 2.0 Tools for Motivation and Creative Problem Solving in Online Visual Arts Courses

Research Proposal

Claire Burgoyne ETEC 500 University of British Columbia

Web 2.0 in Visual Arts Education

Introduction I consider myself to be a purist or traditional visual art teacher not particularly interested in creating media art but preferring to create pieces by hand. Yet when I reflect on the progression of technology from printing press onward and identify the many ways that art has benefited from technology, I recognize that computer technology can be of benefit to me and my students. As I explore traditional art forms with my students by incorporating Web 2.0 tools into courses and use these same tools to collaborate and problem solve in virtual worlds and online social forums, are we likely to feel more inspired and arrive at more creative solutions? With this question in mind I searched for literature that would guide me in adapting my courses so they will encourage collaboration and creativity. Statement of Problem What I discovered is that there is a call by some researchers for more study to explore the effect of Web 2.0 on student motivation and creative problem solving. This is what prompts me to conduct action research to explore whether or not students are more motivated to creative problem solve using traditional media and methods when their online program is integrated with Web 2.0 tools designed for sharing, interaction, and collaboration. Many research articles were written prior to the availability of Web 2.0 tools and focused on such tools as podcasts, online galleries, social networks, and virtual classrooms. Some of the research observed how students and teachers used computers for art education. They referred to specific software and media arts projects while addressing the problem that the Web is used primarily as a giant library (Roland, 2010). Recent writing looks at how individual Web 2.0 tools are used in art education with the

Web 2.0 in Visual Arts Education

goal of providing training for teachers. There appears to be a gap in research designed specifically to illustrate whether or not virtual learning experiences using Web 2.0 tools improve student motivation and creativity. Prior to conducting a review of the literature I composed two guiding questions: 1. Does the incorporation of Web 2.0 tools in an online visual arts course improve students motivation? 2. Does the instance of creative problem solving increase with the incorporation of Web 2.0 tools? The answers to my questions remain largely unanswered as much of the research regarding motivation and creative problem solving is designed using technology available prior to Web 2.0. I wonder how incorporating tools that are available free online and that are designed for use with devices commonly owned by students effect motivation and creativity. Literature Review A review of research written since 2004, the year that officially separates Web 2.0 from Web 1.0, yielded four articles based on research that investigated advantages to student learning by incorporating computer technology with a visual arts program. However, none of these explored how incorporating Web 2.0 tools into studio art courses increased opportunities for students to employ critical thinking skills and work collaboratively to arrive at creative solutions to problems within an online community. Instead the research focussed on the effect of incorporating critical thinking strategies with Web 1.0 technology or purchased software (Black, 2009, Bryant, 2010; Delacruz, 2004).

Web 2.0 in Visual Arts Education

In her study Bryant (2010) observed that with technology integration motivation was not an issue. Delacruz (2004) concluded that the success of technical implementation depends on teachers motivation and support from administration and administrative policies. In contrast Black (2009) found a correlation between lack of technology training and an increase in studentcentered learning and collaboration. Roland (2010) based his writing on a survey conducted in 2006. He concluded that students are not using the Web at school the way they do at home. At school they use the internet for information gathering. After school and on weekends students participate in online activities to create and share content and visit social networks and gaming sites. These same students commonly use devices such as iPods and MP3 players, smart phones, digital cameras, and webcams (Rosen, 2010). In order to provide excellent art education programs for students we need to integrate technology with the curriculum (Roland, 2010). Web 2.0 tools are free eliminating the need for purchasing software. These tools are more intuitive technology that is more stable resulting in less need for technology training and support (Buffington, 2008). Having the tools is not enough though. Without new pedagogies for incorporating Web 2.0 tools, technology is used to deliver content and information and is not used for interacting, sharing, and collaboration. As an example, art education in Second Life has typically included a virtual classroom or campus with a serious tone and traditional activities including lecture, discussion, and presentation (Lu, 2010). Roland (2010) explains that we need to utilize free web-based tools and assign openended problems. He makes recommendations for integrating technology with traditional art including: inspire creativity; design, develop, and model technology based learning; and participate in professional development. Others concur adding that with the integration of

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technology students become more involved, empowered, and enthusiastic (Gregory, 2009; Mayo, 2007). To enhance the learning environment we need to provide traditional hands on media to be used in conjunction with technology to encourage students to engage in art education while using media they are familiar with and use in real-life situations (Roland, 2010). Educators also benefit by experimenting with technologies students are using such as social media, making and sharing podcasts, and from accessing the web using a smart phone or iPod (Gregory, 2009). When planning, the goal should be to use technology for learning not just communicating (Gregory, 2009; Mayo, 2007; Roland 2010). In order to incorporate technologies in a studentcentered learning environment more research in the creative use of technology in visual art instruction is needed (Black, 2009; Bryant, 2010; Delacruz, 2004). New pedagogy is required to prevent Web 2.0 tools from being used to follow the instructional method of teaching. It is for the benefit of our students that the incorporation of Web 2.0 with self-directed learning needs to occur. Methodology Overall Approach and Rationale Currently there are few opportunities to use technology to share and collaborate in my Visual Arts courses. While participating in discussions in online forums and face to face at my school I have learned that successful online course writing requires the inclusion of a variety of tools that allow students to learn and demonstrate understanding in a variety of ways. It is for this reason that I will enhance existing courses with Web 2.0 tools such as Scribblar, YouTube, Animoto, Jing, and Second Life. With Scribblar my students and I will be able to revise artwork and images rather than simply describing changes that might improve a piece. Jing will allow

Web 2.0 in Visual Arts Education

me to bring audio and visuals to tutorials and it can be used when students are ready to present their work during critiques. Animoto will allow us to produce video presentations for demonstrations which can then be published on YouTube. Finally, by going to Second Life and creating avatars we can meet in a virtual classroom to interact and collaborate. Site and Sample Selection All students who take one of the following courses: Visual Arts 10 General, Visual Arts 10 Drawing and Painting, Art Foundations 11, Studio Art Drawing and Painting 11, Studio Art Drawing and Painting 12 will be included in the twelve week study. Enrollment in my schools online visual arts classes range from two to ten participants per class. It is expected that no more than 15 participants will be included in the study and that approximately half the students will be in grade ten with only one or two grade twelve participants. My Role I will be observing the same students that I am teaching however, the challenges that exist when a teacher conducts action research in a bricks and mortar classroom are not as prevalent in an online classroom. It is mainly during sessions in the Second Life virtual classroom that I anticipate that as a participant observer I will need to focus on only one or two themes during each session and conduct numerous sessions to compile sufcient data for analysis. Data Collection Methods I will use four main types of data collection. First, I will compare completion rates and level of success in current courses to performance in Web 2.0 enhanced courses. Success will be defined by marks for individual assignments and term letter grades. Second, I will ask students

Web 2.0 in Visual Arts Education

to complete two online surveys regarding motivation, creative problem solving, and critical thinking. One survey will be distributed at the beginning of the course and the other at the end of the course. Before and after responses will be compared. Students will be ensured of anonymity for both surveys. Third, semi-structured student interviews in the Second Life virtual classroom and online in Elluminate V-class will be conducted. These sessions will be recorded. Fourth, I will make portfolio notes and notes from students written artists statements, self evaluations, and critiques. Data Management & Analysis Strategies Marks will be recorded on a spreadsheet and analyzed at the end of each assignment, monthly, and at the end of the twelve week term. In addition, I will gather weekly field notes that focus on observations of collaboration, sharing, creative problem solving, assignments completed on time, and observations about who students questions are directed to, me or their peers. Recorded interviews will be transcribed and notes taken from student writing will be organized under subheadings including collaboration, sharing, creative problems solving, challenges, and perceived success. After data from interviews, surveys, and observation is organized into themes I will analyze each of the themes. I will use responses to survey question and students written evaluation, critiques and statements about motivation and creativity to compare with data from interviews and observations and will also compare current grades and percentages with the previous years grades.

Web 2.0 in Visual Arts Education

Description and Justification of Research Design Web 2.0 tools, specifically virtual classrooms, pod casts, and social networks lend naturally to collaboration and sharing. It is while students interact with each other that I will observe changes in motivation and creativity. With indicators of changes in motivation being marked primarily by an increase or decline in participation rates in class activities, and changes in creativity being evident by the degree of success with finished pieces of artwork. The study is designed to include students in as many as five classes who will work together to share ideas and completed work. Students will be aware that they are involved in research and initially may take extra care with their work but over the twelve week research period natural patterns are likely to emerge. Discussion In order for visual art education to remain current and for students to remain interested in learning about the visual arts and experimenting with traditional media, teaching methods must be updated. Art teachers who are purists may initially reject the idea of incorporating computer technology with traditional art forms but viewing technology tools in the same light as traditional tools may prevent this rejection. Often research explores the potential for technology in a media arts classroom. It is important to recognizing that some art teachers value a traditional hands on approach and reject the use of the computer for creating finished pieces of art. Examples illustrating how the personal connection of hand created art is maintained when incorporating Web 2.0 tools with art education are important.

Web 2.0 in Visual Arts Education

It is the nature of artists to be leaders in the area of creativity and to be natural creative problem solvers (Gregory, 2009; Mayo, 2007). Art educators have access to research that demonstrates how technology can be incorporated with an art program. It is imperative that they also have access to research that explores the benefits to incorporating Web 2.0 tools into a traditional art education program. This research proposal is designed as a step toward beginning to fill this gap in art education research.

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References Black, J. (2009). Necessity is the mother of invention: Changing power dynamics between teachers and students in wired art classrooms. Canadian Review of Art Education: Research and Issues, 36, 99-117. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Bryant, C. (2010). A 21st-century art room: The remix of "creativity" and technology. Art Education, 63(2), 43-48. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Buffington, M. L. (2008). Creating and consuming web 2.0 in art education. Computers in the Schools, 25(3-4), 303-313. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. doi:10.1080/07380560802365898 Delacruz, E. (2004). Teachers' working conditions and the unmet promise of technology. Studies in Art Education: A Journal of Issues and Research in Art Education, 46(1), 6-19. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Gregory, D. C. (2009). Boxes with fires: Wisely integrating learning technologies into the art classroom. Art Education, 62(3), 47-54. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Lu, L. (2010). Teaching 21st-century art education in a "virtual" age: Art cafe at second life. Art Education, 63(6), 19-24. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Mayo, S. (2007). Implications for art education in the third millennium: Art technology integration. Art Education, 60(3), 45-51. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Roland, C. (2010). Preparing Art Teachers to Teach in a New Digital Landscape. Art Education, 63(1), 17-24. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Rosen, L. (2010). Welcome to the iGeneration!. Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 75(8), 8-12. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.