Running Head: Constructivism in Online Art Education

Constructivism in Online Art Education Claire Burgoyne ETEC 530 - University of British Columbia

Constructivism in Online Art Education

Introduction
Portfolios are commonly used for presentation of selected works in art education but are

rarely used to encourage and support a constructivist approach to teaching and learning. In faceto-face settings art portfolios have the advantage of encouraging dialogue as pieces are reviewed and critiqued but in online courses the art portfolio becomes a digital photo album of sorts and unless carefully woven into a story, the e-portfolio is little more than a collection of disconnected pieces. I use e-portfolios in two different ways in the online art courses I teach. One art course is designed around the e-portfolio and is student-centred incorporating a project-based approach. Other courses require students to focus on content and skill development. This is a course were I push information and ideas at students; while there is some room for exploration each assignment has fairly rigid boundaries. E-portfolios in these courses are optional and are strictly for presentation. This reection leads me to question the approaches I have taken in designing the online art courses I teach. Have I designed courses with a clear understanding of the elements of constructivism and incorporated these in courses? If so, to what degree, and is there a need to improve courses?
Constructivism places learners at the centre of learning with students learning in

community with more knowledgeable others while engaged in authentic experiences. Students are not restricted to participating in activities where they possess prerequisite skills but work in what Vygotsky termed the zone of proximal development (Miller, 2002). Working in an environment where they are continually challenged and highly motivated students excel. I place value in constructivism but recognize that I do not communicate this value to learners consistently through course design and instruction.

Constructivism in Online Art Education

Elements of Constructivism
Prior to beginning a critique of my art courses and seeking solutions for incorporating

constructivism I nd it useful to complete an overview of constructivist elements. With such a guide I can carefully analyze my courses and recognize constructivist approaches. Completing this overview will aid in course design allowing me to incorporate overlooked elements in the online courses I have created. Constructivist elements are organized under subheadings including: learning environment, students, teachers, community, content, and assessment.
Learning Environment - According to Driscoll (2005), the constructivist learning

environment is complex and relevant. It supports multiple perspectives, considers varying viewpoints and encourages collaboration, (Learning Resources Unit @ BCIT, 2003). This is an environment that is collaborative, active, engaging, stimulating, encouraging, supportive, and safe (Brown, 1989) Such an environment supports students and their learning.
Students - Constructivist principles include authentic, realistic learning that allows

students to address events and issues that are personally meaningful. Students address ill-dened problems arriving at varying conclusions. To benet and reach their potential they need to be self-motivated and regulated and develop critical thinking skills. As well, they need to analyze, reect, debate, defend, adjust, synthesize, and interact with faculty by asking and answering questions. Students benet from expressing themselves in a variety of ways, some of which may be unfamiliar and therefore slightly out of a students comfort zone, (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Driscoll, 2005).
Teachers - Rather than assuming a traditional domineering role, teachers act as guide

directing rather than controlling students. They provide scaffolding to aid students who lack prerequisite skills, and coach and model so that learning remains authentic and meaningful.

Constructivism in Online Art Education

Teachers understand the critical role of community therefore they guide discussion and monitor and encourage participation and collaboration. They provide a clear structure and learning

outcomes while allowing exibility for students to explore their own interests, (Anderson, 2004; Driscoll, 2005; Learning Resources Unit @ BCIT, 2003).
Community - Vygotsky described learning as occurring in community with peers and

experts. Working in community allows for the social negotiation of knowledge. Course designers need to pace courses to give students time to get to know each other to form a community of learners, (Anderson, 2004; Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989; Driscoll, 2005; Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000).
Content and Assignments - Constructivism allows for goal-based, project-based, and

problem-based learning. Content is provided but in addition students explore optional content or conduct searches for content that is more specic to their interests. Creativity is valued leading to the creation of a range of artifacts that demonstrate understanding, development, and mastery, (Anderson, 2004; Learning Resources Unit @ BCIT, 2003).
Assessment - Formative assessment strategies should be tailored to the learning activities.

Students should be included in the process of assessment by completing self-evaluations and peer-evaluations, as well they should refer to rubrics and participate in critiques, (Anderson, 2004; Learning Resources Unit @ BCIT, 2003).

Constructivism in Advanced Placement Studio Art

A positive starting point for evaluating constructivist elements in my course design is to

begin by analyzing the online Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art course. This course is structured around the nal exam which is an e-portfolio submitted to the AP College Board for

Constructivism in Online Art Education

grading. Students begin by completing the breadth portfolio requirements and then proceed to the concentration section. Beginning by exploring a range of interests leads students to identify topics and ideas they are most passionate about and aids them in preparing to focus on a collection of related pieces. Prior to commencing work on concentration pieces they prepare a written proposal to justify their plan. This plan is developed as students sketch, journal, read, view, and participate in discussion.
Students invest a signicant amount of time on their concentrations so focusing on

passions, interests, and questions becomes critical to success in sustaining the level of commitment required to complete the concentration collection. This course is not about creating art for arts sake but offers students the opportunity to experience creating art in a way that a practicing artist experiences art-making. The subject matter and the students personal connection to that subject becomes the primary driver with media, size, technique, and other details being secondary. These courses are for experienced student artists who possess a range of skills and who can therefore express visually what they imagine.
When I compare the learning opportunities in this course to opportunities afforded though

constructivism I recognize that the course employs approaches I have outlined as elements of constructivism. The AP course is designed so that students work in community by participating in discussion forums and critiques, they view work of professional artists and benet from regular critiques with me and their peers, and they complete pieces that communicate ideas they value. There are introductory discussion forums for students to meet one another, discuss initial interests, share past successes and become familiar with each other and the course content prior to beginning the more serious e-portfolio work and identifying their concentration topic.

Constructivism in Online Art Education

As the course progresses students work together sharing ideas, questioning and

challenging one another, and referring to carefully selected content to ensure they are informed about current art trends. When students begin creating their pieces they share this work at varying stages for group critiques. During critiques the students and I note strengths and weaknesses in technique as well as in content. Students describe how individual pieces relate to one another and we work together identifying aws in these connections or conrming successes. As a class we also critique pieces by referring to criteria listed in rubrics and rating pieces using the same rating system that the AP College Board uses when evaluating e-portfolio submissions.

Content-Centred Art Courses

My challenge is to dene how a course structure similar to the one employed in the AP

course design can be provided for less skilled students while offering a meaningful learning experience. These beginning and intermediate art students enroll in art courses where the focus is on exploring a range of media and methods. They also learn about art and culture by viewing well-known works and by viewing and reading about current art trends. These courses are highly structured with students completing specic assignments, photographing their work at varying stages, and uploading these photos for critiques. Most critiques do not require student input therefore critiques more closely resemble evaluation. While there are invitations for students comments few take advantage of the opportunity and I do little to encourage frequent contributions. There are opportunities for students to arrive at varying solutions to the problems they are presented with in their art assignments however the pieces students create are not necessarily based on issues or topics students are passionate about.

Constructivism in Online Art Education

This approach overlooks the value of constructivist approaches to learning. It doesnt

promote student-centered learning but rather, it is an example of content-centered learning with the focus being on skill development, art history, and art trends. While there are occasionally requirements for reection, and self-evaluation these tasks are not woven into the course in a way that ensures that learning occurs. Students are not encouraged to develop their contributions beyond a draft stage. They submit reections and self-evaluations in written form without rst working with a community of learners to expand their thoughts beyond a supercial level. The lack of opportunity for sharing, discussing, dening, defending, considering alternative viewpoints, and synthesizing means that these tasks are completed at a level that lacks depth. Students do not have the opportunity to critically analyze their work or the work of their peers. Completed pieces are teacher assessed with grading being subjective.

Redesigning Courses to Incorporate Constructivism

To improve regular online art courses by incorporating constructivist approaches it seems

that a logical starting point is to link learning to the e-portfolio just as it is in the AP course. In AP courses the requirement for an e-portfolios concentration with as many as twelve related pieces led me to create a course that employs constructivist strategies. This design enables students to nd their voice and communicate the stages of their journey from exploration and discovery, to mastery.
Introducing beginning and intermediate students to expectations by providing preliminary

explorations designed to identify skill level will aid students in setting individual goals for improving technique, (Learning Resources Unit @ BCIT, 2003). This will allow them to focus primarily on interests and issues, and the purpose of art which is visual expression, rather than

Constructivism in Online Art Education

focussing exclusively on skill development. Creating rubrics for assessment and encouraging

self-assessment, peer-assessment and group critiques will increase expectations for students to be fully engaged by requiring students to provide and accept helpful and meaningful feedback, (Bolliger, & Shepherd, 2010; Brandes & Boskie, 2008). Scaffolding learning by providing lessons and tutorials for specic techniques will aid student in gaining the skills required to communicate visually. Incorporating project-based learning allows students to explore a range of media and methods while visually expressing interest, opinions, concerns, and passions, (Driscoll, 2005).

Asking students to identify areas of interest immediately communicates that learning in

the course is to be student-centred. Placing the focus on student interests allows learners to explore areas they are passionate about and explore topics they nd engaging. Using an eportfolio while the work is in process as well as for display allows students to incorporate comments, either written or verbal about the process. As each portfolio is available for viewing and welcomes feedback at all stages students place greater value on their contributions. Students may blog about their ideas, receive feedback, incorporate suggestions into their work, and ask and answer questions about their work. They may use their blog space to describe relationships between new pieces, upload works-in-process, and participate in asynchronous critiques when peers ask for clarication regarding these relationships. They no longer work in isolation but share ideas, challenges and successes. By communicating through writing and visuals about these relationships they learn about themselves as their topic is one of choice and relevance. Providing a place for sharing pieces with, family, friends, and the school community increases the value of the work. It leads to a work environment that is authentic. These art pieces will not remain hidden in a studio but will be proudly displayed.

Constructivism in Online Art Education

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Chickering, A. W. & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39(7), 3-7. Retrieved from: http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm College Board AP. (2011). Studio Art Course Description. Retrieved from: http:// apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/descriptions/index.html Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Constructivism. In: Psychology of learning for instruction (pp. 384-407). Toronto, ON: Pearson. In ETEC 512 course pack.

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