Executive Summary of Results

Several years ago, we revised the way that art appreciation was taught at IU South Bend, moving from a single large lecture class to several smaller, seminar style sections. This enabled us to organize the classes around key issues (gender, ethnicity, role of art in society) directly related to the research strengths of the faculty, more effectively engage the students in class discussions, as well as introduce students to the materials and techniques of art making. However, we found our approach hamstrung because of our dependence on standard textbooks that are static, and limited to the point of view of the author, and produced with agendas and goals other than our own.

Through this grant we were able to in essence design our own “electronic textbook” tailored to the goals of our curriculum and the needs of our students. More than a mere textbook, however, our project enabled us to assemble a “teaching platform” that gathers together materials useful for instruction, including an “electronic workbook” that guides students through third-party Web sites using strategically designed questions, and bookmarked sites that are discussed in class. The use of such materials in the classroom and as outside assignments allows students access to presentations of art in different media, expanding the range of views of 3-D artworks such as sculpture and architecture. Our project allows those teaching the course greater freedom in choosing the material covered.

Need for the Project

Several years ago, we revised the way that art appreciation was taught at IU South Bend, moving from a single large lecture class to several smaller, seminar style sections. This enabled us to organize the classes around key issues (gender, ethnicity, role of art in society) directly related to the research strengths of the faculty, more effectively engage the students in class discussions, as well as introduce students to the materials and techniques of art making. However, we found our approach hamstrung because of our dependence on standard textbooks that are static, and limited to the point of view of the author, and produced with agendas and goals other than our own.

Through this grant we were able to in essence design our own “electronic textbook” tailored to the goals of our curriculum and the needs of our students. More than a mere textbook, however, our project enabled us to assemble a “teaching platform” that gathers together materials useful for instruction, including an “electronic workbook” that guides students through third-party Web sites using strategically designed questions, and bookmarked sites that are discussed in class. The use of such materials in the classroom and as outside assignments allows students access to presentations of art in different media, expanding the range of views of 3-D artworks such as sculpture and architecture. Our project allows those teaching the course greater freedom in choosing the material covered.

Use of Technology

Using this Web site, we rearranged the fairly traditional and static curriculum of our old art appreciation courses and introduced an interactive aspect and an ease of use aspect that isn't inherent in the discipline. For purposes of evaluation (see below) we continued the traditional approach in one section of the course; in another the Web site became our textbook (though the text normally used was placed on reserve at the library). Articles on the Web and interactive Web sites became the sources for course readings. Reading was assigned from specific sites and the students were given assignments in which they had to search the Web for other sites that fit assignments. We also used slides, videos, CD’s, as well as the Web or as backup for our Web presentations in class. We also felt we were able to pull up images quickly for view during discussions and to zero in on art objects to give proof to the statements being made.
In other words we felt the students were making arguments and giving proof to their statements through the language of art with the visual aid of the Web. Also, we felt that the students had our Web site to constantly review the images, the assignments, etc.

Instructional Design Plan

Describe how the use of technology used supported your teaching approach:

• What student learning outcomes were expected?

We expected to create a learning environment tailored to the specific themes developed by individual faculty members in their individual courses. By doing so, we sought to engage the students in discussions concerning crucial issues of art and art production, while allowing them greater freedom to explore ancillary issues using Web-based resources. We also expected to be able to use digital technology to enhance the presentation of works in class, through such things as “virtual tours” of architecture or heritage sites, and through moving images.

• How did your teaching plan encourage active learning, provide feedback, address respective learning styles, and build collaboration?

We built collaboration on several levels. On the first, or faculty level, working on the project encouraged the faculty to work more closely together to discuss and then implement our revised curriculum. In this way, we were able to define common parameters for the course as a whole while still permitting individual approaches, insuring that our students, once they completed the course, would have acquired a similar knowledge-base no matter what the particular theme of the individual section they enrolled in.

Second, on the student level, our “electronic textbook” provides a dynamic environment that encourages students to explore material related to class. We had assignments that were done on the Web and required students to interact (for example, a Web-based drawing assignment that actually required hands-on results), daily Web-readings for each class for discussion and for research for their three writing projects for the semester. Students were given a grade on class participation (10% of the total). Instructors provided feedback through traditional channels as well as via email, accessible to all students, asking for comments, any problems with Web sites or assignments, or internet connections.

• What resources were used? (campus technology support services, etc.)

The Office of Information Technology and their Instructional Media Services were key partners in conduct of this project. The School of the Arts, its Graphic Design and Video programs notwithstanding, lacks dedicated media classrooms or even classrooms with internet connections. OIT and IMS were called upon to solve what in other campus environments are not on the radar screen but were for us perplexing problems of ergonomics and access. This project helped provide impetus for the long-term solution to these and other problems that are currently being finalized by the Dean of the School of the Arts.

In order to construct the site we used the Purdue lab machines here and currently the site is being housed on a Purdue server. Space has been arranged for on an IUSB server and the site will move there once the School of the Arts readies its own Web site (currently under construction).

• Would your project be easily understood and executed by other faculty?

Yes. Our project was not designed to push the envelop of technology, merely to finding a way of introducing its use into situations where it has not been done before by devoting resources that would otherwise be unavailable to us.

Potential to Impact Student Learning

Clearly define how your project improved student learning - include specific examples of how your project:

• Fostered depth of learning

Compared to standard art appreciation textbooks, the Web sites that we have gathered and linked our own provided a rich multimedia environment for student explorations. We encourage the students in the course to explore this environment through the kinds of questions we ask in the “workbook” section of our site. We also hope that the students will take advantage of the instant availability of this material and the links to other sites it provides to explore on their own; the Web makes this personal exploration easier than a trip to the library.

• Supported efforts to improve retention

We teach at least 120-150 students a semester in this class, with 30 to a section.

• Fostered the learning of large numbers of students

We teach at least 120-150 students a semester in this class, with 30 to a section.

• Has broader applications that will affect learning K-12 or community environments?

Many students in art appreciation are Education majors; as many as 75% in some sections. The instructors teaching art appreciation feel that they are actually reaching the future students of these future teachers. Discussion in the sections includes how to use the art object to teach the K-12 curriculum, how to use internet resources, how specific works of “museum-quality” that they were taught here could be used in various ways for the various grades.

Discussions such as these in the Web-based art appreciation class inspired the development of an "Art for Educators Class" in which teachers will learn to use art in curriculum applications for interdisciplinary learning K-12. We are in fact developing a support system for alumni educators via online communication. This support system will be a part of the class, as we will offer to the teachers online resources, materials for their schools, designed projects with a Web package, a network of teachers across Indiana who can discuss with them the projects, applications, use of community resources for the general curriculum. Thus far, students were very responsive to the class. The associate faculty involved in this art appreciation project, Cecilia Cunningham and Diane Holaday, have applied for and received a local IUSB grant to develop this course directed at future K-12 teachers.

Also we have been working on a group project (small groups of 5) that will also impact the community. It is with the area Historic Preservation Board, one in which the students will participate within the community and then do online presentations for the class, as well as an open forum for the public(a special invitation to the class or at the Preservation Society meetings at City-County Hall. We are at work on this at the moment. So, obviously, we see really broad applications coming out of this class!

Assessment Plan

Briefly explain the effectiveness of your assessment plan:

• What measure of assessment was used?

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Web-based approach, we divided the art appreciation course into three sections. One followed a traditional mode of teaching using just a textbook, one used only the Web-site as text, and a third used a textbook supplemented with Web-based assignments. Within each section, students were evaluated through course projects, quizzes, and tests. We plan to compare student performances across each section on these different indicators. We provided the students with an evaluation form (devised with the help of Terri Demon in UCET) near the end of the semester.

We will also compile an end-of- course faculty evaluations (to compare satisfaction levels of overall course)

• How did your approach obtain measures of performance?

Measures of student performance were obtained through established grading criteria developed through historical parameters. Measures of performance based on student evaluations will be obtained through comparison with baselines for similar questions in student evaluation for previous years and through comparison among the three different sections offered this semester.

• Did you feel your measurement was accurate and effective?

Because the evaluations have only recently been given to the students, we have yet to analyze them. We will forward our results when they are available in a few weeks.

Plan for Colleague Development

Describe your role and activities as a mentor:

• What mentoring activities were implemented to assist colleagues?

Mentoring has included extensive consultative sessions with associate faculty who will utilize the project in the classroom. Ben Withers meet frequently in the Spring and Fall of 2001 with the art history faculty to discuss issues that arose from this project. On the technical side, John Finnegan from Purdue, also met frequently in the Fall of 2001 and Spring of 2002 with the instructors to solve problems related to the Web site and its use in the classroom.

Ben Withers also had several discussions with faculty from other areas of the university who were interested in applying for Round 3 grants

• How did you help to develop colleague's instructional technology skills?

Before we started this project, art history and art appreciation classes relied almost exclusively on a technology nearly one-hundred years old-- standard slide projectors. This project required that the faculty teaching in the program develop expertise in the use of many new aspects of classroom technology including date projectors, instructional software such as PowerPoint.

• How do you think your contributions to the Knowledge Base will help colleagues planning similar projects?

We did not seek to s4 May, 2007ns, so our contributions to the Knowledge Base are more idiosyncratic, related primarily to the problems of introducing new instructional technology into areas where there was little or no preexistent infrastructure or knowledge. As a result, the things we learned will have the greatest benefit to those in similar situations, especially here in the IUSB campus and within the School of the Arts.

• Is your project approach potentially applicable to other contexts or disciplines?

Yes. I think that this project will provide a foundation for similar work in the areas of Studio Arts and Mass Communication.

Final Comments on Project Results

• Do you think you met the goals of your project?

Yes, I think they were met. I don't think they were exceeded, but in the continuing development of this learning resource, I think we will be able to build onto the solid foundation of what we have and begin to expand the role of the Internet, Internet technologies in the curriculum to create a unique classroom experience. Enthusiasm for the Web-based course from the course instructors is high. They enjoyed the challenge of incorporating available technology in the classroom and expressed that they believed it allowed them to tailor and focus the curriculum, that it greatly impacted on student learning in depth, and that it improved retention of material.

• What, if anything,would you do differently?

From the standpoint of Web site development, more time and more monetary resources should have been devoted for the development of the technology. As it turned out, time and talent was underfunded-so that the site did not develop as quickly as they could or as fully as they should have. It would have been better to have a team of developers instead of a single developer.

From the teaching standpoint, there is still a problem with technology-accessible classrooms at IUSB. Too much time was devoted to problems that are not really problems at other campuses, for example the lack of Internet connections in classrooms dedicated to the School of the Arts and the insufficient furnishing and floor-plan of those rooms. Arranging for these “smart classrooms” would be a higher priority if the project were to be done over again.

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Last updated: 18 May, 2007

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