Art Integration Education

Category: Art Education Research

  • In-FUSE-ing STEAM Learning with Spatial Reasoning: Distributed Spatial Sensemaking in School-Based Making Activities.

    Literature Review
    By, Virginia Valerio Lambert

    Social Psychology – 2021

    Introduction: The authors attempt to contrast past and present studies on spatial reasoning. Spatial reasoning has been identified as instrumental for students to thrive in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) related fields. What the researchers have discovered is that spatial reasoning is best developed through making activities. Authors indicate that past studies on spatial reasoning have largely measured via traditional laboratory studies and focused on science, technology, engineering, math (STEM). This body of research has expanded their research to include behavioral observation techniques and include making activities, are exercises requiring mental and physical manipulation and encourage growth of skills that can then transfer to STEAM related fields. With the theory that making activities exercises and measuring outcomes, they can help round out research on the topic with a potential missing piece of the puzzle. Their method for doing so is by utilizing a trade tool that provides several options for interests, opportunity for students to utilize peers and aid sources other than a teacher (traditional method), and by using Computer Aid Design (CAD) technology, afford them an opportunity to record and iterate progress for evaluation.

    Evaluation: The authors did make clear their hypothesis and how they intended to achieve their research and findings. While their explanation was clear, the question I have is why CAD? They do make mention of the importance of making activity can and does take place in artistic endeavors in the traditional sense.

    Method: Researchers used technology, CAD to gauge and measure how well students reasoned with a task while utilizing technology. The tools focused on approximately 30 different STEM related exercises dealing with topics such as video games to jewelry making. The exercises were intended to be student/peer driven with minimal adult direction. The concept and delivery methods are more hands on versus theories taught traditionally. The software utilized is considered open-sourced, available to anyone with a computer and internet access. Participants were a defined as a diverse population of fifth and sixth grade students from a suburban school district. Researchers employed a behavioral observation approach through videotaping, categorical coding of behaviors and choices, as well as history collected by program software. As for the procedure, researchers provided a venue for students to essentially make their own choice on topic, learn how to achieve their goal through either media or peers, and were given tiers of difficulty in their challenges. The supposed benefit of using the specific tool and approach was that it was considered a heterogenous tool and the longevity of study would provide reliable data to measure.

    Evaluation: My first impression is why Fuse studios/CAD software to measure something that can be achieved through traditional art lessons? The tools were highly specific to Fuse, i.e. online studio, and the physical tools (3D printers, vinyl cutters, circuit boards) were stored at Fuse studios. The authors conceded that program of this nature was representative within the school district and not the norm. This makes me question the viability of said program in any other school district across the United States given socio-demographic considerations, not to mention administrations necessity to buy-in to a product and method choice. If not widespread, this could invite disparity.

    Results: The researchers determined that measuring spatial reasoning through the lens of making activities using FUSE activities contributed to four distinct understandings. Students made use of peers and media more frequently than they would normally in a more traditional setting; different projects afforded use of cognitive skills they may not have made use of prior to such a challenge; showcased how challenges with iteration possibilities allow for improvements and learning opportunities contributing to distributed spatial sensemaking and building upon knowledge to draw upon for future use in many academic aspects such as math and science. Lastly, the opportunity for challenges provided growth minded learning. The researchers highlighted the differences between previous research such as psychometric tests versus observational studies. Additionally, the most important emphases were creating an opportunity for students to physically handle, consider, think, and implement a thought process to solve a real-world project as opposed to reading about or hearing a lecture.

    Evaluation: I felt as though the authors did a fine job measuring qualitative data to reinforce their theory that making activities help students grapple with instances where their cognitive skills could be employed, exercised, and strengthened. I still feel as though CAD software is not the solution. While it can be a valuable tool and should be used whenever possible, I question whether we are once more steering enrichment opportunities designed to grow spatial reasoning explicitly towards STEM once more. I know that they mention several times how instrumental hands-on making activities are critical, this is easily achieved through time tested Fine Arts in curriculum.

    Discussion: The authors make a strong case for the why and how of improving spatial reasoning in academics. They site how hands on efforts garner better and long-lasting results as opposed to static approaches of the past. This opportunity afforded students a say in their exercise, an opportunity to choose resources of which to use, comprehension, implementation, articulation, understanding, problem solving, perseverance, thinking creatively and critically, and through self-reliance in most cases, realization of newly acquired skills to tackle a task which contribute to not only positive self-esteem, but ability to draw on their experience for subsequent tasks. Researchers provide evidence in support of continuing hands-on activities to further not only learning but developing reasoning skills. They offer up their findings as a piece of the puzzle to existing research in the hopes that continued research will help provide a clearer understanding of the necessity for programs such as FUSE to help bridge the existing gap in education to STEAM fields.

    Evaluation: As the authors spell out, it all comes down to hands-on making activities for learning. If you want proof of the benefits of making activities, all you need to do is revisit the Renaissance period and the prodigious artists and scientists from that period.

    Reference

    Ramey, K. E., Reed, S., & Uttal, D. H., (2020). In-FUSE-ing STEAM learning with spatial reasoning: Distributed spatial sensemaking in school-based making activities. American Psychological Association, 112(3), 466-493. doi:10.1037/edu0000422

  • Importance of Art Instruction at the Foundational Level

    Importance of Art Instruction at the Foundational Level

    Below is an excerpt from a technical paper I wrote for a Research Methodologies course. If you would like to see the entire APA paper, please contact me and I would be happy to share.

    Introduction

    Children who are well educated and culturally rounded are better equipped to tackle academics, make for better candidates in higher education and the workplace, and ultimately contribute to society. While being well educated is subjective, too often, a common belief is that having a K-12 education that prepares you for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is the goal for an innovative 21st Century. This mindset creates lanes of learning, shortchanges society and creates a Nation ill-prepared to compete in a global economy. Incorporating the Arts (STEAM) by way of an interdisciplinary approach addresses different learning styles, forges associative neurological pathways that reinforce material taught in the other disciplines, and serves as a powerful positive intervention on multiple fronts, including overall well-being and cognitive performance.

    With stakeholders of higher education asking for better prepared college candidates, and business communities asking for graduates better prepared and able to bring a well-rounded education to the table, you are left wondering where the United States is falling short. What can be done about it? Fortunately, there are several nations exploring solutions to this question. Unfortunately, the United States is bringing up the rear when it comes to embracing empirical research findings and deploying a comprehensive overhaul of education. While there are bright spots regionally, this typically takes place where funds are not an issue and there is greater support for the humanities, which leaves a majority of students from under-resourced communities marginalized. 

    In an article from 2019, an example of the extent higher education institutions are willing to take to compensate for building block opportunities in K-5, according to Bear and Skorton (2019) explained that the World Needs Students with Interdisciplinary Education. In their article, they explain that students with Harvard Medical School are engaging in “communication, visual literacy, critical thinking, and empathy through art observation” (p.1). This is an effort to create more well-rounded students who are able to employ critical thinking across disciplines. The same disciplines most have been indoctrinated in while attending public schools. They’ve gone on to explain how any trend that higher education institutions are taking is relative to the concerns voiced by employers eager for candidates with “writing and oral communication skills, critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills, ethical reasoning skills, knowledge of global world cultures, and “integration of learning across disciplines”. (p. 62) Integrating learning across disciplines is critical and is inherently formulated while studying the arts.

    In another study conducted by Ramey, et al (2020), they discuss how “making” activities help foster spatial reasoning skills, which inform performance in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM); the trend is towards STEAM, which is an acronym simply incorporating art into the same disciplines. While their study is important in that it addresses the need for more qualitative analysis on how spatial reasoning can be cultivated, the decision to use CAD software (limiting topics to 30 STEAM challenges) , focusing on fifth and sixth grade students, and from a large, suburban, midwestern school district (p. 470), does not provide the experience of an actual fine arts curriculum. Additionally, the issues of cost associated with CAD software/hardware, as well as buy-in from school site administrators, may pose problematic for budget-strapped school districts. Nevertheless, their findings under the implications category (p. 488), states that “our findings provide further, empirical support for the promise of hands-on making activities for learning”.

    One of the more interesting studies on the importance of incorporating the arts and humanities into curriculum was amongst medical students, citing the necessity to provide opportunity for “observation, diagnostic skills, empathy, team building, communication skills, resilience, and cultural sensitivity” (Makunda, et al., 2019). All of these opportunities are inherent to visual art instruction and happen to help ensure college applicants are better equipped for higher education, as well as meet the demands and expectations of corporate America vocations or the public sector careers. The methods employed with the medical school were to make use of “art museums, with sessions led primarily by art educators employing validated pedagogy such as Visual Thinking Strategies or Artful Thinking” (p. 1). Observational skills, cultural awareness, and no fear of failure attitudes all translate to a greater chance of risk taking with the arts, learning about cultures outside social circle, and sensitivities that come with it.

    Then you have a study conducted by Edward P. Clapp and Raquel L. Jimenez of Harvard Graduate School of Education. To better understand the maker trend and STEAM movement, their research cites the first Maker Faire in San Mateo, California, and their understanding that “In recent years there has been a push to incorporate the Maker movement esprit de corps into various formal and informal teachings and learning” (Clapp & Jimenez., 2016, p.482). This is not uncommon given the citing’s previously mentioned. Furthermore, their report parrots what other researchers have been claiming, that stakeholders in education have led the clarion call for arts in curriculum while touting the many benefits, such as increasing capacities to engage in STEM subjects.

    While education and the growing of a nation’s people have always held an interest by policy makers, educators, and employers, it appears that research has focused on pieces of a puzzle to solve the problem of a comprehensive education, one that equips citizens for success in academia, employment, and cultural aptitude. 

    Administrations as far back as President Truman have grappled with stagnant academic performance. Researcher Clay Francis wrote a paper, Academic Rigor in the College Classroom: Two Federal Commission Strive to Define Rigor in the Past 70 years, about how the higher education for American Democracy, The Truman Commission of 1947 and The Spellings Commission of 2006, are calling for drastic reform in education, more specifically ensuring public education was well rounded. One important point is “citing the growing success of higher education in other nations and the simultaneous stagnation in quality at U.S. institutions” (p. 30). As well as ensuring the United States held a competitive edge, specifically with the Soviet Union. It is reflective of a long-standing recognition of subpar education philosophy that remains problematic in the U.S.. 

    Finally, you have the same studies pointing to disciplines that help foster the skills, such as spatial reasoning, necessary in the performance of STEM or STEAM disciplines. These skills will invariably come back as intrinsically learned from the studies of the arts and humanities, specifically, visual arts. The remaining point to be made is, if visual arts have been proven to make a difference in spatial relation amongst middle school and high school students, why not make visual arts instruction a requirement at the foundational level, that of K-5; this window of opportunity where learning visual arts become building blocks instrumental in academic success in all other subject areas. 

    References

    American Academy of Arts and Sciences. (2020, November). The Humanities in American LifeAttitudes American Academy Insights from a 2019 Survey of the Public’s & Engagement – Appendix. The

    American Life | American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved Humanities in December 20, 2021, from https://www.amacad.org/publication/humanities-american-life/section/8

    American Psychological Association. (2017, March). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychological Association. Retrieved December 20, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/ethics/code

    A., & SKORTON, D. (2019). The World BEAR, Science & Technology, Needs Students with Interdisciplinary Education. Issues in 35(2), 60–62.

    Clapp, E. P., & Jimenez, R. L. (2016). Implementing STEAM in Maker-Centered Learning. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity & the Arts, 10(4), 481–491. https://doi-org.lpclibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/aca0000066

    Francis, C. (2018). Academic Rigor in the College Classroom: Two Federal Commissions Strive to Define Rigor in the Past 70 Years. New Directions for Higher 25–34. Education, 2018(181), https://doi-org.lpclibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/he.20268

    Mukunda, N., Moghbeli, N., Rizzo, A., Niepold, S., Bassett, B., & DeLisser, H. M. (2019). Visual art instruction in medical education: a narrative review. Medical Education 24(1), 1–5. https://doi-org.lpclibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/10872981.2018.1558657 

    Public Online, for report Retrieved opinion national 2018 from – Americans for the Arts. Americans the Arts. (2018). December 20, 2021, [SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 17 https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/Public%20Opinion%20National%202018%20Report.pdf

    Ramey, K. E., Stevens, R., Uttal, D. H., Wallace, T. L., & Kuo, E. (2020). In-FUSE-ing STEAM Learning With Spatial Reasoning: Distributed Spatial Sensemaking in School-Based Making Activities. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(3), 466–493. https://doi-org.lpclibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/edu0000422

    Winsler, A., Gara, T. V., Alegrado, A., Castro, S., & Tavassolie, T. (2020). Selection Into, and Academic Benefits From, Arts-Related Courses in Middle School Among Low-Income,Ethnically Diverse Youth. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity & the Arts, 14(4), 415–432. https://doi-org.lpclibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/aca0000222

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