Week 5 Continuing the Journey : a research map

The map is getting more centralized as my focus and intentions become more clear.
click on image for a larger view.

Art in libraries... week 5

There has been any research in art programs in library settings. There are articles written about what some libraries do, what they offer, but there’s no concrete information on the type of programs offered, what are their impact on the community? Who attends these art programs? (…)

In the art education field, there are some studies and written work done on community-based art education, but nothing specifically on libraries. Libraries are cultural centers; offering a multitude of resources free of charge to the community. How can they have been overlooked for so long? Maybe it is because they usually don’t have specialists (art educators) on staff, teaching the art classes? However many libraries have developed partnerships with museums and art educators who come in and offer art classes to their patrons.

Questions yet to be answered:

• What type of library programs are offered in Florida Libraries?


• What is the percentage of libraries offering art programs? (Which will be answered at the same time as the previous question)


• Who is the targeted audience? (age)


• What is the art background of art program facilitators?
  
  For my research, I will have to combine qualitative and quantitative research methods. Most of my questions evolve from a quantitative approach. But, it doesn’t stop there. The impact those art programs have is important too. I will conduct interviews and be on site to observe some of the programs.

Week 5: Continuing the Journey Through the Sea of Information

This week I found a number of studies on community- based art projects many of which came from England and most of which addressed projects in Urban or inner city settings. Interestingly, articles on Urban Regeneration and the arts are plentiful. While much has been written on the subject of inner city community- arts projects and not so much on the rural , I am inspired by projects such as Olivia Gude's Spiral Workshop(2009) and Mel Alexenberg and Miriam Benjamin's approach to participatory art in their "Legacy Thrones", presented in the paper: Creating Public Art Through Intergenerational Collaboration (Alexenberg& Benjamin, 2004) both of which are in urban settings. Another article/study that I discovered, by Karen Hutzel,
Hutzel, K. (2007). Reconstructing a community, reclaiming a playground: A participatory action research study. Studies in Art education, 48(3), 299-315.
describes the transformative effect of the arts and arts education on forgotten inner-city neighborhoods. Hutzel proposes that a community-based art curriculum should be “intended to engage the community in an asset-based approach to art creation and social change “(Hutzel, 2007)“ I mention these three because they are concrete examples of projects that work . Many of the issues that face inner city communities occur in rural communities. The rural community off the beaten track are often overlooked because they are not as easily seen.

Research

After creating the annotated bibliography, I found a lot of diverse and interesting sources relating to my research topic. Many of the sources related to graphic design concepts or typography specifically, which I think is a good direction for me. I want to focus on these ideas as an art form because neither the "real world" nor, often times, the art world view design as art because of its position in business. So my research question is looking like:

How can graphic design and typography theory be integrated, accepted and developed as an art form within art and art education?

Allison questions, questions week 5

After reading this weeks articles and starting my pilot study, I am questioning the validity of my evidence. I am so sure in my mind that art-making is an intricate part in a dyslexic's understanding of what they learn, but I am so worried that my findings won't match up to my gut feelings. SO, I am questioning the choice of student demonstration. Is the method of demonstration the right one? What if..... it shows no difference? Is that ok? and... What then. Do I need to change the demonstration, and by doing so, am I altering the evidence to sway the findings to my liking?

This is what I will add to my map in color

Variables- there are many variables to this study.

Set variable-student skills, time limit, place, word or phrase prompt.

Unknown variables- time of day, medication, unavoidable distractions.

I'm sure these 2 lists will grow.

Lesson 4 reflections

How will a choice-based art education with design thinking create a dynamic process of learning for art students that will cultivate them into life-long learners?


My qualitative research (microenthnography?) methods of class instructions would be empirical. Without intervention, I will journal and photograph works from observing students artmaking within a choice-based studio; and I will journal and photograph another class where students will implement the design thinking process into a choice based studio environment. The theme or topic will be identical. Students present their work to class and I will record their reflections. Data collecting will include dates, times, gender, age, class grade, curriculum sequence, lesson plan objectives, emerging perspectives, and informal patterns.

Andrea, Reading Reflection Week 5

After this weeks readings I have decided to work on an additional research map that uses a diagram found from a reading concerning "Interpretive Junctures" (Maitland-Gholson, 1994). I want to fit my current research map into this format to see how my plan of research might work. This visual way of thinking about the approach could further solidify the research path. I will use both qualitative and quantitative data gathering, but I am nervous about keeping a clear focus and not let the personal opinions and emotions take hold. There is some evidence of research in my area of effective art teacher qualities, but I am examining the evaluative processes that have been pinholed for all teacher in Florida and wish to show the ways in which a high school art teacher can exhibit these same behaviors. What is missing a specific list/images/samples of how an art teacher meets these criteria. I wish to gather input from evaluators in what type of artifact would help them identify them, develop this criteria based on classroom observations and surveys and compile the data gathered into one artifact for the evaluator. I think that reworking my thoughts of research methods using this diagram will focus specific questions that I need to clarify. Does anyone else find this diagram useful? I am curious if anyone in the group has similar thoughts.


Maitland-Gholson, J., & Ettinger, L.F. (1994). Interpretive decision making in research. Studies in Art Education, 36(1), 18-27.