Research Article
New Media Arts Education: How
Community-Based Programs Can Reshape Teaching and Learning in The Age of Web
2.0
David Darts, Juan Carolos Castro, Anita
Sinner, and Kit Grauer
The
problem this article proposes is the significant disparity and disconnect
between new technology and school education. New technology is categorized under Tim O’Reily’s marketing
phrase, Web 2.0. Web 2.0
marks the shift made in Internet activities by “emphasizing the Web as a place
for collaboration, sharing, and interaction,” instead of simply a venue to
present information. With this
change and advance in technology comes a new way in which teens are creating
and participating in activities outside of school. The article states that digital communication networks and
technologies are “lowering the barriers to cultural participation and
co-creation.”
The
research questions in the article aim to find a solution to the void of new
technologies in schools today. The
stated goal is “to understand the diverse ways arts and learning can emerge and
shift our conceptions of contemporary arts educational curriculum and
pedagogy.” The proposed solution
is to look at how community new media arts education programs have responded to
this phenomenon. The article
states that these “community-based initiatives approach media education from
creative, artistic/aesthetic skill sets and are grounded in curricula that foster
self-expression, creativity, critical analysis, and the development of identity
and voice.”
The
article cites research to supply further information on the subject. The cited sources are relevant
and flow well throughout the article.
Most of the data is from 2000-present. Both quantitative and qualitative data is discussed. For example, one quantitative piece of data
from the article states, “Over 70% of Canadian teens between 13-17 years of age
regularly use social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace. Of those teens using the Internet, over
half are creating and distributing new media content. Much of this engagement can be characterized as engaging in
a participatory culture—one that is described as having low barriers to
artistic expression, civic engagement, and collaborative learning.” The article goes on to discuss the data
source: two examples of community-based new media arts programs that are
successfully integrating new media art and contemporary art educational
practices. The hope here is by
“examining such programs, we can begin to understand how these alternative
educational spaces support and help redefine knowledge creation for a new
generation of learners.” The
article continues to say, “Our preliminary research indicates these non-school
based learning sites can serve as powerful locations of transforming and
learning that effectively meet the challenges of interpreting, understanding,
and participating in an increasingly mediated and complex world.”
The
solution to the problem presented at the beginning of the article seems to be by
“Combining student’s digital knowledge and experiences with art educators’
training in the interpretation, evaluation, and production of images and texts
can serve as an important approach to integrating digital media into traditional
school-based art education programs.
Doing so can engage students in the curriculum through topics and
materials they already care about.”
Ultimately,
the article argues that community-based programs can serve as models for
designing and implementing new media art instruction into school-based
programs.
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