Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Action Research Time - Improving The Arts



Title of Action Research Project
Improving Instruction Through Technology


Briefly State Your Hypothesis
Can student gains in the visual arts be achieved through teacher-made video and PowerPoint instruction?


Briefly state the type of data you are collecting and how you are analyzing it.
Two fourth grade groups were assigned the same Georgia O'keeffe inspired project: paint a close up view of a flower.  One group was instructed using 12 by 18 inch examples and some slightly larger O'keeffe prints.  Another group was instructed with PowerPoint and video.  One critical focus was the application of paint; using the brush and mixing paint.  For this study particular emphasis was paid to tinting; adding white to a color to make a color lighter.  I made a video on tinting minutes before one class class arrived.  The watched as part of the overall instruction for the project.  I will call this the "technology group."    The other group was not instructed with any technology, just a demonstration on the board.  I will call this group the "no technology group." 


The work of both groups were compared and analyzed.  How did both groups use and apply white - tint their artworks and create various values?  These values create interest and depth as apposed to the flat, non-tinted, approach to painting that most young students employ.  Using value to create interest displays sophisticated imagery and depth that flatness simply cannot convey.  I am specifically looking for the use of white in the student's painting.  Did the student follow the instruction and use white in their close-up view of the flower?  Some clearly did not and others used white to create one tint of a color rather than various tints within the same color.  Was there a predominance of work without tinting from the "no technology group" or from the "technology group?"  After comparing both groups it was easily determined that those who viewed the instructional video on tinting achieved a higher understanding of tinting than those who did not view the teacher-made video. 


The Problem
How to create depth and interest in a students artwork?  Art instructors want their student's artwork to possess depth and interest.  The key is instruction.  How can the instructor, instruct the instructed with instructional clarity and purpose?  The physical arrangement of the art room presents barriers and limitations.  The physical qualities/characteristics of the students themselves can impede knowledge/skill acquisition.  Can the student see the board and point of instruction?  If they can see the instruction, how well can the see it and grasp it?  When a student is not engaged in the instructional process due to these learning hurdles, the process has broken down and failure is inevitable.  How to bridge this gap is an educators vexing dilemma. 


Collect and organize the data/gather the data
The artwork was grouped according to their own class.  Each class (test group) was given a different presentation, one without technology aids and another with technology aids.  Within each group the artwork without tinting was separated from the artwork that had tinting present.    



Interpret The Data
After the artwork was grouped and sorted as mentioned above, the number of tinted artwork in each group was counted and the numbers of tinted artwork in the "no technology group" was compared with the numbers of tinted artwork in the "technology group."  The "technology group" had more tinted artworks than the " no technology" group. 



Action Based On The Data/Act On Evidence
The evidence is clear, technology can contribute to significant gains/improvements in the quality of artwork.  When students observe a teacher-made, tailor-made presentation on the assigned task on a large screen, they understand and execute the objective with clarity and purpose.  Teaching and learning becomes more productive with a noticeable improvement over traditional, non-technological instructional methods.  I am currently transforming my lessons and projects into teacher-made multiple-media productions.  This will save time and expedite the learning process.  More ground can be covered in less time with such a strategy.



Reflection/Evaluate The Results
I remember the wonderful 
overhead projector in my elementary school years.  It helped me see clearly what the teacher was trying to explain.  It was a warming experience as well with all that light projected on the wall with action and drama.  It was like going to the movie theater.  The experience today is similar.  Students can enter into another world when the classroom lights are turned down low and a familiar voice and face instructs them.  I may not win an Oscar, yet the results are clear; when I made a simple instructional video on tinting, student achievement was excelerated.  I believe the students themselves were amazed at their progress.  They were confident and productive as they worked and they were cognizant of their success.  They were proud of their achievement and of the final product.










The Instructional Video

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