In the following case study, I’ve been studying my own two children (I’m not above using them for sociological studies), who have had casual access to an LAUSD iPad for 2.5 years. By the way, I won’t go into the details of why this iPad was idling around the house. If you like, you can read about that by searching “LAUSD iPad”.
And I do mean casual, and occasional use. My wife and I severely limited their access to the iPad, counting any game-playing or entertainment experience as “screen time”, which is earned through hard labor (they built a real chicken coop for us in the backyard). However, they were allowed multimedia production access as they wished, and really undertook these projects of their own free will, with no pushing or coaching on my part. So, we can see that this limited and relaxed access nevertheless resulted in a prodigious amount of multimedia production.
The next section details one particular project which has become an ongoing collaboration, in which I did give some input as to the purpose and design. We brainstormed the project as the ultimate amusement park, that could be constructed and explored with a mathematical lens. The elder boy detailed what components of this virtual world would relate to the math processes he and his brother were learning in school. The development of those math integrations, how one exercises them through the construction and experience, are currently ongoing.
The following attributes of Media Arts Education emerge from this and the other various models I’ve been seeing from others, or studying and developing myself.
When we think of media arts as a virtual laboratory, essentially potentiated for any imaginable production, design or experience, we realize that media arts education is a holistic centrifuge for creating and learning. Given that the student can make anything imaginable in this space, what can they not learn from it?
Media Arts Case Study
11 and 8 years old
Conditions
- iPad – 2.5 year period, limited access
- Non-coached, peer-instruction, Youtube training
- Self-motivated & directed production
- 5 Stop-motion Animations
- 250+ Digital Photos
- 100+ Digital Drawn Cell Animations
- 20+ Minecraft Virtual Worlds – 60+ Structures
- 15+ Digital Puppetshows
- 20+ Digital Song Productions
- 50+ 3D Object Designs
Minecraft Virtual World: “Funland” Amusement Park - Math Integration – 11 year old
- 3-Dimensional Modeling and blueprints
- Construction project estimates and costs
- Speed calculations – lava, roller coaster
- Currency exchange rates
- Treasure coordinate hunting
- Shape, form, structure - dimensions, volume
- Spawning rates
- Health and heart ratios and rates
Media Arts Education Attributes
- Engaging, Stimulating, Challenging, Relevant
- ”Student Sourced” Learning - Self-Generating and Directing
- Scales Low Threshold Entry to High-Complexity Potential
- Holistic - Aesthetic, Arts and Culture Centered
- Incorporates All Modalities - Sensory, Motor, Cognitive
- Comprehensively Relevant -Forms, Contents, Processes, Domains
- Authentically Simulates and Produces 21st C Culture
- Project and Design-based - Emphasizes Process over Product
- Embedded Multi-literacies - Media, Aesthetics, Tech, Digital
- Metacognitive - Learning to Learn
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