Art Museum

THE AMBIGUITY OF PERCEPTION:
VIRTUAL ART MUSEOLOGY, FREE-CHOICE LEARNING, AND

CHILDREN'S ART EDUCATION
by
Christine Susan Mulligan
Dissertation Committee:
Professor Judith M. Burton, Sponsor
Professor Olga Hubard
Approved by the Committee on the Degree of Doctor of Education
m i o 2010
Dat e:
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in
Teachers College, Columbia University
2010
UMI Number: 3400656
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VIRTUAL ART MUSEOLOGY, FREE-CHOICE LEARNING, AND
CHILDREN'S ART EDUCATION
by
Dissertation Committee:
Professor Judith M. Burton, Sponsor
Professor Olga Hubard
Approved by the Committee on the Degree of Doctor of Education
FEB 1 '0 2010
Date:
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in
Teachers College, Columbia University
2010
ABSTRACT
VIRTUAL ART MUSEOLOGY, FREE-CHOICE LEARNING,
AND CHILDREN'S ART EDUCATION
With many art museums uploading web-based art activities for youngsters, an
online phenomenon is burgeoning, and a research domain is emerging. In an effort to
contribute empirical evidence to an area of educational research that I refer to as "virtual
art museology," or the study of art museum's online art activities for young people, this
narrative case study examined children's interactions with and attitudes of four art
museums' online art activities. An aim of the research is not only to provide art educators
with a more cogent understanding of how art museums' online art-making activities may
influence the art education of youngsters and vice versa, but to promote a discourse
among art educators regarding the educational purpose and design of online art-making
activities for children by art museums, now and in the future.
Fourth- and fifth-grade students were invited to be co-researchers in the
investigationas they are the intended audience of the activities examinedtaking on
the role, during their free-time, of virtual visitors to art museums' online activity "wings"
where they freely selected and engaged with art museums' online art-making activities. In
order to create a theoretical context for the online investigation, John Falk and Lynn
Dierking's theory of Free-Choice learning, an outgrowth of their extensive museum
visitor research, framed the study.
An analysis of the collected data from the young participants' online experiences
uncovered common threads and patterns of behaviors of how children approach art
museums' online activities. The resultant dimensions, or approaches, that emerged are:
(1) critical; (2) experiential; (3) personal/preferential; (4) social; (5) technological; and
(6) visual-aesthetic. These six flexible approaches overlap, intersect, and recur during a
youngster's interactive experiences with art museums' online art programs. How the
approaches manifest during children's interactions with museums' online art activities
depends upon the needs, wants, and values of an individual child. The findings of the
study reveal insight into the perspectives of young peopletheir somewhat ambiguous
perceptions of online art-making activitiesand the importance of their participation in
research endeavors related to their art education, both online and in the elementary art
studio.
Acknowl edgements
This dissertation took nine years to reach fruition and is representative of an
abundance of challenges, but also, many personal triumphs. The process and completion
of this document would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of
many cheerleaders to whom I shall forever be thankful. I dedicate this dissertation to
these special and wonderful individuals who contributed uniquely to this endeavor,
whether with patience, understanding, reassurance, guidance, capital, sustenance, humor,
love, or all of the above.
First, I would like to heap gratitude on my advisor, Dr. Judith Burton, whose
knowledge, insightful contributions, and constructive criticisms were instrumental in
helping me to "tease out" the many salient points of my research in art education.
Second, I wish to thank Dr. Olga Hubard for agreeing to be a reader, particularly because
of her knowledge of, and passion for, art museums. I am also grateful to Dr. Graeme
Sullivan who taught me so much about the research process and how to approach the art
of inquiry.
I extend appreciation to many of my former and present colleagues who rallied
around me. In particular, I wish to thank Ms. Leslie Watnik, my friend and technology
guide, who made the research-enrichment course a treasured learning experience. I also
wish to offer sincere gratitude to my building administrators, Dr. Sue Kincaid, principal,
and Mr. Ronald Gimondo, assistant principal, whose flexibility and understanding were
invaluable during the research and writing processes. Additionally, I am exceptionally
grateful to the young students who participated in the research and shared their free time,
hi
thoughts, enthusiasm, and love of art with me. Their efforts in the arts inspire me to
continue to learn, grow, and explore as an art educator.
The support of numerous friends and family will not be forgotten and, with much
sincerity and love, I extend gratitude to my dearest and most extraordinary friend JAZS,
as well as to SP, KO, KP, LO, and team Singleton. The six members of the small, but
steadfast Mulligan clanMum & Dad, Nana & Al, Larry & Lauriehave been an
especially helpful cheering section in innumerable and immeasurable ways as well, and
for that, I am greatly indebted. I wish to specifically thank my brother, Larry, whose
technological wizardry saved me many times during the course of this journey. Also, one
person has been instrumental to every aspect of this process, and that is my Mum. Thank
you for listening, never wavering, and for a great deal of hugging. Of course, last, but not
least, thank you, "Edward."
CM
December 2009
IV
Table of Contents
Chapter I - Introduction: The Internet, Art Museums, and Online Art-Making Activities
for Children 1
The Online Art-Making Activities of Art Museums: A Research Dilemma? 4
Depiction of the Problem 9
Theoretical and Research-Based Limitations 9
Two Pilot Studies Generate Findings with Significant Research Appeal 14
The Research Questions 18
Assumptions 19
Assumptions Not to Be Debated 20
Assumptions to Be Debated 21
Type of Study and Rationale 23
Research Methodology 24
Data Collection 24
Participants 25
Research Location 26
Method of Inquiry 26
Presentation of Data 28
Limitations of the Study 29
Experientially Contextualizing the Research Investigation 29
Then and Now 30
Museum and Art Education Propel the Inquiry 34
Technology in the Elementary Art Studio 35
Goals of the Research 38
Significance and Educational Aims of the Research 39
Summary and Overview of Chapters 40
Chapter II - A Review of the Literature: The Contextualization and Application of Free-
Choice Learning Theory to Art Museums' Web Activities 42
Introduction 42
General Internet User Studies 43
Museum Website Visitor Research 47
Children's Artistic Development and Virtual Art Museology, a Brief Synopsis 52
Virtual Art Museology and the Constructivist Connection 55
A Theory of Free-Choice Learning 67
Summary 71
v
Chapter III - Methodology and Data Collection 74
Introduction 74
Method of Inquiry , 77
Procedures 77
Presentation of the Data and Data Analysis 82
An Elementary Enrichment Course Influences the Research Design and Vive Versa 85
Research Setting: the Physical Environment ,...., 89
The Virtual Research Settings: Painting Pictures of Four Art Museums' Virtual Activity
Landscapes 92
Destination Modern Art, Museum of Modern Art 94
Artsconnected, Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Walker Art Center 98
NGA Kids, National Gallery of Art 106
Museum Kids, Metropolitan Museum of Art 115
The Participants 120
Keeping it Real: Observations of Online Interactions 123
Conversations with Young People 126
Digital Art-Making, Digital Portfolio 127
Inquiry and Response: Surveys and Questionnaires 130
Data Analysis 131
Limitations of the Methodology 134
Summary 138
Chapter IV - Results: The Real Story of Youngsters' Visits to Art Museums' Virtual
Activity Sites 140
Introduction 140
Chapter Outline '. 144
Physical Setting 146
Introduction to the Narratives 148
The Narratives 150
Abigail [A(f)9] 152
Abigail's Relationship with Computer Technology 153
Abigail's Thoughts About Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums 154
Abigail's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities 156
Met Kids 156
ArtsConnected 158
NGA Kids 160
Destination 162
Postscript 164
vi
Adam [A(m)10] 165
Adam's Relationship with Computer Technology 166
Adam's Thoughts About Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums 167
Adam's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities 169
Met Kids 169
ArtsConnected 173
NGAKids 175
Destination 177
Postscript 180
Claudia [C(f)9] 181
Claudia's Relationship with Computer Technology 182
Claudia's Thoughts About Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums 183
Claudia's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities 186
Met Kids 186
ArtsConnected 188
NGAKids 191
Destination 193
Postscript 196
Desiree [D(f)9] 198
Desiree's Relationship with Computer Technology 199
Desiree's Thoughts About Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums 200
Desiree's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities 202
Met Kids 202
ArtsConnected 205
NGAKids 206
Destination 208
Postscript 210
Neeka[N(f)10] 211
Neeka's Relationship with Computer Technology 212
Neeka's Thoughts About Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums 214
Neeka's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities 216
Met Kids 216
ArtsConnected 219
NGAKids ...221
Destination 222
Postscript 224
Shaina[S(f)ll] 226
Shaina's Relationship with Computer Technology 227
Shaina's Thoughts About Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums 228
Shaina's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities 230
Met Kids 230
ArtsConnected 232
NGAKids 233
Destination 235
Postscript 237
vii
Yves[Y(m)9] 239
Yves' Relationship with Computer Technology 240
Yves' Thoughts About Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums 241
Yves' Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities 243
Met Kids 243
ArtsConnected 247
NGAKids 248
Destination 250
Postscript 252
Summary 254
Chapter V - Discussion: The Thematic Reality of Youngsters' Virtual Art-Making 256
Introduction 256
The Thematic Dimensions that Emerged from the Data Sources and Merged into Approaches
259
The Six Approaches 263
The Critical Approach 264
Approach Statement 264
Explication of the Approach 265
Evidence of the Approach 265
The Experiential Approach 270
The Personal/Preferential Approach 278
The Social Approach 283
The Technological Approach 288
The Visual-Aesthetic Approach 291
viii
Summary 293
Chapter VI - Implications for Art and Art Museum Education 296
Chapter VII - Conclusions: Reflections on Children's Virtual Art Museology 303
Introduction 303
Reflections on the Investigation 304
Locating the "Real" in the Research of Art Museums' Virtual Real-ity 304
Limitations of the Research 305
Educational Aims of the Study 310
Recommendations for Future Related Research 313
Summary 315
References 318
Appendices 324
Appendix A - Internal Review Board Application (IRB) Documentation 324
Appendix B - Pre-Online Investigation Questionnaire 326
Appendix C - Excerpts from the Researcher's Observation Journal 328
Appendix D - Online Investigation Questionnaire 330
Appendix E - Participant Interview Protocol 331
Appendix F - Interview Response Transcript 333
Appendix G - Digital Portfolio 1 (Adam) 334
IX
List of Tabl es
Table 1. Data Collection Chart.......... 83
Table 2. Class Session Overview of the Enrichment Course 87
Table 3. Demographics of Focus Group Participants 122
Table 4. Observation Reference Data Chart 124
Table 5. Criteria that Emerged from Data Sources to Generate Thematic Approaches..262
x
List of Fi gures
Figure 1. "Paintbox" image from NGA Kids Website 12
Figure 2. "Collage Machine" Imgage from NGA Kids Website 12
Figure 3. "Swatchbox" Image from NGA Kids Website . 12
Figure 4. "Dutch Dollhouse" Image from NGA Kids Website 12
Figure 5. Destination Modern Art Introduction Image, MoMA Website 12
Figure 6. Falk & Dierking's Contextual Model of Learning 68
Figure 7. The CIC 91
Figure 8. Homepage, Destination Modern Art 94
Figure 9. Destination Gallery Screen Shot 95
Figure 10. Destination Artist Icons 97
Figure 11. Homepage ArtsConnected 98
Figure 12. ArtsConnected, "Make It" 102
Figure 13. ArtsConnected, "Find It" 102
Figure 14. ArtsConnected, "Explore It" 103
Figure 15. ArtsConnected, "Watch & Listen" 103
Figure 16. Homepage, "Artist's Toolkit" 104
Figure 17. "Artist's Toolkit" Activity Page 105
Figure 18. Homepage, NGA Kids 105
Figure 19. "Lizzy & Gordon" Tour Page 107
Figure 20. "George Catlin" Page 108
Figure 21. Homepage, Met Kids 114
Figure 22. Homepage, Destination Modern Art 129
Figure 23. Data Organization Example 132
Figure 24. Website Visitation Data Chart Example 133
Figure 25. Activity, "The Dancers and Degas" 157
Figure 26. Activity, "Cezanne's Astonishing Apples" 157
Figure 27. Edgar Degas' The Dancer 157
Figure 28. Activity, "The Knights in Central Park" 157
Figure 29. Homepage, ArtsConnected 158
Figure 30. Homepage, "Artist's Toolkit" 158
Figure 31. Line, "The Artist's Toolkit" 159
Figure 32. Shape, "The Artist's Toolkit" 159
Figure 34. Activity, "BRUSHster" 162
Figure 35. Activity, "Jungle" 162
Figure 36. Activity, "Still Life" 162
Figure 37. Activity, "Dutch Dollhouse" 162
Figure 38. Abigail's Poem for van Gogh's Starry Night 163
Figure 39. Activity, "Polly Apfelbaum" 164
Figure 40. Activity, "Kazuo Kawasaki" 164
Figure 41. Activity, "John Canemaker" 164
Figure 42. Activity, Romare Bearden 164
Figure 43. Adam's Desktop, January 24, 2008 , 169
XI
Figure 44. Unidentified Met Image 171
Figure 45. Unidentified Met Object 171
Figure 46. Unidentified Met Painting 171
Figure 47. "David with the Head of Goliath" by Bartolomeo Bellano, 1437/38 171
Figure 48. Activity, "How Van Gogh Made His Mark" (Self-Portrait) 172
Figure 49. Activity, "How Van Gogh Made His Mark" (Landscape) 172
Figure 50. Activity, "Cezanne's Astonishing Apples" 173
Figure 51. "My favorite activity" Shape, "The Artist's Toolkit" 174
Figure 52. Activity, "Fabric Factory" 174
Figure 53. "I saw a cool movie!" , 175
Figure 54. "It has beautiful artwork!" 175
Figure 55. Picasso Image 176
Figure 56. Activity Unknown (Self-Portrait) 177
Figure 58. Activity, "How Van Gogh Made His Mark" (Flower) 187
Figure 59. Activity, "How Van Gogh Made His Mark" (My Name) 187
Figure 61. Degas, The Dancer, 1881 188
Figure 62. Activity, "The Medieval Joust" 188
Figure 68. Activity, "Still Life" 192
Figure 69. Activity, "van Gogh" 194
Figure 70. Activity, "Romare Bearden" 195
Figure 71. Activity, "John Canemaker" 196
Figure 72. Activity, "Umberto Boccioni" 196
Figure 73. Activity, "The Kitaro..." 204
Figure 74. Activity, "Knights in Central Park" 204
Figure 75. Activity, "How Van Gogh Made His Mark" 204
Figure 78. Activity, "Paintbox" 207
Figure 83. Renoir, "Madame George Charpentier and her Children" 1878 219
Figure 88. Activity, "Gattie, Paolini and Teodoro" 223
xn
Figure 90. Cezanne, "Still Lide with Apples and a Pot of Primroses" 1890 230
Figure 91. Ghana, Asante, "Linguist Staff 19th-20th C 230
Figure 94. Activity, "Fabric Factory" 233
Figure 99. Activity, "Gatti, Paolini, and Teodoro" 236
Figure 100. Activity, "China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD" 244
Figure 101. Ghana, Asante, "Linguist Staff' 19th-20thC 244
Figure 106. Activity, "Jungle" 249
Figure 109. Activity, "Polly Apfelbaum" , 251
Figure 110. Actvity, "Polly Apfelbaum" 251
Figure 111. P.S.I , Keith Sonnier 251
Figure 112. Umberto Boccioni, "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" 1913 251
Figure 113. A Conceptual Model of the Six Thematic Approaches 260
xin
1
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION:
THE INTERNET, ART MUSEUMS, AND ONLINE ART-MAKING
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
With the introduction of the networking capabilities of the Internet linking
vast numbers of computers together via the World Wide Web (WWW) in the early
1990s, individuals, institutions, organizations, and companies acquired an expeditious
and innovative means for connecting and communicating with one another. Joining
numerous people, and private and public organizations online, the conventionally
economic-conscious museum world discovered the (inexpensive) technological
capabilities of the Internet and embarked on a campaign to develop and upload
institutional websites. Museums quickly realized an organizational website was a
relatively inexpensive communication medium for transporting information and
services to interested cultural consumers almost anywhere around the globe, 24/7, at
the consumer's convenience. Furthermore, by being attuned to current trends in
online media and information transmission, museums were (and have been) able to
further extend their reach into cyberspace and appeal to increasingly broadening
Internet users. According to Judy Dahl (2003), "virtual museums help broaden
museum audiences and eliminate barriers of language, geography, and time" (p.l).
In keeping pace with the daily surge of technological advancement and virtual
competition that has been occurring since the emergence of the modern Internet age,
Originating in the early 1990s, the World Wide Web, abbreviated WWW is a branch of the Internet composed of a
system of extensively interlinked hypertext documents. Many websites begin with "www" as the URL
(Dictionary.com). For example, www.metmuseum.org
2
museums have been continually updating and revamping the institutional websites they
originally developed and uploaded approximately fifteen years ago. Nowadays,
museums' websites are multi-functional and provide a host of varying services such as
general museum information, exhibition calendars, education-related activities,
assessment tools, and research initiatives, to list a few. Institutions such as New York
City's Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the
Whitney Museum of American Art (Whitney), and countless other art institutions offer
visitors both virtual and on-site access to their collections, the virtual in the form of
databases that can be easily accessed by online audiences. Stated in the article, "Making
Web Sites for Young Audiences" (2004) by Deborah Schwartz and Allegra Burnette of
MoMA, about the economic creation of museum websites and online activities
specifically designed for young audiences:
[MoMA's] common goal has been to provide greater access to the Museum's
collection and resources that do not exist in other contexts or formats, carefully
considering the correct mix of audience and content for the Web tools
environment...goals include creating projects that can withstand the vagaries of
technology and that can expand and evolve organically based upon what we
learn from working directly with the intended audienceall without breaking the
bank (p. 1).
While the intentions of museums to harness the capabilities of the Internet
2
seems completely justifiable in the larger contexts of education and museum
promotion, have some cultural institutions prematurely uploaded digital art activities
and web-based art programs into a virtual realm where the educational potential and
benefits of online learning have not yet been clearly identified in art and museum
education research? Are the lures of a relatively inexpensive medium and the
2
Throughout this document the word "Internet" has been used frequently and references an electronic
communication network of computers that span the globe connecting people, organizations, and information.
3
"profitable" payoff of a more diverse and larger visitor population, albeit virtual, too
tempting for art museums to disregard at this point in web existence? Before I expand,
clarify, and qualify my thoughts and what influenced these inquiries, I want to note that
my area of investigatory interest references art museums' digital art and art-making
activities developed and uploaded by art museums to appeal expressly to youngsters
(children of about six to twelve years of age). My interest is to critically examine art
museum websites' art-based activities with the audience for whom they are intended,
children.
One reality of our technologically advancing world is that the Internet is
expanding exponentially, something that museums have not ignored considering the
Internet's power to quickly and broadly disseminate information and potentially amass
new and more diverse audiences for cultural institutions. However, as art museums
continue to create and upload digital
3
art and art-making activities for children to their
institutional websites, it will be important for them to consider and regulate how what
they put into cyberspace for educational means reflects, impacts, and influences both
their online and offline presence and the art museum education of their young
audiences. Hence, my design of a case study to examine what I believe is a burgeoning
area of research in art museum education, a domain I refer to as "children's virtual art
museology
4
." The meaning of this term refers specifically to the study of art museums'
online digital art and art-making activities for youngsters, and stems from my interest in
3
Somewhat interchangeable with "virtual," digital denotes something expressed by/in a numerical form, for example,
computer programs are written using a digital format, but may not be numerically represented as such on a screen.
4
For the purpose of my investigation, the use of the term "children's virtual art museology" will be found
throughout and refers to my interest in the study of art museum's online digital art and art-making activities for
youngsters.
4
researching art museums' web activities and resources for children, and how such
programs impact youngsters' art education and vice versa. Such an area of research has
not yet been subjected to the same kinds of critiques, reviews, and intensive study used
to evaluate educational enterprises elsewhere in museums; for example, the assessment
of museums' school programs. The focus of my research investigation was relatively
narrow and its purview limited to a handful of art museums' online digital art activities
for young people. I discuss my reasons for such a specific and defined research focus at
greater length in Chapter III where I present the particulars of my research
methodology and data collection tools and processes.
The Online Art-Making Activities of Art Museums: A Research Dilemma?
In its relatively short span of existence, the Internet has been host to an
inordinate number of websites that have originated from a plethora of organizations,
institutions, and individuals. Innumerable sites have already emerged and disappeared
from the time of the World Wide Web's early establishment in cyberspace. With no
singular entity regulating and/or managing this global computer network, the number of
websites that currently abound on the Internet and offer a multitude of services, widely
varying opinions, and copious amounts of information and misinformation is
indeterminate. In order to gain a general sense for the breadth of what can be found on
the Internet with regard to art institutionsthe focus of this documentI conducted a
brief and informal inquiry in November 2009 of the generic term "art museum" over
the course of several days on the search engine Google. When inputted, the phrase
yielded approximately 29,400,000 results, or "hits," a figure that fluctuated during the
days I searched, and then dramatically lessened by about two-thirds to 10,500,000 links
when I entered the term as the plural "art museums." While there may be overlap and
repetition among the results, based on the large number of art museum(s) links
identified by Google, it is fair to suggest that art institutions have, without a doubt,
firmly established their presence on the World Wide Web. To further support this idea,
Andrew Pakarik (2003) notes
nowadays any museum that considers itself worthy of the name needs to
have a Web presence.. .but few museums seem to have worked out
precisely what role a Web site should play in the overall life of a
museum (p. 276).
Cultural institutions' websites provide the global public with an easily
accessible way to gather information about a museum, its collections, and its programs
before visiting (or without having to visit) a physical museum space. Dahl (2003)
suggests "many people use virtual museums to enhance their experience at physical
museums"
(p. 2). In addition, what is innovative and comparatively recentwithin the last seven
to ten yearswith regard to museum website development is the opportunity for
visitors to actively engage in online and offline art-making practices. Children,
historically a large portion of art museums' on-site visiting public, can be engaged in
visualyet also, digitalart and art-making experiences via museums' websites. Such
visits, albeit in a virtual environment, appear to liberate institutions and their young
learners from constraints imposed by visitation time allotments, school curricula, and,
even, state testing mandates.
6
Some art museums that currently have digital art and art-making activities
designed specifically for young people on their websites are: National Gallery of Art
(NGA) in Washington, D.C. (www.nga.gov); MoMA in New York City
(www.moma.org); Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) in Minnesota
(www.artsmia.org); Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City
(www.whitney.org); J. Paul Getty Museum in Pacific Palisades, California
(www.getty.edu); the Tate Gallery in Great Britain (www.tate.org.uk); and Met in New
York City (www.metmuseum.org). to specify a few. However, art museums' creation
of institutional websites and the subsequent development in recent years of online art
and art-making activitiesprograms that offer young learners opportunities to engage
with the visual arts in a virtual capacityhas in turn generated a research and
assessment dilemma for me as an art educator, and, I believe, for the art museum
education field as well.
Several questions arose as I navigated the maze of art museums' online
offerings during the initial stages of my research in 2004. The issues I encountered
related to the design, intent, uses, developmental appropriateness, and the choices of
activities uploaded by art museums to engage children in digitally mediated visual art
experiences. For example, my specific inquiries at that juncture questioned: how do the
digital art and art-making activities that art museums develop and upload reflect their
collections, educational mission, and on-site educational practices? What is the
statement of purpose, if any, for these programs? How are art museums' websites
maintaining the integrity of the museums' collections via online web activities? How
do the online art activities art museums provide impact children's art education and
7
vice versa? What forms of assessment are being undertaken by art museums with
regard to the online art activities and programs they design for children? How do, or
can, art museums' web activities be designed to clearly reflect children's
developmental capacities and interests?
Currently, there is a scarcity of literature to address the inquiries noted above, in
part, because of their novelty to arts-related research, and because they coincide and
overlap with various areas of study, for example: art education, museum education,
visitor studies, and museum assessment and evaluation. Presently, in 2009, no studies
have been published that explore how young visitors' (or adults) online experiences
with virtual works of art and art-making activities influence their art education in
school or during art museum experiences on-site. Nor are there studies that have
addressed the developmental appropriateness of art museums' digital art-making
programs, the pedagogical practices (if any) that guide the development of these
digitally mediated art activities and online curricula, or the theoretical frameworks that
support their design.
While there has been research recently undertaken by David Schaller, Steven Alison-
Bunnell, and Minda Borun (Schaller, et. al, 2002,2003, 2005, and 2007) to explore
constructivist theories of learning styles as they relate to online interactions, and
additional related research has been conducted by the Tate Gallery in Great Britain
concerned with their website for youngsters, Tate Kids, empirical support continues to
be limited in the literature (Jackson & Adamson, 2009).
As a former museum educator, and presently as a visual arts educator of
elementary school children, I believe that youngsters' personal interests and
8
experiences, learning styles, and capacities, as well as appropriate pedagogy, are the
impetus behind their experiences in and with the visual arts. I have observed these
attributes particularly when activities and programsregardless of whether children are
working with tangible materials or digitally based art resourceshave been designed to
relate and support young people's artistic development and foster in them an interest for
learning in, with, and about the visual arts. Hence, my desire to develop research
explored the following issues:
Limitations of, and gaps in, current research on the developmental
appropriateness of art museums' online art-making programs for
youngsters and the theoretical constructs (if any) that guide the
development of these digital activities;
Young people's critical evaluation of art museums' digital art and art-
making activities;
Implications of children's responses to online digital art-making
programs for the future design of these virtual activities; and
Free-Choice learning and its role in youngsters' experiences with online
digital art media.
The following chaptervia a review of the literature and two pilot studies
addresses specific concerns I identified above that art museums' online art and art-
making activities may pose for children's art and museum education presently, and in
the future. However, the section directly following this one touches upon the
preliminary statement of the problem and pinpoints many of the issues that framed my
9
inquiry and, in addition, presents the specific research questions that guided my
research investigation.
Depiction of the Problem
Theoretical and Research-Based Limitations
The preceding pages introduced readers to a means by which art museums have
endeavored to promote children's art museum education and extend learning
opportunities to youngsters outside of a physical museum environment. In what appears
to be an upsurge of digital-art education taking place on the Internet, art museums have
been developing and uploading digital art activities for young people at an impressive
rate. While the purpose of art museums' online art and art-making programs geared to
young audiences seems to be an addition to, or continuation of, the museum experience
via digital art-based learning opportunities, is the museum community, as a result,
inadvertently molding a future culture of visitors (i.e., children) who will rarely visit
actual museum sites? Dahl (2003) suggests that "online visits tend to be like touring the
physical museum, and that's not always the most effective way to visit.... People learn
differently online than in person" (p. 2). If we consider Dahl's statement definitive,
should not art museums be aware of how young visitors are approaching and using their
online art activities?
In response to the surge of online art-making activities developed by art
museums, a host of questions continue to emerge and have already been posed. One
might wonder if some art museums' virtual programswhile offering services not
10
previously possible on-sitecould distance children from the excitement of
experiencing physical works of art and art materials in personally engaging, real-world
contexts. In other words, rather than extend young people's art museum education, will
art museums' digital web activities eventually supplant children's actual visits to
museums with virtual ones, thereby causing physical visits to be obsolete, or at the very
least, infrequent? Will a consequence of children's interactions with online art activities
be the demotion or promotion of greater visitation to either actual and virtual museum
spaces, or competition between the two? Will young audiences unwittingly forego
"authentic" (i.e., interaction with, and in the presence of, an actual work of art)
aesthetic experiences in favor of virtual ones? How does virtual art making or a virtual
aesthetic experience for a youngster compare with a physical, real-world context art-
viewing/making/aesthetic experience? Are these online activities necessary for art
museum to have? Finally, will what children know and understand about art museums
and their collections eventually be completely facilitated by a computer?
While the questions and issues presented on the previous pages originate from
my years of practice as an art and museum educator, the specific queries posed in the
preceding paragraph are the consequence of more recent personal observations and
reflections on technology and Internet usage in elementary art education, in particular,
my own art pedagogy and curriculum. Although a later section will further readers'
understanding of the specific origins of my personal observations and reflections, it is
important to note here that I work for an affluent school district on Long Island, in New
York, that promotes the use of technology in all classrooms, including the elementary
art studio. Young people in my school district have ready access to computers and a
11
high-speed connection to the Internet. Based on my personal knowledge of the
elementary schools in the area in which I work, I can surmise that my young students
have a greater chance of visiting a museum's online site than they do of visiting an
actual museum, despite their close proximity to New York City, home to several world-
renowned museums. With a few clicks of a computer mouse, children can virtually
transport themselves to an art museum and create and print a product from an online art
museum experience, without ever having to leave the school grounds. All combined,
the numerous inquiries posed thus far resulted from my past and more recent
pedagogical experiences and formed the collective impetus that propelled my area of
investigative interest.
With so many art museums creating web-based viewing and art-making
activities for youngsters, a potentially fertile area of research for art museum education
has emerged. At present, there is no empirical evidence to support art museums' digital
art and art-making activities and programs as "educational" or as promoters of
developmentally appropriate art experiences. However, based on my prior experiences
as a museum educator, and currently as a visual art educator, it is fair to infer here that
the digitized
5
examples of cultural artifacts and the art related activities provided by art
museums aim to supply children with online experiences that possess educational
import and intent. Several museums, for example, NGA and MoMA, have spent
considerable time and resources developing online art activities and programs for
young people. The NGA's website, NGA Kids (www.nga.org/kids). frequently uploads
new and innovative art-making software where visitors can create virtual works of art
5
An object and/or image that has been converted to a digital format so that it can be viewed on a computer screen. The
image is "read" by the computer as data and translated into a pixilated image that is viewable on screen.
12
inspired by pieces in the museum's collections. Young visitors to NGA Kids can create
digital paintings with the programs, "Paintbox" (Figure 1) and "Swatchbox" (Figure 3),
and make digital collages with "Collage Machine" (Figure 2). Visitors who select the
interactive diorama program "Dutch Dollhouse" (Figure 4) can recreate virtual Dutch
interior and exterior scenes of the seventeenth century inspired by the art of Johannes
Vermeer and other Dutch artists of the time period.
Figure 1
Figure 3
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Figure 5
Figure 2
Figure 4
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MoMA's site for youngsters, "Destination Modern Art" (Figure 5)
13
(www.moma.org/destination) uses animation and digitized images of renowned
artworks from its collections to introduce youngsters (ages five to eight) to modern art.
Visitors to the website travel through a virtual animated gallery where they can view
several different artworks, such as a digital representation of Vincent van Gogh's Starry
Night. When visitors click on the digital image of Starry Night, they are taken to a
screen that displays the artwork alongside five different activity icons. Viewers have
the option to scroll over the painting and listen to an audio output that reproduces the
sound of a whistling wind or a church bell, sounds related to the landscape. In addition,
children can create a poem inspired by van Gogh's masterpiece by selecting words
from a word bank provided. Although the online activities vaguely sketched here
appear to offer art education opportunities for young people, concerns arise about their
developmental appropriateness and pedagogical relevance with regard to art education.
According to Schwartz and Burnette (2004), MoMA has "an excellent history of
developing Web-based materials for children" (p. 2). The Museum's initial foray into
Internet-based art activities for youngsters began with the creation of Art Safari, a site
where children could view artworks from the Museum's collection and create offline
artworks influenced by their viewing experiences. Due to advancements in technology,
Art Safari was replaced with Destination. MoMA also has a site specifically for teens
called Red Studio, but no site or activities directed toward children nine to twelve years
of age. Destination and other online art museum activities for children will be discussed
in greater depth in Chapter III.
14
Two Pilot Studies Generate Findings with Significant Research Appeal
In an effort to develop a better understanding of art museums' web resources for
children, I implemented two studies in 2005, one to examine art museums' web
activities, and the other to investigate youngsters' preferences for art museums' digital
art activities. The first study I designed, "An Investigation and Reflective Commentary
of Five Art Museums' Websites for Young Audiences," explored the digital art-making
activities for children. Not only was this study a review of current and related literature
in the field of museum education, but I also developed a toolan analysis matrixthat
enabled me to more efficiently categorize and analyze art museum's digital art
activities for children.
Upon careful review of dozens of national and international art museums'
virtual branches, this preliminary investigation narrowed down the research site
possibilities to the web activities for youngsters from five American art museums. The
digital activities of these five art museums were selected in part because the museums
are recognized throughout the museum world for their extensive collections and are
highly esteemed within the art museum education community for their established, on-
site educational programs. This initial study explored the question: How are art
museums' websites attempting to engage children with the visual arts in virtual reality?
The investigation, a website analysis, applied a three-part analytical matrix to
the following art museums' websites for young audiences: Destination Modern Art,
from MoMA; NGA Kids, from the National Gallery of Art; Wacky Kids, from the
Denver Art Museum in Colorado; Whyville, an online affiliate of the J. Paul Getty
Museum; and ArtsConnected, from MIA. The analysis component of the research was
15
influenced by and partially based upon a three-part investigative matrix designed by
Amy Karabin (2000) to apply to the examination of art museum websites. Karabin's
research is the only study published thus far that delves into an analysis of art
museums' websites.
I adapted Karabin's matrix analysis for my research purposes and applied it to
the five aforementioned websites. From this modified matrix, I pinpointed several
factors to investigate: layout and design; applied theories; and activities and methods. I
generated these characteristics from general museum and website knowledge, my
pedagogical experiences and interests, and observations noted from continuously
reviewing numerous pages of art museums' websites. Another goal of the matrix was to
determine how and if online programs reflect museum missions. An additional aim was
to explore the possibilities these sites offer for children to have art and aesthetic
experiences in virtual reality comparable to those in the actual world of art and museum
education. Based on my analysis of the five museum websites, the data suggested a
need for art museums to develop and establish more clearly identified relationships
between the actual and virtual programs and activities they create and offer. In other
words, the online activities for youngsters offered by art museums should encourage
young people to have art and aesthetic experiences in both virtual and actual realities,
not one or the other, as the results of my investigation suggested (Mulligan, 2005).
The second pilot study I designed, "An Investigation of Children's Responses to
and Preferences for Art Museums' Online Programs and Activities" researched
responses and preferences with the two-part question: How do young audiences
respond to art museums' websites as tools for learning in and about the arts, and what
are their preferences with regard to these sites? To explore this inquiry, a sample of
eighteen children, seven to eleven years of age, from two New York State public
schools participated in the research conducted over the course often combined weeks
during the 2005 school year. The investigation examined children's interactions with,
and responses to, the online art programs and activities of three art museums' websites:
NGA's NGA Kids; MoMA's Destination; and MIA's ArtsConnected.
In order to support my research inquiry with a theoretical framework, I
identified John Falk and Lynn Dierking's (2002) theory of Free-Choice learning as the
conceptual model most applicable to my research design. Free-Choice learning is an
outgrowth of Falk and Dierking's years of museum visitor studies research. The pilot
investigation I developed explored children's interactions with and responses to art
museums' online art programs and directly related to visitor studies and the utilization
of children's leisure time. However, rather than researching young visitors' experiences
at physical museum sites, I observed them in a computer lab interacting with the
resources of art museums' virtual websites. The participants in this study were not on-
site museum visitors, but virtual visitors, or e-learners, in the digital world of art
museums.
Falk and Dierking (2002) submit that Free-Choice learning is "the single largest
leisure activity... the single, most dominant form of learning" that occurs, as it can
happen anywhere at anytime (p. 5). Free-Choice learning enables learners to control
their learning experiences as to what they learn, when, where, how, and with whom;
hence, the unique power of personal choice in the continuous process of learning (Falk
& Dierking, 2002). Many children can interact with art museums' web activities from
17
home and/or school, and select the sites and digital activities they wish to explore. Free-
Choice learning, then, was an effective way to contextualize children's preferences and
interactive experiences with art museums' digital web activities and the theory most
applicable to my pilot investigation, as well as to my dissertation research. The theory
of Free-Choice Learning will be explored in greater depth in Chapter II, the literature
review section of this dissertation, and its relevance and applicability to my research
will be further illustrated for readers.
With the application of John Falk and Lynn Dierking's (2002) theory of Free-
Choice learning to frame one of my pilot investigations, and empirical evidence from
the research of David T. Schaller, Steven Allison-Bunnell, and Minda Borun (2002),
the results of my second pilot study suggested that children prefer to have multiple
interactive options from which to choose when they engage with an online art and art-
making resourcefindings in keeping with a Free-Choice learning experience where
learners control and choose their experiences. Additional results of the study suggested
that: gender has an effect on children's perceptions of art museums' web activities and
what they are able to do in virtual reality, as does the social nature of the online
experience; children desired a tangible product of their experiences; children's visits to
physical art museum sites may be challenged by their experiences with art museums'
online activities; and children's preferences for creating art in a virtual capacity versus
physically in an art studio may also be called into question (Mulligan, 2005).
The findings suggested by the pilot study indicated a need for additional
research to understand the educational potential and developmental appropriateness of
art museum's web activities. By analyzing children's responses to and preferences for
18
art museums' web resources via Free-Choice learning theory, art museum educators
will be able to assess the pedagogical intent and content of their sites from the point of
view of their young users. In addition, art museums will be able to evaluate how
effective their virtual activities are in promoting online learning opportunities in and
with the arts in the broadening technological landscape of online art education. It is
within this context, assessing children's virtual visitation experiences to art museums'
websites, that I discovered evidence that the body of knowledge regarding online art
museum education is truly inadequate and further study is necessary. Clearly, there is
much to be learned for art museum education and a wealth of data to contribute to the
field by further examining art museums' online digital art activities through the lens of
Free-Choice learning theory and children's critical eyes. The research investigation I
present and discuss in Chapter III delved further into this phenomenon and drew upon
the unique perspectives of youngsters to support the argument for establishing an
empirical foundation related to this area of inquiry.
The Research Questions
Keeping in mind the educational potential of the Internet, the lack of empirical
support in the research literature, the findings of my two aforementioned pilot studies,
and the additional queries presented in previous sections, I believe there existed a need
for a comprehensive investigation into art museums' online art activities for children.
Further explorations could aid in developing a research basis for this area of art
museum education, as well as determine the developmental appropriateness of art
19
museums' current and future online art and art-making activities. Based on the above
statements, I became greatly interested in examining the phenomenon that:
Numerous art museums have been designing and uploading digital art and art-
making activities for children as a way of promoting their collections and
engaging youngsters' interest in the visual arts beyond museum walls. However,
to date little research has been done to inquire about the developmental and
artistic appropriateness of such programs for elementary age young people.
One way of approaching this issue would be to assemble a group of elementary
youngsters to participate in a detailed critique of a selected set of museum
collection inspired digital art activities.
The overarching questions that guided this study asked:
1) What might we discover by engaging young people in this kind of
investigation?
2) How might their responses be used to develop digital art-making
experiences using art museums' online resources that offer fresh educational
possibilities for learning in, with, and about the visual arts?
In order to investigate the proposed research problem, I also examined the following
sub-questions:
1) Although a few theoretical constructs have been suggested by researchers to
apply to the design of virtual museum environments, how might the application
of the theory of Free-Choice learning relate to the development and design of
art museums' digital art and art-making activities for young people?
2) What might be the implications of a study of elementary age children's
critical investigation of museums' digital art and art-making activities for the
design of museum education online curricula?
Assumptions
In order for the research to maintain integrity and relevancy, I considered and
addressed several assumptions, and debated others throughout the course of the
research investigation. I include these assumptions hereprimarily combined outcomes
20
of the two pilot studies I conducted and a review of the literaturein an effort to give a
scholarly and practical ground to the study. I address many of these assumptions in
relation to specific areas of discussion throughout the course of this dissertation.
Assumptions Not To Be Debated
I assumed that the intention of most art museums' digital art and art-
making activities appears to be an addition to, or continuation of, art and
art museum education experiences via virtual learning opportunities.
Given that numerous art museums have developed and uploaded digital
art and art-making activities for children, and based on my knowledge of
the current literature and the initial pilot study I conducted, I assumed
that few art museums have undertaken to research children's preferences
for what they can see and do using an art museum's website.
I assumed that children's developmental capacities, different learning
styles, and interests impact and influence their interactions with art
museums' web activities and programs.
Based on a prior pilot study I conducted, I assumed that gender has an
effect on children's perceptions of, and interactions with, art museums'
online art and art-making activities.
Based on a prior pilot study I conducted, I assumed that children desire a
tangible product of their interactions with online art and art-making
programs.
21
Based on a prior pilot study I conducted, I assumed that children favor
social interaction when engaging with art activities in a virtual
environment.
I assumed that many children in current American suburban school
districts are familiar with a basic use of technology, such as: typing on a
keyboard, accessing the Internet, and navigating a website.
I assumed that a public elementary school with a networked computer
lab was the most acceptable and appropriate site for undertaking the
research of art museums' online art and art-making activities for
children via the implementation of an enrichment course.
Assumptions To Be Debated
I will argue that the impact digitally based art and art-making activities
and programs can potentially have on children's art museum education
as well as their understanding of, and experiences with, the visual arts
and artistic media should be continually researched and assessed. Such
careful study could result in the establishment of an empirical basis in
the art education research literature for the future development of online
art museum curricula, should art museums continue to upload such
programs.
Based on my two pilot studies, and the narrative case study research I
discuss in this document, I argue children's preferences for learning
about art and creating art online is based on their prior physical
experiences with art materials.
Given that children have various interests and different styles of
learning, I argue that they prefer and require numerous choices and
varieties of activities when engaging with art museums' web-based art
activities.
Based on one of my pilot studies, and my narrative case study research, I
argue that children's visits to actual art institutions are challenged and/or
impacted by their experiences with learning about and creating art on an
art museum's website.
I argue that my research analysis reveals suggestions for the learning
structure and content components of an art museum-based website for,
and possibly by, children.
I argue that based on my research findings, an art museum's website for
children can be developed with a variety of digitized art and digitally
based art-making programs that take into account children's personal art
preferences, prior experiences with art materials, developmental
capacities, and possibly learning styles within the theoretical context of
Free-Choice learning.
I argue that John Falk and Lynn Dierking's theory of Free-Choice
learningan outgrowth of visitor studies and constructivist learning
theoryis an applicable, but not definitive, theoretical basis for the
design of art museums' web activities and programs for children.
23
Type of Study and Rationale
It is important to clearly state here that the research study I implemented was
not an investigation of technology that would be necessary, or considered educational,
to construct and use digital art and art-making activities. For example, I did not
research programming language that should be utilized to create digital art programs
nor did I examine software such as Macromedia Flash, Shockwave Player, and Adobe
that may be necessary to run particular art-making programs. I am not a computer
software designer or a program code writer, and my intentions were not to create digital
art and art-making activities for children. However, I did not discount the possibility
that ideas and suggestions from youngsters, as well as from the overall results of the
data for potential art-making interactives could (and did) arise from the research. With
this said, an aim of my research was to critically examine, from the viewpoint of my
young co-researchers, art museums' online art and art-making activities. I achieved this
by implementing a case study research investigation designed as a before-school
enrichment program, the specific purpose and design of which will be described in
detail in Chapter III. The reason for designing the investigation as a focused case study
was to collect data directly from participants whose experiences could be qualitatively
presented as narrative interpretations, stories of children's interactions, perspectives,
and comments.
24
Research Methodology
Data Collection
The data collected for this research took many forms. Because I designed the
research as a case study of a semester's work, numerous data types were necessary to
develop a narrative that could be deconstructed, analyzed, and reconstructed. In order to
implement the research task, I designed a ten-week enrichment course that required the
creation of a specific data collection tool, a digital portfolio, an instrument similar to an
artists' portfolio. The digital portfolio is the computer folder where participants saved
art images of interest, as well as art they created using museums' online art programs.
The portfolios enabled participants to access a folder complete with links to art
museums' website activities. Each folder contained an image of the site link and
included areas for participants to respond to inquiries pertinent to the research endeavor
and to insert artwork they created on a site.
Participants were free to select the activities they engaged with on the different
art museums' websites they visited. Thus, the youngsters created their own Free-Choice
learning experiences and had opportunities to acquire both specific and general
knowledge content related to their online art experiences. The use of a digital portfolio
was an ideal tool in many ways for the research design as it kept participants' data
organized and separate by individual and by website. As the researcher and the designer
of the portfolios, I had access to each participant's folder of information throughout the
course of the investigation.
25
Other tools used to collect data were: interviews, questionnaires, and the
documentation of observations of participants working individually and in social
groups recorded in a reflection journal. The recorded observations and reflections were
based on my perspectives as an elementary visual art educator as this research is an
extension of my occupation as an art teacher and is representative of a way in which I
believe elementary art education is expanding its scope to include digital technology
more consistently and continually in the elementary art curriculum. An additional
component of the journal was the inclusion of visual data in the form of photographs
that documented students' during their Free-Choice experiences.
Participants
The research participants ranged in age from nine to eleven years old (fourth
and fifth graders) and were students at the elementary school where I work on Long
Island, New York. The school is in an affluent, New York City suburban school
district, but the student population comprises a variety of socio-economic backgrounds.
The student body is reflective of the demographics in this geographic region with
students who are Persian, Hispanic, Asian, and European. In order to maintain the
intimacy of a focused case study, approximately fifteen students from the fourth and
fifth grades randomly participated. However, in order to provide an equitable
opportunity for all the children who applied to the enrichment class to attend, a lottery
system had to be implemented to ensure the random selection of participants. Of the
fifteen students who originally participated, seven became the co-researchers from
whom I collected and analyzed data. Although small in number, the wealth of data
collected from these seven individuals resulted in the construction of rich, focused
narratives to illustrate the findings. The full names of participants were not used in the
data collection process to protect participants' anonymity.
Research Location
The research occurred at the kindergarten to fifth-grade elementary school
where I am employed as an art teacher. The actual collection of data took place in the
school's Computer Instructional Center (CIC) where each student had access to his/her
own computer terminal. I conducted interviews in the school's art studio. I selected my
place of employment as the research location because of my familiarity with its
technological resources and student body, as well as its protocols for conducting
enrichment courses.
Method of Inquiry
Because the case study explored children's engagement with digital art-making
programs and involved their critical examination of these activities, the investigation
was qualitative and I designed a descriptive case study methodology to present the data.
The decision to implement a case study stemmed in part from a desire to conceptualize
the research as a story of children's experiences, particularly their personal and social
experiences with digital art programs. According to the work of Hancock and
Allgozzine (2006)
case study research is richly descriptive because it is grounded in deep and
varied sources of information. It employs quotes of key participants, anecdotes,
prose composed from interviews, and other literary techniques to create mental
27
images that bring to life the complexity of the many variables inherent in the
phenomenon being studied (p. 16).
Yin (1994) provides additional support for case study research by stating
similarly to Hancock and Allgozzine, "the case study's unique strength is its ability to
deal with a full variety of evidencedocuments, artifacts, interviews, and observation"
(p. 8). These tools took the form of several resources recommended by Hancock and
Allgozzine (2006) and Yin (1994): interviews, observations, and artifacts. In the case of
this research, the artifacts consisted of photos of participants interacting with museum
web activities and the digital work that participants created.
In Renee Campoy's 2005 text, Case Study Analysis in the Classroom, she offers
an additional argument for the use of case study research. Campoy writes that case
studies rely heavily on interviews because "using an assortment of sources will produce
a more detailed and comprehensive picture of a situation.... [Ojne of the most
important sources of case study information is the interview" (p. 184). Not only did
interviews with the young participants in my research provide insight into their
prospective critiques and experiences with digital art-making activities, but also they
were instrumental in constructing a descriptive story of the research as a whole.
In addition to the significant emphasis placed on interviewing participants, one
data collection tool not previously found in the literature of related research was used to
implement the study. I refer here to the aforementioned digital portfolio utilized to
organize participants' interactions with and responses to museums' digital art activities.
Ultimately, the case study method, along with the design and inclusion of a digital
portfolio to collect specific data and to examine the proposed art museum web activities
28
for children phenomenon, produced an investigative story rich in description
synthesized from a variety of visual and textual sources.
Presentation of Data
Because a wide variety of tools were used to collect data, I analyzed the
information obtained via different methods. I recorded and transcribed all interviews
and color-coded and analyzed responses for similarities and disparities among
comments. Responses to questionnaire inquires were also color-coded to identify
connective threads among participants' experiences and comments. Additionally,
observations and reflections noted in my journal were transcribed and analyzed to
identify relationships among participants' comments, experiences, and interactions. The
review of the data documents was aimed at teasing out possible patterns that could
potentially result in thematic dimensions. Any coding that occurred used color and
alphanumerical references to indicate categories and refer to specific co-researchers.
To provide support for all the data, I analyzed it using evidence from related art,
museum, and educational research literature, as well as Free-Choice learning theory,
which was the guiding theoretical principle that framed the investigation. I analyzed all
the data collected using the tenets of Free-Choice learning theory in order to
contextualize the information assembled. Finally, in order to provide a scholarly
interpretation of the data and the theory guiding it, I present the data in an anecdotal
narrative format, in Chapter V, of each participant's critiques and experiences with art
museums' online art programs.
Limitations of the Study
As with any research investigation, the study described in this document is not
without its limitations. Although there were a multitude of questions and concerns that
initiated my examination of art museums' web activities for youngsters, my specific
interests stemmed from my pedagogical art practice and required that I focus my
research on how children use and approach art museums' online activities as they are
the intended users, not on my pedagogical critique of the programs. Additionally, in
order to concentrate on children's engagement and experiences with online art
activities, I would only be able to observe and focus on a small group of youngsters.
The small number of children (seven) who evolved into my co-researchers is
undoubtedly a research limitation, but the depth of their participation and the data
collected outweighed the breadth of participants.
Later chapters will further discuss specific limitations of the research, but my
intent here is to introduce readers to my awareness that this research has its
shortcomings, limitations that I do not necessarily view as negatives, but rather as a
springboard from which future research can be designed. This study is, I hope, one
among many future investigations that will be implemented pertaining to this
phenomenon in art museum education.
Experientially Contextualizing the Research Investigation
The purpose of this section is to establish a context for the research by relating
my personal and pedagogical art and aesthetic interests and experiences, and their
30
influence on the investigation. The inclusion of this information is to further acquaint
readers with my desire to initiate a research dialogue into and about art museums' web
activities for children and the relevance and potential impact these digitally-based art
and art-making programs can have on young people's understandings of, and
experiences in, and with, artistic media and art institutions. This narrative briefly
introduces readers to the visual arts instruction I received throughout my student life
and its influence on my current pedagogical practice and culminates with aspects of
how my personal art and aesthetic education, along with my professional experiences
have collectively influenced and informed my decision to delve into this burgeoning
area of research. The overall aim of this narrative then, is to provide readers with the
experiential foundation from whence the proposed research questions emerged.
Then and Now
As an elementary school art educator, I have opportunities to explore art
materials with children in kindergarten to fifth grade on a daily basis, and although the
visual arts are firmly and positively established in my professional career and the
learning experiences of my students, they were not always so definitively rooted in my
earlier academic years, when I was a youngster. My art experiences as a child and
young adult have had a tremendous impact on my work as an art educator and greatly
influence how I design curricula and approach pedagogy today as a public school art
teacher. Thus, the following paragraphs will illustrate for readers several of the
personally significant art-related experiences I had as a youngster and which, in turn,
shaped me into the art educator I have become today.
31
Throughout my public elementary school days and Catholic high school years, I
could never quite manage to produce what my art teachers wantedprimarily replicas
of their examples. Thankfully, my imagination intervened during the majority of my
rather mundane visual art experiences in school so that the art I created reflected my
interests and ideas. However, as a result of the type of art education I received, my
passion for art was tempered until the encouragement of a wonderful middle school art
teacher re-ignited my imagination and renewed my interests and motivation for making
art. Fortunately, and despite my lackluster art training throughout the majority of my
primary and secondary education, my love for the visual arts did not wane.
When I enrolled in my first art history course, a Survey of Western Art, as a
freshman at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., I discovered
what has become a lifelong love and one of the missing components of what had been,
until that point in my academic career, a rather parochial visual arts education. Art
history provided me with opportunities to look at art, talk about it, write about it,
approach it from multiple perspectives, and experience it at a higher level of meaning
and comprehension than what I had previously known in my visual arts education.
Combined with the joy I found in my own creative endeavors, particularly with
photographythe one medium I embraced in high school and where I felt content to
explore visual ideas freely and without restraintart history added another dimension
to my passion for the visual arts. With the addition of art history to my visual
repertoire, my aesthetic sensibilities were heightenedawakened actuallyas I learned
how to examine and consider the work of past and present artists and cultures and
connect their endeavors with my own creative ideas, processes, and pursuits. In doing
32
so, I became inspired to explore a variety of media and experiment with new ideas in
my college art courses.
The first time I made the journey to the art museums along the National Mall, I
quickly realized how much of a truly aesthetic experience I was missing by sitting in a
lecture hall listening to a professor discuss slides of artwork projected onto a white
screen. The experience of standing before an actual work of art in the National Gallery
of Art, from a great master like Jan Van Eyck, left an indelible impression on me. I was
intrigued, fascinated, and visually overwhelmed by the variety of colors, techniques,
and subject matters on display. I established a routine and made art museum visiting
integral to my development as a burgeoning art historian and visually expressive
individual.
It was during this juncture in my academic career when I believe I acquired the
maturity and collective experiences to realize the power of objects, works of visual
culture in particular, to convey and express multiple meanings, tell many stories, and
affectively move me. Continuing to this day, it is through the transformative experience
of the aesthetic
6
encounter that I have while standing before a physical work of art, with
which I cognitively and emotionally connect, that my own creative ideas and processes
are often inspired. These experiences do not necessarily influence my artistic spirit in
terms of style or technique, but rather they fuel a passion in me to continually question,
explore, experience, create, and most of all, share with, and educate my elementary
students.
6
In the context of this paper, the use of the term "aesthetic" refers to the personal encounters individuals have with
works of art, regardless of whether the work of art is experienced in person or viewed digitally. The individual
experience may be positive or negative, and it is wholly personal.
33
The personal experiences I am afforded when I have visceral responses to
physical works of art, particularly those that I have only previously observed as
reproductions in books, as digitized reproductions, or as images projected onto a screen,
continue to take my breath away. For example, when I visited Rembrandt van Rijn's
enormous and impressive Nightwatch at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, I longed to
step into the dark scene and enter Rembrandt's world. As I lingered above a football-
stadium-sized landscape of terra cotta soldiers in Xi'an Province in China during the
brutally hot summer of 2001, my heart skipped several beats and my breath labored as I
could barely begin to imagine the human suffering that went into creating each soldier's
uniquely stylized ancient beauty. Furthermore, the numerous times I have observed
Vincent Van Gogh's vibrantly sweeping Starry Night at MoMA in New York City,
whether with my students, acquaintances, or on my own, its rich colors and fervent
sense of movement never fail to make my eyes eagerly scan the canvas absorbing Van
Gogh's technique. To this day, I continue to marvel at Van Gogh's intense use of line,
color, and brushwork, and smile upon what I perceive to be a stunning visual
achievement. At this period in my life, I consider Starry Night an old friend, whom I do
not visit in person as often as I would like, but who moves me with every visit.
Each of my encounters with works of art is inimitable, and they add to my prior
understandings, and are carefully stored away in my collective memory. These
experiences are later reconstructed and included in new interpretations, whether in a
dialogue, in my own creative endeavors, or in my teaching practice. However, when I
have an opportunity to closely view a work of art, such as in a museum or gallery
space, or in situ, my desire for a purely aesthetic encounter can overwhelm my creative
sensibilities. The act of creating something becomes secondary to my need to first
question and make sense of what others before me have done, how they did it, what
inspired the idea, and why the artists made the media and expressive choices they did.
In other words, I continually reflect upon the reasons why a particular work of art can
so captivatingly engage my mind and my senses, and eventually inspire my own
creativity, and the experiences of my young students.
Throughout these aesthetically driven moments I am not an artist or an educator,
but a participant in a viewing process that is wholly personal, individual,
transformational, and irreplaceable. There are few occasions in my estimation that can
compare to a meaningful encounter with "the real thing." Objects of art can embody
history, culture, technique, emotion, and above all, convey an individual's distinctive
perspective and ability to express ideas through and with various materials. The unique
inner dialogue an individual can have with a material or a work of art can be difficult to
articulate, but nonetheless, it can be a profoundly personal and memorable experience.
Museum and Art Education Propel the Inquiry
Following my college graduation, I pursued museum, elementary, and art
education as fields of study that would enable me to pursue my passion for the visual
arts and combine it with my affinity for museums, and my interest in working with
elementary-age students. My enthusiasm for, and knowledge of the visual arts, as well
as my training in museum and elementary education, coalesced into a pedagogical
practice that I implement today as an elementary art educator. Being privy to young
people's conversations and experiencing objects, materials, and works of art from their
35
differing developmental perspectives encouraged an interest in me to explore how art
museums endeavort to engage today's young audiences in visual art experiences.
My hope as an art educator for the encounters children can have with and in art
museums is that youngsters will have rich conversations and aesthetically driven
encounters with works of art and art materials whereby they are cognitively and
affectively engaged; similar to the personal aesthetic experiences I described in the
previous section. As an art educator, one of my instructional goals is to introduce my
students to the visual and text-based resources of art museums so that they may make
informed and inspired creative choices in own artistic lives. Regardless of the media
they engage with, whether it is paint, paper, clay, or a digital art-making program,
children should have opportunities to talk about artwhat they see, what they think,
and what they feeland reflect upon the possibilities of meaningful engagements they
can have with different materials. Such dialogues could lend themselves to children
creating art that is equally exciting to them and reflective of their interests, capabilities,
and cultures. However, the design of my art program prevents me from physically
conveying my students to art museums, and comprehensive on-site encounters are not
often feasible for art museums when students' visits are driven by strict time
constraints, infrequent visitations, curriculum outcomes, state standards, and the
acquisition of skills intended to improve children's academic and test performance.
Technology in the Elementary Art Studio
The school district where I am employed, and where I conducted my research, is
a strong proponent of the arts and advocates for the incorporation of media technology
36
into classroom curricula, including the art program. Hence, students in my school have
a strong technology knowledge base as computers have become commonplace in their
daily school routines. The children in the district are familiar with a wide breadth of
technology resources and frequently use or have contact with computers at some point
during their school day. A majority of the teachers in my school building now have a
Smart Board
7
in their classroom while those that do not as of yet, access the computer
lab or mobile laptop cart numerous times per week.
One example of how I incorporate technology into my art curriculum is with the
use of an LCD (liquid-crystal display) monitor that is connected to my Internet linked
laptop. When I introduce students to the work of different artists, various art
techniques, and/or museum resources, I will often utilize the Internet. As a result,
students have many opportunities to view and discuss digitized works of art and artistic
styles from a variety of websites, particularly museum websites. Similar to my
experience of viewing slides of art in college, my students can familiarize themselves
with large-scale, albeit digitized, reproductions of touchstone works of art. The
technology may be different, and while the "real" is not interchangeable with the
virtual, and vice versa, the purpose remains the sameto observe, to discover, to be
inspired, and to discuss.
An additional reason I believe Internet resources can be powerful teaching tools
in my art studio is because of logistical, scheduling, and economic constraints
encountered if I want to take my students to an art museum. Due to the number of
classes I teach each day and over the course of a week, a museum visit with one or
7
A Smart Board is an interactive whiteboard that responds to touch and is connected directly to the Internet. A Smart
Board enables users to write and post images and information to the board that can be manipulated and saved.
37
several classes is not an option. To circumvent this obstacle, I have been virtually
conveying my students to various cultural institutions. While I do not consider this an
ideal way to bring my students to art museums, it is the most pragmatic for my teaching
situation. I have "taken" my students to the Met, the National Gallery, and across the
Atlantic to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and to the Louvre in Paris.
When we visit these sites we take "virtual journeys" through the museums' digital
galleries and collections, and explore other site resources. Rachel Horwitz and Cathy
Intemann (2007) write of museum websites, "they give students the opportunity to
wander through and wonder at the world's best museums with the same freedom that
we experienced with our actual visits" (p. 1). We observe digitized artworks in a virtual
world, rather than actual artworks in the physical world. Of course, the virtual journey,
while one of discovery is not the same as the actual, nor do I believe, based on
experience, should it be construed as such. With each art museum visit we make, it is
with the understanding that what we see is a facsimile and when given the opportunity,
we should "meet" the real thing.
The use of the Internet in my classroom practice eventually expanded, and I
developed several other digitally mediated art experiences for my students. One way I
further extended art education outside of the art studio was with the creation of a
before-school enrichment course for third graders, entitled Art Museums and the Web,
held in the school's computer lab. Through this enrichment course, I implemented my
second pilot study and virtually introduced students to several art museums' web
offerings as a means to further engage them with art museums. Youngsters interacted
38
with the digital art activities of the NGA, MIA, and MoMA, three of the art museums I
included in this research investigation.
The experiential foundation of my interest in investigating digital technology in
the art curriculum is strongly rooted in my pedagogical practice. However, my own
passion for understanding the impact that actual museum encounters have on
individuals' art education also informs my decision to delve into this area of research.
With so many factors contributing to researching the phenomenon of art museums'
digital art activities, I felt strongly obliged to explore, discover, and develop a
pedagogical understanding of the current art museum virtual landscape for children.
Goals of the Research
One goal of this research is to initiate a dialogue among art and museum
educators regarding the importance of assessing and cultivating the pedagogical
foundation of art museums' web-based art activities for youngsters, in part because of
the prevalence of their online presence. A second goal is to develop and establish an
empirical foundation for the future development of art museums' online art-making
activities for children based on research that considers the experiences and opinions of
youngsters. A third goal of this research is to present the six thematic dimensions, or
approaches that arose from the data analysis and encourage that they be considered
when and if art museums develop future online art activities. Based on my research, I
discovered that children tend to approach museums' online art-making activities in six
39
overlapping ways and that these may potentially influence children's art and museum
education.
Significance and Educational Aims of the Research
As a former museum educator, frequent museum visitor, and art teacher, I view
art institutions as essential components of youngsters' art and aesthetic education. It is
important to consider how art museums' design of online art and art-making activities
impact youngsters' art education and how youngsters' experiences with art materials
can influence their experiences with online art activities. As stewards of visual culture,
the objects art museums present to their audiences for visual consumption necessitate
not only accessibility, but also accountability of perception.
During the course of my research, I observed that children are somewhat fickle
and occasionally ambivalent online museum visitors. The research I designed provides
an opportunity for art museums to consider the origins and nature of children's
experiences and opinions. Therefore, the aims of this study are to:
Understand the purpose and scope of art museums' inclusion of online
art-making activities for youngsters. Are they even necessary?
Understand how children approach and use art museums' online art-
making activities, especially if art museums continue to upload such
programs to their websites.
Understand how children's interactions with online art activities can
influence and impact their art education in an art studio and vice versa.
40
Promote the use of children as co-researchers when assessing their
interactions with online art-making opportunities thereby producing
research that is rich in narrative descriptions of children's opinions and
experiences.
Summary & Overview of Chapters
This dissertation is composed of seven chapters. The intent of this chapter was
to introduce readers to a phenomenon in art museum educationthe prevalence of art
museums' online art-making activities for youngsters. In addition, this chapter stated
the research questions, established and outlined the type of study, presented the
theoretical framework, illustrated the personal and pedagogical basis for the
investigation, and acquainted readers with the overall aims of the study. Chapter II is a
review and analysis of research and literature related to the inquiry. The content of
Chapter II presents readers with the Free-Choice learning theoretical basis of the
research and explores studies in museum education that provided a foundation for the
investigation. The examination of literature in Chapter II is aimed at constructing the
argument for researching the presented phenomenon and for contributing empirical data
to the discourse. Chapter III is an explanation of the research methodology and
addresses the rationale for designing a narrative case study. In addition, Chapter III
describes the art museum websites, or virtual settings, included in the research, along
with information regarding the physical research setting, the participants, and the data
collection tools utilized.
41
In Chapter IV, I present descriptive narratives of the seven co-researchers'
experiences with, and opinions of, art museums online art-making activities. Each
narrative consists of five sections: a brief biography of the co-researcher; the co-
researcher's relationship with technology; the co-researcher's thoughts about art, art-
making, and art museums; the co-researcher's experiences with art museums' web
activities in four sub-sections, one for each website visited; and a postscript.
Chapter V is a discussion of the results contextualized by the theory of Free-
Choice learning. In Chapter V, I reintroduce readers to the research questions, and
introduce the six thematic dimensions that emerged from the data sources. These six
themescritical, experiential, personal/preferential, social, technological, and visual-
aestheticare presented with an approach statement followed by an explication of the
theme. I discuss each theme in light of the data findings and contextualized by the
theory of Free-Choice learning and other related research from a review of the
literature.
Chapter VI addresses specific implications of the research for art and museum
education, and Chapter VII concludes with a discussion based on the sub-research
question, What might be the implications of a study of elementary age children's
critical investigation of museums' digital art and art-making activities for the design of
museum education online curricula?
42
Chapter II
A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: THE CONTEXTUALIZATION AND
APPLICATION OF FREE-CHOICE LEARNING THEORY TO ART MUSEUMS'
WEB ACTIVITIES
Introduction
The preceding chapter stated the overarching questions and sub-questions that
guided and framed the investigation, introduced readers to the methodological design of
the inquiry, and presented the personal and professional experiential foundation for the
research. This section begins to address the research questions by discussing the literature
related to the inquiry, specifically, examining and identifying general Internet users and
online museum visitor patterns and behaviors, and how these areas relate to my discourse
and analysis of art museums' digital art and art-making activities and curricula for
children. Additionally, I include a brief section concerning children's artistic
development, as well as describe the theoretical framework that contextualized the
research investigation, Free-Choice Learning Theory.
As previously stated, art museums in recent years have been exploring the
educational potential of the Internet medium by expanding their institutional websites to
include digital art-related activities and programs for young Internet users (Mulligan,
2005). What is termed "Web-Based Learning Environments," or WBLEs, have been
designed to reflect, in some capacity, the content and learning goals of the museums that
create and upload them (Mioduser, et al., 2000). However, as technology expands its
global reach via the World Wide Web, and art museums continue to develop and
43
upload virtual art activities for children to the Internet, arts institutions will need to
develop a research-basedalbeit a somewhat generalunderstanding of who their
young virtual visitors are; what these visitors' interests are in relation to art in virtual
environments; how young people's physical interactions with art materials relates to
their virtual art-making experiences and vice versa; and how, why, and to what extent
these young audiences are utilizing art museums' online resources, all in an effort to
provide effective and appropriate art education. With regard to museum websites as a
whole, Darren Peacock and Jonny Brownbill (2007) write, "museum Web sites suffer
from a lack of tangible success measures" (p. 1). This is no wonder considering the
dearth of material connected to this area of research.
There is little empirical research on and related to art museum websites and
their audiences, or visitors, to directly support this studyas it is a relatively new scope
of inquiry for the fields of art and museum educationand the studies that have been
conducted and published will be addressed in this chapter. Hence, the need here to
structure a discourse that begins to explore the burgeoning area of art museums'
e-learning
8
opportunities by first identifying general Internet user studies.
General Internet User Studies
In our increasingly techno-media world, the power of the Internet to reach
hundreds of millions of individuals twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three
hundred and sixty-five days a year, is indeed an awesome technological achievement.
8
This term is an outgrowth of the Internet and refers to individuals' learning experiences that take place online
(electronically) in virtual reality and will be occasionally used throughout my research along with "e-learner," an
individual engaged in online learning experiences.
44
However, the Internet is not a just new "screen media" phenomenon as was television
with its capacity to reach vast numbers of viewers over the course of several decades.
While both the Internet and television are media forms that utilize a screen to engage
audiences, television can be considered a more passive medium while the Internet
provides more interactive engagement between its users and the screen. Internet
audiences, in particular, have been growing at an extraordinary pace in recent years, as
will be demonstrated with a discussion of data from Internet-user research studies.
In 2003, a Nielsen Net Media survey found that more than half a billion people,
approximately 580 million, were utilizing the Internet for a variety of purposes (Nielsen
Net Media, 2003), while two years later, a more recent tracking of Internet users by
Global Internet Statistics (2005) estimated the number at roughly 729 millionfindings
indicative of the Internet's meteoric growth, global breadth, and increasing
accessibility. That individuals of varying ages, geographic regions, ethnicities,
economic situations, educational backgrounds, interests, and belief systems can access
and collect information from a multitude of sources, from almost anywhere at any time,
is an astonishing realization. Since Internet surfing is often anonymous and Web
crawling transitory in nature, determining who is using the Internet, from where, when,
for how long, and for what purposes is an overwhelming research task (Mulligan,
2005).
If we consider the Internet in terms of phases of human development, it is fair to
propose, that at this juncture in its history, it is somewhat comparable to late
adolescence, quickly changing and flourishing to meet current technological demands
and advances, but quite possibly unsure of where it is headed. The Internet is growing
45
faster than some of us can keep up with, and as it expands and progresses, far greater
numbers of individuals from around the globe have access to it. Some individuals
become increasingly more experienced with how to navigate the Internet, attempting to
keep up with its daily evolution. Undoubtedly, with this burgeoning access and
understanding, users' expectations of what can be seen and done grow higherthe
outcome of such accessibility being greater computer literacy among the populace.
However, with so much personal information and "traffic" on the computer super
highway traveling across secure and insecure connections, could individuals potentially
become more cautious about how, where, and when they use the WWW? While this
question certainly warrants speculation, the intention of this section of the research is
not to explore Internet users' attitudes, but rather to create a sketch of who is using the
Internet, why, and if they are accessing museums' websites once they log on and begin
to surf.
Suzanne Sarraf (1999) observed in her research
the rapidly changing demographics that mark the Internet's expansion make it
[continually] difficult to profile the average Internet user. . . . We can see
phenomenal growth in web usage from the time it was first developed in 1990;
the statistics of the average Internet user [however] still do not reflect the
complexity and diversity of the global community (p. 2).
There is evidence from more recently conducted general Internet user studies (Nielsen
Net Media, 2003 and Global Internet Statistics, 2005) to dispel this notionthat users
are not representative of the diversity of individuals worldwidewith Internet users
being approximately one-third Asian, another third European, and the other third being
North American, a conglomerate of varied ethnicities and races (Global Internet
Statistics, 2005).
46
While early studies (Nielsen Net Media, 1997,2003 and Global Internet
Statistics, 2005) users were traditionally and predominantly North American (American
and Canadian), Caucasian, male, middle-aged, well-educated, and of middle to upper-
income levels (Nielsen Net Media, 1997, 2003, Georgia Institute of Technology, GVU,
1997, and Global Internet Statistics, 2005), more present research suggests that as the
Internet continues to expand and computers become less expensive and more accessible
to an even greater global populace, user demographics are rapidly diversifying. How
then does this general Internet user information relate to art museums' websites and
digital art-making activities for young people?
With some three-quarters to over a billion individuals logging on to the Internet,
combined with the general landscape created of user demographics and numbers by the
aforementioned surveys, museums are able to promote their institutions to broader,
increasingly diversified users. In addition, museums can develop relationships with new
and more varied audiences from around the world as well as have on-going continuous
communication and dialogue with a global public. Information, issues, and learning
opportunities not readily available to this audience of billions through real-world
museum on-site visits make websites a relatively inexpensive and desirable
communication tool and learning medium for museums to offer users. However, a
concern arises that pedagogy provided in virtual reality reflects effective pedagogy in
actuality.
Museum Website Visitor Research
As formerly stated, in 2009 approximately three-quarters of a billion
individuals, if not more, surfed the Worldwide Web and accessed a multitude of
websites. More specific research undertaken in the late 1990s surveyed museum
website visitors and discovered that virtual museum visitors mimic general Internet
users. These studies also indicated that museum website visitors have changed along
with the evolving Internet population (Gradwohl & Feldman, 1998; Chadwick &
Boverie, 1999 in Goldman & Wadman, 2002). According to these studies, museums'
website visitors tend to be more widely idiosyncratic in terms of interests than general
Internet users as they have specific reasons for accessing museums' websites. In
particular, museum website visitors are more likely to visit these sites on weekends
according to the research of Judy Haynes and Dan Zambonini (2007), a study that
explored how online visitors interact with a variety of museum websites. Haynes and
Zambonini discovered that "museum Web sites attract twice as many visitors at the
weekend than standard Web sites, in terms of their percentage of visits" (2007, p. 3).
What are these museum website visitors doing online then? "Maps are the busiest areas
of Visiting sections" assert Haynes and Zambonini (2007, p. 6). However, they
concede, "the Visiting sections are undoubtedly the most popular sections of museum
Web sites [overall]" (2007, p. 9).
Although Haynes and Zambonini's (2007) research suggests that museum
websites are highly visited on the weekends and online users most frequently access
visiting sections, there is other research that indicates there are varied interests among
museums' website audiences in general (Sabin, 1997; Gradwohl & Feldman, 1998;
Chadwick & Boverie, 1999; Sarraff, 1999; Johnson, 2000; Kravchyna & Hastings,
2002; Soren & Lemelin, 2002; and Thomas & Carey, 2005). This should not be
surprising considering the ample number and types of museums, as well as the diversity
of information and programs different categories of institutions make available to their
online audiences. The evidence from these research studies suggests that museums'
website users are still significantly less diverse than the general Internet population
with regard to demographics, age, and educational background (Sabin, 1997; Gradwohl
& Feldman, 1998; Chadwick & Boverie, 1999; Sarraff, 1999; Johnson, 2000;
Kravchyna & Hastings, 2002; Soren & Lemelin, 2002; and Thomas & Carey, 2005).
Interestingly, Sarraf (1999), Dixon (1999), and Goldman and Wadman (2002) all found
through their research that women are the majority of users who access museums'
websites most frequently, but more particularly, they access art museums' websites.
What this data suggests for art museums and their websites remains to be explored but
certainly presents insight into art museums' website users in general.
Peacock and BrownbilPs (2007) research re-conceptualized museum website
users, and they argue
the study of museum Web sites users is caught in a confusion of paradigms.
Whenever we talk about the people who might and do access our on-line
content and services, we tend to use, sometimes interchangeably, the
terminology, constructs and values from at least four different paradigms.
Audience and visitor studies, marketing, evaluation, and usability analysis have
each informed the discussion of museum Web site use to varying degrees. . . .
Despite the large amount of effort going into user research over more than a
decade, we still have a very fragmented understanding of users and the 'user
experience' on museum
Web sites (pp. 2-3).
What none of these studies offer, however, is information regarding the
demographics of younger users such as those in the five- to twelve-year-old age range,
the targeted audience for many art museums' online art activities. Determining
statistical information about young Internet users is a task that is still likely years away
as children are difficult to profile and track due to their lessened Internet accessibility
than adolescents and adults. This research limitation, while certainly a drawback to
identifying a portion of museums' online audiences, was in no way a hindrance to the
case study I designed.
For researchers John Chadwick and Patricia Boverie (1999), there is an
acceptable limitation to surveying museum website visitors and that is that they are
most likely not representative of physical museum visitors and vice versa. Upon
consideration of their observation, this does not appear to be a weakness, acceptable or
not, as it exemplifies that museum websites are potentially expanding the scope of
museums' audiences: those who visit the physical site, those who visit virtually, and
those who do both. Peacock and Brownbill (2007) consider a limitation to museum
website user studies as a "need to define visitors more purposively.. . there is too much
emphasis on who they are and too little on what they want and do on-line and the
context in which they do it" (p. 4). What should also be considered a drawback of
museum website visitor research is that it has a tendency to be limited by the number of
respondents as such studies are dependent on participation from individuals who
happen to be online, aware and/or notified of the research, and those who are willing to
use their time in virtual reality to complete a user survey (Chadwick & Boverie, 1999;
Sarraff, 1999; and Wadman & Goldman, 2002). This self-selective process of research
participation can therefore produce a relatively small response rate with less reliable
results than more traditional survey methods used by museums to research their on-site
50
visitors (Chadwick, 1999; Sarraff, 1999; Kravchyna & Hastings, 2002; Goldman &
Wadman, 2002).
Many websites, including museum sites, use software such as "cookies" to track
numbers of site users. However, this software does not differentiate between first-time
and repeat visitors; therefore it separately counts all site "hits" or visits. Webtrends, a
log analysis/survey program identifies individual users by encouraging visitors to log in
and create a password for when they re-visit a site (Goldman & Wadman, 2002; Soren
& Lemelin, 2004). Users who do so become "members" or identified users of a site and
are often able to access particular components of a website not available to "guests."
Webtrends software can track when site members log in, how long they visit, and
what they do while visiting a site. For their museum website visitor research to analyze
trends and patterns among visitors to five different museum websites, Haynes and
Zambonini (2007) relied on "clickdensity (http://www.clickdensity.com), an on-line
tool that can be used to study user behavioral data" (p. 1).
Using data tracking software also enables museums to maintain
communications with their virtual audiences via promotional e-newsletters and
exhibition announcements as users who generate log-in names must supply their e-mail
address in order to complete a user registration. An example of a website that utilizes
such a log-in tracking device is the Metropolitan Museum of Art
(www.metmuseum.org) where visitors are encouraged to register and compile their
own virtual Met image gallery, and "collect" virtual objects from the museums' online
collections.
51
Museum website visitor research is still relatively sparse, but with the
aforementioned software and the few studies that have been conducted, museums are
slowly developing a sense of their virtual users. Since 2001, the Canadian Heritage
Information Network (CHIN) has been conducting research and collecting data about
museum website users (Thomas & Carey, 2005). Along with CHIN, studies are finding
evidence that those who visit museum websites demonstrate an interest in also visiting
the actual museum (Chadwick, 1999; Kravchyna & Hastings, 2002; Soren & Lemelin,
2004; Thomas & Carey, 2005). Interestingly, my second pilot study suggested similar
resultsa majority of the children who visited art museums' websites expressed a
desire to visit the museum, regardless of its location.
Another example of an art museum's attempt to evaluate its website usage and
its online services occurred on the Victoria and Albert Museum's (V&A) website in
2005 (www.vam.ac.uk/). On the V&A's homepage, visitors saw a link to an online
survey that would direct them to an introductory page requesting their participation in
research that aimed to "improve interactions between museums and museum websites,
for both museum professionals and museum visitors" (www.surveymonkey.com,
2005). By devoting a homepage link to researching its website visitors, the V&A was
ahead of other arts institutions that provided similar online activities and services. The
V&A's commitment to assessing its online services could undoubtedly provide
invaluable information for all museums regarding research into their online visitors'
demographics and preferences, had its results been made available and widely
published.
52
As museums continue to develop their online presence, assessment and
evaluation of their websites will be necessary not only for maintaining online
audiences, but for developing new ones. Unfortunately, due to the relative unique
nature of research related to virtual art museology, there is insufficient literature and
research to support current trends and the increasing occurrence of site development
and re-generation. That a museum such as the V&A and research institutions such as
CHIN have become more actively involved in analyzing websites and online visitors
will, I believe, experience greater growth of and visitation to their websites as museums
become more attuned and knowledgeable about who their online visitors are and where
their interests lay. This belief stems in part from an exhaustive search of studies
relevant to this area of art museum education research, a search that has yielded only a
handful of investigations from which to glean theories, connect research findings, and
apply methodologies.
Children's Artistic Development and Virtual Art Museology, a Brief Synopsis
Children's engagement with art museums' online art activities is a relatively
recent phenomenon as the previous chapter suggests. However, how youngsters' artistic
development is revealed and influenced when they utilize digital media is virtually
unknown at this point in art education research. For the purpose of this study, art
museums' digital art-making activities are regarded as a different type of artistic media.
Therefore, how children in grades four and five approach and use digital art programs is
equated with their use of any other art material with which they might be familiar, such
53
as drawing tools, paint, or clay. Digital tools are simply another material in their visual
media repertoire of artistic development.
Al Hurwitz and Michael Day (1995) note that by the time children are between
nine and eleven, they are already familiar with a variety of media and have had
extensive experience working with materials. In their text Children and their Art:
Methods for the Elementary School, Hurwitz and Day state,
by the time children reach the fourth and fifth grades, they will probably
have had considerable experience with art media and will have developed many
skills in their use. A brush or crayon should now do what the child wants it to
do
in order to develop an idea (p. 155).
Children of preadolescent age (approximately ten- to thirteen-years old), such as those
involved in this research investigation who were nine- to eleven-years-old, are
beginning to change in fundamental ways. For example, as Viktor Lowenfeld (1987)
observed in his text Creative and Mental Growth, children of this age, to which he
refers to as "The Gang Years," are becoming increasingly social and are more aware of
the world around them. This heightened sensitivity to the feelings and opinions of
others, Lowenfeld suggests, along with a desire to work in more group-oriented
activities, becomes crucial to the artistic development of children schemata. Lowenfeld
(1987) argues
an art experience must provide an opportunity to express a growing awareness
of sex, to develop a greater awareness of self, and to satisfy a new curiosity
about the environment. It must also inspire the child to use cooperation with
others to achieve results (p. 329).
Hurwitz and Day (1995) lend further support for Lowenfeld's assertions about
children's development during The Gang Years, although they refer to this approximate
54
age range of growth as the "Preadolescent Stage." At this stage in children's
development, Hurwitz and Day (1995) state,
art making becomes a means for children to express their emotions, ideas and
experiences. Their art production will of necessity be idiosyncratic. However,
children of the same age are also similar in many ways.
With regard to the artistic development of nine- to thirteen-year olds, various schemata
become more evident. For example, children's ability to visually express and represent
objects and figures begins to relate more closely to nature, although their
representations continue to lack a sense of realism (Lowenfeld; 1987).
A particular schema of children's artistic development to which Lowenfeld
speaksand directly relates to this investigation as will be discussed in Chapter Vis
youngsters' relationship to and with color. Lowenfeld (1987) argues that children
"develop personal color relationships.. .the origin of the individual's schema is
probably to be found in a visual or emotional concept of color" (p. 279). In addition, a
child's relationship with color at this stage of development is not only significant to
his/her development, but it is a strong indicator that the child is developing the
capability to apply abstract thought from previous experiences to generalized situations
(Lowenfeld, 1987).
In addition to children's growing awareness of and relationship with color, at
the preadolescent stage, they become more visually perceptive and aware that objects
and figures overlap. Although, they still struggle to visually represent perspective and
the concepts of light and shade (Lowenfeld, 1987). According to Hurwitz and Day
(1995), at this time in youngster's artistic development, the role of the art teacher
changes as well.
55
Students are more receptive to instruction in competencies of drawing; of color
and design principles; of technical skills in painting... and sculpture; and other
models of art making (p. 86).
The preadolescent stage of youngsters' artistic development, although very
briefly attended to in this Chapter, will be further discussed in Chapter V. The reason is
thus, this study, as previously mentioned, did not examine children's artistic
development in relation to and in light of their experiences with art museums' online
art-making activities. However, children's developmental capacities were taken into
consideration and the analysis of data collected revealed direct correlations between
children's experiences with art museums' online art activities and their artistic stage of
development. Therefore, a general overview of the preadolescent stage of artistic
development was necessary to include in a review of related literature.
Virtual Art Museology and the Constructivist Connection
As of this date, barely a handful of formal research investigations have been
published that explore young audiences' responses to the digital art activities offered by
art museums. While there has been some formative and summative research conducted
related to art museums' web activities for youngsters, as with MoMA's site,
Destinationit will be introduced in a later chapterthe results were more for in-
house usage and purposes rather than to contribute empirical data to a more formal
published research base (Schwartz & Burnette, 2004). A more recent study, published
by Sharna Jackson and Robert Adamson (2009) of the Tate Gallery in London will be
addressed in this Chapter as well as Chapter V as it contributes some data results
parallel to the findings of my investigation.
56
As there are few documented studies related to the content of this research
investigation, placing this investigation within a theoretical framework would appear to
pose a challenging task. Nonetheless, education in and by museums is often supported
by constructivist learning theory that is grounded in John Dewey's experiential-based
philosophy of education (Hein, 1998). Constructivismwhich will only be briefly
introduced, as I did not conduct a study contextualized by constructivist theoryis a
basis for an area of research that I believe possesses the greatest applicable significance
to the research investigation I designed, and that is John Falk and Lynn Dierking's
theory of Free-Choice learning, an outgrowth of their extensive on-site museum
visitors' studies and leisure time research.
Falk and Dierking (1998, 2002, and 2005) have e-evaluated and expanded their
research of museum visitors to focus on individuals' learning processes when
specifically engaged in leisure time activitiesspecifically, when they visit museums.
It is Falk and Dierking's research related to an individual's use of his/her leisure time
studies that are the outgrowth of their museum visitor researchthat is most germane
to my research aims as it addresses learning at one's own pace, choosing one's own
learning opportunities in a variety of environments, and learning at anytime. Falk and
Dierking (2002) refer to learning in such a capacity as "Free-Choice Learning,"
learning that occurs primarily during leisure time, a time of one's choosing and it is an
ongoing, personal, active, and voluntary process. However, it is not learning during
leisure time, per se, that is a component of my proposed research; rather, it is the theory
of Free-Choice as it pertains to active and voluntary processes of acquiring knowledge
using art museums' online interactive environments, web-based environments that are
easily accessible.
Peacock and Brownbill (2007) reference Free-Choice learning when describing
museum website visitors. These visitors "made a conscious choice to engage with the
museum" (p. 3). The young participants involved in my research chose to experience
online art opportunities prior to the start of their school day by participating in an
enrichment course where they visited art museums online. Students were able to choose
what they did when they visited each art museums' website. According to Falk and
Dierking (2002), "In free-choice learning situations, the learner can self-select the
challenge they wish, rather than having it imposed upon them. This element of control
emerges as... [a] fundamental component of motivation" (p. 17)
Before more fully exploring Falk and Dierking's theory regarding Free-Choice
learning experiences, I will touch upon Constructivist learning theory vis-a-vis the
research of David T. Schaller, et al. (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007), Wendy Ennes and
Christie Thomas (2007), and additional research that relates back to online museum
visitors and indirectly provides empirical support for my investigationthat of Wendy
A. Thomas and Sheila Carey (2005). In their study, "Actual/Virtual Visits: What are the
Links?" Thomas and Carey (2005) argue the need for museums to have an
understanding of correlations between visitors' actual and virtual visits in order to
develop the content of their websites. However, as there is much less information about
museum visitors' experiences in virtual spaces than at physical sites, the associations
are still difficult to determine.
58
As the basis of their persuasive argument, Thomas and Carey (2005) use the
findings of a study they conducted related to their work with CHIN from 2003 to 2004.
The researchers discovered that eighty-two percent of the online museum visitors they
surveyed were initially only looking for general museum information when visiting a
museum's website. Seven percent of the total number of individuals they surveyed
indicated they were seeking web-based activities when they accessed a museum's
website. Following their online experiences with museums' websites, however, fifty-
seven percent of the respondents indicated both an increased interest in the websites
and physically visiting the museums they virtually visited. These findings, suggest
Thomas and Carey, demonstrate that many of the respondents were perhaps originally
unaware of the multiple possibilities of information and activities available to them on a
museum's website, thereby positively influencing their opinions of a visit to an actual
museum based on their virtual encounters with collections and online resources.
Thomas and Carey's contribution to this area of virtual museum-visitor research
is important because it is one of the few virtual visitor studies that relates to the pilot
studies I conducted and the narrative case study presented in this manuscript.
Furthermore, it reflects an assumption held by this researcher, that young people have
little to no knowledge of art museums' online resources in part because of the limited or
controlled access youngsters may have to the Internet and/or their lack of knowledge
regarding art museums' and their online resources. Another possibility could be
insufficient promotion by some museums of the web activities they make available to
young people. With this hypothesis in mind, I wondered how children would respond to
art museums' websites and what their preferences would be with regard to learning in
and with the arts in a virtual capacity. Are children aware of these art-based websites,
and if so, how? Can children who visit these websites independently navigate them or is
adult facilitation required for them to have experiences with online museum activities
and resources? Would children's experiences with museums' virtual art activities
encourage them to physically visit an art museum? From this initial speculation, and the
results of the initial pilot study I initiated to examine the content of five art museums'
websites for children (Mulligan, 2005), a two-part question emerged to guide my
second pilot investigation: How do young audiences respond to art museums' websites
as tools for learning in and about the arts, and what are their preferences with regard
to these sites? This study was discussed in the preceding chapter.
Additionally, other studies I uncovered examined how specific learning theory,
when applied to museums' websites, guide the development of museums' sites and
their related content. I refer here to the research of Wendy Ennes and Christie Thomas
(2007), as well as that of Schaller, et al. (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007). All of Schaller,
et al.'s studies have more direct relation to my research than Ennes and Thomas (2007)
and Thomas and Carey (2005), because their research explored pedagogical approaches
and learning theories directly connected to online museum learning.
Through their research, Schaller, et al. propose constructivist learning theories
as having applicability to the design of museums' websites and to individuals'
preferences when engaging with museums' online resources. Schaller, et al. (2002)
found evidence in their initial research study that "determine people's preferences for
different types of Web-based educational activity" such as children "prefer [ing] more
personal choice and interaction" (p. 1). Children, their research discovered, "need to be
60
motivated... [and] they respond positively to the opportunity for interaction and choice
with a goal-based environment that offers them an extrinsic purpose" (Schaller, et al.,
2002, p. 1). However, they argue, "transplanting learning theory from the classroom or
museum environment to the Web poses unique challenges" (Schaller, et al., 2003, p. 1).
Schaller, et al.'s (2002) research suggests that children prefer creative play
(making and doing something) and role-playing stories where they can create a
character (called an "avatar," in virtual reality) that can make decisions about what they
do and how they do something. These findings led them to argue the need for museum
web developers to apply a pedagogical approach to the web activities they design for
young people so that the sites reflect the goal-based interactivity children desired. More
recent research conducted by Schaller, et al. further supported these results and
discovered "children prefer structured activities like Role-Play and [additionally]
Design" (2007, p. 1).
Based on the findings of their research from 2003, Schaller, et al. contend that
constructivist learning theory is the most applicable and appropriate pedagogical
approach to take when developing a virtual museum environment. This contention is
based on individuals' ability to "construct" or build their knowledge base from their
varied and multiple online experiences. Schaller, et al. (2003) proposed that
constructivism should be a guiding theory to museum web activity pedagogy because it
also "underlies much educational practice in [actual] museums." In other words, the
educational theory that guides much museum pedagogy in actuality should therefore be
reflected in museums' virtual reality. In their 2004 article about MoMA's websites for
61
youngsters, Schwartz and Burnette note that, "the relationship of these Web sites to the
actual Museum experience is synergistic" (p. 14). However, they offer no empirical
evidence by way of theoretical or pedagogical data to support a claim of synergy
existing between actual and virtual museum visits. Schaller, et al. (2007) indirectly
provides support for the concept of synergy between actual and virtual visits. Their
most recently published investigation discovered that similar to actual museum visits,
"learning style does influence an individual's preferences for learning activities... the
experience will be more engaging and more satisfying, and thus a more successful
informal learning experience" online (p. 1). They also contend an individual's dominant
learning style drives his/her learning experience in an online museum environment
(Schaller, et al., 2007) .
The specific constructivist learning theories to which Schaller, et al. (2002) refer
are: David A. Kolb's model of learning styles, a theory that considers learning an
experiential and social endeavor such as simulation and role play; Howard Gardner's
theory of Multiple Intelligences, a theory that provides multiple entry points to engage
learners of various intelligences, and according to their research stretches the web's
capabilities; and Kieran Egan's view of learning that knowledge is developmentally
constructed through learners' natural tendencies at each stage of development, thereby
offering "valuable guidance about the kinds of abstractions people will find innately
relevant and meaningful" (Schaller, et al., 2003, p. 13). In 2005, Schaller, Bunnell and
Borun were in the process of "developing ways to measure children's learning styles
and testing hypotheses about learning style, activity, preferences, engagement, and
satisfaction" by applying the aforementioned constructivist theories to their research
62
(2005, p. 1). In doing so, Schaller, et al. (2005) were endeavoring to determine a theory
of learning that can best be reflected in and applied to museums' digital activities.
By 2007, Schaller, et al. published additional research to support their initial use
of David Kolb's 1984 Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) when considering how
individuals approach museums' website activities. This 2007 study "explores the
relationship between learning style and on-line interactives" (Schaller, et al., p. 3). "We
find [Kolb's] characterization of learning styles valuable because, rather than being an
internal mental model of cognition, it emphasizes how people like to interact with
content" (Schaller, et al., 2007, p. 3). Although Schaller, et al. (2002, 2003,2005, and
2007) deal primarily with the online activities of science museums' websites, their
research from 2007 "identifies several important factors that developers should
consider when creating computer-based learning materials," the most important being
an individual's learning style which, according to Kolb's theory are: social, creative,
intellectual, and practical (p. 9).
Because this area of art and museum education research is only just beginning
to emerge, learning theories that researchers believe would most effectively engage
children in learning from museums' virtual branches, such as constructivism, have been
suggested, but not definitively identified. Although Schaller, et al. proposes
constructivism as a theory of learning construction most applicable to science
museums' web activities, they are still endeavoring through continued research to
establish the connection, their most recent study from 2007. "The field of computer-
based informal education is such new territory," state Schaller, et al. "that typologies
63
and classifications are a necessary early step on the way toward more sophisticated
theoretical understanding and coherent best practices" (2005, p. 2).
While I agree that learning online using museums' web-based activities is "new
territory" for many museumsbased on the relatively small number of related
studiesI believe that instituting typologies at this point is still somewhat premature.
Schaller, et al.'s research findings, however, are broader than the results of the pilot
study I initiated, research that focused exclusively on art museums' websites, and not
museum websites in general or science museums, as Schaller, et al. did. My pilot
investigation also considered children's preferences for learning about art online a few
steps further than the research Schaller, et al. implemented. Specifically, my research
analyzed youngster's experiential responses to specific art museums' web environments
and online activities. I continued to further explore children's experiences and opinions
of art museums' art-making activities in the case study I discuss in Chapters III, IV, and
V.
More recently, research has surfaced that relates to this discourse. Wendy Ennes
and Christie Thomas (2007) introduced the integration of Visual Thinking Strategies
(VTS)developed by Philip Yenawine and Abigail Housenin the design of
museums' online resources. VTS is a person-to-person, instructor-facilitated (not
person-to-screen) visual literacy instructional methodology. VTS is learner-centered
and assists students in "communicating ideas about works of art" (Ennes & Thomas,
2007, p. 1). Despite the face-to-face interaction required of VTS instruction, Ennes and
Thomas (2007) applied it to the development of an online resource (face-to-screen)
about the art and history of Ancient Mespotamia. Ennes and Thomas' goal for their
VTS structured online resource:
we wanted Visual Thinking Strategies to inform the on-line resources in such a
way that it would encourage students to be active participants in their own
learning process.... Incorporating a wide range of innovative learning
technologies helps to facilitate unique, constructivist learning experiences for
students (2007, p. 2).
Ennes and Thomas' (2007) note in their article that the informal VTS
instructional methodology used by some educators is a means for helping viewers of art
"build ideas and concepts as a group together.. .as the group moves through the process
of decoding a work of art" (p. 3). This suggests that observing works of art is a
somewhat social experience (at least as far as the VTS method is concerned) and
translating this to an online environment could pose challenges. I would argue that
socialization among youngsters online functions differently than when they are not
online, as will be demonstrated in Chapter V. Additionally, the group process of Ennes
and Thomas' (2007) "decoding a work of art" will not necessarily lead to individual
comprehension of a work of art. In my experience as a museum, classroom, and art
educator, decoding is not necessarily equivalent to comprehension, nor should it be
mistaken as such.
One of the ways in which Ennes and Thomas (2007) discuss their
implementation of VTS in an online art-based instructional unit is through the use of
games. Although designed for middle school students, Ennes and Thomas' (2007)
Ancient Mesopotamia web resource has consequences related to younger children's
engagement with similar activities, and these will be discussed at greater length in
Chapter V. The game to which Ennes and Thomas (2007) refer is "more of an
65
archaeological quest...[and] what seems like an archaeological game actually leads to
expanded lessons on skills encouraged by Visual Thinking Strategies." They evaluated
these games in a usability study with twelve sixth graders (p. 8). Ennes and Thomas
discovered that students did not require much guidance with some of the online
resources of Ancient Mesopotamia, somewhat antithetical to VTS, a facilitated
instructional tool. However, additional findings of their research suggest "face-to-face
VTS instruction might be more effective with students than independent Web-based
VTS instruction" (2007, p. 11). Additional findings of Ennes and Thomas' (2007)
research uncovered that students
7
expectations with regard to game-based activities
were grounded in their "experience playing video games in other areas of their lives"
and students were "mindful of the selection process, and choice was very important to
them" (p. 11).
At the 2009 Museums and the Web international conference, Sharna Jackson
and Robert Adamson introduced their case study of the newly re-launched Tate Kids
website from the Tate Gallery, London. Prior to the site's redesign, Tate Kids received
approximately one million hits per month, the majority of which were made by visitors
other than children (2009). Jackson and Adamson (2009) refer to the original site "as a
small incoherent collection of games" (p. 2). The intent of the newly redesigned site
would be to
meet Tate's mission to 'increase public knowledge, understanding and
appreciation of art' by the creation of a colorful, relevant interactive Web
site with engaging content that would both entertain and educate the
intended audience of six to 12 year olds (Jackson & Adamson, 2009, p. 2).
The study the Tate initiated was designed to "get some insight into how and
where the Internet is used by Tate Kids intended audience, and what content they were
engaging with," research similar to what I present in this document (Jackson &
Adamson, 2009, p. 3). Although the Tate research investigation does not address
theoretical underpinnings related to the design of its site and its activities, its findings
are germane to this discussion because it is one of the few recently published studies
related to the phenomenon of art museums online art activities. In particular, the Tate
study worked with youngsters, as did I, as children are the targeted audiences for these
particular websites. The Tate's research with youngsters uncovered "some [site]
usability problems but also showed that children already had some clear expectations of
how the applications would work" (Jackson & Adamson, 2009, p. 9). Similar findings
were discovered in my research and in effort to "ensure the site is still meeting the
needs of the key audiences, [the Tate] plans to conduct another session of user testing"
(Jackson & Adamson, 2009, p. 19). The Tate's promise to continuously re-evaluate its
site and activities demonstrates that its website for youngsters is an important aspect of
its commitment to art education, with or without a guiding theoretical context.
Schaller, et al. (2003), assert, "no one theory can be our single guiding
light... it seems more pragmatic to treat the range of learning theory frameworks as a
developer's toolbox from which we can pick and choose according to the needs of a
particular project" (p. 15). If we consider pragmatism an additionally embedded goal of
the research I designed, then the idea of developing a toolbox for art museum's web
activities for young people is indeed a crucial step in the research and museum website
development processes. However, one particular theory of learningnot the several
constructivists' theories Schaller, et al. (2002, 2003, and 2005) propose in their
researchrelates more directly to my pilot investigation and is a keystone of this
67
proposed research. This theory, also related to learners constructing their own
knowledge, is Free-Choice Learning, an outgrowth of the extensive museum visitor
studies research of John Falk and Lynn Dierking (1998 and 2002). Falk and Dierking
are pioneers in the field of museum visitor studies and proponents of Free-Choice
learning. Free-Choice learning theory not only evolved from Falk and Dierking's years
of onsite museum visitor research, but it factors constructivism into its theoretical
framework. Free-Choice learning, Falk and Dierking persuasively argue, is having a
transformative impact on education, museum, and online education (2002). The
following section will outline Free-Choice learning and describe for readers its
importance to the proposed investigation.
A Theory of Free-Choice Learning
"Free-Choice learning is the most common type of learning in which people engage. It
is self-directed, voluntary, and guided by individual needs and interestslearning that
we will engage in throughout our lives " (Falk & Dierking, 2002, p. 9)
Broadly sketched, Falk and Dierking suggest that learning is an immeasurable
form of knowledge construction and encompasses a multitude of facets that are
continuously built upon over the course of time during a variety of experiences. The
knowledge that is built by learners can occur in school, out of school, online, through
interactions with others, from the acquisition of facts and concepts, and through the
development of ideas. Learning, they maintain, includes combinations of multiple
entities such as cognitive and aesthetic understanding, psychomotor skills, values,
beliefs, attitudes, critical thinking, and personal and socio-cultural dimensions (2002).
Consequently, learning can be interpreted as not only complex, but highly
68
individualized, and a cumulative process of interests, prior knowledge, and experiences
being continually constructed and reconstructed, as well as "highly idiosyncratic" (Falk
& Dierking, 2002, p. 36). "Since learning is a continuous, almost seamless process of
developing and elaborating our understanding of the world," Falk and Dierking state,
"we should be asking how did this school lesson, museum exhibition.. .contribute to
what someone knows and understands about a topic" (2002, p. 42)? In the instance of
my narrative inquiry, what would a critique by young people of art museums' online
digital art-making activities contribute to their learning in and about the visual arts?
When discussing learning, Falk and Dierking are clear to say that there is a "risk
in oversimplifying the complexity of the learning process... [and] suggest that the
nature of learning can be described in three simple statements" without being reduced
to over-generalizations:
Learning begins with the individual.
Learning involves others.
Learning takes place somewhere (2002, p. 36)
When they converge, these three statements, or streams of influence on learning,
according to Falk and Dierking, meaningful learning is constructed. To illustrate the
confluence of these interconnected streams, occurring over periods of time, Falk and
Dierking (2002) created th
Figure 6
Figure 3. The Contcttual Mods] of Learning
69
Falk and Dierking's extensive research in museum visitor studies and Free-
Choice learningtheorizing that culls from the work of Mihalyi Csikzentmihalyi and
his theory of flow experiences, which are the result of intrinsically motivated
activitiesdemonstrates that "learning is extrinsically motivated when the anticipated
benefits are external to the activity. For example, extrinsic rewards might include
getting good grades.... Free-choice learning, they maintain, is intrinsically motivated,
highly effective learning," and not based on extrinsically motivated rewards (2002, p.
16). It is, however, learning that is constructed from the experiences of the individual,
and while it may echo a goal-based form of learning, it differs from what Schaller, et al.
(2002,2003, 2005, and 2007) suggestthat learning online for children requires
motivation and an extrinsic purpose. Does not all learning require some form of
motivation and purpose in order to occur?
According to Falk and Dierking (2002), learning is "self-motivated, emotionally
satisfying, and very personally rewarding" and go on to assert that research into
motivation has found that people are motivated to learn when they experience the
following five conditions:
1. they are in supporting environments;
2. they are engaged in meaningful activities;
3. they are freed from anxiety, fear, and other negative mental states;
4. they have choices and control over their learning; and
5. the challenges of the task meet their skills (p. 15).
Falk and Dierking consider Free-Choice learning to be an intrinsically
motivated type of learning, and therefore flow experiences. They submit Free-Choice
Learning to be "the single largest leisure activity...the single, most dominant form of
learning" mat occurs, as it can happen anywhere at anytime (2002, p. 5). Free-choice
enables learners to control their learning experiences as to what they learn, when,
where, how, and with whom; hence, the unique power of personal choice in the
continuous process of learning (Falk & Dierking, 2002). Free-Choice learning, then, is
an effective way to contextualize children's preferences and interactive experiences
with art museums' digital art activities and the theory seemingly best suited to
contextualizing my case study investigation. Children can interact with art museums'
web activities from home and/or school, and select the sites and digital activities they
wish to explore. Rather than contextualizing my research with one or all of the
constructivist theories proposed by Schaller, et al. (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007) that
have yet to be applied to museums' educational web resources and empirical evidence
collected, Free-Choice learning lends itself to online environments such as art
museums' web activities for youngsters because these websites can be accessed at any
time from any Internet connected computer terminal, and Free-Choice is grounded in
constructivism.
Free-Choice learning may bear some theoretical connection to constructivist
learning in that it is a continuous, scaffold learning process, and children's experiences
with online digital art activities can be self-selected rather than imposed by an outside
source as the Internet is a readily available medium, an interactive multi-media (IMM).
For many children, the Internet is a tool that can be accessed inside and outside of
school and provides them with a multitude of choices from which they can select and
engage with activities at their own leisurely pace and level of understanding (Falk &
Dirking, 2002). Learning in an online environment is therefore similar to learning
71
elsewhere: it is an ongoing process that results from the influence of various sources
from which individuals can select and interact with at their own degree of participation.
It is an individual's power to choose and select his/her experiences that is at the
core of Free-Choice learning, but not at the heart of constructivism (Falk & Dierking,
2002). According to Falk and Dierking,
successful free-choice learning experiences, whether they be museum
exhibitions,
performances, films, programs, or Websites, all share the flow quality for the
learner. A good medium of communication permits the participant to seek the
level of engagement and understanding appropriate to the individual (2002, p.
17).
The power to choose and select one's learning experiences, also established by
Schaller, et al.'s (2002, 2003,2005, and 2007) researchbut not a tenet of
constructivist learning theoryas personal choice and interaction, will be further
demonstrated when I present the research findings in Chapter IV and then discuss them
in Chapter V.
Summary
This chapter introduced readers to research in the literature related to my
inquiry into the art education potential of art museums' online activities for youngsters.
A review of general Internet user studies indicates that Internet users are plentiful and
diverse, but difficult to profile. Studies directly related to museum website visitors, on
the other hand, suggest that while users interests are diverse, online visitors are not
necessarily reflective of physical site visitors and therefore difficult to track. Although
72
museums are beginning to understand who their website visitors are and what they seek
online, young children are not an online audience currently being investigated.
This research study attempts to make sense of what young visitors think, want,
and do when they visit an art museum's website and presents Free-Choice Learning
Theory as a means for contextualizing the data. Other research, such as that of Schaller,
et al. (2002,2003,2005, and 2007) recommends the constructivist learning theory of
learning styles by David Kolb as the most applicable method for investigating
museums' online learning environments. While I do not question Schaller et al.'s use of
Kolb's theories, I do want to challenge their findings by examining their suggestions. I
would argue that the consideration of online learning styles should be secondary to the
primary consequence of choice in learning. From choice, from preference, from
personal interest, and from experience arises how we want and perhaps need to learn,
not necessarily what and how we should learn.
As previously discussed, my hope is that the results of my case study will not
only provide empirical evidence about online art-making, but encourage a dialogue
about the role art museums' online digital art and art-making activities can play in
children's art education. Based on a review of the current literature, there is a
noticeable disparity between the research and the practice and design reflected in art
museums' website activities for children as demonstrated in a previous study I
conducted (Mulligan, 2005). The findings of my narrative case study investigation may
help to establish the importance of art museums designing, and perhaps re-designing,
educational web environments and digital art-making activities that anticipate
children's interests, and their developmental capacities. As Falk and Dierking state,
73
learning outcomes are always diverse in a Free-Choice context, because what
people attend to, and why, varies so much and, thus, what they learn also varies.
Quality free-choice learning experiences should always be designed in ways to
support multiple motivations, interests, skills, and knowledge levels (2002,
p. 142).
Chapter III will present the research methodology of the investigation including
the multiple types of data collection tools used. Readers will also develop an
understanding of the reasons I designed the research as a descriptive narrative case
study, and, finally, I will acquaint readers with the research context, settings,
participants, and limitations.
74
Chapter III
METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to investigate youngsters' experiences with, and
their critical examination of, the online art and art-making activities that a number of
art museums offer children via institutional websites. My desire to explore art
museums' website offerings for children arose from a trend I have been observing the
past five yearsthat of art museums providing young audiences with virtual art and
art-making opportunities online. While examining this surge of online art activities
that art museums are uploading to their websites, I began to wonder whether or not
some of the virtual programs and activitieswhile offering experiences in and with
the visual arts not previously possible on-site at museumswould distance children
from the excitement of experiencing tangible works of art and art materials in
developmentally appropriate ways and in personally engaging real world contexts. I
also questioned the relevance and necessity of these programs.
In an effort to investigate the aforementioned issues, and to discover how children's
personal preferences and interactions with art museums' online art activities may
influence their artistic development (inside and possibly outside the elementary
75
school art studio) and their art experiences, such as their perceptions of art, art making,
and art museums, I carried out two pilot studies .
The findings of these two investigations warranted additional exploration, and
as a consequence, I conceived a case study methodology that is both descriptive and
interpretive in design to further research the phenomenon. My decision to pursue more
formal research in this area of art education stems not only from the prior studies I
conducted, but also from my former pedagogical practice as a museum educator, my
current work as an elementary art teacher, and numerous personal aesthetic experiences
I have had in art museums around the world, as previously discussed in Chapter I. My
aim with this case study is to generate a dialogue amongst art practitioners and inform
educational practice in art museums and art classrooms with regard to the development
and use of online art activities. In addition, my intention is to also establish an empirical
foundation for online art activities that are yet to be created for youngsters and
uploaded to the World Wide Web for free-choice entertainment and/or educational
purposes.
According to Sharan B. Merriam (1998), researchers employ a case study
design to:
gain an in-depth understanding of the situation and meaning for those involved.
The interest is in process rather than outcomes, in context rather than a specific
variable, in discovery rather than confirmation. Insights gleaned from case
studies can directly influence policy, practice, and future research (p. 19).
The case study I designed is descriptive in that it provides an illustrative depiction of a
phenomenon from children's perspectives, and interpretive because of the abundant
9
For the initial pilot study, The Online Art Museum Education of Elementary Children: An investigation and
reflective commentary of five art museums' websites for young audiences, and the second study, An investigation of
children's responses to and preferences for art museums' online programs and activities, see Chapter II.
76
complexity of data collected through observation that required further illumination. The
findings could potentially inform research and practice in the art museum education
field, specifically online art education. Researchers Dawson Hancock and Bob
Algozzine define a descriptive case study as an "attempt to present a complete
description of a phenomenon within its context" (2006, p. 33), and Sharan B. Merriam
defines interpretive research as a "thick, rich description" of data (1998, p. 38). The
complementary features of descriptive and interpretive case study combined offered a
unique design application to my overall research inquiry. Furthermore, Merriam (1998)
says of interpretive case studies and their descriptive data:
[they are] used to develop conceptual categories or to illustrate, support, or
challenge theoretical assumptions held prior to the data gathering. If there is a
lack of theory, or if existing theory does not adequately explain the
phenomenon, hypotheses cannot be developed to structure a research
investigation. A case study researcher gathers as much information about the
problem as possible with the intent of analyzing, interpreting, or theorizing
about the phenomenon.... Rather than just describing what was observed or
what students reported in interviews, the investigator might take all the data and
develop a typology, a continuum, or categories that conceptualize different
approaches to the task (p. 38).
Due to the online nature of the phenomenon examined, and an interest to
contribute empirical research to what I consider to be an emerging area of art museum
education, the data collected for this study required contextual support from a ,
theoretical framework that recognized the potentiality of learning in virtual reality. In
Chapter II, I argued for using Free-Choice learning theory developed by John Falk and
Lynn Dierking (2002) when studying online art museum education. Per Falk and
Dierking (2002), "Free-Choice learning is the learning people do when they get to
control what to learn, when to learn, where to learn, and with whom to learn" (p. 6). My
decision to implement a case study framed by Free-Choice Learning theory stems in
part from a desire to conceptualize and present the research phenomenon as a
descriptive narrative of youngsters' experiences with art museums' online art activities;
specifically, their personal preferences, choices, and experiences. Children in essence
would be in control of what they learned and when they learned it.
This chapter describes and discusses the descriptive-interpretive design
structure of the research inquiry. I will first present the specific tools used to collect and
organize the data. Secondly, I will illustrate the methodological approach of the case
study investigation in terms of data analysis; and finally, I will address the limitations
of the methods employed to research the phenomenon.
Method of Inquiry
Procedures
Because I conceived of the investigation as a descriptive-interpretive case study,
numerous data types were necessary in order to create a broad landscape of children's
preferences and interactive experiences with certain art museums' online activities.
Hence, it was essential to take into consideration the qualitative nature of participants'
experiences, both observable and analytical, and the quantitative aspects of their
responses to surveys and questionnaires when I designed the investigation as a case
study (Mulligan, 2005, p. 14). More specifically, I applied both qualitative and
quantitative methods to the collection and analysis of participants' responses and
experiences; the choices they made as individuals and art-makers; and their interactions
as members of an online digital art community. The rationale to design a case study
investigation is a result of my interest to comprehend the research situation from the
78
perspective of the participants for whom many of the online art activities have been
designedyoungsters. Researchers Dawson Hancock and Bob Algozzine (2006) refer
to this perspective in case study research as "emic, or the insider's, perspective" (p. 8).
To collect the desired "emic" data, I designed the study as a ten-week, morning
enrichment course (with time added to conduct interviews) for fourth- and fifth- grade
students from the public elementary school on Long Island, New York, where I work as
a kindergarten to fifth-grade visual-art educator. The research commenced in January of
2008 and concluded in June of 2008. The length of the course enabled me to spend a
significant amount of time in the research environment in order to collect a variety of
observable information. According to Merriam (1998), when designing and
implementing qualitative research:
the investigator is the primary instrument for gathering and analyzing data and,
as such, can respond to the situation by maximizing opportunities for collecting
and producing meaningful information. Conversely, the investigator as human
instrument is limited to being humanthat is, mistakes are made, opportunities
are missed, personal biases interfere... the qualitative researcher must have an
enormous tolerance for ambiguity. Throughout the research processfrom
designing the study, to data collection, to data analysisthere are no set
procedures or protocols that can be followed step-by-step (p. 20).
With no set protocols or published precedents in the research of online art
education, I had to establish the parameters and design an investigation that considered
multiple means to collect and interpret data without the interference of bias, something
that could color my examination of the data. To minimize the potential of partiality
obscuring the collection and analysis of data, I contextualized, framed, and analyzed it
through the lens of Free-Choice learning theory. In order to utilize both quantitative and
qualitative methods and support the research design, I used a variety of tools to collect
the research data. The instruments selected to collect the data were: a pre-study
79
informational survey regarding participants' computer and Internet usage (Appendix
B); a journal of my reflective observations as the researcher (Excerpts in Appendix C);
photographs of participants interacting with their computer desktops; a tool I developed
called a digital portfolio used by participants to save any activities and images they
created and/or found to be of particular interest (Appendix G); exit questionnaires about
the activities with which they engaged on each website they visited (Appendix D); and
a post-study interview protocol (Appendix E).
The inherently visual nature of the research task dictated that I design a
methodology that would support a visually reflective interpretation. To reinforce my
decision to realize the investigation in a way that was both descriptive and interpretive,
I determined from my implementation of the two pilot studies that influenced this
dissertation, that a case study design that considered "emic" perspectives had the most
potential to provide rich, visual, and varied data from a relatively small sample size. A
descriptive case study design grounded in the observation of a phenomenon and
children interacting with, as well as their viewpoint of, the phenomenon, along with an
interpretive analysis of the data, necessitated that I locate additional support for such a
study's implementation from the research literature. It is important to note here that
according to Merriam (1998) "resources for case study researchers is [sic] scant"
despite the current prevalence of case studies in educational research (p. 19). Merriam
(1998) also states "the literature on case study methodology has expanded in the last
few years, but still lags behind other types" (p. 19).
Throughout the course of my investigation of case study research in education, I
discovered the texts of a small number of researchers to be crucial to the development
of my research methodology. Sharan B. Mernam's (1998) work has already been oft
quoted to support my choice of creating a case study, and the text, Doing Case Study
Research by researchers Dawson R. Hancock and Bob Allgozzine (2006) has also been
invaluable in solidifying my decision to design the investigation as a case study.
Hancock and Algozzine write of case study research as being by its very design,
.. .richly descriptive because it is grounded in deep and varied sources of
information. It employs quotes of key participants, anecdotes, prose composed
from interviews, and other literary techniques to create mental images that bring
to life the complexity of the many variables inherent in the phenomenon being
studied (p. 16).
Robert K. Yin (1994), another proponent of case study research maintains, "the case
study's unique strength is its ability to deal with a full variety of evidencedocuments,
artifacts, interviews, and observation" (p. 8). The intent of the study I created was to
examine a phenomenon in art museum curriculaspecifically art museums' online art
activities as experienced by childrena research design that required multiple data
collection tools to manage a diversity of possible variables. I, therefore, conducted
interviews, made observations, and collected surveys and artifacts as Hancock and
Allgozzine (2006), as well as Merriam (1998) and Yin (1994), all advocate to aid in the
collection and interpretation of descriptive data.
Sharan B. Merriam (1998) refers to the case study of a phenomenon as
particularistic because of "what it reveals about the phenomenon and what it might
represent" (p. 29). To explore the phenomenon of art museums' online art activities for
children, I determined that specific documents and artifacts would be necessary to
describe and interpret the trend I had been observing in art museum education over the
course of the past several years. Documents, or artifacts of my research, consisted of
photographs that illustrate children interacting with various web activities and hard
81
copy printouts of documents I refer to as digital portfolios. Both will be discussed at
greater length later in the chapter.
In addition to the artifacts I collected, I observed participants throughout the
ten-week study and documented my observations in a journal. I used a guide of
thematic dimensions (Table 4) to aid with my observations, and developed from my
pilot studies, and included reflections that indirectly connected information gleaned
from the professional literature, as well as my own professional experiences with what I
observed during the sessions. By connecting my observations with readings from the
fields of art and museum education, and Free-Choice learning theory texts, an aim I had
as the researcher was to preclude the influence of bias when I eventually examined and
interpreted the data. My use of an observation guide and referencing resources from the
literature when recording my observations would hopefully support any interpretations
I later made when examining the data.
Over the course of the study, and in addition to being observed, research
participants were asked to complete several questionnaires. Prior to beginning the
online portion of the research, participants completed a pre-study survey related to their
personal usage of technology, e.g., computers and the Internet (Appendix B). After they
concluded their virtual visits to the four pre-determined art museum websites,
participants were requested to complete an exit questionnaireincluded with each of
the digital portfolios was the same surveyof their online experience with that website.
Finally, following the online component of the study, I conducted and recorded
interviews with seven of the fifteen research participants.
82
Presentation of the Data and Data Analysis
I will further elaborate upon the collection tools previously indicated in this
chapter and the methods by which I analyzed the data will be described in greater depth
in Chapter V. As discussed earlier, I collected and examined data using Free-Choice
learning theory as the guiding theoretical principle and evidence from previous research
and related art and museum education professional literature to inform both the data
collection and interpretation. The prior research I conducted, along with evidence from
related texts and published studies, resulted in the emergence of themes that I hoped
would, in some capacity, be applicable to and support this research endeavor. These
themes, which will be discussed later in the chapter, served to generate more pointed
thematic categories when I interpreted all the data. According to Hancock and
Algozzine (2006),
case study research is generally more exploratory than confirmatory; that is, the
case study researcher normally seeks to identify themes or categories of
behaviors and events rather than prove relationships or test hypotheses (p. 16).
All analysis, however, relates principally back to the tenets of Free-Choice learning
theory in order to contextualize the information that I amassed.
Table 1 outlines the sources and tools that were necessary to the data collection
process. The data types previously identified correspond to each of the three research
inquiries: the overarching questions and supporting inquiries. Finally, to provide a
scholarly interpretation of the data and the theory guiding its analysis, I present the
information in a narrative format in Chapter IV.
Table 1: Data Collection Chart
83
Research Questions
Overarching Ouestion
Numerous art museums are
designing and uploading
digital art-making activities
for children as a way of
promoting their collections
and stimulating youngsters'
interest in the visual arts
beyond museum walls.
However, to date, little
research has been done to
inquire about the
developmental and artistic
appropriateness of such
programs for elementary-age
children. One way of
approaching this issue would
be to assemble a group of
elementary youngsters to
participate in a detailed
critique of a selected set of
museum inspired digital art
activities. What might we
discover by engaging young
people in this kind of
investigation? How might
their responses be used to
construct digital art-making
experiences using art
museums' online resources
that offer fresh educational
possibilities for learning in,
with, and about the visual
arts?
Sub-Ouestion #1
What might be the
implications of a study of
elementary-age children's
critical investigation of art
museums' digital art and art-
making activities for the
design of museum education
online curricula?
Data Types
1) Post-study interviews
of participants
- Open-ended questions
- Informal conversations
2) Published research-
based texts and studies
3) Visual texts
4) Images
-Downloaded images and
links
-Examples of digital
artwork created by
participants usings
museums' resources
5) Observations of
participants
- Observations of
individuals
- Observations of social
groups
-journal reflections
1) Interviews of
participants
2) Published texts
3) Visual texts
Data Collection
Instrument
1) Interview Protocol
2) Evidence/records of
empirical research
3) Virtual art
museum visits
4) Digital portfolio
(design and use of)
S) Journal of
researcher's
observations and
reflections
1) Questionnaires/
surveys
Post-study
interview responses
empirical research
3) Virtual art
museum visits
Data Sources
1) Interviewees'
responses
Participants ages 9 to 11/
4
th
and 5
th
graders
2) Virtual visitor
studies
Researcher's pilot
studies
Research texts
3) Art museums'
websites
4) Art museums'
digital art activities
used as visual "texts"
5) Researcher
Photos of
participants
1) Interviewees
Participants ages 9 to
11/4* and 5
th
graders
2) Virtual visitor
studies
Researcher's pilot
studies
Research texts
3) Art museums'
websites
84
Sub-Ouestion #2
Although a few theoretical
constructs have been
suggested by researchers for
the design of virtual museum
environments, how might the
application of the theory of
Free-Choice learning relate
to the development and
design of art and art-making
activities for young people by
art museums?
4) Images
links
artwork created by
participants using
museum resources
5) Observations of
participants
- Observations of
individuals
groups
-Log and journal
reflections
1) Interviews of
participants
2) Published texts
3) Visual texts
4) Images
links
artwork created by
participants using
museum resources
5) Observations of
participants
- Observations of
individuals
groups
- Log and journal
reflections
(design and use of)
5) Journal of
researcher's
observations and
reflections
1) Questionnaires/
surveys
Post-study interview
responses
empirical research
3) Virtual art museum
visits
(design and use of)
5) Journal of
researcher's
observations and
reflections
4) Art Museum's digital
art activities
5) Researcher
Photos of
participants
1) Interviewees
Participants ages 9 to
11/4* and 5
th
graders
2) Virtual visitor
studies
Researcher's pilot
studies
Research texts
3) Art museums'
websites
4) Art museum's digital
art activities
5) Researcher
Photos of
participants
85
An Elementary Enrichment Course Influences the Research Design
and Vice Versa
At the onset of each school year, elementary teachers in my school district are
given the opportunity to develop morning enrichment courses on topics of their
choosing. Classes can be implemented once administration approves a teacher's
proposal. These enrichment courses enable teachers to instruct students on subjects of
interest outside of the general school curriculum and students to participate in classes
that appeal to their personal interests. Enrichment classes are held once a week for an
eight-to-ten-week period and take place for approximately forty minutes prior to the
start of the official school day. Each year, I teach an enrichment course and have
implemented classes on digital photography with fourth and fifth graders, and a class of
online visits to art museums for third graders. The latter course was a pilot study for
this investigation.
The enrichment class I designed for the spring semester of 2008, however,
would differ from the enrichment courses I had previously developed and taught. I
conceived of the course's design as a case study in order to collect data for my research
inquiries and not as a typical instructional module where I would be responsible for
determining and guiding all the content and focusing the learning trajectories. In other
words, I, as the educator, was not responsible for introducing students to new concepts,
ideas, imagery, media, materials and processes, and helping students to discover
possibilities for how to use and apply what they experienced. This statement is not
meant to imply that all my responsibilities as an educator and facilitator would be cast
aside in deference to research purposes. Rather, I would be discovering new
86
information in tandem with the participants, focusing less on what and how I would
teach, and more on what, how, and if the participants would expand their arts
knowledge as they interacted with art museums' online art activities.
Stepping out of my role as an educator and into that of researcher required that I
temper my inclination to instruct participants and instead focus on my task as an
observer and investigator. The Free-Choice learning nature of the research design was
such that I could not and would not be able to preside over all aspects of the course as
an educator and directly guide children's online art experiences. Instead, the websites
would fill the role of facilitator and the participants would be in charge of their own
online art experiences by individually selecting the activities they interacted with and
for how long during each class period. The participants' personal choices and not my
agenda as a teacher or even as the researcher would determine what the children did on
each website. Students' participation was voluntary and their interactions would be
self-guided based on their interests (Falk & Dierking, 2002). My role as a researcher
was to provide the necessary tools and resources as well as to be responsible for
introducing and modeling for participants during the first class what they were to do
each week in terms of data collection. With my teacher role primarily set aside after the
first week, my responsibilities, therefore, were limited to observing the participants
during the sessions and demonstrating how they: accessed the museum websites; used
and saved the digital portfolios; and completed the site questionnaires. To provide
readers with a better sense of the class format, Table 2 presents the organization of the
ten weeks of the enrichment course.
87
Table 2: Class Session Overview of the Enrichment Course
Session 1
Sessions
2-3
Sessions
4-5
Sessions
6-7
Sessions
8-9
Session 10
- Review the research component with the participants
Introduction to the four major art museums' website
activities and how to access them
Model the use of the digital portfolio and how to insert
and save images and data
Model how to access both a site and use the portfolio
- Brief review of the digital portfolio
- 2 class sessions for Site 1: MetKids from the Metropolitan
Museum of Art
2 class sessions for Site 2: ArtsConnectEd from the
Minneaopolis Museum of Art
- 2 class sessions for site 3: NGA Kids from the National
Gallery of Art
- 2 class sessions for site 4: Destination Modern Art from
the Museum of Modern Art
- Review and discuss site visits with the participants
Introduce additional museum sites to students: The Tate
Modern, The British Museum, The Galleries at Moore
College
The art museum websites selected for inclusion in the enrichment course are a
result of the pilot study I conducted in 2005, The Online Art Museum Education of
Elementary Children: an Investigation and Reflective Commentary of Five Art
Museums' Websites for Young Audiences (Mulligan, 2005). The pilot examination
applied a three-part matrix to the descriptive analysis of several art museums' online
activities and programs designed expressly to appeal to young audiences. Of the
multitude of online sites originally reviewed at the onset of that investigation, I
narrowed down the field of art museum websites to the sites of five art museums. I
identified the sites using my familiarity with, and prior knowledge of, each institution
and its collections, as well as the observations I made of each website's format. The
sites were then further navigated and examined, and notes taken of their various
components from which certain characteristics emerged. I condensed the attributes that
88
surfaced into three components: layout and design; applied theories; and activities and
methods. The resulting websites selected for analysis with that study were ultimately
selected for their distinct online art and art-making opportunities for children and the
renown of their art collections around the world.
The findings of that exploratory investigation suggested that art museums
should consider developing relationships between the actual and virtual programs and
activities they create as they pertain to and encourage children's art and aesthetic
experiences in virtual and actual realities. I determined to utilize four of the five
websites intensively reviewed in that pilot study for this case study. They are: NGA
Kids (www.nga. gov/kids/kids.htm) from the National Gallery of Art in Washington,
D.C.; Destination Modern Art (www.moma.org/destination) from the Museum of
Modern Art in New York City; ArtsConnectEd (www.artsconnected.org/toolkit) from
the Minneapolis Museum of Art and Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; and MetKids
(www.metmuseum.org/explore/museumkids.htm) from the Metropolitan Museum of
Art in New York City. The website I used to introduce participants to the course and
the research components was Getty Kids (www, getty. edu/education/for_kids), the
children's website component of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. I also included two
supplementary art museum websites: Tate Kids from the Tate Modern Gallery
(http://kids.tate.org.uk) in London, and the website for children via the Galleries at
Moore College of Art and Design
(www.thegalleriesatmoore.org/activities/colorbook.shtml) in Philadelphia, in the event
of a disabled primary site or student interest in further art museum website exploration.
89
The four main websites from which I collected data are discussed in greater depth in the
following section.
Research Setting: the Physical Environment
A unique component of the case study presented here is the setting because in
essence, it is of a dual nature, physical and virtual. The physical aspect is where I
actually collected data each week, in an elementary school computer lab. The virtual
setting is the Internet where tangibility is in the realm of cyberspacea digital media
format. The actual occurred in the school district of an affluent suburb of New York
City where I work as a kindergarten to fifth grade art educator. Located in Nassau
County on Long Island, the town is an easy commute via car or train to Manhattan. The
district's two traditional high schools are among the highest rated in the United States
for the quality of education they provide, the high-test scores students achieve, and the
number of national scholars they produce. The school district is a strong proponent of
the arts and advocates for the incorporation of media technology into all classroom
curricula areas. In the fall of 2008, the district adopted technology standards for its
elementary schools to further promote the use of technology in students' overall
education. Briefly, the technology standards aim to address and promote among
elementary students: creativity and innovation; communication and collaboration;
research and information fluency; critical thinking, problem solving and decision-
making; digital citizenship; and technology operations and concepts.
Children in the school district have a relatively strong technology knowledge
base in part because of the district's mission to encourage and support technology usage
90
both in school and at home. Computers have become commonplace in students'
everyday school lives as they are able to use desktop computers and have access to the
Internet on a daily basis. Every classroom in the school has at least four computers and
there is a computer lab with twenty-two computers. At the time of this printing, the
school added another computer center with twenty-five computers. In addition to
classroom computers, a majority of the teachers throughout the schools use SmartBoard
technology and utilize it for a large portion of the lessons they teach. I, therefore,
selected my place of employmenta kindergarten to fifth grade elementary schoolas
the research location on several grounds: the overall accessibility of the site for my
research purposes; my knowledge of the student population; my familiarity with the
school's technological resources; and my prior experience developing and
implementing morning enrichment courses.
My acquaintance with the school's technological resources, as well as the
availability of its Macintosh platform Computer Instruction Center (CIC), enabled me
to design a class where I could consistently collect data every Thursday for ten weeks
during the spring semester of 2008. By utilizing the CIC (Figure 7), the research
participants were able to use the same desktop computer each week of the course. This
consistency of computer usage would aim to maintain a routine for participants. For
example, participants who arrived could go directly to his/her computer, log on, and
work independently. Every student in grades one to five has his/her own username and
password to access the district network. The CIC has a movable cart of thirteen wireless
laptop computers and twenty-two 2008 G4 Mac computers located around the
perimeter of the room. However, teachers can often be found using a bank of computers
91
in the CIC before school due to the close proximity of these computers to a high-speed
color printer. In deference to teachers' daily usage of the CIC computers and the
possibility of technical issues, I devised the course to accommodate up to fifteen
participants. The small number of students who comprised the class would also serve to
keep the sample size to a focused group of participants from whom I could gather more
detailed information.
A technology staff developer oversees the CIC along with two technology
educators who maintain the center five days per week and instruct students on a variety
of computer processes and software related programs. Throughout the period of data
collection, I was fortunate enough to have the support and expertise of district
technology staff developer, Ms. Leslie Watnik who works with the school's staff two
days per week. Ms. Watnik was instrumental in formatting and uploading the digital
portfolios to participants' desktops as well as troubleshooting technological difficulties
each week of the course. My focus as the researcher was to observe and record
participants' interactions and experiences with the art museums' online activities and
not on the minutiae of computer and networking system issues. Ms. Watnik's
availability and skill as a technology specialist made it possible for me to observe
participants and collect other vital data while she diagnosed and rectified problems with
individual computers, Internet connections, and the network server.
Figure 7: The CIC
92
When the collection of data in the CIC concluded at the end often weeks, I
arranged and scheduled participants' interviews to take place in the school's art studio
prior to the start of the school day. All the students in the school (approximately 470
kindergarten to fifth-grade students) receive weekly visual art education for a forty-
minute period. However, certain grades, such as first, second, third, and fifth, attend art
on a six-week rotational basis. This means that students who have art rotationally only
have art eighteen times in a school year as there are three, six-week rotations.
Interviewing participants in the art studio allowed me to speak with the children in a
familiar and comfortable environment where they spend a portion of their elementary
school career. Conversing with participants in the school art studio also provided a
quiet location, free of interruptions and distractions that might have occurred elsewhere
in the building.
The Virtual Research Settings: Painting
10
Pictures of Four Art Museums'
Virtual Activity Landscapes
This section includes a precis of each of the four pre-selected art museums'
websites for young virtual visitors in order for readers to develop an understanding of
the content and visual layout of the websites visited by each of the research
participants. To aid in the illustration of each site, I describe the sites' contents and
activity components as well as include images from each website to further illustrate
their virtual design for readers. However, it is important to emphasize that because
10
1 use the word painting here as a descriptor to illustrate for readers that there are many layers, shades, and styles to
the art museums' web activities included in the research, and therefore they warrant a painterly interpretation, or
broad strokes of description, to construct a visually based explanation for readers.
93
websites are situated on the Internet, a site's Webmaster can easily and frequently
modify the URL address, appearance, and content, to name a few aspects of the
website. A site visited one day can be relocated and changed the next, or permanently
removed from the World Wide Web.
Due to the inconsistent design of some sites and the regularity at which
organizations tend to revamp and reorganize their virtual activity "wings," maintaining
familiarity with a site's format can be a challenging task. Likewise, I have repeatedly
visited the four websites included in this study and each site has undergone various
visual and/or technical alterations and additions at some period over the course of four
years of research. A specific example of this is the National Gallery of Art's NGA Kids.
While the site maintains its original design in terms of layout and imagery, it has been
updated several times during the past four years with new activities added to its
interactive section, The Art Zone. Therefore, unless otherwise noted, the descriptions
provided in this document are illustrative of how the four websites appeared and
functioned during the research investigation.
The four main websites included in the research investigation as previously
mentioned are: Destination Modern Art from The Museum of Modern Art in New York
City (Figure 8); ArtsConnected and "The Artist's Toolkit" from The Minneapolis
Institute of Art and Walker Art Center in Minneapolis (figure 11); NGA Kids from The
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (Figure 18); and Met Kids from The
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (Figure 21).
Figure ^Homepage, Destination Modern Art
www, moma. or g/interactives/destination/^
Destination Modern Art, Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) child-centered website Destination
Modern Art has been a link on MoMA's homepage for approximately five years.
According Schwartz and Burnette's (2004) article, Destination [and Red Studio for
teens] was the result of a "newly energized commitment to young audiences" (p. 1).
The site "was originally conceived as a small, internally produced project exploring
ways in which the Museum of Modern Art could provide resources specifically for
younger children via the Web" (Schwartz & Burnette, 2004, p. 7). As stated on the
website, the activities included have been specifically designed to appeal to children
five to eight years of age:
Destination Modern Art is a Web site for children ages five to eight. An
interactive online gallery offers an introduction to The Museum of Modern Art
(MoMA) and its affiliate, P.S.I Contemporary Art Center. This site gives
children the opportunity
to learn about works in MoMA's collection and site-specific works at
P.S.I
to look carefully at works of art
to learn about artists, their techniques, and their inspirations
to engage in online and at-home activities.
The site utilizes animation, audio, narration, text, and interactive components to
engage young virtual visitors. The homepage of the site, illustrated in figure 8, requires
95
Flash 6 plug-in software in order for the animation to be viewed. The children's guide
through the virtual museum gallery spaces is an unnamed alien on an "intergalactic
journey to MoMA and PS 1" (www, moma. org/inter actives/destination/ft).
The use of the alien, according to Schwartz and Burnette (2004), is to
incorporate an added element of discovery and curiosity.. .a friendly inquisitive
alien, whose lack of familiarity with the art environment allows questions that
range from the simple to the complex. In this way, the alien could serve as the
impetus for discovery and allow the children to interact directly with the art (p.
8).
The initial animation of the site features the alien's spaceship flying across a
cartoon-stylized backdrop reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh's painting of Starry Night
in MoMA's collection. Upon the alien's arrival at MoMA, "he" requests (in a high-
pitched disembodied voice) users' assistance in exploring the museum. While virtual
visitors decide on which artwork to select, such as the art of: Vincent van Gogh, Frida
Kahlo, Polly Apfelbaum, Pablo Picasso, Romare Bearden, or Umberto Boccioni, to
name a few, the alien floats in the gallery space awaiting a directive from virtual
visitors as to which works to more closely engage. Visitors can opt to position and click
their mouse on an artwork in the gallery space depicted or click the directional arrow
at the bottom of the screen to move through the additional virtual museum gallery
spaces (Figure 9).
Figure 9: Destination Gallery Screen Shot
M
When selected by the user's mouse, an artwork from the museum's collection will
convey virtual visitors to a screen with multiple activities from which they can choose.
[Activities were created specifically for each work, with an emphasis on
looking more closely, listening, and using words to respond to works, The
works were selected to convey the breadth of the collection from painting to
sculpture to collage - and from the Museum's earliest works to its
contemporary acquisitions (Schwartz and Burnette, 2004, p. 8).
Visitors have interactive options from which to choose with each artwork they visit and
these icons have been included here. These icons are: "tools" S B for activities that
involve the process of art-making; "look" ^ H H activities that involve looking closely at a
work of art; "write" ^ H M activities that involve writing a poem or story; "idea"
suggestions for art-making activities at home art and "listen" HHHI activities that involve
audio components such as narration or music. To access additional site images and full
animation, visit MoMA's site go to www.morna.org/interactives/destination/#.
All the artists included on the Destination interactive website have a cartoon
portrait (Figure 10) and all have artwork in the MoMA or P.S. 1 collections. Each
virtual portrait, or avatar, connects to an "about" section where visitors can read four
basic facts about an artist's life and work. Some, but not all of the artists featured have
an audio component linked to their activity page. When visitors access van Gogh's
"Starry Night" link, for example, they can explore sound effects such as the sound of
crickets or wind related to the painting's subject matter by simply opening the
link and rolling their mouse over the virtual painting. Visitors also have the option to
97
compose a poem inspired by their observation of van Gogh's work when they open the
I link. A word bank appears to assist visitors with their poetic word choices. For
the artists' sections that contain an online art (-making) component, visitors link via the
I icon. Polly Apfelbaum's link W&fM has an artists' tools icon where visitors can
create shape and color collages inspired by the artist's rug designs. Similarly, the
Romare Bearden link H i provides an opportunity for visitors to create a Bearden-
style collage by selecting objects from an image bank that includes landscape photos
and other computer clipart imagery. Several of the artist's links do not provide an
online interactive art exploration activity. However, as with the Frida Kahlo section
children are encouraged to print the frame design provided in which they can
draw at home or in school their own self-portrait using tangible art materials rather than
virtual art tools.
Figure 10: Destination Artist Icons
D
About" facts Polly Apfelbaum
'About" facts Umberto Boccioni
"About" facts Romare Bearden
o
About" facts Vincent van Gogh
About" facts William Anastasi
About" facts Frida Kahlo
"About" facts Pablo Picasso
"About" facts Kiki Smith
98
"About" facts Marcel Breuer
'About" facts Kazuo Kawasaki
'About" facts John Canemaker
'About" facts Ellsworth Kelly
fir W
'About" facts Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini, and Franco Teodoro
Figure 11: Homepage, ArtsConnected
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Map" ampat jswwaefl % MM Stste LeglsMam
www, artsconnected. org/ & www, artsconnected. org/toolkit/
Artsconnected, Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) (www.artsmia.org ) entered the realm
of art museum e-learning in approximately 1998 when it developed Artsconnected
(www.artsconnected.org)the most mature site included in this studyin conjunction
with the Walker Art Center. The site initially launched its first version in 1998, the
same year as Google (Dowden & Sayre, 2009). In 2000, MIA formally uploaded
Artsconnected to utilize the Internet as an interactive tool for further engaging
audiences (primarily educators and youngsters) with art experiences outside the
physical museum. Robin Dowden and Scott Sayre (2009) say of the site's original
intention, "the objective of the site was to combine the collections, educational
resources, and archives of both institutions specifically for the use of K-12 teachers and
students" (p. 1). Artsconnected's virtual visitors are able to access the site through the
Walker's or MIA's website homepage or through its own URL (Uniform Resource
Locator) address www.artsconnected.org. In the spring of 2009, the Minneapolis
Institute of Art and the Walker Art Center re-launched Artsconnected. According to
Dowden and Sayre (2009),
close to a decade after the site's initial launch, ArtsConnectEd was
starting to show its age. Increasingly poor response times, out of date
content, and rising expectations as a result of Web 2.0 technologies
called into question the site's relevance (p. 4).
The site is now primarily an image resource locator and bank of artwork from the
museums' collections. Also available on the site are links to Artsconnected pages found
on Facebook and Twitter. The entire site has been revamped and visually redesigned
from how it functioned during the research investigation. Although some components
are still accessible and remain consistent, such as "The Artist's Toolkit " the
descriptions of the activities and the images included in this document pertain to the
previous generation of the site's design which the participants interacted with and, for
the purposes of this study have been described in the present tense here. These
original thematic sections of the original site - Art Gallery, Library &
100
Archives, For Your Classroom, Playground, and Search All - have
been abandoned for a less hierarchical interface focused on actions and
toolsets to facilitate user-generated content (Dowden & Sayre, 2009,
p. 7).
The Artsconnected main page, displayed in Figure 11, invites visitors of all
ages, particularly educators and students, to choose activities from several different
interactive online art viewing and art-making options. While the MIA website also
includes on its homepage a link to an additional site for children, Kidsworldfound
under the interactive media linkthe pages of this link were not included in the
analysis because its interactive options could not be directly accessed through the
Artsconnected "Playground" option. The "Playground" link is the primary interactive
online component of the website with which the participants engaged. The "For Your
Classroom" link is an educational database for teacher usage. The "Library and
Archives" option provides visitors with a searchable database that not only connects
them to WWW sources, but to video clips, labels, and other art related information.
"Art Gallery" is a combined database of objects from both the Walker Art Center and
MIA. Users who select this option can create their own gallery of objects as well as
browse topics of objects such as "modernism," or interact with PowerPoint-type
presentations of digital representations of a work from the museums' collections
developed by a museum educator.
Visitors who select the "Playground" link read that this section is not only for
all ages, but it is "where the fun stuff is!!!" This section offers opportunities to engage
with various art-making, audio, and game activities. With each of the four links, there is
some overlap of activities. Some of these activities are available through the Walker
Art Center's "Learn" link on the site's homepage and no longer directly accessible
through Artsconnected without intensive searching, although the links do have the
Artsconnected logo. The main images for these activities have been recently updated
and appear slightly altered from how they appeared at the time of the research.
The "Make It" (Figure 12) option offers activities where visitors can digitally create
artwork online or print reproducible pages to use for a materials-based artwork. The
interactive programs on this site include: design a garden; fabric factory; color your
cabin; line design; geometric mouse, biomorphic house; and sound ideas. No longer
available on the site are postcard and coloring book printable activity options. The
"Watch & Listen" link (Figure 15) connects visitors to audio/video-related artworks
such as a video about the assemblage of Oldenburg's Spoon Bridge, as well as one of
the first moving pictures ever produced, Muybridge's work of a running horse. With
"Explore It," (Figure 14) online users can play a game of concentration and take a
virtual tour of the Walker's sculpture garden and other museum pieces. "Find It"
(Figure 13) also offers concentration, along with a treasure hunt and an opportunity to
collect art for you own virtual gallery. Pictured in Figures 12-15 are the specific
"Playground" links with their corresponding choice options. Activities that require
plug-ins to access have icons of the required software to the bottom left of the link icon.
102
Figure 12: ArtsConnected, "Make It"
Make It
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Figure 13: ArtsConnected, "Find It"
Mdlefl
4 Watch & Listen
bfjlcrelt
Figure 14: ArtsConnected, "Explore It'
Explore it
Figure 15: ArtsConnected, "Watch & Listen'
The Artsconnected site also provides a link for visitors to the virtual art-making
site, "The Artist's Toolkit" (Figure 16). Visitors who select this link can choose to view
brief video clips of artists at work, acquire art vocabulary with the encyclopedia link,
and explore the Toolkit to create virtual artwork using a program about lines, geometric
and organic shapes, color, perspective, or symmetry (Figure 17). The Toolkit link
provides users with various art tools to create their own digital-based art. Visitors click
on a link, see a demonstration of the art concept/principle, and create their own virtual
artwork work using the concepts viewed in the demonstration. Users unsure of the
meaning of certain concepts prior to their virtual art-making exploration can access the
encyclopedia link to the left of the screen for further clarification of an art concept or
principle. Although as previously state, a revamped version of the Artsconnected site
has been uploaded to the Internet, "The Artist's Toolkit" is still accessible to visitors
and remains virtually unchanged. This program can currently be accessed via MIA's
webpage link "Education and Resources: online resources." Although the links are still
available, additional imagery of the program is not.
105
Figure 17: "Artist's Toolkit" Activity Page
___ the ARTIST'S _._ _ __ _ . . . _ .
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Vi sua!
ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES
^ Explore the Toolkit
Arti sts use visua- el ement s and pri nci pl es like l i ne, color and shape as tool s t o build works of ar t . Each t i t l e bel ow has t hree
secti ons;
Wat ch an ani mat ed demonst r at i on
Find exampi es of t he concept i n wor ks of art f r om museums
Creat e your own composi t i on
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Edge & Out l i ne
Pr i mar y & Secondar y
Wa r m & Cool
Compl ement ar y
Nat ur ai & Ar bi t r ar y
Ti nt s & Shades
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Symmet r i cal & Asymmet r i cal
Movement/
Rhythm
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Vi sual Rhyt hm
Repet i t i on makes a Pat t er n
Artists use visual elements and principles like line, color, and shape as tools to build
works of art. Each title below has three sections:
Watch an animated demonstration
Find examples of the concept in works of art from museums
Create your own composition
Figure 18: Homepage, NGA Kids
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106
NGA Kids: National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art's Website NGA Kids (www.nga.gov/kids.htm),
displayed in Figure 18, features animation, interactive art-making programs, art
viewing and inquiry activities, and suggested at-home or in-school art projects for a
wide range of ages. Some of the options from which virtual visitors can select on NGA
Kids are to: take a virtual tour of the Museum's Sculpture Garden with characters Lizzy
and Gordon as part of an interactive animated musical story (Figure 19); explore works
of art by artists as diverse as Wassily Kandinsky and George Catlin (Figure 20); and
create digital art by accessing any of the numerous art-making programs on the site's
interactive component, "The Art Zone." The NGA Kids site also provides homework
assistance that encourages virtual visitors to research the museum's online collections
resource for images and information that will aid them with their studies.
Figure 19 displays the homepage of NGA's virtual sculpture garden tour for
children, "Lizzy Visits the Sculpture Garden." Visitors to this link watch an animated
storyline that follows the character Lizzy and her family on a tour through the National
Gallery's sculpture garden. Music plays in the background while a narrator relates the
story. Text pops up on the screen for virtual visitors to read along with the narration.
Visitors are also able to "turn" virtual pages of the story by clicking on words
highlighted in the text. This visitor participation capability helps to move the story
along and allows visitors to control the pace of the story as well.
107
Figure 19: "Lizzy & Gordon" Tour Page
L I ZZY Vi si t s t h e
with Sordon!
CnpyngKT 2001 Notori al Sai i ery of ^ r '
Li z*y, &ordon, and Mom ar e characters f r om "Thf Lizzys" <S>
ami ar e reproduc cd wi t h per'-iivsion f rom Rhinoceros Prr.sentat.ons
rrc y
<Topyr.ij h* & 1997- 2001 Rhinoceros Predeptqlions I nc.
Music Copynyh* t'OOl, Cornaj uon
In addition to the animated tour of the sculpture garden, the NGA Kids site also
provides visitors with multiple choices of artwork to view from the NGA's celebrated
collection. The site's homepage depicts images of artworks that visitors can access with
a click of their mouse. Figure 20 is an example of the link to painter George Catlin's
work. Descriptive text provides visitors with basic information about Catlin's life and
work, which also includes informative links to additional contextual information related
to the artist, the geography, and the time period in which he worked.
Figure 20: "George Catlin" Page
_.
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-^ - http://www.nga.gov/kids/catlin/catlinl .htmGeorue
Wfti
>rrrait of Muh-to-Ujh-pa
National Gaiierv of Art. Paul
rV<. M^r^s George Catlin is best known as a painter of the
"'^"kk-^tT ' * \jte American Indians. After seeing a delegation of
' ^ L J R ' *\ \ '** j * *^S Pl
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Indians in Philadelphia, he decided to
*&XY"r .*** h&~ .a d
e
di
ca
te his life to recording the lives and
customs of Native Americans. Soon after
completing law school, Catlin became a
professional artist. He traveled extensively
throughout North America in the 1830s and he
visited South America in the 1850s, painting hundreds of Indians and keeping
detailed records of his journeys. The National Gallery has more than 350
paintings by Catlin in its collection. This one shows the artist painting Mah-to-
toh-pa. a Mandan chief, while members of the tribe watch the artist at work.
Following his extensive travels, Catlin put his paintings on view in an
exhibition he called The Indian Gallery.
http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.html
Copyright 2004 National Gallery of Art
The largest section of the NGA Kids site is "The Art Zone," a page of interactive
digital art-making programs. However, visitors will need to possess various software
plug-in updates on their computer in order to use these interactive programs, such as
Adobe Shockwave Player that is capable of handling Flash content, and QuickTime to
view videos and animations. If visitors do not have these programs, they can connect to
a free download link made available on the site. Research participants had to switch to
the use of a Macintosh laptop computer to interact with the "The Art Zone" link
because the more current Mac PCs used in the study, ironically, lacked the
compatibility to access the website's Art Zone activities. As of the writing of this paper,
the site acknowledges compatibility issues and indicates that a resolution will occur
sometime in the near future.
The interactive activities on the "The Art Zone" consist of seventeen diverse
online art-making activities from which visitors can choose to create virtual collages,
pixellated portraits, three-dimensional structures, virtual paintings, mobiles, and pattern
designs to name a few. Each program provides text-driven directions of how to best
make use of the program as well as the requirements necessary to save and print virtual
art made using the program. All the programs featured on the site relate in some
capacity to art in the National Gallery's collection, or have been inspired by artistic
techniques of artists featured in the Gallery's collection. All of the programs included
on the "The Art Zone" have been collaboratively designed, created, and maintained by
an outside web design resource and NGA education staff. The following paragraphs
briefly describe the content of each of the programs featured on "The Art Zone"
webpage.
Intended for a wide range of ages, the "Paintbox" program displayed here
*** I provides virtual artists with a variety of drawing (symmetry) and
painting tools (strokes and line widths), color possibilities (such as transparency),
background options (patterns), and warp effects to create their own digital drawings.
Inspired by the work of Alexander Calder, "Mobile" r T-
>
aal is a
program that supplies visitors with tools to create and then manipulate the movement of
110
60 various shapes and movable arms when they design their own one-of-a-kind virtual
mobile. Virtual mobile-makers can also create shadows and spirographic motions that
accompany the movement of their mobiles.
"Wallovers" HHHHHHHI I is a symmetry pattern-making activity based on
the use of a square or hexagonal grid to design a pattern. Visitors can design their own
textured wall patterns or select the auto-draw option and watch as the program produces
its own patterns.
'Collage Machine"
K A
-- ! and "Collage Machine IF
-""' ' *** - have been inspired by the work of artist Romare Bearden. With these
programs, virtual visitors can manipulate images, shapes, and patterns selected from
image banks provided to create their own virtual collages.
"Photo Op" is a relatively new program to "The Art
Zone." Users can take pictures with a virtual camera then edit their images with this
two-part introduction to digital photography. With the camera option, visitors can try
different lighting choices and shutter speeds. The editor options aids visitors in
transforming their images with color and filter applications.
I l l
"Still Life" *&& * V is an interactive program appropriate for all
ages. The program, inspired by the art of the old masters, enables visitors to select
objects from works in the Gallery's collection and combine them with everyday items
to create a not- so-still life. The program introduces users to ideas of composition,
perspective, and proportion. Users are encouraged to view works from the Gallery's
collection to inspire the creation of their own virtual still life work. Visitors can select a
compose option where they can make object choices for their still life composition or
use the painter option to manipulate brushstrokes for a more abstract still-life.
"3-D Twirler" WKWHnKlmfSil is a program designed to show how artists
create three-dimensional shapes on two-dimensional surfaces. Users can design
sculptural shapes then layer them with textures and watch them turn in virtual space to
learn about 3D special visual effects.
"Swatchbox" "-B^
M
.<,WCTEM*O., }
s a co
lor mixing and drawing program with
dozens of color choices. Virtual artists can tint and shade their colors, save their unique
color blends, and select different brush sizes.
112
'River Run" JMMlilffllinifnffll is a program for younger children.
Youngsters can create flowing compositions of lines, shapes, and patterns online that
change as the user manipulates the flow.
The program "Cubits," ^HI HKHHHHH inspired by sculptural works in the
Museum's collection, such as the work of Sol Lewitt, introduces the use of geometric
forms and axis grids to build virtual sculptures.
The "Flow" WMI i W^Bi WB program designed for all ages employs
motion with a virtual painting process. Users can mix and overlap layers of color and
pattern as well as create their own motion icons (with rotation and speed) to design
unique virtual works of art that flow across the screen.
"BRUSHster" '*'** *"' -:* is similar to the "Flow" program in that it
is a virtual painting activity, but rather than using shapes, this program provides users
with up to forty different virtual brushstrokes. Designed specifically to introduce
children to abstract art, this program encourages visitors to make use of the toolbox
113
provided to develop virtual artworks with an array of special visual effects such as
spray painting, blending, fragmenting, blurring, and smudging.
The program "Pixelface''
3 is one of the site's original
interactive programs inspired by portraits in the Gallery's collection. Users can select
from 24 different brush sizes and up to 49 colors with which to work. Virtual artists can
choose from model images or create their own portrait to manipulate and modify using
various pixel options.
'Diamonds consists of three color and shape
animation activities: orbital jam, depCharge, and pool. Designed for younger children,
these interactives enable visitors to direct shapes into a variety of patterns. The site
refers to the use of diamond shapes and patterns in art as the "gymnasts of geometry."
A
" and "Jungle' Both the "Dutch Dollhouse'
n
^
EHîB*^ ^&f%gki$? programs are fairly new to The Art Zone. Each interactive is
directly inspired by artists from the Gallery's permanent collection. The work of Dutch
artists Pieter De Hooch, Jan Vermeer, and Jan Steen, to name a few, are not only the
114
inspiration for "Dutch Dollhouse," but aspects of their work appear in this interactive.
Based on Dutch dollhouses (called apoppenhuis in Dutch), this program enables
children to re-create interior and exterior scenes of Dutch daily life as painted by the
Dutch masters. Henri Rousseau's imaginary landscapes inspired the creation of
"Jungle." Children of all ages can manipulate a variety of online tools to design their
own fantastical landscape environment. Users can select various animals, control
weather and lighting conditions, and design their own flora and fauna. Many of the
creatures and plant life found in Henri Rousseau's artwork figure prominently in this
collage-like making program.
risiuii: 21 ITomefMiie. Museum Kids
Learn About Color
Have you ever seen a purpie hippo? Learn how colors are created by changing the appearance of William the Hippo.
Aaron's Awesome Adventure
A college friend wrote this story about a boy who visits the Metropolitan Museum especially to tell kids that looking at art can be fun.
The Dancers and Degas
Join special guests on a visit to the galleries and find out what dancers can tell us about Edgar Degas. Listen, look, and create your own sketch
in this fun activity for all ages.
Cezanne's Astonishing Apples
Paul Cezanne said, "I will astonish Paris with an apple!" Have some fun while you play with shapes, listen to a story, and learn all about
Cezanne's "Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses."
How Van Gogh Made His Mark
This interactive exploration of four landscape drawings introduces young visitors to the creative genius of Van Gogh the draftsman.
Romare Bearden: Let's Waik The Block
See Harlem street life through the eyes and imagination of Romare Bearden. This exploration of his famous collage, The Block, includes a
guided tour, music by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, and activities designed for kids, parents, and teachers.
Gilbert Stuart: Making Faces
A family feature, which includes an animated story and activities, teaches children about Gilbert Stuart and his famous subjects, such as
George Washington.
The Tomb of Perneb
115
Travel through space and time with the tomb of Perneb on its journey from ancient Egypt to its current home at the Met.
Childe Hassam, American Impressionist
Games, a movie, and morehave some fun while you learn about paintings by Childe Hassam, American Impressionist.
Frequent l y Asked Questions for Kids
How many pieces of art are in the Museum? What are the colored buttons used for? Do you want to know more about the Museum? You'll
find the answers here.
George Washi ngt on Crossing t he Del aware
Analyze the composition of this painting about the first President of the United States.
In the Footsteps of Marco Polo: A Jour ney Through t he Met to the Land of t he Gr eat Khan
Follow the route of the thirteenth-century explorer in this online journey through the Met's collection of European, Byzantine, Islamic, and
Asian art.
Knights in Cent ral Par k
Ever wonder what it was like to be a knight in shining armor? This special feature;which includes games and projectsinvites you to
discover different types of armor from around the world.
The Unicorn Tapestries
Find out about the elusive, magical unicom depicted in The Cloisters' beloved tapestries.
A Japanese Pi ct ure Scroll
Take a look at this thirteenth-century scroll and see and hear a story of human deceit, vengeful demons, and the founding of a famous
Japanese shrine.
Tughr a of Sulaiman the Magnificent
Leam about the Ottoman sultan's official calligraphic signature through audio, text, and images.
Explore & Learn
Experience the masterpieces in the Mefs collection from different points of view through a variety of interactive features.
Hei l brunn Timeline of Art History
A chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, as illustrated by works in The
Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection
Museum Kids: Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's (Met) interactive link for youngsters,
appropriately titled Museum Kids (www, metmuseum. org/explore/museumkids. htm),
offers an array of interactive components for its young virtual visitors. The site,
designed around the Met's world-renowned collection, provides a broad selection of ait
viewing and art-making opportunities that span the art historical spectrum. The
activities as briefly described on the site's main page (Figure 21) give virtual visitors an
overview of what they can experience when they select a specific link. As of December
116
2009, the site has been re-organized and re-designed to some degree with different
visuals, graphics, and programs. A majority of the program links on the Met site require
Flash 5 plug-ins. Programs include both interactive and informational sections for
children to access and all follow a similar design layout. For example, "How Van Gogh
Made his Mark" has a section where visitors can read a succinct biography of the artist,
view his ink drawings, and create their own Van Gogh- inspired virtual ink drawing
using their mouse to direct a virtual ink pen around their computer screen.
If drawing with your mouse seems too daunting, there is the link "The Dancers
and Degas." Visitors have the opportunity to listen to a narration by a ballerina named
Marie and compose a virtual cartoon-style collage based on an Edgar Degas ballet
scene. The black and white image can then be printed out and hand-colored.
"Cezanne's Astonishing Apples" has four different sections. One link is a dedicated
brief biography of Cezanne's life and work. Another link encourages young viewers to
closely observe Cezanne's still life with apples and answer questions as they peruse a
digital replica of Cezanne's artwork. A third link offers children the opportunity to
listen to a story about Cezanne while music plays in the background. Youngsters can
read along as the story is read aloud and turn each virtual page at their own pace. A
final link is a "things to do" page, where children can engage in both online and on-
paper activities. The online options are to send an e-card, take a quiz about Cezanne, or
watch a demo about using a basic shape program to create your own virtual shape
image, similar to Cezanne's drawing technique. For visitors who prefer a paper option,
the page suggests the materials and procedures for creating one's own still life. Another
choice is to write a story using one of Cezanne's artworks as inspiration. The final
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section provides additional reading suggestions for learning more about Cezanne's life
and work.
The link, "Romare Bearden Let's Walk The Block" features six online user
choices. The guided tour of Bearden's work "The Block," narrated by a Met curator,
details the history and imagery behind Bearden's six-panel collage painting while jazz
music plays in the background. The "Romare Bearden" section offers a brief text-based
biography of Bearden's life and work while "Look Closely" enables visitors to zoom in
on different portions of "The Block." Here, visitors can read text about the work's
creation and discuss what they observe in the art. "Look and listen" features "The
Block" alongside jazz recordings by the Wynton Marsalis Quartet. The "Things to Do"
links offers interactive options for children of varying ages such as a visual hunt and a
suggested hands-on collage activity. This section also provides suggestions for teachers
and parents. The final option, "Learn More" is a resource list of books, videos, and
additional online references.
If you're interested in learning about the life and work of artist Gilbert Stuart,
"Making Faces" is a five-part interactive. Similar to the other interactive programs
already discussed, this link includes an audio/video biography, a closer look at three of
Stuart's portraits with information and fun facts, a timeline of the historical era, an
activity section with an online crossword puzzle and portrait drawing activity, and an
online gallery tour of Stuart's art. "Childe Hassam: American Impressionist" is a four-
part interactive that follows the same format as that of Gilbert Stuart and several other
programs. However, it offers no online or offline art-making activity suggestions. What
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is different with this link is that it offers a listening quiz of sounds possibly related to a
painting's topic.
"The Tomb of Perneb" is primarily a virtual tour program of Perneb's tomb and
covers three historical periods of the tomb's history: Ancient Egyptian times; the early
twentieth century discovery of the tomb; and today at the Met. Each virtual stop along
the tour offers images and brief historical blurbs. Visitors can opt to "zoom in" on
specific images and learn additional information about the history of the tomb during
their tour or listen to experts who were involved in researching and conserving the
tomb and its artifacts. This link offers no online interactive art-making activities, but
suggests a hieroglyph activity to try at home or a crossword puzzle option. The "Tughra
of Sulaiman the Magnificant" link also offers no online interactive art-making
activities, but does suggest an at-home or in-school Tughra-related drawing activity.
Following the reading of texts about the history and meaning of Tughra manuscripts,
visitors can attempt to translate the sultan's Tughra.
The link for "George Washington Crossing the Delaware," a famed piece in the
Met's collection, diverges from the other programs offered on the Met site in that it
does not offer interactive components. This link is primarily a composition analysis tool
that quizzes visitors on their knowledge of compositional elements such as: proportion,
light, color, form, perspective, and motion. Follwing Washington's program link is a
section for children titled "Frequently Asked Questions for Kids," dedicated to
answering children's inquiries about the Met. "In the footsteps of Marco Polo: A
Journey Through the Met to the Land of the Great Khan" is primarily an informational
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and image link about the journeys of explorer Marco Polo. While it does offer audio
components, the link is primarily image and text-based.
Visitors to the "Knights in Central Park" link are greeted with the sound of a
neighing galloping horse. Once the link has been entered, visitors have four sub-links
from which to choose. The first link offers information about armor from around the
world in the museum's collection, with "did you know" sections for additional
information. Visitors also have the option to read how the armor is cared for by
conservators and studied by curators. The third link provides a visual tour of the Met's
Arms and Armor gallery, and the fourth link is game-based link. This link continues the
Met's use of online crossword puzzles and quizzes, but also includes tic tac toe, an
animated joust challenge quiz -"...-.-. y^.*,.- .-.: ^^J.^-:---::.^, and a paper samurai helmet-
making activity.
Among the other text-based links on the site is "The Unicorn Tapestries" about
the stories behind the famed tapestries housed at the Cloisters, the Met's medieval
branch. Following a format similar to "The Unicorn Tapestries" is "A Japanese Picture
Scroll" a link that provides narrated versions of stories about demons and deceit from a
thirteenth century Japanese scroll. The final two links of the Met's "Museum Kids"
website are "Explore and Learn" and the "Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History" are
primarily reference databases. Although "Explore and Learn" has some interactive
components it does not include art-making or game-based activities.
The Participants
Once the research study I designed as an enrichment course received approval
from the school principal, the district superintendent, and the IRB committee of
Teachers College, Columbia University, I sent a letter home for parents/guardians of
fourth- and fifth-grade students that briefly described the course's content and research
foundation (Appendix H). Children interested in participating in the course returned
signed permission slips. Due to the number of fourth- and fifth- grade students (27)
who submitted permission forms to participate in the enrichment course entitled Art
Museums and the Web, and with only fifteen available slots, a lottery system was
implemented so that the selection of participants would be random and equitable. This
indiscriminate selection process coincided and adhered to the parameters and protocols
of both the Internal Review Board (IRB) requirements for working with young
individuals and the school district's policy regarding enrichment instruction. Once
arbitrarily selected, I assigned a confidential code identifier to all students who
participated in the research. The full names of participants are not used or printed in
this document so that children's anonymity could be maintained and their privacy
protected. Prior to the commencement of the enrichment course, students chosen via the
lottery process and their families received a more in-depth letter explaining the research
nature of the course.
During the first class session, students were again familiarized with the research
component of the class and provided with the necessary consent forms and
informational documentation to bring home for final signatory permission. All
documents pertaining to my research with a young population were part of the Internal
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Review Board application submitted to and approved by the IRB committee at
Teachers College, Columbia University (Appendix H). As the enrichment course
commenced, several students withdrew from the course. Three students found the early
start time difficult to attend, two others realized that they would eventually have a
schedule conflict with another obligation that began the following month, and,
unfortunately, one student left with no explanation. Another child was not given
permission to be a research participant, and although the student continued on in the
course, I did not collect data from her. Additionally, I informed and reminded students
during each week of the course that their role in the research was to interact with the
sites' activities. In essence, they would operate as critics, or "co-researchers," and thus,
the activities they engaged with online, the comments they made, and the images they
collected would be crucial to their involvement.
Approximately one week into the research process I noticed that the better part
of my observation notes detailed comments, interactions, and experiences of seven
particular boys and girls. Because of decreased enrollment during the first few weeks of
the course, and the sporadic attendance of a couple of other students, I found my
research efforts again pointedly focusing more and more on the experiences of these
seven students. It is the experiences, observations, interviews, comments, and digital
portfolios of these seven students combined that are the core of the data collected,
analyzed, interpreted, and described for the case study. While the final sample size may
be small, the intent was to focus more on children's individual experiences and
opinions, and the variety and quantity of data collected was more than ample for my
research purposes. This, in turn, directly related to the overall purpose of my research
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study. As stated in my research question I considered "one way of approaching this
issue would be to assemble a group of elementary youngsters to participate in a detailed
critique of a selected set of museum collection inspired digital art activities."
The seven fourth- and fifth-grade students who formed the nucleus of the
focus study group consisted of two boys and five girls ranging in age from nine to
eleven years old (Table 3). Five of the students are of Persian heritage while the other
two are of Philippine and Russian backgrounds. The seven participants are all from
upper socio-economic, two-parent households and they all speak two or more
languages. This student population demographic is typical of the school in which I
work, a neighborhood that is predominately affluent and comprised primarily of
families of Persian descent (the three other elementary schools in the district have a
greater variety of income levels and diversity of ethnicities due to their locations
throughout the town). Chapter IV illustrates in-depth dimensional representations of
each of the seven participants. Along with additional data, the interactions and
experiences of these seven participants will be re-constructed and described in
Chapter IV and analyzed in Chapter V.
Table 3: Demographics of Focus Group Participants

1
2
3
4
5
Participant
Abigail
Adam
Claudia
Desiree
Neeka
Code
Identifier
A(f)9
A(m)l 1
C(f)10
D(f)9
N(f)10
Gender
F
M
F
F
F
Age
9
11
10
9
10
Grade
4
5
4
4
5
Ethnic
Descent
Philippine
Persian
Persian
Persian
Persian
Languages
English
Tagalog
English
Farsi
Hebrew
English
Farsi
Hebrew
English
Farsi
Hebrew
English
Farsi
Hebrew
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6
7
Shaina
Yves
S(f)ll
Y(m)9
F
M
11
9
5
4
Persian
Russian
English
Farsi
Hebrew
English
Russian
Keeping it Real: Observations of Online Interactions
This research investigation is an extension of my current work as an art
educator and my former employment as a museum educator, as well as my personal
aesthetic encounters in art museums. As such, it is representative of my experiences
and my recent observations as an art professional that the curricular scope of
elementary art education in this country is expanding to include digital technology in
some capacity. Although I am not required to include digital technology in my
instructional art practice, I am strongly encouraged and supported to do so. As a
result, I use technology in a variety of capacities in my elementary art room. For
example, I teach digital photography as well as use an overhead projector and laptop
computer to access and display various art images and museum websites for lessons
as well as to share new art-related software with my students.
While my prior knowledge of and experiences within the fields of art and
museum education informed my study, its design, and its implementation, my
observations and reflections as a researcher revealed new information to me about
children's choices and interactions with art museums' online activities. These findings
will be discussed in later chapters. As a researcher I had some specific ideas about what
I would be looking for and what I hoped to find when I observed the participants;
particularly their interactions with one another and their computers, comments they
made and questions they had, and what they would do and create when they were
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online using art museums' web activities. These ideas, categorized into themes, arose
from multiple sources: previous research conducted by others, professional experience,
and myself literature from the field, and my familiarity with the participants as art
students. Table 4 below outlines the thematic dimensions I referenced (not applied) as I
observed participants and analyzed the final data. Therefore, I recorded my journal
entry observations with the themes in mind and in keeping with Hancock and
Algozzine's suggestion that,
a case study researcher should create an observation guidea list of features to
be addressed.... This list often includes the time/date/location of the
observation, names/positions of persons being observed, specific activities and
events related to the research questions, and initial impressions and
interpretations of the activities and events under observation (2005, p. 47).
Table 4: Observation Reference Data Chart
Possible Observable
Themes
Previous online
experiences
Previous art studio
experiences
Previous art museum
experiences
Digital art-making
experiences
Social context of
experience
Personal context
Gender
Technological context
Activity choice(s)/
preferences
Individual expression
with activities
Print product
Ease of content
Digital
Portfolio
/
s
s
s
/
V
V
/
s
Post-study
Inters iews
/
V
V
/
s
V
V
s
s
s
^MS8Si?iiMiffmwMlSiii^
/
s
/
s

</
</
s
s
Researcher's
observations
and reflections

/

V
/
V
S
V
s
125
Difficulty of site
content
Time spent on a site
Level of engagement
Other/Unknown
variables

/
S

y
V
/
V
-/
/
s
V
V
y
/
"
y
In an effort to faithfully document as much as possible of what I perceived both
visually and aurally from the participants each week, I relegated myself to the
background of each class session, after the initial introductory class, by sitting off to the
side. My physical positioning within the setting made it possible for Ms. Watnik to
troubleshoot technology issues while I recorded my observations as I saw and heard
them occur. I advised participants during the introductory class that like them, I was
there to discover new things and, in order to do so, I would be watching, listening, and
writing while they worked, essentially observing the situation firsthand (Merriam,
1998).
In addition to the written component of the journal, as part of the log, I included
photographs that documented participants interacting with the pre-selected art
museums' web activities. Merriam (1998) refers to the use of photographs as
"researcher generated documents" (p. 119). Some of these researcher generated
artifacts aim to support the written observations, while others are records of a session.
The images were taken of participants in profile, from behind, and/or slightly out of
focus and are included among the data in Chapter IV. As a result, I was able to maintain
the integrity of what I was documentingyoungsters engaging with art museums'
online activitieswhile simultaneously preserving their privacy and protecting their
identities.
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Conversations with Young People
My goal for conducting personal interviews with the participants following the
online portion of the data collection was to gain further insight into youngsters' prior art,
museum, and online experiences as well as additional thoughts they may have had
regarding the art museums' web activities and how their responses would further inform
the data collected. In her 2005 text, Case Study Analysis in the Classroom, Renee
Campoy suggests, "using an assortment of sources [for case study research as they] will
produce a more detailed and comprehensive picture of a situation . . . [0]ne of the most
important sources of case study information is the interview" (p. 184). Interviews are not
only an essential tool for collecting data, but according to Merriam (1998), "in qualitative
research, interviewing is often the major source of the qualitative data needed for
understanding the phenomenon under study" (p. 91). Not only did interviews with the
young participants in my research provide additional information about their critiques of
and experiences with online art-making activities, but also they were instrumental in
helping me to construct a descriptive story of the research as a whole.
To gather the conversational data, I created a three-part interview procedure
(Appendix E). I established three connected discussion categories for the interview
protocol: art and the artistic process; art museums; and art in virtual reality. Each
category consisted of a series of related questions with approximately twenty-three
questions in all. Hancock and Algozzine (2006) recommend that researchers who
conduct interviews should spend more time listening and less talking, thereby limiting
comments as much as possible. Although I wanted the interviews to be open-ended and
conversational in tone, they required a semi-structured format in terms of the sequence
127
of questions asked. Also, because I wanted participants to feel as though they were
engaging in a conversation with me about their experiences and for the conversation to
have an open-ended more natural flow, I deleted some questions, and combined and
included new questions, as I deemed appropriate for each of the interviews I conducted.
For example, some participants answered one or more of the inquiries with a single
word response. As a result, I revised and edited my interview questions accordingly.
Each of the seven interviews lasted between twenty to thirty minutes. I digitally
recorded all of the interviews using the Olympus DW-90 Digital Voice Recorder and
downloaded the recordings using Olympus Digital Wave Player software for Windows
98. In addition, I manually noted certain comments made by the interviewees and
included some of my own reflections as I took notes during the course of each
interview session. Each of the seven interview recordings was then transcribed from the
digital recordings (excerpts in Appendix F). I transcribed approximately 210 minutes of
recorded data, or about four hours worth of conversational data from the seven focus
group participants. Unfortunately, some conversational bits were not entirely coherent
due to background noise or an interviewee's muffled speech. Aspects of interviews that
were unintelligible have been pointed out in Chapter IV.
Digital Art-making, Digital Portfolio
A data collection tool not found in the literature of related research, and
particular to this investigation, is my development of a digital portfolio (Appendix G).
For all intents and purposes, a digital portfolio could be considered an artifact per
Hancock and Allgozzine (2006), as well as Yin (1994), because it is a document, or a
record of participants' online endeavors. Participants accessed the digital portfolios
from their computer desktops and were able to collect, save, review, and printout
contents when desired and necessary. A digital portfolio works similarly to an artist's
portfolio in that it is a compilation of various ideas, images, and pieces. However, it is
compiled on a computer and there is only one medium displayed in the case of a digital
portfoliodigital mediaand the work included is not meant to highlight the artist's
oeuvre or demonstrate any particular evolution of an artist's process or technique. I
specifically designed the digital portfolios as a means for participants to record their
initial impressions of a site and its activities, and to organize and save images of
artwork they collected, and images they created from an activity interaction with a
website they visited throughout the course of the ten-week program (Appendix G).
Because the investigation dealt with participants' online art experiences, I felt it was
important that the method for collecting the online data reflect the data's digital, yet art-
based nature. More specifically, the portfolio design included areas for participants to
respond to a question about their initial impressions of a site; to insert any artwork they
created on a site; to collect images of museum artwork of interest and/or to keep a
record of activities they played; to record a final impression of the site; and finally, to
complete the exit questionnaire.
With the assistance of Ms. Watnik, I uploaded digital portfolios for seven
different art museums' websites to the school's network. In the form of desktop folders
labeled with the name of an art museum website, four of the portfolios represented the
main sites participants would interact with over an eight-week period. One of the three
additional portfolios represented the site from which I would model for the participants
129
how the portfolios could and were to be used each week. The other two folders were
supplementary and to be used in the event of technological difficulties or participant
interest. Each portfolio contained an image from the art museum's website, usually a
main image with the site's title, attached to an embedded link. Participants were able to
directly connect with an art museum's web activities when they clicked on the image as
shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22: Homepage, Destination Modern Art
Overall, the participants were free to select the activities they engaged with on
the different art museums' websites they visited. Thus, they generated their own Free-
Choice learning experiences and had the opportunity to acquire both specific and
general knowledge content related to their online arts experiences and saved some of
their interactions with the assistance of the portfolio. The use of a digital portfolio was
an ideal tool in many ways for this investigation as it was a data collection instrument
that enabled me to easily access the activities and the artwork that participants created
during their virtual museum visits, as well as to printout hardcopies of each
participant's portfolios at the end of the study.
Inquiry and Response: Surveys and Questionnaires
Up until this point, I have discussed the qualitative methods used to collect the
research data. Equally important are the use of quantitative tools, surveys, and
questionnaires to round out the data collection process. The intent of the surveys was to
collect information about software and website trends, computer experiences, and
personal preferences, and to identify any links and commonalities among the
participants with regard to how they use computers and the Internet. Hancock and
Algozzine (2002) suggest that an advantage to creating and using quantitative measures
in a case study is that the researcher can design the instruments "to address the specific
research questions in need of investigation" (p. 52). Not only were such tools utilized to
address the research questions, but also to establish a foundation of participants prior
knowledge and experiences with computers, the Internet, and their opinions of the sites
and corresponding activities.
Over the course of the ten weeks, participants completed a total of five
questionnaires. The initial questionnaire, completed during the first session of the
course, was a survey that attempted to gauge participants' prior experiences with
computer technology (Appendix A). For example, participants were queried as to the
amount of time they spent on a computer and the Internet, what software they were
familiar with, and what sites they frequented. The responses to the pre-study
questionnaire would aim to establish a foundation of how much computer technology
participants use, how much of their time is spent using technology, what technology
features they are familiar and comfortable with, and what they prefer to do when they
use technological resources.
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The subsequent four questionnaires were all the same exit feedback form
(Appendix D) that participants completed when they ended their virtual visit to an art
museum's online activity site. These surveys, attached to each digital portfolio, would
serve to acquire feedback from participants about their opinion of a site and its
activities and the experiences they had interacting with a site. Merriam (1998) refers to
such documents as "attitudinal measures" the results of which "become supporting
documentary material for the observation and interview-based findings of the study "
(p. 119).
Data Analysis
"Data collection and analysis is indeed an ongoing process that can extend
indefinitely. There is almost always another person who could be interviewed, another
observation that could be conducted, another document to be reviewed," so asserts
Sharan Merriam (1998, p. 163). In case study research, where multiple methods inform
the design, Hancock and Algozzine state:
.. .making sense of information collected from multiple sources is a recursive
process in which the researcher interacts with the information throughout the
investigative process. In other words, unlike some forms of research in which
data are examined only at the end of the information collection period, case
study research involves ongoing examination and interpretation of the data in
order to reach tentative conclusions and to refine the research questions (2006,
p. 57).
The recursive nature of collecting, organizing, and scrutinizing data throughout the
research process has been crucial to understanding and interpreting the volume of
information I amassed over the course often weeks in 2008. Each of the collection
tools I employedwhether qualitative or quantitativerequired that I approach,
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organize, and analyze the data in ways particular to the instrument utilized. The
research questions, along with the thematic dimensions teased from previous research
endeavors and the contextual support of Free-Choice learning theory, are the three
guiding principles of all the data analyzed. Throughout the research collection and
analysis processes, I consistently referred back to the data collection chart I created that
related the research questions to the data sources, data types, and instruments to support
my understanding of the data.
For the quantitative toolssurveys and questionnairesI charted and coded all
the responses in order to identify connections among participants' opinions, knowledge,
and experiences. The pre-study survey contained thirteen questions, each of which had
three or more possible responses. I used the alphanumerical code identifier assigned to
each participant to indicate who responded what to a particular question. Figure 23 is an
example of how I organized this data. Using charts and code identifiers has been
instrumental in managing the data that has arisen from the quantitative methods. A
similar format was also used to organize and analyze participants' response to the
website exit questionnaires.
Figure 2 3 Data Organization Example
Question Response Response Response
Do you have a computer
at home for your own
personal use or do you
share a computer?
I have my own
computer
C(f)10 D(f)9
Y(m)9 N(f)10
I do not have a
computer at home
N/A to respondents
I share a computer
A(f) 9 A(m)ll
S(f)10
The journal of observations I made each week required that I reflect upon what I
perceived. In the week following a class, I transcribed my entries onto my computer.
Re-entering my journal notes provided the opportunity for me to review the events of
each class as well as to constantly return to the research questions. Hancock and
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Algozzine (2006) stress, "that each new piece of information should be examined in
light of these fundamental questions" (p. 56). As I continually returned to the research
questions and my journal notes and reflections, new themes emerged from both the data
and additional categories identified for the analysis of the information. Merriam (1998)
notes "category construction is data analysis...data analysis is done in conjunction with
data collection" (p. 180).
New thematic categories also surfaced as I reviewed participants' digital
portfolios and interview responses. These will be further elucidated in Chapter IV, but
in order to do so, the data had to first be organized and coded. To maintain consistency,
I continued to use participants' code identifiers, but color-coded them to denote the
seven focus group participants. For each website visited by the participants, I developed
a separate data chart (partial example in Figure 24). Each chart included an image from
the site, the URL address, a column for the participant identifier, and a column of each
participant's recorded response. Each site chart enabled me to easily access any
participants and/or responses necessary to the analysis. The development of data charts
provided a visual record of all the data, whether meaningful or potentially irrelevant,
without my having to spend an inordinate amount of time sorting data, a
counterproductive endeavor (Hancock and Algozzine, 2006).
Figure 24 Website Visitation Data Chart Example
Participant As I ENTER this site I thi nk. . . .
134
A(f)9
A(m)ll
It is filled with a lot of art info.
It is located in NY
It is the Metropolitan Museum of Art
There are a lot of interesting pictures.
It also shows a little history about the picture.
I think this is a great site.
One of the most time-consuming portions of the data analysis was transcribing
the interview responses. However, it was also among the more enlightening processes.
Each of the seven interviews lasted anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes, and
although I digitally recorded them using the Olympus DW-90 Digital Voice Recorder
and downloaded the recordings using Olympus Digital Wave Player software for
Windows 98,1 manually had to transcribe the questions and responses onto my
computer. Some participants tended toward shyness at the onset of their interview and
were difficult to hear on the recording as previously stated. Once I transcribed each
interview, I then continued to categorize the responses based on previously referenced
thematic dimensions and newly identified ones.
Limitations of the Methodology
All research designs have their limitations. They also have their strengths.
Determining the most appropriate design course is tied to the questions being examined
and how to approach and address the research problem (Merriam, 1998).
Case study is a particularly appealing design for applied fields of study such
as education. Educational processes, problems, and programs can be examined
to bring about understanding that in turn can affect and perhaps even improve
practice. Case study has proven particularly useful for studying educational
innovations, for evaluating programs, and for informing policy (Merriam, 1998,
p. 41).
135
My decision and rationale to pursue a case study research design has already been
discussed, and although both quantitative and qualitative methods aided in the
collection of data for this investigation, the variety of data instruments used, such as
those selected and created, may well be considered limitations of the research design.
As the researcher, I grappled with the research design and my data instrument choices,
in part because it is in the researcher's nature to continually ask questions about the
methodology as new queries arise with the continuous examination of the data. For
example, my creation of a digital portfolio to collect data from participants' online
interactions with art museums' web activities could be considered a drawback to the
study's design. There is no historical precedent found in the literature of such a data
collection instrument to support its use in this research. The utilization of the digital
portfolios and the lack of a foundation for such a collection tool could be viewed as a
risky undertaking that impacted both the collection of information and its interpretation.
In hindsight, there are several data collection tools that could be considered
limitations to this case study, such as the aforementioned digital portfolio. However,
considering the nature of the research questions and their subsequent investigation, it is
not so much the data collection tools that could be considered limitations, but rather the
setting in which the tools were usedvirtual reality. Throughout the ten weeks of data
collection, the research investigation was dependent on computer technology. The
computers used for the study are maintained by a school district that networks its entire
system. There were class periods when several computers failed to link to the network
and participants were unable to log onto the Internet. The unpredictability, and on some
occasions, unreliability of the system caused frustration and confusion among
participants. Such computer issues are unavoidable, however, as the nature of
technology tends to be variable, especially when computers are connected to a network.
Additional technological factors that could be regarded as limitations of the
research are the art museums' websites themselves. Although periodically reviewed, a
few of the websites used in the study received updates, such as the addition of or
modification of activities. An example of this is the National Gallery of Art website
NGA Kids where the activity "Photo Op" was added during the data collection process.
Sharan B. Merriam (1998) suggests that researchers need to be aware of website
modifications when using online resources as a change in content or appearance could
result in data discrepancies both in terms of managing and interpreting the data
collected. Merriam (1998) also refers to another potential limitation of using
technology in case study research and that is the effect the medium can have on an
individual's personality. For example, a person may acquire an online personality that
differs greatly from his/her every day persona. This change in behavior and/or attitude
could effect how the individual interacts with various online activities and in online
settings.
Technological limitations addressed, there are other areas of the research to
examine for possible limitations. One in particular, according to Hancock and
Algozzine (2006), as well as several other case study researchers such as Creswell,
1998; Glesne & Pleshkin, 1992; and Hatch, 2002 to whom Hancock and Algozzine
refer, is the disadvantage of using quantitative tools like surveys and questionnaires.
These instruments are:
primarily self-report measuresresearch reveals that people do not
always portray themselves truthfully when they are asked to respond to surveys,
questionnaires, and examinations (Hancock and Algozzine, 2006, p. 52).
When completing the pre-study survey and the post-visit questionnaires, participants
worked independently. As a result, there is no way to determine how time, peers, and
comprehension of the questions may have influenced participants' responses unless
directly specified by the participants themselves.
The number of students who participated in the case study could be considered
an issue in terms of the quantity of data collected. While the small group of participants
may have less diversity in terms of life experiences, ethnicities, and socio-economic
backgrounds than a larger sample size, the information gathered is no less valuable and
the quantity of data collected should not be equated with the quality of data. It is the
context in which the data was collected, as well as the interpretation of the data, and the
implications it has for art education that are of paramount importance here. The focus
group size is not the only possible disadvantage with regard to the participants. My
three-year relationship to the participants as their art teacher could be construed as a
limitation as well. Although I did not see the participants on a daily basis in the art
studio or throughout the school, I was familiar with them as art students. As a result, the
participants might have felt a certain comfort level with me as the researcher who
observed their actions each week. The students may have felt more or less likely to let
down their guard in the research setting feeling either inhibited or overly relaxed; thus
influencing how they interacted with the web activities and one another.
Finally, my decision to contextualize the research with the use of Free-Choice
learning theory as the conceptual framework provokes reflection, and warrants
mention. Research of art museums' online art resources for children has no precedence
and would appear to require investigation from a multitude of perspectives, many
which have yet to be explored. That I selected Free-Choice learning theory as the lens
through which I would examine the phenomenon of online art museum education is
merely one perspective that can ultimately serve to provide a foundation for future
research in this area of arts learning. If we can generalize for a moment and freely
accept the statement that learning is possible everywhere, than Free-Choice learning is
not so much a limitation to this case study of online art education as it is a viable
possibility
Summary
In many respects I view this research investigation as an extension of myself as
an art educator and the influence I believe technology is beginning to assert on
children's visual art experiences and art education. By closely examining the
phenomenon of numerous art museums providing youngsters with online art activities,
using both qualitative and quantitative methods in a case study design, my intention is
that data collected will inform the future design of art museums' online art activities
and perhaps how both educators and students utilize these resources. The development
and implementation of a research methodology that is both descriptive and interpretive
in nature offered opportunities to collect a variety of data from multiple sources to
create a rich and illustrative depiction of a phenomenon in online art museum education
for readers. As online learning experiences are often self-selected and self-directed, I
examined and interpreted the data through the lens of Free-Choice learning theory. The
research questions and the thematic dimensions from previous related research also
guided my analysis of the data sources and are instrumental in conveying the data in a
manner that reflects participants' personal experiences with art museums' online art
activities.
Chapter IV will present the case study data in a richly descriptive narrative
format. The rationale for this design is twofold: to convey the research as a story of
youngster's experiences with art museums' online activities, particularly their personal
preferences, choices, and their social interactions; and to communicate the results in a
format that takes readers on a journey that makes use of participants' experiencesthe
emic perspectives with online art and art-making activities as developed by art
museums.
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Chapter IV
RESULTS: THE REAL
1
STORY OF YOUNGSTERS' VISITS TO
ART MUSEUMS' VIRTUAL ACTIVITY SITES
Introduction
While Chapter III introduced readers to the methodology of the data collection,
this chapter presents descriptive narratives of seven elementary-aged children's
experiences with art museums' online art activities constructed from the emic
perspectives of the participants via the various data collection tools and my observations
as the researcher. My goal in this chapter is to describe and illuminate the real online
journeys of the seven focus participants as they navigated the virtual art and art-making
opportunities offered by the four pre-selected art museums' websites.
Because I designed the investigation as a focused case study of children's Free-
Choice experiences with art museums' online web activities, my aim here is to
communicate the data in a format that invites readers to participate in the individual
online journey of each young co-researcher. "Case studies, which have as their goal to
convey understanding," according to Merriam (1998), "must contain enough description
to provide a vicarious experience for the reader" (p. 243). Therefore, the interpretive
nature of the narratives, which utilize specific examples from the various research data
types, encourage readers to engage with the collected information via a personal
The use of the term "real" refers here to the authentic experiences of the participant co-researchers based on
interviews, questionnaire data, and the researcher's observations, thereby emphasized by truthful and accurate
reporting.
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context, e.g. from the perspectives of the seven participants as well as from my
viewpoint as an observer.
There are currently no standardized formats or formalized methods for how to
present case study research findings in education (Merriam, 1998). This particular
investigation was an opportunity to explore an alternativea narrative designto more
commonly used presentation approaches of qualitative research findings such as
categorical, theoretical, or thematic (Merriam, 1998). While these three methods are not
overtly evident in the narratives, and no particular methodology takes precedence, they
were components of the contextual framework for the collection of data. However, it is
important to state here that although the narratives are interpretive in nature by way of
their presentation design and structure, they are not an analysis of the data; rather, the
narratives are the datainterpretive presentations of collected information (a
discussion of the findings occurs in Chapter V).
To present the datacontextualized by both Free-Choice Learning Theory and
the thematic dimensions outlined in Chapter IIIin a descriptive and engaging format,
I had to deconstruct and then reconstruct the information generated by the multiple data
collection tools to develop each participant's narrative. By recreating the data in this
way, I was able to compose multi-layered narratives that consist of participant's art
museum activity site visits, their relationship with computer technology, and their
knowledge of and experiences with the visual arts. There are three components to each
narrative: the participants' relationship with computer technology; the participants'
thoughts about art, art-making, and art museums; and the participants' experiences with
the pre-selected art museums' online activity sites. This final section of the three-part
narratives consists of four sub-sectionsone for each art museum websitethat
contain comments and images collected and/or generated by the children during their
site visits, intermingled with my observations and reflections as the researcher, as well
as any other anecdotal information pertinent to the phenomenon being investigated.
In order to illustrate and relate children's experiences with the online art
activities in a stimulating and informative way, each narrative considers the perspective
and voice of the individual participant, in particular their actions, interactions, and
comments when they engaged with, and later discussed, their online experiences with
activities from the four art museum websites. Merriam (1998) asserts that
one of the most difficult dilemmas to resolve in writing up qualitative
research is deciding how much concrete description to include as opposed to
analysis and interpretation and how to integrate one with the other so that the
narrative remains interesting and informative (p. 234).
To maintain consistency of the findings' content design, the thematic
dimensions of the conceptual framework have not been isolated and independently
highlighted in each of the narratives. The thematic dimensions have already been
considered and interwoven into the data collection process, particularly with regard to
my observations and reflections, and, therefore, an analysis of six main thematic
identifiers that emerged from the findings occurs in Chapter V. Readers, as previously
discussed, will visit the four art museum websites with each of the participants via the
children's digital portfolios, interview and questionnaire responses, observations and
reflective extracts from my research journal, and my evolving understanding of the
choices the participants made, the latter of which is a result of the deconstruction and
reconstruction of data to construct the narratives. The overall design of the narratives is
what Merriam (1998) refers to as "particular description" in that they contain quotes
143
from the participants and excerpts from my journal observations collected and
composed from the multiple data sources (p. 235).
One of the most challenging aspects of presenting qualitative data in this
manner is that, as the case study researcher, it is essential to be aware of one's partiality
as an observer in order to maintain objectivity when presenting the data in an
interpretive format, and later when analyzing it. As the art teacher of the participants, I
am familiar with their work habits, motivations, interests, abilities, behaviors, and
personalities. Any inclusion of or references to these characteristics is due to my
professional knowledge of the participants as students in my art classes, and serve to
further contextualize the children's experiences and not to reflect partiality on my part.
Hancock and Algozzine (2006) stress the importance of researcher bias awareness in
qualitative research and state,
the researcher must recognize his or her personal role and biases related to the
research. Unlike other forms of research in which the researcher attempts to
maintain distance from the setting and activities, case study researchers are
usually immersed in their work. As a result, if not recognized and addressed,
these researchers' inherent biases and predispositions may prejudice their
activities and interpretations of the study's findings. Case study researchers
must actively attempt to identify and mitigate the effects of their biases and
prejudices in order to ensure the impartiality of their conclusions (p. 47).
Therefore, in some cases, my research journal reflections of the enrichment classes may
contain anecdotal information about a participant and have been included to give
readers a more developed sense of who the co-researchers are and the choices they
made, but are not an interpretation of the data findings. In addition, any verbal
interaction I had with the participants during the online data collection process became
evidence in my research journal as observations, reflections, or inquiries. To reiterate,
the intent of such inclusions is to contextualize children's choices, comments, critiques,
and experiences with art museums' online art activities and are not reflective of the
researcher's bias.
Because I designed the study to be a Free-Choice learning experience for the
participants, I did not want my presence or comments to their queries to influence their
choices and interactions with the online art activities. The nature of technology is such
that issues do occur, and based on my experience with both children and computers,
questions will arise. Therefore, if a participant questioned me rather than Ms. Watnik,
the technology facilitator, I recorded the dialogue in my journal to avoid the appearance
of bias entering the data collection process.
Chapter Outline
In order to guide readers through the complexity of data condensed into each
narrative, this section outlines the layout of the chapter. Each section builds upon the
previous one in order to lay the framework for the most crucial component of this
chapterthe participants' narratives. Readers will first be introduced to the research
setting so that they have an understanding of the physical environment where the
weekly data collection process occurred. This in turn will be pertinent to the analysis of
the findings presented in Chapter V, when data analysis considers how the physical
space may or may not have influenced the interaction and the choices the participants
had and/or made. The second part of this chapter is the more substantial portion of the
chapter and comprises a brief biography of each participant along with the three-part
145
descriptive narratives of participants' relationship with technology, thoughts about the
arts, and their virtual visitations to four art museums' websites for children.
The narratives will follow the same format for each participant. The reasons for
this are twofold: to maintain consistency through repetition of presentation method and
to integrate as much information from the data sources into the narratives as possible to
illustrate parallel reporting of the data. Hancock and Algozzine (2006) emphasize
the primary characteristic of reporting findings when doing case study
research is repetitive, continual review of obtained information to identify
answers to questions being investigated. The process is generally facilitated by
categorizing information into themes that represent tentative and then final
outcomes for the research. Identifying themes involves a series of steps that end
in a collection of parallel findings representing the results of the investigation.
Reports of case study research reflect all aspects of the investigative process
using integrative sections of text or illustrative tables to reduce the typical
volumes ofavailable information to meaningful units for confirmation and
dissemination (p. 62).
As previously discussed, the themes that contextualized the data collection are
not highlighted and presented within the format of the narratives, but the six
overarching themes that emerged from the findings as a result of the data collected will
be introduced at the close of the narratives. Contained within the narratives, text fonts
have been altered to differentiate between my observations and reflections as the
researcher and direct quotes from the participants in response to inquiries and their
experiences. Direct quotes from the participants have been italicized within the body of
each narrative or offset due to length. Both my observations as the researcher and my
observation journal reflectionsrecorded during the data collection and following a
weekly review of my notes have been condensed and italicized in bold font within
box frames to maintain the narratives' flow. Also included are images from
participants' digital portfolios. To review the thematic dimensions previously identified
in Chapter III and referenced during the data collection process to contextualize the
data, refer to Table 4 on page 121. Based on the findings, these themes have been
filtered and condensed into six overarching and focused, yet broader, categories of how
children approached these websites and will be discussed at length and in greater depth
in light of the findings in Chapter V.
The Physical Setting
The Computer Instructional Center (CIC) of the elementary school where I am
employed as an art educator became the research site for the ten-week-long case study.
The room is a Macintosh platform computer classroom outfitted with twenty-five 2008
iMac computers. Additionally, the space contains a meeting rug area for students, an
LCD projector, and technology-related imagery and charts, but it lacks warmth,
intimacy, and personality in comparison with other classrooms throughout the school.
Typical classrooms throughout the school bear the decided stamp of individual teachers
and the students who comprise their learning communities. Both teachers and students
alike tend to personalize their individual work areas and collectively decorate the
classroom space with images, text, posters, books, and handiwork projecting a
distinctive class character. Despite its lack of personality and an atmosphere decidedly
different from grade level classrooms, the CIC is usually abuzz with teachers designing
lessons and instructional materials on a computer, printing, or viewing a new software
program or website while students complete assignments, surf the Internet for
information, and learn new programs.
The room has a "U" shaped computer bank configuration around the perimeter
ffaKtFfi*}
of the space, as shown in this image . This setup enables teachers
to easily view each student's computer screen to monitor their progress and lean over a
keyboard to assist when necessary. The layout of the computers in the room also
requires students to face their computer screen and not one another, as they sit
"shoulder to shoulder." Hence, interaction is mainly between the student and the
computer screen rather than student-to-student or teacher-to-student(s).
When the computer/classroom teacher introduces a new software program or
discusses an assignment with the students, the children first gather on the rug area and
look to a large viewing screen WBrnaSm^m^SniBB (top right of the image). This
screen displays images projected from an LCD projector connected to a computer
*a
^
fetfAlfl
accessed by a teacher m' *& 1 From this central computer I used the
LCD projector to introduce the co-researchers to the websites used in the study as well
as to review the various procedures for collecting data, such as creating image screen
shots, completing online questionnaires, and saving data to digital portfolios.
As part of their technology education at school, all the participants share a
common foundation of specific hardware and software program knowledge. For
example, all students, beginning in grade two and moving up through grade five, learn
how to efficiently use a computer keyboard with the program Type to Learn. This
program uses instructional activities in the form of games, drills, and exercises to
develop children's facility with keyboarding and word processing. Students also learn
how to use programs for assignments such as: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Timeliner,
Kidpix, and online sites such as Brainpop and Master Guru, to name a few, as well as
the search engine Google to collect information. During indoor recess periods, students
have a classroom computer rotation schedule, and can engage with a variety of online
and software programs throughout their allotted time.
Introduction to the Narratives
In order to represent as accurately as possible the varied experiences of the
seven co-researchers with art museums' interactive website activities, I had to
continually revisit the data collection documents: interview responses, journal notes,
questionnaire data, and digital portfolios. The seven narratives presented here are
therefore descriptive presentations of each participant's responses organized into four
distinct yet connected sections. They are: brief biographies of the participants,
participants' relationships with computer technology; participants' thoughts about and
experiences with art, the art-making process, and art museums; and participants'
experiences with art museums' online art activities.
Despite parental permission to participate in all aspects of the study, two of the
participant's were too self-conscious to be photographed working on their computer
and declined being photographed even from behind, therefore, included with some of
the narratives is a photograph of the individual participant engaged in the process of
interacting with an online art museum activity. It is important for readers to be mindful
that the study's participants range in age from nine to eleven years old. Therefore, some
of their responses to inquiries and the gaps in some data may appear limited or lacking
specificity as well as their experiences with, and knowledge of, art and technology.
What information has been included is representative of their online experiences and
accurate of their responses to questionnaires and interview inquiries as well as
reflective of my observations as the researcher.
Nowhere in this document do the full names (first and last names) of the
participants appear, per IRB regulations for working with youngsters. I do, however,
use the participants' first names, monikers that are not uncommon to the school where I
work. Each co-researcher has also been assigned a color code identifier; therefore, they
can remain anonymous and not be definitively identified. Although fifteen participants
enrolled in the enrichment course, I elected to focus on the experiences and impressions
of seven individual participants. At the onset of the enrichment course I did not
consciously choose to concentrate on these particular seven children. My original
intention was to examine the data collected from all the students who had parental
permission to participate. However, inconsistent attendance and/or parental refusal of a
child's participation in the research portion of the course compelled me to refocus my
attentions on children who consistently contributed to the research endeavor each week
of the course and/or were given parental consent to participate in all portions of the
study.
The seven participants who became the focus group and who I designated my
co-researchers, were not merely the most involved, but their personalities, shared
comments, interest in art, and their engagement with the online art museum web
activities emerged, and coalesced as the group of children on whom to direct my
observations. The seven co-researchers reside in an affluent suburb of New York City
and all are from upper socio-economic households. Five of the seven are from deeply
religious Persian-Jewish families, a component of their upbringing that greatly
influences who they are as well as a cultural group that composes a large majority of
the school's demographics. Interestingly, one pronounced commonality worth noting
here among the focus group participants was a professed enjoyment of art and art-
making, a common declaration made by each of the participants when they attended my
art class over the years; hence, my belief in their commitment to contribute to the data
collection process on a consistent basis.
The Narratives
Class 1 -Introduction: Review of Routines and Procedures for
Collecting Data
Students were introduced to the enrichment course, how it
would work, build (from week to week), and what would be
expected of them (to be critical researchers of art museums' web
activities, but have free choice to choose what they did). Most
importantly, I reviewed the contents of their enrichment
folders which consisted of the necessary IRB forms. Students
were asked to further review these forms with parents and to
have them signed and returned by next week's session when the
data collection would begin. Students were also given an
opportunity to ask any questions they might have about the
course, expectations and research components. This took
approximately 15-20 mins. No questions were asked other than
"when can we get started?" and "can we print out our stuff?"
Yes, they could print as long as they asked first, and yes, they
would begin momentarily.
Students were introduced to the concept of using a digital
portfolio. The students were introduced to the idea ofaportfolk
by comparing it to the artist's portfolio/compendium they keep
in the art studio for art class. I used the Proximo projector to
model for students how to access their portfolios, use the
portfolios, save work to the portfolios, and what is expected of
them as researchers. This introduction took a good 15 minutes,
so students had limited time to work (about 10 min.). I decided
to use the Getty Museum's site as the introductory site and not
as one of the actual research sites as it was not a site that they
would be critiquing. Students would be able to familiarize
themselves with how the portfolios work using the Getty site
without compromising their experiences with the preselected
research sites.
Students were eager to explore the introductory website and
the digital portfolios independently. Several asked during the
introduction if they could get started. Once they accessed the
initial portfolio and linked to the website, students expressed
an immediate interest in taking a "snapshot" (screen shot) of
whatever they were doing or created (such as an avatar seen
in Abigail's example below). This actually worked out well
because students were practicing this component of the digital
portfolio requirement and they had an opportunity to ask
questions about the process.... Students also had the
opportunity to get a sense of what they would be doing, how
they were to go about doing it, and why they were being asked
to save their online experiences in this way (Researcher's
journal, January 17, 2008).
~" (Abigail's screen shot of her avatar)
Abigail is an intelligent, soft-spoken, nine-year-old fourth grader who projects
quiet confidence and thoughtfulness in everything she says and does. Abigail's father is
a physician of European descent and her mother is from the Philippines. As a result,
Abigail speaks both English and Tagalog. Abigail's family travels often and due to her
travel excursions she possesses a well-developed awareness of various cultures and
their artistic heritages for a nine year old. She also possesses a keen understanding and
sensitivity to differences among individuals and ideas that are evidenced by her
thoughtful contributions to many art studio discussions.
Abigail is well liked by her peers and is a sought-after friend for her calm
presence and gentle disposition. Abigail is a consistently strong student academically,
according to her classroom teachers. She loves to read, write, play music, and use
different materials to create a variety of artworks. I have observed Abigail to be a very
neat artist and she takes prodigious care to both follow directions (mostly for safety
purposes) and activate her imagination when she is in the art room. Abigail will
typically take time to think about and consider how and what she is going to make
before she dives into a creative experience. I would consider Abigail a student who
values creating art that demonstrates effort and thoughtfulness rather than placing
greater importance on producing multiple works. When she requires clarity of an
assignment or assistance with developing an idea, Abigail will not hesitate to elicit the
teacher's or a classmate's guidance and suggestions.
Abigail's Relationship with Computer Technology
Abigail shares a computer with her younger sister, a third grader. Because she
shares a computer with her sibling and her parents monitor their technology usage,
Abigail uses her home computer only a few times per week where she will spend on
average of less than an hour at a sitting. The overall time Abigail spends online is
dependent on the day, on her school work load, and at her parents' discretion. She
spends more time on a computer during the week at school than she does at home. The
majority of Abigail's home computer time is used for school assignments and when she
completes these in a timely manner, she is able to spend longer periods visiting various
Internet sites of interest.
When she does use her computer for leisure time, Abigail prefers to go online
and visit some of her favorite sites, professing to prefer to be on the Internet for at least
an hour to maximize her online time, but as she said, "that rarely happens?' Some of
Abigail's favorite sites to frequent are: www.disneychannel.com which she finds useful
for frivolous entertainment as she can play games; www.webkinz.com from which
Abigail noted that she has learned about responsibility through the care of a virtual pet;
and www.americangirl.com which is a site that combines historical information with a
154
variety of activities. Abigail wrote in her questionnaire that she enjoys sites where she
can learn things by doing different activities.
Abigail feels her strengths as a computer literate youngster are to: independently
navigate the Internet to locate interesting information to develop her general knowledge
and aid with her schoolwork; communicate effectively with her friends; and occupy and
entertain herself with games. Abigail's favorite online activity is to play games, but she
also expressed an interest in watching silly videos, researching information specifically
for school assignments, downloading and listening to music, and making and looking at
pictures on a range of topics. Prior to her involvement in this research endeavor,
Abigail had never visited a museum website, although she has physically been to
museums which will be evident in the next section of Abigail's narrative which
introduces readers to her thoughts about art, art-making, and art museums.
Abigail's Thoughts about Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums
During my interview with Abigail, her gentle disposition was evident in her
soft, hesitant responses that were sometimes difficult to understand, particularly when I
transcribed our recorded conversation. However, based on what I recorded both
digitally and in written form of Abigail's interview, I found her answers to be brief, but
thoughtful. Our conversation began with a discussion of why people create art. Abigail
suggested that making art is about sharing ideas because people create it "in different
parts of the world...and we can see it." Art can be a hobby for some people she noted
and a way for others to see how people look and see what they do. Ideas for what
155
people make come "from life" and according to her,"// doesn 't matter if it's good or
not good, as long as they put effort in."
Abigail has been on frequent travels with her family and has seen art from
various cultures around the world. Her favorite artworks are those of the Impressionists,
particularly Monet. "It's the colors," she affirmed, "so soft." Abigail enjoys looking at
and talking about the colors and subject of Impressionists' work she has seen in
museums, such as on visits to the Metropolitan. With regard to her own creative
endeavors, Abigail implied that she is not always sure how she feels when she is
making something of her own. "Ifeel like I don't know what to do or it's hard, but in
the end, it's worth it!" I asked Abigail to think about materials she has worked with and
enjoys using. Her response was definitive, "painting, drawing, or collage!" Although
she expressed enjoyment when having worked with clay, Abigail prefers to sketch and
put her ideas together using paper and other materials.
Abigail had positive things to say about visiting art museums. While she did not
remember the exact names of the few museums she has visited other than the '
Metropolitan and "the museum in Washington, D.C.," Abigail implied that she enjoyed
visiting them and liked to see Impressionists' work and Egyptian artifacts. "We can
learn from looking... especially from things so old and from different places." When I
asked Abigail why she thought art museums would have websites and online activities
for children she responded,
"So you can know what it will be like when you go there. . .
[but] on the computer there's technical stuff [but] if you go
in person you'll see the artwork. . . . I would rather go in person. "
156
Based on her experiences of virtually visiting four art museums and creating images
using their digital art programs, I asked Abigail if she had a preference for making art
on a computer or using tangible materials. Abigail's response was hesitant: "Hmm...I
don't know...I think, I think something real...I don't know... something I can feel,
something that feels more like mine. Hike knowing that 1 really made it."
Abigail's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities
Met Kids
When Abigail entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website Met Kids, her
first impression based on the site's main page was that the website would be "filled with
a lot of art z'/b[rmation]" about art from "that museum located in NYC." Following her
initial observation, Abigail found the site easy to navigate, but did not think that it had a
very visually appealing main page that encouraged children to explore the site. "It's
kind of boring looking," she wrote. The three activities I observed Abigail spending
time using during the two, forty-five-minute sessions were: "The Dancers and Degas,"
"How van Gogh Made his Mark," and "Cezanne's Astonishing Apples." However,
Abigail spent less time on "How van Gogh Made His Mark" than doing other things on
the site and did not take screenshots of her explorations with this program. Abigail
imported two screenshots into her digital portfolio of the work she did using the Degas
and Cezanne programs. They are shown in Figures 25 and 26. In her exit questionnaire,
Abigail noted that the Degas program was her favorite activity because "/ like to dance.
Figure 25: Activity, "The Dancers and Degas" Figure 26: Activity, Cezanne s Astonishing
Affiles"
Figure 27: Edgar Degas, The Dancer Figure 28: Activity, "Knights of Central Park"
1111111
Abigail opted to save only two artwork images (Degas's sculpture of a dancer
and a suit or armor shown in Figures 27 and 28) from the Met's collection that she
observed, or connected with, to her digital portfolio because she felt she could "visit
them [artwork from the Met] at any time''' online or through a visit to the Met. Abigail
did not request to print out any of the images she saved. Upon exiting the site, Abigail
noted that "there's a lot of information" and "a lot of the activities are based on artists
and their work" but that the site "should have some more activities" without indicating
what types of activities she would like to see on the site. Contrary to this, Abigail
indicated on the exit questionnaire that the site offered a lot of choices of things to see
and do, despite her impression that more activities would be desirable. Additionally,
she thought the site was great for her age, but she did not like how the site appeared in
terms of its visual presentation. "It looks uninteresting," she said, reiterating her initial
sentiment of the site. This in turn did not encourage her to explore the site further, she
noted.
ArtsConnected
Figure 29 Figure 30
Due to a pre-scheduled family trip during the research period, Abigail spent
only one of the two designated sessions on the Artsconnected website. Abigail
commented that the main page of the site featured in the digital portfolio (Figure 29)
made her wonder if "some of the artwork is based on dogs?" "Why a poodle?" she
asked in the initial response section of her digital portfolio and saved the two images
attached to the portfolio above in connection with her inquiries. She also noted that the
site image of the Toolkit "has bright colors" (Figure 30) and that this section may have
activities that involve working "with color.. . and shape." I observed Abigail spending
more time using the Toolkit's program about shape (Figures 32 and 33) and
experiencing some issues with it rather than spending time to explore the other sections
of the website, although, she did create a work using the Line program (Figure 31). An
excerpt from my research journal notes what appears to be Abigail uncertainty with
how the Toolkifs shape program functions:
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Abigail [appears] perplexed to me by the puzzled look on her
face. She stops what she is doing and looks around; perhaps to
see if anyone else is having the same issue as she appears to be
having. Abigail is trying to move and place shapes around one
of her compositions but appears to be having difficulty. Abigail
turns her attention toward Claudia when she overhears her
asking me about the shapes overlapping and covering other
shapes, shapes she wants to see. . . . Following my response to try
another tool, Abigail and Claudia find a solution together and
each create several more shape collages with the program
(Researcher's journal; February 7,2008).
Figure 31: Line, "The Artist's Toolkit"
Figure 32: Shape, "The Artist's Toolkit"
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In the exit response questionnaire, Abigail felt that the site offered "some good
things" without being specific as to what, and based on her exploration of the site
commented, "It's definitely not a site about dogsT However, she would have preferred
to see more examples of artwork or have more opportunities to view additional
artworks related to the shape program and did not save any artwork to her portfolio that
interested her. Abigail additionally questioned the inclusion of a lizard form as an
"organic''' shape in the shape program. To overcome what she thought was a "weird
shape to include, " Abigail worked with the shape (Figure 33) and composed a
composition around it noting that her inclusion of water was to "show the free-form
organic shape (of the lizard)." Based on her experiences with the "Toolkit" site,
Abigail responded in her exit questionnaire that the site "needs more artwork.. .and
better activities" but she did not specify what she meant by "better activities" or offer
suggestions for site inclusions that would encourage her to visit again.
NGA Kids
1 R
The 4 graders are to use the laptops today to go on the National
Gallery's site. arrives late and Abigail, who arrived early,
shows him where to go. He asks about the activity that she is
doing. Abigail is working on Brushter [a painting program that
offers a spray paint option]. The few minutes they work together
they do not make eye contact with each other and instead
[concentrate] on their screen[s] and keyboard[s] (Researcher's
Journal, March 13, 2008).
Abigail spent two, forty-five-minute sessions exploring the National Gallery of
Art's NGA Kids, a website she indicated on her exit questionnaire as being easy to
navigate and therefore "good to use." Abigail's first impressions of the site were that it
would have "a lot of art from history" and that it was "very colorfuV which appealed to
her immediately. Abigail supported this line of thinking in the exit questionnaire where
she indicated that she appreciated how the site looks and that its visual appeal
suggested that it would be a great site for her age and a site most likely worth revisiting.
I observed Abigail spending the two sessions on the site primarily engaging
with the BRUSHster program (Figure 34), a program she discovered toward the end of
the first session and then, based on my observations, used primarily during the second
week. Abigail found the capacity to spray paint with her mouse an exciting venture
based on her exclamation that she "really liked [it]/" a response she recorded in her
digital portfolio. In Addition to BRUSHster, Abigail created and saved pieces she
composed from the Jungle (Figure 35), Dutch Dollhouse (Figure 36), and the Still Life
(Figure 37) programs. Although she "really liked some of the programs,'" Abigail's
physical actions and reactions made her appear more engaged with the BRUSHster
program than other activities as evidenced by an excerpt from my observation journal:
Both Abigail and Claudia are spending a large part of their
time this [second NGA Kids] session using the BRUSHster
program. Claudia is pointing to her screen and saying
something to Abigail Abigail looks to Claudia's screen and
smiles as Claudia "spraypaints" her name. They both then
continue to create lines and shapes and then erase the
compositions they make, going back and forth looking between
each other's screens.
Is this perhaps because the process of using the program is
more interesting to them than the product(s) they created? I can
hear them discussing with one another which one of their
BRUSHster images to save to their digital portfolios [of the ones
they took screen shots of] (Researcher's journal, March 13,
2008).
Overall, Abigail found the NGA Kids site to "have interesting topics" and "it
offered a lot of choices of things to do." She did not pinpoint or identify in her exit
questionnaire the topics she considered interesting, nor did she record what she did not
like about the site and its activities. However, she did note in her exit questionnaire that
she would visit the site again and recommend it to others because of the many things
kids could do, like "spray paint!" and the many artists one could learn about. Abigail
also indicated that she would visit the National Gallery of Art again because, based on
its website (and her prior visit), the museum has "many great artworks" to see.
162
Destination
Abigail's initial sense of the Museum of Modern Art's website Destination, as
noted in her digital portfolio, was that it "has a lot of hot colors" and that it is a
museum website "filled with art done today." Many of the artists featured on the site
Abigail "had never heard of before" and, as a result, she would like to go to the
museum to see their artwork first hand. Abigail recorded that the site was easy to
navigate and that it had "a lot of things to do... and offered a lot of choices." However,
she foundand did not specify whicha few of the artists' activity sections did not
163
have a lot of things to do and she "didn 't like that.'''' What she found interesting to do on
the MoMA site that she had not done elsewhere on an art museum website was to
'"''make my own poem to go with apiece of art that I know'''' (Figure 38). Furthermore,
Abigail found the inclusion of sound to some of the artists' links, such as the van Gogh
section, to provide a different context for the artist's work than she experienced with
the "How van Gogh Made His Mark" program on the Met website. This addition, she
recorded in her portfolio, made the site "great for my age." An excerpt from my journal
hints to Abigail's interest in the sound portion of the van Gogh link:
Abigail and Claudia discuss working on the MoMA site
and looking at the van Gogh section with the sound
effects. "That other site with van Gogh was different,"
responds Abigail Shania, chimes in and comments on
how much she likes the site. Both Claudia and Abigail
confirm that they like the site, but that they dislike the
alien in the beginning (Researcher's Journal, March 27,
2008).
Figure 38: Abigail's Poem for van Gogh's Starry Night
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Additional activities Abigail engaged with and specified she enjoyed were to
create her own rug design (Figure 39) based on Polly Apfelbaum's link, design her own
chair collection from Kazuo Kawasaki's link (Figure 40), create an animation with John
Canemaker's link (Figure 41), and put together a collage using the "tools" section of
Romare Bearden's link (Figure 42). Based on these experiences and how the site
164
appealed to her visual and auditory senses, Abigail wrote that she would "definitely"
recommend the website to her sister and others
Figure 39: Activity, "Polly Apfelbaum"
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Figure 40: Activity, "Kazuo Kawasaki"
Figure 41: Activity, "John Canemaker" Fiaure 42: Activitv. "Romare Bearden"
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Postscript
Following Abigail's online experiences, I asked her during her interview about
her overall impressions of the site and what she thought someone needed to know, if
165
anything, about art and/or computers to make art in virtual reality. "You have to know
different art materials and different technical things, " she responded. When I asked her
to be more specific, Abigail responded readily, "how to draw and how to use a
[computer] mouseT Based on all her visitation experiences, Abigail said that her two
favorite sites were NGA Kids and Met Kids. She commented that she preferred these
two sites because there was a good balance of things to do and see and information to
learn. MoMA's Destination site and Artsconnected were not as interesting to her
because "there wasn 't much to look at... [not enough] exploration, too much
information, and too little balance [overall]." Again, Abigail was not able to be specific
about what she would have liked to see and do or the choices she would have like to
have been offered.
Adam [A(m)ll]
Adam is a somewhat shy, eleven-year-old, fifth-grade student who displays a
sweetness of temper, a thoughtful maturity and a quiet demeanor. Adam's parents were
both born in Iran and his Persian heritage is a strong component of his daily life. Adam
speaks three languages fluently: English, Farsi, and Hebrew. Adam is proud of his
heritage as is evidenced by his frequent references to his family background in his
creative endeavors and his conversations during art periods. More specifically, Adam
will refer to family events and memories connected with his cultural upbringing when
developing his visual ideas. Although he must work diligently to express his ideas
visually, Adam is a dedicated art student who does not hesitate to ask for guidance or
elicit suggestions for ways to improve upon his efforts. By improve, my intent here is to
suggest that Adam is always striving for ways to build upon his ideas and present them
in as thoughtful and creative ways as possible, despite his lack of technical skill with
various media.
Adam's teachers speak fondly of him and his fifth-grade teacher describes him
as a smart and motivated student. While I would describe him similarly, I also find him
to be amiable and a risk-taker who enjoys discovering and trying new ideas regardless
of their difficulty. Although Adam seems to prefer to work independently, especially
when motivated by his creative pursuits, he will not hesitate to share his thoughts and
suggestions with his classmates during art periods.
Adam's Relationship with Computer Technology
Adam is the oldest child of three brothers. Adam shares a computer with his
youngest brother as his middle sibling is on the autism spectrum and has his own
computer. Adam is hesitant to discuss his middle sibling, but noted that this brother has
his own computer (a computer Adam and his youngest brother are not allowed to use)
because, as Adam stated, "he needs one to help him out" As the oldest child, Adam is
permitted to use the computer he shares for longer periods of time than his younger
brother, about one to three hours at a time. If possible, Adam will use the computer
every day and will go online as much as his parents allow him. According to Adam,
this is rarely every day. "/ use the computer more at school.''''
Adam's favorite online entertainment activity is to watch '"''cool videos" on
www.Youtube.com. He also likes to use www.aim.com to chat with his friends and
family. "I'm a good typist," he said, and can therefore IM quickly with family and
friends. Adam also enjoys the www.randomhouse.com website. Adam is an avid reader
and by using this site he can read more about his favorite authors and books, as well as
learn about other books that might be of interest to him. Adam's requirements for a
"good'' website are the availability of choices of what to see and do, as well as a site
that regularly updates itself so that there are new and multiple alternatives from which
to select. Although Adam had never visited a museum's website before his participation
in this study, he stated that he was "anxious to see what else is in cyberspace."
Adam's Thoughts about Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums
Despite his tendency toward shyness, Adam became surprisingly talkative
during his interview. Adam did not hesitate to respond to the many inquiries I posed
and even elaborated on his responses when asked for further information. My first
question asked Adam why he thinks people make art. In response, Adam paused and
then stated,
/ think people make art because they want to just have
fun and be creative and spend their time doing something
they like to do.. .or cause maybe they have a job of making
art and if they don't make a good [work] they might not be
paid.
According to Adam, creative ideas can come from nature, our life, or our surroundings.
Art he said should be "very creative and colorful and they [people] should have some
kind of inspiration." Adam's artistic inspiration comes from his family or from his
experiences. For example, he said "if I'm outside, maybe I like to draw a picture ofa
building or if I go on vacation I can draw pictures of those [what I see there].. .1 would
think about what happened in my life in the past, or I would look outside and see what's
out there." Adam likes Monet's work and looking at and making collages as well as
working with clay.
When Adam creates something of his own, he remarked about feeling excited
by the process. "I feel excited because for some projects I don't know how it's going to
look when it's done... [like when] we have to put it [clay] into the furnace, umm, kiln."
Adam continued to comment about clay suggesting that he could make anything he
wanted out of it. "You get to shape it so it's like an animal or a face. You could shape it
any way you want to." However, he observed the variable nature of clay by saying that
he finds it more difficult to work with than with drawing materials.
Sometimes before you put it in the kiln it could fall
apart [and then] it's harder to put it together. So
it's when you 're drawing that you don't have to
worry about that happening. It's not going to fall
apart after you draw it!
Adam's experiences with museums have been limited. He could not remember
ever going to an art museum, but did recall visiting a museum when he was younger
169
where there were computers and he could do different things. Adam felt that visiting an
art museum could be useful
because maybe [you] want to learn more about art
and see what other artists have done... //"[you're]
doing research on a famous artist you could find
lots of paintings from the artist and there might be
activities that they '11 let you do and that's it...they
might let you do a sculpture.
Adam's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities
Met Kids
In Adam's digital portfolio for the Met site, he recorded his initial impression:
"I think this [will be] a great site. . . there are lots of interesting pictures [and] it also
shows a little history about the picture and I like that." During the two sessions Adam
worked on the site, he collected numerous artworks to create a small gallery in his
digital portfolio. Although in Figure 45 image icons are shown littering his desktop.
These images he titled "my favorites" but did not elaborate in his portfolio as to why
these images appealed to him. In my journal, I noted the plethora of images I observed
Adam save to bis desktop at the end of the two sessions of using the Met website.
Figure 43: Adam's Desktop, January 24, 2008
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170
Adam is moving quickly through the Met site. He is going back
and forth between different images, taking screenshots of particular
works. His desktop (Figure 43) appears to be littered with images.
From what I can determine, he has yet to begin to engage with
any of the activities. It seemed as though he was creating a virtual
collage composition (in his portfolio). He also seems undeterred by
the excited conversation that Yves is having with another
participant about a joust game a few computers down. . . . Adam is
now reviewing the images he has collected and appears to be
thoughtfully arranging several of them into his digital portfolio
(Researcher's Journal, January 24, 2008).
Following my written observation of Adam creating what looked almost like his
own digital gallery space in his digital portfolio, I approached him and asked if he
could minimize his portfolio so that I could take a picture of his desktop screen. Adam
replied affirmatively and when he reopened his portfolio I inquired as to why he picked
the two images shown in Figures 44 and 45 (although Figures 46 and 47 were also
visible) and responded thus: "I've been to the museum - the Met - a lot of times," I
said, "and I don't think I've ever seen these [two] works. I actually saw something new
that you found on the website. Why did you pick these?" I asked (Researcher's Journal,
January 24, 2008). Adam responded that they grabbed his attention because of their
details and the materials from which they were made.
. . . . and this one (Figure 44) for some reason reminded me of this one,
(pointing to Figure 45 first) even though they 're completely different,
but the whole shape of them, I don't know, something about them,
they reminded me of each other. . . . I think it was because it didn 't
look like they used the materials we use now to make sculptures,
I mean like buildings and stuff, it looks like they used like clay
maybe, or yeah clay. I liked the design on it.
Adam has been using the Degas program. He asks me about
adding color to his virtual collage on the screen, but says that he
can not find the color option. Abigail overhears and lets Adam
know that although he can create a composition with figures, he
has to print the image out and add color himself. It can not be
done on [line on] the screen.
Several students continue to experience technical difficulty when
accessing their personal network accounts. Their accounts do not
seem to be interacting with the Safari browser causing them to
lose work not saved Students are again reminded by the
technology person to save their work [to their desktop].
Observation: Based on the information he receives from Abigail,
Adam does not keep his Degas collage or request to print it out
Reflection: in this environment, how do these network issues
impact students' experiences and the flow of their Free-Choice
session? Problems such as these would not [necessarily] be
encountered on a home computer (Researcher's Journal, January
31,2008).
In his site exit questionnaire of the Metropolitan kids site, Adam wrote "[I] got
to make my own drawings.. .. I made a self-portrait and a landscape. My landscape
[shows] nighttime" (Figures 48 and 49). Later in his interview he commented, "I think
they should add more options to draw for there was only one color." In addition, Adam
worked with the program "Cezanne's Apples." He created the image seen in Figure 50.
"I didn 'tfinish this one," he commented. He went on to say, "I was thinking of tall
buildings, the Empire State building, but I didn 't try to make it, I was just thinking of
it." Adam did finish his exit questionnaire of the site with numerous observations. He
liked the site because it had a lot of choices of "things to see and do and still a lot of
activities." However, he indicated in his exit response that the visual design of the site
did not particularly appeal to him, "It's rather boring looking," he stated, "but [the site
is] easy to get around." Overall he thought that the site "was amazing.... Hiked it a
lot." He indicated that he "got to draw things.... I didn't know I could draw with my
mouse!" Although he mentioned that he wasn't "cr[a]zy about some of the artwork," he
would "visit the site again and visit the museum b/c I had a lot of fun and I would want
to learn more about the history of some of the artifacts."
Figure 48: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His Mark" Figure 49: Activity: "How van Gogh Made His Mark"
(Self-portrait) (Landscape)
Figure 50: Activity, "Cezanne's Astonishing Apples'
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ArtsConnected
Observation & Reflection: ALL of the students lean into and look
closely at their screens, almost as though they are myopic. I feel
uncomfortable as I observe them. The glare of the screens
making my eyes tired from afar! What is the reason for this?
Adam is leaning particularly close as he works on what looks to
be a needlepoint activity on the website.
When I have observed children in the art studio they will often
focus intently on the materials they are using, sometimes not at
all as in the case of clay where they. . . seem to want to smell
it first and then work with it without even looking at it until they
are ready to begin sculpting in earnest However, how they look
so closely at the screen and how they look at their work in the art
studio are quite different; the close proximity to a screen and to
paint or clay is quite different.
Reflection: Could this interaction with the computer screen
impact how they relate to the content or activities? Is the close
proximity to the screen a result of attempting to connect/relate
more directly with the online art as in a museum or a physical
material as in an art room? A big leap in terms of how individuals
interact with computer screens, one another, art materials, their
environment, etc. (Researcher's Journal, March 7, 2008).
Prior to his exploration of Artsconnected, Adam noted in his portfolio that the
homepage is "very colorfuV and wrote that he thought the site would "most likely have
lots of games and things we can draw." Following his two, forty-five minute sessions
on the site (Adam arrived early both classes), Adam recorded that the site was easy to
navigate and "really fun!" "I got to play lots of games, I got to draw lots of things, I got
174
to make interesting pictures, and I made, I think, a sculpture." Although I observed
Adam spending significant site time using the Artist's Toolkit (most of the two
sessions) and viewing various artworks, he only saved one screen shot of a piece he
created (Figure 51) using the Artist's Toolkit "Shape" program. The other two examples
(one example shown as Figure 52) are from a needlepoint-making activity called
"Fabric Factory" that is no longer active on the Artsconnected website.
Figure 51: "My favorite activity" (Shape, "The Artist's Toolkit")
Adam saved two examples of artworks he connected with on the website
(Figures 53 and 54). He collected a screenshot from a locomotion film that he found to
be "cooF (Figure 53) and the other is an image of a artwork (Figure 54) that he thought
was "beautiful." Adam confirmed these responses to artwork on the site when he later
175
indicated on his exit questionnaire that he "really liked the site" and would want to visit
the actual museum because he would be able to "see many nice artifacts." Adam also
wrote that he would recommend the site to a friend because as he reiterated, "// had lots
of games and I got to draw lots of stuff."
Figure 53: "I saw a cool movie!" Figure 54: "It has beautiful artwork!"
NGA Kids
Adam's time on the NGA Kids site consisted of only one, forty-minute session
where he confessed to feeling "not so great.. .tired [today]" during the first week and
requested to be excused. Adam therefore completed the portfolio the next week and
indicated that his initial impression of the site is that "it is very artistic.. .it [will have]
lots of fun games" and that, most likely, "/ am also allowed to make my own drawings'
Perhaps due to his one, forty-minute class on the site, Adam created only one image
(Figure 56) and captured a screenshot of a Picasso painting (Figure 55). Adam's
inclusion of the Picasso work seems unusual based on the content of the image. I jotted
down an observation in my journal during that class of Adam's artwork selection:
Observation: A quick glance at Adam's portfolio and I
notice an unusual saved image choice. From afar it
looks to be a Picasso. . . nude. . . . I wonder if Adam is
cognizant of what the image is representative of. I will
have to check his portfolio later to see if I am correct
Adam seems more interested in architecture and
landscapes not only in the art studio, but on the sites
as well (Researcher's Journal, March 3, 2008).
Figure 55: PjgagggJjPgge
From Adam's portfolio it is unclear which program from the Art Zone he used
to create his self-portrait (Figure 56). Adam noted in his portfolio questionnaire that he
"got to make buildings ...and I got to move designs" but he did not save images of these
interactions to the portfolio to keep a record of his experiences with the programs
where he did these things.
177
Figure 56: Activity unknown, "Self-Portrait"
In his site-exit questionnaire, Adam considered the site easy to navigate and "liked that
it offered a lot of choices'" without identifying specific choices he preferred. "There was
lots of activities to do like drawing and selecting pictures to put in your artwork . . . If I
got to do all this stuff on the computer, imagine what I can do at a real museum," he
wrote and this makes the site worth visiting again. However, without specifying what
did not visually appeal to him, Adam simply indicated he did not "like how the site
looks."
Destination
"It is very interesting [and] it is very funny," wrote Adam in the opening section
of his digital portfolio. Although he did not point out what he thought was funny about
the site, this quote pertains to Adam's initial impression of the site and may refer to the
animated introduction of Destination. Adam completed his digital portfolio for this
website visit during the first class session as the next week he asked if he could visit
one of the extra sites included among the portfolios. An entry from my journal relates
my exchange with Adam, a student who has never displayed boredom or frustration
during the times that I have known and worked with him. Adam did critique the other
site (from the Tate Modern in London) that he engaged with instead, but due to the set
up of these narratives, I am including Adam's one visit critique of MoMA's
Destination as it is still viable and pertinent to the research endeavor.
Adam expressed mild frustration with the MoMA
site. When I asked him why he wants to visit another
site Adam states, "I'm bored."
"What do you find boring?" I asked.
"Some of the sites are confusing and then they either
have stuff I don't want to do or nothing to do."
"One of the reasons we are doing this class is so your
opinion(s) about these sites can be heard,"I respond.
"Ifyou don't like something or find a site confusing,
your job is to let the museums know. Also, if there is
something you DO like, we want to let the museums
know. Try one of the additional sites and let me
know what you think of it" (Researcher's Journal,
March 27, 2008).
Adam did manage to interact with several of the activities on the MoMA site
during his one virtual visitation and offered his opinion of them in his portfolio. He
found the site easy to navigate, but noted that he found it to be young for his age. Adam
engaged with the Polly Apfelbaum link and created a rug design using the "Tools"
section (Figure 60) to which he replied in his questionnaire "It had a game where I
could draw my own designs.'''' In addition, I overheard Adam remark about being unable
to save a poem he created inspired by "Starry Night," due to a network server issue that
day (as supported from a journal entry I made that class).
Two additional art museum websites were uploaded in the event that one of the sites was disabled for an extended
period of time or removed from the Internet during the research. This would prevent a gap in the data-collection
process and another site could be substituted, if necessary, for participants to critique.
Observation; On the other side of the room I
overhear and then see several students struggling
with their computers (Desiree and Yves). Several
students are complaining about the "turning wheel"
they are getting as they try to save their work, fearing
loss of it Other students are commenting on the
disappearance of work they saved (Adam, Neeka, and
Shaina). The technology educator is sweeping from
one student's desktop to another trying to determine
the network issues. As Leslie works on the computers^
several students can be heard discussing what they
were doing and how they made certain things. Adam
comments that he wrote a poem about a van Gogh
work, but could not save it due to the network issue
(Researcher's Journal, March 27, 2008).
Notwithstanding his lack of interest remaining a virtual visitor to Destination
after the first class, Adam ended his experience on an apparently positive note writing
that the site had '"''lots of interesting artwork...[and] I got to find out about the history of
some objects.^ He did not state whether he would or would not be curious to actually
visit MoMA based on his experiences. Because he either did not save and/or was
unable to save more images of what interested him both visually and interactively,
Adam's portfolio from this site visit does not provide the equivalent data of experiential
insight as his previous site visit portfolios.
Postscript
Following his virtual visitations, I asked Adam during his interview why he
thought art museums would have online websites for children "so you would look at
them (the artwork) and might want to go to the actual museum." I continued this line of
questioning with a follow-up inquiry about Adam's impressions of visiting art museum
websites for children on the Internet and how he thought an online visit might compare
to physically visiting an art museum (something he has never done). Do his experiences
with the museum websites encourage him to make a visit to the actual museum sites?
Adam responded he would:
rather go to a museum because if I could do all these
fun things on the computer then I could probably do better
things in a museum. . . . I think I would rather [go to a
museum] because the things you could do online you could
only look at paintings and play games and other stuff and at
the museum it's not only that but you could also do other
things, so I would still go to the museum.
Adam's one major critique of all the websites featured in the study related to
games. Adam exuded confidence in his response when he proposed that the museums
should consider developing "more challenging" art games for their sites. Adam
suggested crossword puzzles as a possibility for a more thought-provoking activity.
Furthermore, he thought any games should be more directly related to the artists and
their work featured in the museums' collections. Finally, Adam responded more
favorably to the sites where there were drawing activities directly related to artists and
their work such as the "How van Gogh Made His Mark" activity on the Met Kids site
and many of the drawing programs on ArtZone from the National Gallery of Art.
181
Claudia [C(f)10]
Claudia is a quiet and sweet, ten-year-old fourth grader of Persian heritage who
is sometimes overcome by shyness and a lack of confidence in herself and her
capabilities. Claudia will often second-guess her ability to create something with a new
medium and, unless prompted by a teacher, she will sometimes hesitate to take on a
challenge. Claudia's fourth grade teacher describes her as rather timid in large group
situations, but willing to work hard and put in her best effort. Claudia's teacher also
describes her as quite capable and attentive to small details, to the point of being
meticulous, but lacking in "self-assurance."
In the art studio, Claudia will frequently ask if her work is "good'' or if she is
doing something "right T In my professional opinion, Claudia is quite an adept art
studentdespite her lack of confidenceparticularly when she receives reassurance
and encouragement about working with her ideas and creative processes. As an art
student, Claudia has strong technical abilities, as she is able to look at different images
and create her own interpretations using different materials. For example, when Claudia
created a detailed observation drawing of a Crayola Crayon box, she was able to
replicate it similarly and capably as a papier mache sculpture. During art class, I have
often overheard Claudia talk about her older sister whose artwork she admires and
about her mother as well, about whom she speaks with reverence. Although only ten,
Claudia clearly and strongly asserts that her main goal in life is "to be a good mother,
but as of now," she commented during her interview, "7 am happy being an art
student."
Claudia's Relationship with Computer Technology
Claudia loves to IM
13
her friends because she feels she is a good communicator
and knowledgeable about how the IM medium works. Claudia mentioned that she
spends a "good''' amount of her Internet time involved in online chatting with others.
However, Claudia is not permitted by her parents to be on the Internet for more than an
hour at one time, particularly if she is using IM to talk with her friends. Claudia has her
own computer and is therefore able to spend anywhere from one to three hours (at her
mother's discretion) using computer software or going online everyday. Claudia prefers
to chat online using the website www.aim.com. to play games on
www.disneychannel.com. or to "develop a sense of responsibility" when she engages
with activities on www.webkinz.com. Claudia is familiar with these sites primarily
because friends and/or family members recommended them to her. Claudia does not
like to spend her time searching for different sites online; rather, she prefers to use her
Internet time on sites recommended to her or that she knows how to use because
someone has shown her.
IM is the acronym for Instant Messaging, an immediate form of online communication.
Claudia uses her computer primarily for entertainment and communication
purposes rather than as a tool for school assignments. Claudia's mother monitors her
Internet usage to ensure that she is not spending too much of her time in cyberspace.
Any websites Claudia's mother deems inappropriate have parental filters to prevent
access. Claudia admitted to seeing some things perhaps she should not have and
upon which she would not be specificon her high-school age sister's computer, of
whom she speaks often and admiringly. Although Claudia has been to an art museum
before (MoMA), she had never visited a museum website before her participation in
this research and was unaware that art museums had websites with activities and art-
making programs for children. When I asked her why art museums would have a
website with activities for children she replied, "7 think the art museum wants kids to
see what they have and what you can do with art.''''
Claudia's Thoughts about Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums
"Art is important to have in our lives! People enjoy making it and making art
makes some people happy, like me." These two statements began my interview with
Claudia who, although shy, became quite animated when I talked with her about art.
When I smiled at her response, she elaborated and answered my next two inquiries
without my having to ask. My questions pertained to why she thinks people make art.
"Some people make art 'cause maybe when they get bored it can make you feel better.
You can express your ideas with art. You can put your work on a wall and make a
space look pretty, that's what I do."
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Claudia proclaimed that art is her favorite class at school. She loves to work
with clay and make three-dimensional artworks and create drawings as well. I have
observed Claudia to be very good at observational drawing. She can perceive
perspective and effectively replicate what she sees as she concentrates on details.
Claudia likes that she can smooth clay and add color to it, but she also enjoys using oil
pastels. "/ like smoothing and blending the colors. The colors are so bright. " Claudia
made a point to say that bright colors in particular attract her to look at a work of art
whether it is a two- or three-dimensional piece. She also likes to include vivid colors in
her own creations. However, color is not the only criteria to which Claudia viscerally
responds to a work of art or considers an artwork to be "good." "If I like how the lines
and shapes are, I will like the art. . .likeportraits. . .like Picasso, he has great shapes
and colors too. Also, if the art is made in a medium I like, then I will probably like it!"
When asked to discuss some examples of art that she finds particularly appealing,
Claudia beamed and said her older sister's artwork inspires her. Claudia's sister created
a painting using the Chanel logo and Claudia thought, "it was really good and VERY
cool!" Claudia also discussed the work of children's book illustrator Chris Soon-Piet
who visited our school that March (2008) and shared his creative process with the third-
to fifth-grade students. Claudia spoke with awe as she described Soon-Piet's work. "His
paintings look JUST like the photos! His work shows so many details in paints." [Soon-
Piet takes photos of landscapes and scenes that he creates for the stories he develops
and then paints images from his photos.]
I asked Claudia where artists like Picasso, Chris Soon-Piet, her sister, and she
come up with ideas to make art, she paused and then asserted: "people come up with
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ideas to make art maybe by looking around a room, picking up objects. .., really, using
the world around us to get ideas. [Even] other people's art can give us ideas too."
Claudia said her ideas come from inspiration around her such as her sister or what she
sees or knows. Based on this response that inspiration comes from what she knows, I
invited Claudia to share with me what she feels is important for artists to know or be
able to do in order to develop and create their visual ideas. Claudia responded thus,
You need to know a lot! You need to look and know how to
use the things we use in the art room. Do you mean materials?
Yes, you need to know how to use the pencil and how to use a
paintbrush and how to mix colors. I often feel like I need patience
which I don't always have. Hike to work fast because I am excited
to see what I have made. I am always happy in the end because
I see my work was worth the effort. It is very satisfying.
The only art museum Claudia had ever visited was MoMA with her summer
camp group in 2007. "/ don't remember the name of it, but I remember seeing the work
of that artist over there (Claudia pointed to a van Gogh print of Sunflowers). It was that
work with the swirls and it was on that website we visited. Yes, it was Starry Night. Yes,
that's the oneV Claudia did not recall any other works she saw or doing anything other
than looking at the art when she was at the museum. When I asked Claudia what she
would have liked to do during her visit to MoMA she responded, "Maybe I could feel
and touch the artwork, but I don't think so! I could at least SEE how things feel, like the
texture. I could see how artists do things." I asked Claudia to consider further how
visiting an art museum could be useful to her as an artist. She responded by speaking of
inspiration, a recurring theme in her responses.
/ could see a lot of artists' work at an art museum. Maybe I could be
inspired by their work and see how good an artist's work really is. I
could get ideas for things and want to be good like them.. . . I think I
I would like to see that illustrator's paintings in person! His work
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was so detailed and good. I would like to look at his work and learn to
do what he does. I would like to take pictures when I am there and then
make my own art from them.
Claudia's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities
Met Kids
Claudia spent two, forty-minute sessions using the Metropolitan Museum of

Art's website, a site she initially referred to as "very colorful.
n
Claudia used the
program "How van Gogh Made His Mark" and created the images seen in Figures 61
and 62. During the first session of using the Met's website, when Claudia used the van
Gogh activity, she inquired of me about the program's use of color:
Independent of each other, Claudia andNeeka
asked how the color of the "ink" in the How van
Gogh Made His Mark drawing activity can be
changed. With this activity, students can create
virtual pen and ink drawings using a virtual pen
and ink-bottle. Students can vary the thickness of
the lines depending on which line they choose;
however, the color cannot be changed. It is not an
option. "Why do you think that is?" I asked. Claudia
responded that she is not sure while Neeka suggested
that since only one ink bottle is given, it is the only
color choice for drawing and van Gogh must have
had only black ink with which to draw (Researcher's
Journal, January 31, 2008)
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Figure 58: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His Figure 59: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His
Mark" (Flower) Mark" (My Name)
In addition to the van Gogh program, Claudia explored the Degas program and
the medieval joust activity (Figures 60 and 62). She saved one work of art of interest to
her portfolio, Degas's sculpture of a dancer (Figure 61). Although she did not import
additional imagery into her portfolio of additional activities and links she investigated
on this website, Claudia indicated on her exit questionnaire that she liked the site
because it offered a lot of choices of things to do. However, she did not like that
although it is "easy to get through [the] activities, it sometimes got difficult to search
[through the site]."
Despite her issue with navigating the website, Claudia noted that she would
both recommend the site and re-visit it again. "It is a very interesting website, " she
wrote in her questionnaire, "I drew a lot of pictures and I played many games and I
loved it. It makes you feel proud because when you are done you saw that you did so
many things!" Claudia went on to write, "/ think I feel really proud because I took
many pictures and I drew a lot." Based on her experiences with the Met's website
activities for youngsters, Claudia noted that she would like to visit the actual
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City "because I enjoyed drawing and
playing games and I would love to see itr Claudia did not make a request to print out
188
the things she created, nor did she have any criticisms of the site other than
experiencing some difficultly locating and navigating through some of the activities.
Figure 60: Activity, "The Dancers and Degas" Figure 61: Degas, The Dancer
Figure 62: Activity, The Medieval Joust
Activity: "Medieval Joust'
ArtsConnected
The initial impression Claudia noted of the Artsconnected website during her
first of two, forty-minute sessions is "that it looks very creative." She also wrote of the
site as being "colorful," an aspect of the site that appears to have influenced her overall
opinion of it on her exit questionnaire, "[I] like how it looks." Claudia supported her
opinion of how the site looks with her final comments, in particular her emphasis on its
"beautiful colors. "I think this was a very nice site and I will definitely recommend it to
someone! I would recommend it to a friend because I think it's very interesting and has
beautiful colors!... I played games, watched things, and colored." Claudia's digital
portfolio consisted of one screenshot of a painting from the museum's collection that
appealed to her, a piece of art she labeled "my favorite work on the site." However, this
image was not among her data documents. Claudia did not specify the artist of this
work or explain why it was her favorite. However, she included in her exit
questionnaire that she would like to visit the actual museum based on her experiences
with the website, which she found to be "interesting and had many kinds of beautiful
kinds of art."
In addition to the piece of art from the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection
that Claudia saved to her digital portfolio, she included images of three of her own
creations composed using the Artist's Toolkit programs, "Shape" (Figure 63) and
"Lines" (Figures 64 and 65). I observed Claudia arranging and re-arranging her images
into a particular compositional format in her digital portfolio (see journal extract).
However, due to the nature of the narrative, I have placed the images in a format that
flows with the text. Claudia's initial engagement with the "Shape" program to create
the image displayed in Figure 63 resulted in some technical difficulties and a lack of
understanding as to how the program functioned. As evidenced in an excerpt from my
research journal, Claudia was able to work through her problem and determine a
solution with how to overlap placed shapes without completely covering up other forms
already placed
Figure 63: Shape, "The Artist's Toolkit'
Claudia seems to be trying to figure out what looks to be for
her, "kinks" in the Artist's Toolkit program. She requests that
I come over to see what she is doing. Claudia attempts to put a
circle into a specific space, but as she does so, it covers up the
other shapes she has already placed.
"I can not figure it out," she said.
"What are some other options you can try?" I asked her.
"I still have a few buttons to try."
"Let me know when you have figured it out"
Claudia sticks with it and discovers that she must hold down
another button to place the shape where she wants it. "It was
actually quite easy," she says.
Reflection: This would not be an obstacle in the art studio with
tactile media. I should have gone there with Claudia to discuss
the difference of working online and working with physical
materials.
Observation: As students put images into their digital portfolios,
they seem to think and consider where they will place things,
almost as though they are creating a digital collage or
composition. While no directions were given about arranging
images, many of the students appear to be thoughtfully
considering where they will place things. , Yves, Claudia,
Adam, and Abigail, for example, were observed arranging their
work. (Researcher's Journal, February 7, 2008).
Figure 65: Shape, "The Artist's Toolkit'
Finally, Claudia offered up contradictory opinions of the site as demonstrated in her
final remarks, stating that although the website "is easy to navigate,'''' [it is] difficult to
find things."
NGA Kids
"When you look at the frontpage, the website already entertains you. The front
page tells you about art history.. .there [are] a lot of colors. " Claudia's first
impression of the NGA Kids website not only mentions her interest in color, and
implied that from her first view of the website, she was pleasantly, and visually
engaged. This initial response to the website is supported by Claudia's closing remarks
following her two, forty-minute sessions. "[I] liked how it looks" and would
recommend it because "there are a lot of things to do and see. I can teach a lot." This
last comment seems unclear. "I can teach a lot" does not reference to whom or
specifically what she proposes to teach.
Claudia opted to save three images of works she created on the site, two from
the "BRUSHster" program (Figures 66 and 67) and one from her interaction with the
"Still Life" activity (Figure 68). A brief exchange I had with Claudia following the first
session may provide insight as to why she included only three screenshots of images
she created using Art Zone programs.
Claudia: "Ms. Mulligan, can I get rid of artwork that I made and
saved, but that I am not happy with?"
"Why are you unhappy with some of your work?" I asked her.
Claudia: "I've done a lot more things in the last few weeks that I
prefer. "
"You may save what you like, it is your choice and your portfolio,'
I responded.
Reflection: I'm wondering if the work Claudia did earlier in the
course and that she finds less appealing has anything to do with
what she could and couldn 't do with the programs she was
working with. Or, perhaps it has to do with the experiences she
has built and the choices she has made along the way
192
Claudia's comments about her experiences with the Art Zone activities were positive
and enthusiastic with several of her statements ending with exclamations.
It has some really neat things to make! I used my
mouse to make spray paint pictures!... I made my
name with spray paint!... There were more things to
make on this site [and] / could use color and really move
things around! I want to make more!
In addition to using the "BRUSHster" program, Claudia used some of her class time to
work with the "Still Life" program and wrote, "I made this still life!" beneath the image
in her digital portfolio (Figure 68). Claudia did not include any negative comments
about this site among her exit questionnaire responses. According to Claudia, the
website was easy to navigate, it offered a lot of choices, and she would be very
interested in physically visiting the National Gallery of Art because "this museum has
some really cool things to do and see. "
Figure 68: Activity, "Still Life"
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' #* * "
193
Destination
Based on Claudia's written critique of MoMA's Destination website, her
experiences with the site and its activities do not come across as positive, as suggested
by her initial impression of the site which she recorded in her portfolio: "It looks kind of
silly with that aliens However, several of her documented comments evoke a
somewhat constructive tone as will be demonstrated by parts of her exit questionnaire
included below. Claudia had visited MoMA the previous year with her camp group, so
she did possess a basic awareness of the museum and its collection. Claudia's two,
forty-minute interactive sessions with the website did not deter her from indicating a
desire to physically visit MoMA again, but she suggested that "it's enough for [some
people] to go on the website ...there are not activities like this at the museum. " Claudia
implied that while she would not necessarily visit the website again, she might
recommend it to others because "some might find it interesting."
Claudia's affirmative remarks about the website were that it was easy to
navigate and it did offer a lot of viewing and activity choices. In addition, I overheard
Claudia say during one of the two sessions that she found the site likeable, but she later
contradicted this statement in her final written response to the site. That she could
"hear" paintings and sculptures (Figures 69 and 70) was an interesting component of
the site for her, but overall she did not find the website "very interesting... [and] the
alien is silly.'''' Claudia commented upon, and recorded her opinion of the alien character
in her exit questionnaire. I noted her remark about her dislike of the alien figure in my
weekly journal. This excerpt was also included in Abigail's narrative of the MoMA
site.
Abigail and Claudia discuss working on the
MoMA site and looking at the van Gogh section
with the sound effects. "That other site with van
Gogh was different," responds Abigail. Shania,
chimes in and comments on how much she likes
the site. Both Claudia and Abigail confirm that
they like the site, but that they dislike the
alien in the beginning (Researcher's Journal,
March 27, 2008).
Claudia's portfolio shows evidence of her having interacted with at least four of
the website's artists' links (Figures 69 to 72) however, she only specifically commented
on her experiences with the writing components of the van Gogh link and made two
exclamations of other artworks: "I like this painting!" and "Cool sounds to this art!"
(Figures 71 and 72). Claudia's following comment offers a suggestion for how the site
creators could develop this aspect of the website:
For the starry night painting that you make a poem
they should let you make your own words because
there are words we want but are not there. Plus, get
the trashcan out of the side, it keeps swallowing the
words I put next to it or above it for my poem.
Figure 69: Activity, "van Gogh'
Finally, during the second session of the co-researchers' engagement with the
Destination website, I once again observed the participants saving multiple screenshots
of images they either made or collected. The icons of these images continued to
195
wallpaper children's desktops. A journal excerpt from that week makes mention of this
littering, and although Claudia did not seem inclined to want to save some of her earlier
online creations, she did manage to save a few images from her interactions with
Destination (Figures 70 to 72).
Observation & Reflection: I'm noticing as I
walk around the room that students' desktops
continue to be "littered" with screen shots.
Although they were encouraged to take screen
shots of things they made or saw and liked, I
am intrigued by their need to save so many
images [whether they made something or saved
an artwork of interest]. When they work in the
art studio, there seems to be a tendency to
draw/make something and the moment a line,
color, etc. is not how the student wants it to be,
the paper is crumpled up and tossed away.
Despite the fact that students are encouraged
to work with and through what they think are
mistakes on paper, there seems to be a different
mindset when working on the computer; save
everything! (except in the case of Claudia)
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Postscript
Following Claudia's art museum website visits, I asked her a few questions
related to her online experiences. One of the questions inquired as to what she thought
of visiting an art museum online compared to visiting one in person.
/ like that I can visit a museum online AND in person! I like that I
can do both and can see how things are maybe similar and different
from online to at the museum to the art studio.
Based on the various sites she visited as a co-researcher, and the numerous activities
she engaged with, Claudia commented during her interview that there are things
children will need to know how to do in the art studio with materials and with a
computer in order to make art online using the programs on the websites we visited:
You definitely need to know how to move the mouse to make something!
It's not like using a pencil. I think you have to know how something looks
and how to make it with a pencil on paper first before you can make it on a
computer good.... I think that because I like to draw and know how to use
a
pencil to draw I was able to draw things on the websites. Having knowledge
about drawing definitely helped me to make things online.
197
Claudia suggested that the reason she thinks art museums have online, art-
related activities is because "the art museum[s] wants kids to see what they have and
what you can do with art." Claudia expressed a more positive interest in sites where she
felt she had numerous options of things to make and from which to choose. In
particular, Claudia preferred the Artsconnected site because she "liked. .. where [she]
could see the list of names of things to do and then could choose what [to] do. "
Because she likes to draw, Claudia mentioned her preference for NGA Kids with its
"cool things" and the "How van Gogh Made His Mark" activity on the Met Kids
website. "/ really liked that site with the activity where I could draw, but I could only
draw in black." Claudia compared this activity to the van Gogh section of MoMa's
Destination site and stated,
Ya, there was the other site with van Gogh, but it had
sound, you couldn 't really make anything. Ididn 't like
that site with the alien. MoMA? It was silly and annoying.
It had silly sounds and I wanted to make more.
Finally, Claudia indicated that she has returned and would return to some of the websites she
had visited as well as recommend a few of them to others:
I would go back to the sites and have. I showed my mom
and sister. I liked the site that I could draw ("How van Gogh
Made His Mark") on and the one where I could build with
shapes (Artist's Toolkit). It took time to figure out how that
one worked. There were some other cool things to do, but I
don't remember all of them.
Desiree [D(f)9]
Desiree is an extremely sweet, nine-year-old fourth grader of Persian descent
who is eager to please and befriend others, particularly adults. Desiree has a tendency
to be quite animated, but only when she feels truly comfortable in an environment and
with people with whom she is familiar. Desiree experiences difficulty processing and
retaining information, and as a result, she has an IEP (Individualized Education Plan)
and receives numerous services, such as speech and language for her processing
challenges. Working with Desiree requires that instructions be broken down into small,
manageable tasks. Also, to keep her attention on assignments requires occasional
reinforcement and redirection by a teacher. Desiree's classroom teacher noted that
although Desiree experiences difficulty in several areas, she is quite capable in certain
areas of school life, such as with special projects and the visual arts.
Despite her learning difficulties, Desiree is often enthusiastic to try new things
and explore her creative side in the art studio. Desiree enjoys art class and will often
visit the art studio before the start of the school day. When she arrives early, Desiree
likes to help out in the art room and engage me in conversations about art projects and
share stories about her family, heritage, and home life. She will also pursue on-going
class projects and sometimes begin new ones, particularly if she can work with clay.
Although Desiree is not as developmentally adept with some materials (such as
drawing and painting) as some of her fourth-grade classmates, she will take risks with
her ideas, especially when she receives encouragement. If anything, Desiree is
determined to put forth effort into the things she creates and more often than not, she
takes pride in her successes.
Desiree's Relationship with Computer Technology
Desiree uses her own computer every day; however, her parents do not permit
her to use it for more than an hour at a time unless she is working on a school
assignment. Desiree will spend part of her allowable time online e-mailing family and
friends and visiting her favorite websites such as: www.Disneychannel .com, for its "fun
games" and www.TurboNick.com. for its "silly" videos. When considering a website
worth re-visiting, Desiree noted that it is "VERY* important that she have many choices
and that the site be constantly updated with new activities. Hence, her continuous
visitation to both the Disney Channel and Turbo Nick sites, two sites that provides
these options.
Desiree had never visited an art museum website prior to her participation in the
study, but stated that she was "looking forward to trying them out." Desiree was
interested in visiting art museum websites because she expressed confidence in her
ability to make things using a computer and "like[s\ art, a lotl" In order to make art in
virtual reality, Desiree stated, "7 think you need to know how to use the computer and
how to find things to make." When asked why she thought art museums would have
online sites and activities for children to visit and make things, Desire replied,
Online stuff you can do at home rather than visit the museum.
It's more relaxing to do in your home because there is no traveling
to the [musexxm]site. You can go there without traveling there and
maybe do things that you can't do at the museum.
Desiree's Thoughts about Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums
Desiree's personal thoughts about art frequently included the use of the word
fun. During her interview she used the word liberally to express how she perceives art,
art-making, and looking at art. According to Desiree, people make art because "it'sfun
and it's nice. 'Cause you get to keep something you want to make and you might get
inspired from it.. .. Maybe they like to do art a lot. So, it's fun for them." Desiree's
ability to express herself in conversation occurs with some difficulty and hesitation due
to her difficulties with processing information. As a result, her responses tended to be
somewhat awkward and lacking specific information. Despite these challenges
however, Desiree can be engaging and personable, as well as expressive with her body
language.
I worked with Desiree for two years as her art teacher and found her to be a
dedicated and motivated art student; however, she does experience difficultly
expressing her ideas with various media, particularly with drawing materials. Desiree
enjoys working with clay because she can easily "start over." Although it can be
difficult for her to put her ideas into two- or three-dimensional forms, Desiree rarely
gives up and shared with me where she finds creative inspiration: "From pictures and
201
paintings, from statues, from every picture and from everything you can draw a picture
from. I get ideas from my kitchen table when I work there." Desiree said that art she
finds appealing will have certain colors, textures, interesting shapes, and overall a
design that "gets" her looking.
Desiree could not recall the names of specific artists whose work she finds
inspiring and stated, "Mmmm... there's not really one. There are so many." Desiree
maintained that she appreciates seeing artists' drawings as well as their related
sculptures or paintings, "like the one we saw in class...the one with the big things."
Desiree was referring to Claes Oldenburg (www. Oldenburgvanbruggen.com), an artist
whose website and work we viewed in class. Oldenburg includes conceptual drawings
of his ideas for several of his large-scale sculptures pictures on his website. Desiree
thought that Oldenburg's drawings and sculptures together made him seem "creative
and fun. It's fun to just look at [his] work."
Following our conversation about other artists, I asked Desiree to share with me
how she feels when she is working with art materials. "It feels nice to make some art
'cause then when you come home you can play with it and talk about it and hang it up."
Desiree mentioned observation drawing, a series of lessons we did in art class.
The most thing I like about art is when I drew that shoe. I
tried again. I practice doing it. You need to know how to look
at things. I like drawing. I feel like I can draw now.
Desiree's comment about knowing how to look at things in order to draw prompted my
next series of questions pertaining to art museums and viewing objects. When I
broached the topic, I discovered that prior to her participation in this study as a co-
researcher, Desiree had never visited an art museum.
202
This week, I actually went to an art museum, but not
really. Well, not really an art museum. I went to the
Natural History Museum. There's a ton of art and culture.
There was Japanese writing. It was the first time I was there.
It was really nice. It reminded me of my grandma's house.
She has a lot of art and stuff from all over and from different
times.... I saw clothing and Japanese writing at Natural History.
We have an art paintingwell, a vase from Japan from World
War II. We saw one like it. Some pieces were broken because
they 're so old.
I asked Desiree what she thought it would be like to visit a museum that had
only objects related to the visual arts and what she would like to see there. Desiree
reiterated her interest in viewing artwork that has colors, shapes, and textures that
appeal to her. I asked Desiree to expand her response and she commented, "You can
look at art and designs. You can see what people make and what other people want to
make or try to make. You can get ideas.'''' I followed up my initial question about art
museums with one about what she would do in a museum besides look at the artwork.
Desiree mentioned taking a camera with her on an art museum visit so she could "take
pictures of art. You can sketch from the photos you take or you can take a drawing pad
and sketch.''''
Desiree's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities
Met Kids
Desiree initiated her engagement with the Met Kids website by recording some
initial questions and a thought: "What is this site about? What will I learn? I think it's
mostly going to be about paintings and statues." Desiree's online explorations
consisted of her spending a generous portion of her two forty minute sessions on the
medieval joust game, part of the "Knights in Central Park" link and "How van Gogh
Made His Mark." Desiree saved screenshots from each of these links (Figures 71 to 73)
Figure 73 shows Desiree's resulting drawing interaction with the "How van Gogh
Made His Mark" activity. Of this activity, Desiree wrote in her site- exit questionnaire,
"My favorite activity on this sight is the Van Gough make your mark. I loved making a
mark. It was fun. I liked making a mark, maybe I'll use it on my own art. " Desiree's
introduction to the "Knights in Central Park" (Figure 72), activities occurred because of
her observation of her neighbor's screen. Desiree recorded, "I loved the joust game!"
An excerpt from my journal notes her introduction to the link:
Observation: socialization is happening at a different
level/scale, or in a different way than what I've seen
before such as in the art studio or in a museum gallery.
While the students may talk to one another, they do not
seem to be talking with one another. Essentially, they
make little to no eye contact with each other when they
talk [to each other]. While they help each other to find
things or to show things by gesturing and pointing, they
do not look at or to each other when they communicate.
When a student asked another "how do you get on that?"
the other student would lean over and either use the
mouse to show the student or point to the appropriate
links. For example, Desiree has just asked , her
neighbor about the jousting game, but did not avert her
eyes from her screen. Claudia and Abigail did the same
thing when talking about the van Gogh drawing activity,
and Yves and about the medieval joust (Researcher's
Journal, January 24,2008).
In addition to the activities previously mentioned, Desiree also investigated the
link, "A Japanese Picture Scroll" (Figure 73). Desiree did not intimate in her portfolio
why she collected an image from this link other than including with the image "we have
a lot of Asian art at home. " Desiree recorded conflicting responses to some of her
experiences with the Met Kids site as some of her exit-questionnaire responses
204
demonstrate. Although she noted that she "would come back every day [to the
website]," she was not persuaded by her online experiences to visit the actual
Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Iwouldn 't visit the actual museum. The site didn 't make
it seem that interesting," she documented. Despite this remark, Desiree indicated that
while the site had "interesting topics...and was easy to navigate," it did "not [have]
enough activities." However, the two activities that maintained her attention and would
have her revisiting the website everyday were her experiences with the "van Gogh" and
"Knights" links, she noted.
Figure 73: Activity, "The Kitaro
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Figure 75: Activity, "How van Gogh Made his Mark"
205
ArtsConnected
Due to an absence, Desiree missed one of the two scheduled sessions on this
website and took only one screen shot of an image she created using the "Artist's
Toolkit" Shape program (Figure 76). Desiree's initial reaction to the website was that it
would be a site "about patterns from the [main] picture." Desiree did not save any
images of museum collection artwork from Artsconnected to her digital portfolio. An
extract from my observation journal comments on Desiree's lack of viewing artwork
while visiting this site. Desiree saved only one image of a shape design she created
using the "Shape" program to her digital portfolio.
Figure 76: Shape, "The Artist's Toolkit
Reflection: It seems, in some ways, that students spend
as much time looking at art on a computer as they would
in an actual museum space, about 5-15 seconds. I
wonder why that is? For example, I watched Desiree
barely look at any of the artworks available on this site,
although she did quickly look at some, whereas some of
the boys went straight to the activities. Unless they are
engaged in a discussion about apiece, what are the
chances they will consciously choose to spend additional
time looking at apiece? Shaina seems to be spending
time looking at the artwork and listening to information
about it I can't tell what piece she is looking at
(Researcher's Journal, February 14, 2008).
Desiree's overall opinion of this site was not favorable as her exit-questionnaire
comments demonstrate. Desiree wrote, "this wasn 't a very good sight.... [I] did not
like how it sounds and did not find it interesting.' Desiree went on to say that she
would not recommend this site to a friend because "it doesn 't seem interesting." Nor
would Desiree be interested in visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Art and/or Walker
Art Center based on her experiences with the site because she "think[s] the museum will
Just he about shapes and lines which [alone] are not very interesting to me."
Desiree did, however, make some positive comments about the website. She
found the site easy to navigate and thus, she alluded, it possessed a good quality.
Finally, Desiree did not designate a favorite activity, but recorded on her exit
questionnaire that she found "making things with only certain shapes and lines "
enjoyable.
NGA Kids
Desiree's closing response to the National Gallery of Art's website, NGA Kids,
following two, forty-minute sessions elicited more enthusiasm than any of her reactions
to the previous sites as evidenced by her questionnaire responses. Desiree recorded in
her portfolio "/ liked this sight better than any of the other sights I've went to. I thought
it really gave a chance for you to do art unlike the other sights which I considered
pretty boring." Initially, Desiree wondered about the site: "what will it be about? " She
went on to indicate, "It looks interesting."
Desiree's favorite activity on the website was "BRUSHster" (Figure 77) as
indicated by her recorded exclamation, "this was myfavoriter Desiree also interacted
with "Paintbox " and saved a screenshot of her exploration of that program as well
(Figure 78); though she did not make mention of this program in her closing responses.
207
There were no saved art images from the NGA's collection included in Desiree's digital
portfolio for this site visit.
Figure 77: Activity, "BRUSHster" Figure 78: Activity, "Paintbox
Desiree indicated in her exit questionnaire that she appreciated the site's easy
navigability and thought that as a website for kids it "offered a lot of choices of things
to do." In particular, Desiree was pleased because she could "make ... my own art
without just having to drag pieces over.'''' Desiree stated she would eagerly recommend
the site to others because "it was interesting" and she would visit the museum "because
the site was interesting." One of Desiree's negative criticisms of the site was that she
"did not like how the site looks." Desiree did not offer support for this opinion until I
queried her during her interview to be more specific about this comment. Desiree
insinuated that the main page of the website "was very busy...cluttered." She also
offered an evaluation of a few of the other programs on the NGA Kids site that she
interacted with during the course. Her evaluation was that the Dutch Dollhouse, one
with blocks, and another with "3D shapes" were difficult to understand and she "didn 't
get them."
Destination
Following two, forty-minute class sessions using MoMA's Destinationa site
Desiree thought was easy to navigateShe recorded that she "w/7/ come baclC to the
site, but that she would not recommend the site to a friend. These opposing comments
warrant elucidation but, unfortunately, the rest of Desiree's portfolio comments and
images do not provide the necessary data to do so. One possible piece of data that could
provide insight is in the form of evidence from my observation journal. At one point
during the first session of the MoMA site visit, I observed Desiree moving quickly
through the site rarely clicking on works with which to interact. In this entry I reflect on
the possibility that other site visits may have influenced her (and others) engagement
with Destination, its artwork, and its activities. Desiree did eventually engage with
three of the activity sections and saved screen shots of her online interactions (Figures
79 and 80) to her final portfolio.
Observation: There is little conversation going on
today. The 4
th
graders look to be touring the MoMA
site rather than engaging more with the activities.
Desiree is clicking on the arrow button to move
through the virtual museum space, but not stopping
at any work in particular.
Reflection: Although MoMA Is Destination site has
been designed for younger children as an introduction
to the to the museum, these 4
th
graders do not seem to
notice or make comments on this. Perhaps with the
questionnaire they will make note of this. I wonder,
however, if this relates to the fact that none of them
have visited MoMA [except Claudia] before or now
that they have been to two other sites how this one
compares (Researcher's Journal, February 28, 2008)?
Desiree included two additional images in her portfolio that she put together
using the Polly Apfelbaum (Figure 79) and Romare Bearden (Figure 80) links. No
209
written remarks of these activities were included in her exit questionnaire or portfolio.
Though, Desiree did comment that the site "di d not have a lot of choices of things to
do...but it had interesting topics.
Figure 79: Activity, "Romare Bearden"
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Desiree's interactive experiences with MoMA's Destination did not promote a
need or want in her to visit the actual museum in New York City. Desiree wrote in her
portfolio she ""wouldn 't visit [the] museum b/c I think it's enough to go on the website. I
don't think that there are activities like this in the museum...[such as] here[mg\
paintings and sculptures [which is] unlike other sites" Additionally, Desiree's asserted
that she "wz// come bacK^ to the website because, she suggested, it is enough to go to
the Destination website to virtually visit MoMA rather than visit the museum in person
where she felt that engagement in such activities would not be likely.
Postscript
Following her visits to the study's art museum website activities, I discussed
Desiree's online experiences with her. Desiree expressed a preference for visiting a
museum in person rather than visiting one online. "I would rather go to the museum
than to a Website," she said, "because I can see the real thing." When asked about
creating art online or using tangible materials, Desiree conveyed that although she liked
both, she was aware of these differences: "the computer is fun, but you can't learn to
draw like you can in art class. You can't do the same things."
Desiree implied that she preferred the sites that had activities where she could
"draw," such as with the Met's "How van Gogh Made His Mark" and the NGA's Art
Zone compared to sites where the activities seemed less about drawing to her {Artist's
Toolkit and Destination) and more about moving shapes around a background which
she remarked as being "boring." Desiree did engage with activities such as this on two
of the sites, as images included in her portfolios from her visits to Destination and
Artsconnected illustrate. In addition, Desiree mentioned that because she enjoys games,
she favored sites that had game activities such as the Met's "Knights in Central Park."
Desiree referred to several of the activities she engaged with as games, using the term
somewhat interchangeably with art-making and drawing activities.
Based on her experiences with art museums' online art activities, Desiree most
preferred the National Gallery of Art's website NGA Kids because of its different art
"games" Its numerous activity choices appealed to her enjoyment of games. However,
Desiree did not shy away from criticizing the site as well: "There was a dollhouse
211
activity. I didn 't like that one. There was also a block game and one with 3D shapes. I
didn 't get those." Desiree admitted to disliking MoMA's site Destination. "They need
more games and more things to make 'cause you can keep what you make and print it
out. They need more art to look at and make it like a slideshow." Desiree's use of the
term "slideshow" in her response required me to ask her to clarify her meaning. Desiree
had difficulty expressing what she meant, but implied she wanted to see art from the
museums like a slideshow from a PowerPoint presentation or similar to how it would
be walking by the artwork in a museum gallery, such as during a tour. Although she
mentioned liking games and disliking activities where pre-selected shapes and images
could be somewhat manipulated, Desiree could not provide, even with moderate
prompting, any specific ideas or suggestions to the art museums for how to develop
their interactive websites for children.
Neeka [N(f)10]
(Neeka did not save this image; she started over and created Spongebob)
Neeka is a ten-year-old, fifth-grade student of Persian descent who comes
across as rather sullen to some of her peers and, occasionally, to some of her teachers.
In my estimation, she is merely reserved and slightly introverted unless she is engaged
in doing something that she thoroughly enjoys, such as drawing or talking about
drawing. Neeka has a twin who is physically more animated than she is, but who does
not possess the same ability to apply herself to new learning experiences and commit to
them with the same intensity as Neeka.
When she visits the art studio, Neeka will talk animatedly about sketching,
something she enjoys doing every day. During the three years I have known Neeka, she
has given me several drawings and booklets of pictures and cartoons she has made for
her own amusement and to share with classmates. Each time I received a drawing or a
self-generated cartoon booklet from Neeka, she would shyly hand them over to me
asking if I would share her work with other students. Neeka would then follow this
request up with ''''what do you think?'''' and "You know Ms. Mulligan, I REALLY love to
drawr
According to her classroom teacher, Neeka is academically motivated and able
to remain focused on her work without being easily distracted by the actions of her
peers and conversations going on around her. This behavior transfers to her work ethic
in the art studio as well. Neeka is, in many ways, an independent student and prefers to
work alone on assignments, but when she completes her work or is proud of an idea,
Neeka enjoys sharing her efforts with her classmates and teachers alike.
Neeka's relationship with computer Technology
Neeka has her own computer, because if she had to share one with her twin
sister, there would be "a lot ofarguingl" she resolutely asserted. Neeka uses her
computer several times a week, but accordmg to her, "never everyday, but sometimes I
use a computer everyday, like when I'm in school." Neeka will typically spend less than
an hour at a time on her home computer whether she is doing schoolwork or is online
visiting different Internet sites. This is due in part to her parents' supervision of the
time she spends on the computer. Neeka said she is more likely to spend time on a
computer at school, working on class assignments, rather than use her computer time at
home to complete class work.
Neeka enjoys playing games online in part because she feels she is good at
figuring out how to play new games when she discovers them. A favorite game site is
www.agame.com. She also admits to surfing the Internet to find sites because she
believes she is good at locating new sites that not a lot of her classmates know. Neeka
also mentioned that she likes to discover new information about topics of interest. One
of Neeka's favorite websites is www.clubpenguin.com where penguins waddle around
and meet each other. "It's so funny," she said with a giggle. Neeka is a self-confessed
"dog fan" and loves the website www.ozarkmtnpuppies.com because she can see cute
dogs and learn about different breeds.
Because she enjoys searching for new and interesting websites, Neeka noted
that it is somewhat important for her to have a lot of choices available on a site. "Just
visit another website if there's not enough to do" she said with a shrug. Neeka
appreciates that there are a variety of sites with similar things to do and she will revisit
a site numerous times if she likes how it looks, sounds, and its topic is of personal
interest. Neeka was the only participant to have visited an art museum website prior to
her participation in the research. She had been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
website because she learned about it from an Internet search. On the site, Neeka opted
to play some of the games, take a tour of the museum, and "make stuff ...but I don't
remember a lot." When I asked her to explain why she thought an art museum would
have a website where children could do and make different things she responded:
/ think to show people how art can be made. To show the
different ways things can be made and the different styles
that artists have... I think they want to inspire people to
visit their museum and inspire them to make art.
Neeka's Thoughts about Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums
Neeka loves to draw and will not hesitate to share that piece of information
multiple times, on numerous occasions, and with many individuals, as was my
experience as her art teacher. Neeka would emphatically and joyously, as well as
dramatically, state her love of sketching whenever she saw me around the school
building. Clasped hands, a huge smile, and an upward glance of her brown eyes often
accompanied her frequent bursts. During our interview, Neeka occasionally reverted to
shyness, especially when she could not specifically recall certain artists or artwork or
was unsure of how to express her thoughts. However, when we talked about the artistic
process, Neeka spoke openly as her responses demonstrate. Neeka believes that artists,
"like her", create art "so they can use their imagination and express
themselves.. .maybe because it's fun and you can make weird stuff.'''
1
Neeka confesses to enjoy making "weird stuff' and develops her creative ideas
from the world around her. "There are a lot of things going on," she said. Neeka takes
pleasure in looking at what she termed "original works of art." I asked her to clarify
what she meant by a work of art being original. Neeka asserted that she prefers to
look at a work in front of me, in person... I like shapes,
interesting ones. If a work of art has interesting shapes
and forms, lots of colors, or a cool face, I'm going to like
it and think it is good.
Neeka favors cartoon images, developing her own characters, and using well-
known characters, like Sponge Bob, to put into her own visual scenarios. Over the
course of the three years I worked with Neeka, I was often the recipient of her cartoon
figure booklets. "Hike to make faces and cartoons, cartoon faces. You have seen them.
Hike to make portraits, too. Hike to make portraits of people I make up." Other than
beloved cartoon characters, such as Sponge Bob, Neeka could not recollect the names
of artists or artwork that she feels inspired by, but she did point out some images on
display in the art studio where we spoke. "/ like the colors and the lines and shapes
used to make that portrait. . . . I know his work when I see it." Neeka referred to van
Gogh's portrait of Pere Tanguy. Neeka also gestured to a Kandinsky work and a Stuart
Davis piece, and maintained that they appealed to her because of their lines, shapes, and
colors.
As previously mentioned in her introductory biography, Neeka takes the most
material pleasure from drawing. "Hike drawing the best. Hike drawing with pencils
and making sketches. I like to see the sketchy lines on the paper and being able to
change them when I want to. " Neeka firmly believes that "people can make anything"
and that the keys to knowing how to draw anything is to look at examples of what you
want to draw and being familiar with how to hold and use your pencil.
You can make a face because you know what a face looks like and
216
what it has. You can look at a face or a picture of a face to make one. A
face can look like an oval and eyes look like ovals on their sides and a
nose has oval shapes too. The lines make shapes that help make the face.
You need to know how to hold your pencil and how to make the lines and
shapes. You should use light sketchy lines when drawing so you can
change things easily when you want to.
Neeka was the only one of the seven co-researchers to have visited an art
museum website prior to her involvement in the study; however, she had never
physically been to an art museum. 'Wo, I've never been to an art museum," she said
giggling, "I was at a museum when I was little. It was a children's museum. I would go
to an art museum because I REALLY like art!" Neeka expressed that she was unsure
about what she could actually do at an art museum other than "do a lot of looking, I'm
pretty sure.'''' Following a pause, Neeka continued her response
lean see more pictures, do a lot of looking, and maybe be
inspired by other artists. I could maybe draw there. I like
to draw on the placemats in restaurants ...Maybe I could
paint there [in the museum]. I would like to see cartoons.
Neeka's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities
Met Kids
During the first 1 0 min. of this session, I collected students' IRB
form folders and reviewed with them the use of the digital
portfolios. Students were asked to access the "week 1 "portfolio
and I explained that they would be virtually visiting the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Several students
commented ( and ) that they had been there in actuality and
noted some of the types of artworks that could be viewed:
Egyptian, Greek & Roman. Neeka mentioned she had been to the
website and used the generic title of "paintings" to describe what
could most likely be seen at the museum (Researcher's Journal,
January 17,2008).
217
Although Neeka had at some point prior to her involvement in this study visited
the Met Kids website, she could not recall any specific interactive experiences she had
with its links other than vague recollections of images of paintings and having played a
few games. Neeka's previous visitation to the Met Kids site does not appear to have
factored into her critique of it as a co-researcher as she made no references to it in her
digital portfolio. Neeka's overall impression of Met Kids following the two, forty-
minute sessions she spent engaging with the website was favorable. In particular,
Neeka liked that the site was easy for her to navigate, thought it was great for her age,
appreciated that it offered virtual visitors a lot of choices of things to do, and she found
several of the activity topics interesting such as "The Dancers and Degas" and "How
van Gogh Made His Mark."
Neeka wrote of the site, ' 7 think it has a variety of fun stuff that people can enjoy.
I would recommend it...because it is fun and you can test your art skills." Neeka put her
drawing skills into play when she interacted with the program, "How van Gogh Made His
Mark," a favorite activity she noted in her digital portfolio. I observed Neeka create
several images using the van Gogh drawing link. The first drawing, seen in the process of
development in Neeka's portrait image was not saved. Neeka did not complete and or
save this image to her final portfolio, but abandoned her efforts midway for whatever
reason. The following excerpt from my journal is an exchange between Neeka and her
co-researcher Claudia about Neeka's portrait.
Neeka asked Shaina, "is this good?" of a virtual ink portrait
she has made in the van Gogh activity (seen in her introduction
photo). Shaina does not respond, but Claudia, a 4
th
grader, stops
her work to look over at Neeka and comments on its "goodness. "
Reflection: Why is it so important for some students to know if
their work is "good" and what constitutes good for them? Is it
merely a call for attention? For affirmation to validate one's
efforts? To make a personal connection with others such as a
form of social interaction? To share in the art-making process?
(Researcher's Journal, January 31,2008).
However, Neeka continued to work with the van Gogh program and created her own
versions of two of her beloved cartoon characters, Plankton (Figure 81) and Sponge
Bob (Figure 82).
Figure 81: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His Mark" Figure 82: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His
Mark"
Neeka's initial comments of the Met site appear favorable: "I think it is really
colorful and fun. I like the things they did to make people want to use it. I like the
people's figures on it, too." Neeka did not record any negative comments about her
experiences and left the questionnaire section blank that inquired about aspects of the
site that she did not like. Based on her site visit and that she "made a lot of pictures and
played a lot of games," Neeka documented that she would like to visit the Metropolitan
Museum one day. One of the "games" to which Neeka refers and kept a record of in her
digital portfolio is her interaction with the Degas program (Figure 84). Neeka
additionally collected an image of a Renoir work (Figure 83), but did not document an
explanation for its inclusion in her portfolio. The final comment Neeka recorded about
the website was, "It seems like it has great pictures and art to see.''''
219
ArtsConnected
"As I enter this site, I think it could be fun and interesting. I'm not sure what it's
about." This was Neeka's initial response to the Artsconnected website. Following two,
forty-minute sessions, Neeka's ambiguity lessened and her responses were more
definitive. For example, when asked whether she would recommend the website and
visit it again, Neeka responded that she "would visit the website again...b/c it ma[d]e
art fun and easy and they have so many good games." The games to which Neeka refers
are her interactions with the "Artist's Toolkit's" "Shape" and "Line" activities.
Figure 85 shows an image Neeka created using the "Shape" program and
figures 86 and 87 are drawings she created with the "Line" activity. Figure 86 is a
screenshot of the unfinished drawing and Figure 87 is Neeka's final version. Of her
interactions with the "Line" program, Neeka recorded in her digital portfolio, ' 7 have
been able to make things with solid lines that were already made." Any recorded
evidence that could illuminate her meaning of "solid lines that were already made" was
not found to support this statement. The "Line" program and Neeka's images will have
to speak on their own.
220
Figure 86: Line, "The Artist's Toolkit" Figure 87: Line, "The Artist's Toolkit"
During my observations of the co-researchers interacting with the Artsconnected
website I did not record any particular anecdotes that pertained to Neeka's interactions.
Neeka spoke little and did not encounter any technical issues with the programs that she
was not able to resolve herself. Neeka's recorded experiences with the website are that
it was: "easy to navigate around", she thought it "offered interesting topics and a lot of
activity choices, it was age- appropriate, " and how it looked "appealed to her." Neeka
did not record in her exit questionnaire any negative online experiences or comments
with the website's activities. However, prior to Neeka completing the exit questionnaire
for Artsconnected, she noted the website "was ok. It had some fun things to do." This
contrasts with her responses above and her final statement that based on her
experiences with the website she "would visit the actual museum b/c it has great art
work and fun.''''
NGA Kids
Neeka used the NGA Kids website only one class session due to an absence, but
seemed to have entered the site on an optimistic note, "there might be a lot more things
to do hereV She wrote in her digital portfolio. Neeka's initial tone did not seem to
subside, even though she encountered several network- and computer-related problems
with saving some of her data. One major issue was that Neeka, along with a few of her
classmates, was unable to save the images she created using NGA Kids programs. An
excerpt from my observation journal, also included in Adam's narrative, recorded this
technology frustration:
Observation: On the other side of the room I
overhear and then see several students struggling
with their computers (Desiree and Yves). Several
students are complaining about the "turning wheel"
they are getting as they try to save their work, fearing
the loss of it. Other students are commenting on the
disappearance of work they saved (Adam, Shaina,
and Neeka) The technology educator is sweeping
from one student's desktop to another trying to
determine the network issues. As Leslie works on
the computers several students can be heard
discussing what they were doing and what they made
Neeka was able to complete an exit questionnaire of her experiences with the
website. Neeka commented that site was easy to navigate, that it "looks good," and it
had interesting topics, although she did not like that the site had what she considered to
be "very few, almost no drawing activities." Although she worked with the shape
program on the ArtsConnected website, Neeka indicated that she liked the programs on
NGA Kids where she could "build with shapes," something she had not done elsewhere.
Neeka suggested she would re-visit the site " 'cause there were things to do...1 had a
great time playing all the fun art games and everything I wanted to do was there and I
got to see really pretty art sculptures and paintings." However, she was not interested
in physically visiting the National Gallery: "[I] wouldn 't visit [the] actual museum b/c
not really... a lot of stuff." In spite of the statement that "everything I wanted to do was
there," Neeka made two comments about a lack of drawing activities on the site; the
one previously noted, and in her main and final criticism of the site, "there needs to be
more drawing though."
Destination
Early on in her digital portfolio, Neeka recorded that MoMA's Destination
"seems very weird but cool." Neeka saved screen shots of her engagements with the
Gatti, Paolini, and Teodoro link: two chair designs she virtually collaged together
(Figure 86); and a virtual collage of floating objects and body parts on a park
background from the Romare Bearden link (Figure 87). Additionally, Neeka saved an
image of the site's floating alien avatar (Figure 87), a character on the site she
considered "weird." For Neeka, the inclusion of the alien was an indicator that the site
was not age-appropriate. "[I] didn 't like the alien," she wrote, "// was not right for my
223
Figure 88: Activity, "Gatti, Paolini, and Teodoro"
The alien aside, Neeka found elements to appreciate about the site. "/ like how it
sounds.. . . I heard sound with art I learned about...it's easy to get around...it offered a
lot of choices." Neeka also noted that in addition to making something inspired by one
of the featured artists, she could look at their artwork in the same section, which made
it easy for virtual visitors like her, and she appreciated that. On the other hand, the site
did not visually appeal to her, "/ do not like how it looks," nor did she "find it
interesting." Yet, "I think that it was a lot of fun," she recorded. That she did not find
the website interesting, but thought it was a lot of fun was followed by this response: "/
would recommend [it], but...! would tell them about the weird things like the alien."
224
Lastly, and in spite of some of her divergent sentiments, Neeka would be interested in
visiting MoMA. ''''Yes, I would visit the museum 'cause it's in NYC!"
Postscript
Subsequent to her online art museum web activity experiences, Neeka expressed
surprise during her interview of some of the things she saw and was able to do on the
art museums' interactive websites:
/ was surprised by some of the things I saw on the websites. There was
a picture of a lady with a dog and a girl. I never saw a picture like that.
I saw it on the website, but I would like to see it in person. If I didn 't
visit the website, I wouldn 't know about it though. I haven't been to an
art museum so this was a way to go and visit one.
Neeka's online experiences re-affirmed her love of drawing using pencil and
paper. If given a choice, Neeka maintained that she would "always" pick pencil and
paper over drawing on a computer because of her love of sketching. "I am always
sketching something! I like to make sketches and look at drawings. It makes me feel
good and I think it is something that I am good at." Without her frequent sketching,
Neeka suggested that she would not have had the experience to draw the images created
using her computer mouse and some of the virtual tools of the interactive programs.
/ think that because I like to draw and know how to use a pencil to draw
I was able to draw things on the websites. Having knowledge about
drawing definitely helped me to make things online.
However, Neeka offered a conflicting addition to the previous response and
implied that she does not think it is necessary for an individual to possess any special
skills to create an online drawing using some of the art museums' web activities with
which she interacted. "Well, maybe it helps if you like to draw so that when you use the
mouse to draw something you can."
Neeka preferred the Met Kids site to the other websites she visited during the
study because of the "How van Gogh Made His Mark" drawing activity. "/ liked it the
most because I love to draw," she enthused. Although Neeka had mentioned that she
had visited the Met Kids site prior to her involvement in the study, she could not
remember the specific activities with which she engaged during her previous visit.
Neeka also responded positively to liking the ArtsConnected website's shape- and line-
building activities. She asserted that she would recommend the two sites to others and
had already shared them with her twin sister at home.
Neeka's comments about MoMA's Destination site were conveyed with a roll
of her eyes. "I really didn 't like that site with the alien because there really wasn 't
enough to make. I rather make stuff and SEE stuff to make on my own than do what
they had there. The alien was silly." Neeka did not make any detailed comments
regarding the NGA Kids website. She had only visited the site for one session and was
unable to save images due to a technical difficulty (her computer was not connecting to
the main server). Neeka's response to the NGA Kids site was a noncommittal shrug.
The interactive experiences Neeka had with art museums' web activities as a result of
her involvement as a co-researcher in this study, resulted in these final thoughts:
The art museum websites should teach kids more how to make things
and develop their (art) skills. Kids should see things and make things so
they can learn more. I've re-visited these sites at home and in school
during indoor recess. I usually go to the site where I can draw.
226
Shaina [S(i)ll|
Shaina is a very bright, academically oriented, eleven-year-old, fifth-grade
student from a Persian family. Shaina comes across as rather serious, but my
knowledge of her suggests that she is a self-assured individual, yet humble about her
cognitive abilities as a learner. Shaina's teachers note that she excels in every area
academically as she dedicates herself to working diligently, thoughtfully, carefully and
thoroughly. Shaina is insightful and reflective about books she has read and she will not
hesitate to offer a comment or a criticism about something she has read, seen, or
experienced. I have often heard Shaina share some of her insights with her neighbors
during art class about books or television shows, and, occasionally, religion.
Shaina is attentive to details and observant about the world and people around
her. During the three years I worked with Shaina, I watched her grow into a more
confident, creative individual, more willing to take risks without seeking constant
approval. Shaina as a fifth grader is more likely to take risks with her artwork than she
did when she was in third grade. As a result, both Shaina and her studio artwork
demonstrate motivation and a stronger understanding of the artistic process, even
though she sometimes experiences difficulty presenting her ideas visually and
technically, such as when drawing and painting.
Shaina's Relationship with Computer Technology
Much to her dismay, Shaina shares a computer with her younger brother.
Because she must share a computer, she spends less time than she would like using it.
This averages about three to four days a week. When she does use the computer, Shaina
will spend anywhere from one to three hours there, depending on what she is doing. If
she is completing a class assignment, Shaina's parents allow her to spend as much time
as she needs to finish her work. This is not the case when she is online. "/ can only use
the Internet a couple of times a week.'''' Shaina's parents monitor her Internet usage and
allow her to play games, watch videos, and download music from websites that receive
their approval.
"7 spend a lot of time on neopets because you can play foreverV Shaina noted
that although she can use Microsoft Word and Powerpoint "pretty well," she feels she is
even more competent at playing the games on www.addictinggames.com. It has "fun
games, [and] they are addicting*." Shaina is also a fan of the www.webkinz.com
website. "7 like taking care of my virtual animals. I learn about responsibility." Shaina
determines a site is worth revisiting by how it looks, sounds, the variety of choices it
offers, and if it regularly makes updates that keep her interested in returning. It is not
that important that a site have a lot of choices of things to see and do, but what is there
must have variety, such as the types of games, things to see, do, and hear. In other
words, Shaina implied that she valued a website's variety of activities over the number
of activities, "different is better than having a lot of similar things."
Shaina's Thoughts about Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums
In the three years I worked with Shaina, I watched her become a less serious
child and grow into an art student more willing to take chances with her ideas. Up until
fifth grade, Shaina focused primarily on "doing the right thing" in class. For her, this
meant being a model student, excelling academically, and following directions to the
point that imagination did not come into play when she was in the art studio. Although
an emphasis in art class is to explore one's imagination, another was to develop skills
and techniques with a variety of materials to discover a multitude of creative
possibilities. Shaina's artwork was very neat and carefully executed, but it did not
necessarily exhibit technique or imaginative qualities until fifth grade when she seemed
to have matured into more of a risk-taking student of art. In other words, Shaina's
images or sculptures were previously representative of static ideas that did not
particularly evolve over the course of three years.
Shaina admitted during our interview that she "loves art" but implied that for
her to create a drawing or sculpture it requires effort, even though she becomes, "Umm,
like really excited! I just go with whatever happens..." I prompted Shaina to explain
more about what she meant by "whatever happens." Shaina responded thus
"ideas...stufffrom everyday life and many things that have to do with us give us ideas"
about what to create. Shaina continued to propose that whatever happens with the
229
materials she is working with is a result of what is going on with her or what she is
thinking. Art, she suggested, "tells a story" and "people make art to express themselves
and...to share...."
Shaina discussed her enjoyment of reading, but felt that she did not read or
know a lot about different artists other than those we discussed in art class. Shaina
indicated that it is important for people making art to be aware of other artists' work by
looking and from reading. For example, she appreciated van Gogh's art " 'cuz he uses a
lot of colors and pastels [colors] and I like how he mixes colors together...." In addition
to van Gogh's work, Shaina values patterned artwork because it reminds her of her
Persian heritage. "Ifeel like it is good when it has a lot of different patterns in it
and...umm, 'cuz that makes it look beautiful."
When engaged in the art-making process, Shaina's enjoys working with clay,
but favors using oil pastels because "you [can] mix the colors. You can make one color
look like a totally different color when you mix it up." Beyond school, Shaina does not
use her free time to make art and she admitted that she had never been to an art
museum, but had visited the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Shaina
indicated that she would like to go to an art museum "because you could see art up
close and maybe see what the artists was thinking or feeling at the time." Shaina was
not able to expand on what she would like to see, other than van Gogh's work, or do on
a visit, and stated, "umm, it would be nice to make a sculpture ...something with
pottery. " Finally, prior to her involvement in this research, Shaina was not aware that
art museums or any museums, for that matter, had websites for children to use. "Ididn 't
know they had them" she stated, "and I'm looking forward to seeing what they have."
Shaina's Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities
Met Kids
Five participants arrived early and immediately log on to
the Met [site]. Shaina was one of them.
Observation: Interestingly, students were able to select their
seats and have automatically separated themselves. The 5
th
graders are sitting on one side of the room and the 4
th
graders on the others. Also, boys are sitting next to boys and
girls next to one another (Researcher's Journal, January 24,
2008).
Shaina's first reaction to the Met Kids website was "it looks boring, like it 'sfor
adults.'''' Shaina used her two, forty-minute sessions to explore the website, collecting an
image of a still life painting by Cezanne (Figure 90) and an image of an object that
looks to be a decorative staff topper (Figure 91). Shaina noted under the two images in
her digital portfolio that these are "works I saw and liked." Although Shaina took the
time to indicate these works were of interest to her, she did not specify why, nor did she
interact with activities to which they related on the website.
Figure 90: Cezanne, "Still Life with Apples
and a Pot of Primroses 1890
Figure 91: Ghana, Asante, "Linguist Staff'
19
th
- 20
t h
Century
I ;
In addition to the two artworks above that she saved to her Met portfolio,
'works I saw and liked,'" Shaina kept screenshots of compositions she composed using
'How van Gogh Made His Mark" (Figure 92) of which she commented, "This was my
231
favorite activity, " and "The Dancers and Degas" (Figure 93) of which she noted, "I
liked this activity too. "
Figure 92: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His Mark" Figure 93: Activity, The Dancers and Degas"
With regard to the Degas program, I recorded in my journal a comment I overheard
Shaina make to her neighbor:
and Shaina located an activity about Degas
commenting "this is cool!" to each other
As she exited the website, Shaina recorded these thoughts in her portfolio: "I
think that actually [it] has a lot of options to do on the website. Myfave game was how
Van Gogh makes his mark." In her site-exit questionnaire, Shaina commented that prior
to using this website, she had never "made a picture using a computer." However, she
did not consider this persuasive enough to revisit the website or physically visit the
Met. "I did not find it [the website] interesting and it had too much on the homepage....
I think it was confusing...there was so much that made me confused, Iwouldn 't be
interested in visiting the museum anymore." Shaina's criticisms of the website as "not
interesting''' and "confusing
1
'' contradict notations in her exit survey that the site was
"easy to navigate," "had interesting topics," and the Degas activity "is coolV
ArtsConnected
During the two, forty-minute sessions the class engaged with the ArtsConnected
website, I observed in my journal that Shaina appeared to spend more time viewing
works of art than interacting with the activities and games on the site. This is
noteworthy because prior to observing Shaina, I recorded a reflection about many of the
other participants spending minimal time viewing works of art as the excerpt below
demonstrates:
Shaina, a 5 grader: "Ms. Mulligan here's an artwork you
showed us last year in art class. It's pop art, isn 't it?"
"Ah, is that Claes Oldenburg's Spoon Bridge?"
Shaina: "It's a great work Ms. Mulligan. I remember the class
talking about it in art."
Before I could ask Shaina other questions about the piece she
moves on to a shape activity that her neighbor is doing.
Reflection: It seems, in some ways, that students spend as much
time looking at art on a computer as they would in an actual
museum space, not very long (as I have observed when children
are not facilitated in a museum). I wonder why that is? Unless
they are engaged in a discussion about apiece, what are the
chances they will consciously choose to spend additional time
looking at apiece? Shaina seems to be spending time looking at
the artwork and listening to information about it I can't tell what
piece she is looking at. Shaina appears to be spending more time
viewing artwork from the museums' collections than interacting
with the activities on the site. She did [stay] long using the
shape program (Researcher's Journal, February 14, 2008).
Shaina saved two screenshots of her online experiences with the ArtsConnected
website. Figure 94 is an image from a now defunct site activity called "Fabric Factory"
where Shaina selected a pattern and stitchery to create virtual embroidery. Figure 95 is
a shape form Shaina created using the "Shape" program from the "Artist's Toolkit."
Shaina recorded beneath this image in her digital portfolio "the tool kit was myfave."
233
Figure 94: Activity, Fabric Factory Figure 95: Shape, "The Artist's Toolkit"
Shaina additionally noted that she enjoyed "playing with an art tool kiP because it is
not something she had ever done before. Consequently, she would recommend and
revisit the website "because it was fun to play on the tool kit." However, her
experiences with the website did not spark an interest in an actual museum visit
"because you can'tplay the games at a museum."
In her exit questionnaire for ArtsConnected, Shaina identified a handful of
positive aspects about the website. Shaina recorded that she liked how the site looked
because "it's easy to see your choices,'''' and it offered a lot of choices of things to both
see and do, it was age- appropriate, and she thought it had interesting topics and
artwork to view. Although she initially implied the site was easy to navigate, she ended
her site visit with the comment, "I think it had a lot of things to do, but you had to find
them"
NGA Kids
Shaina's recorded her immediate response to the website's homepage, "As I
enter this site, I think it's interesting that you could [go] over the picture [with a mouse]
and when you go over it tells you the different places you could go on the website." One
t
234
of the "different places" Shaina frequented on the NGA Kids website was the
"Paintbox" program as noted in an extract from my observation journal:
Observation: The 5 graders seem to have stuck with a
few of the programs on the NGA site. Several of them
picked up where they left off the week before. With the
large number of activities on this site, students seem to
choose to focus on particular ones. Hopefully, the
reasons for this will be evident when they critique the
site. Shaina has spent a lot of time on one program (I
can't tell which). "Ms. Mulligan, look, I've made a
snowflake with this program!" was her reaction
There is only one other recorded piece of evidence from Shaina's portfolio that
she may have explored another program in addition to "Paintbox" on the NGA Kids
website. "Imade 3D things on a computer," she noted in her portfolio. This statement
is not supported by images she created using a three-dimensional program and saved to
her portfolio. While the NGA Kids website does include 3D-making activities, Shaina
did not reference a particular program. However, Shaina saved three screenshots of
"snowflake" images she created using "Paintbox" (Figures 96 to 98) an activity she
stated was "my favorite activity. "
Figure 96: Activity, "Paintbox"
i
i
235
Figure 97: Activity, "Paintbox"
F
igH!EE
98
,
:
Activity, "Paintbox'
As demonstrated by her exit-questionnaire responses, Shaina had positive
experiences with the National Gallery of Art's children-focused web activities, and
therefore, an enthusiastic opinion of it. Shaina indicated that there was nothing she did
not like about the website and she would recommend and revisit it "because I want to
explore the rest of it!" Furthermore, she remarked that the site's layout visually
appealed to her, it was easy to navigate, it possessed interesting topics, it offered a lot
of activity choices, and it was great for her age. Up until this point, Shaina had not
visited a website in the study that encouraged a desire in her to physically visit an art
museum. Following two, forty-minute sessions, however, Shaina professed in her
digital portfolio: "7 think this is the best site!.... I want to [visit and] see the sculptures
andpaintingsT
Destination
A review of Shaina's digital portfolio reveals she collected only one screen shot
of something she created (Figure 99). This screen shot is of a chair design she produced
using the Gatti, Paolini, and Teodor "Tools" link. This chair design is the result of her
interaction with her "favorite activity from the Destination website.
Figure 99: Activity, "Gatti, Paolini, and Teodoro
. '
> - ^
- ,
1 *
A few responses found in her exit questionnaire suggest that Shaina interacted with
additional activities, such as the van Gogh and Giacometti links: "I made a poem, made
a chair, and listened to music." She did not, or was unable to, save images related to
these interactions. This could be due in part to technical issues experienced by several
of the students during the final session of the research course. An excerpt from my
journal, reproduced in its entirety in another narrative, has been abridged below to
provide evidence of Shaina's lost images.
Observation:. . . Several students are complaining
about the "turning wheel" they are getting as they try
to save their work, fearing the loss of it Other students
commenting on the disappearance of work they saved
(Adam, Shaina, and Neeka). The technology educator
is sweeping from one student's desktop to another
trying to determine the network issues. As Leslie works
on the computers, several students can be heard
discussing what they were doing and how they made
certain things. . . .
Abigail and Claudia discuss working on the MoMA
site and looking at the van Gogh section with the
sound effects. Shania, a 5
th
grader chimes in and
comments on how much she likes the site. Both
Claudia and Abigail confirm that they like the site,
but that they dislike the alien in the beginning
When she completed her two, forty-minute visits to Destination, Shaina stated
"I think it was so interesting and I learned about different pieces of art.... I think [s]
this [website] is so cooir Shaina recorded similar exit questionnaire responses to this
site as she did to the NGA Kids website: "Hike how it looks, how it sounds, it was easy
to navigate, it had interesting topics, it offered a lot of choices, and it was great for my
age." She made no answer to a query about what she did not like about the site. Her
final comments about the site continued with a favorable opinion, "yes, [would
recommend the website], / think it is a very fun website for all ages. ... I want to see
[on an actual visit] the pieces of art I saw in the games."
Postscript
Due to some difficulty deciphering several of Shaina's digitally recorded
interview responses regarding her experiences with art museums' online art and art-
making activities, I had to abbreviate this section. In spite of this set back, I was able to
piece together her thoughts for this part of her narrative using what comments of hers I
could make sense of from the recordings and the written notes I collected during her
interview.
During her interview, Shaina wanted it to be known that there are definite
differences between physically visiting a museum and virtually visiting. The reason,
according to Shaina, that art museums have websites for youngsters is " 'cuz kids can
explore the museum in a fun way." I probed a little more and asked Shaina about
238
exploring a museum in person, "Can that not be done in a 'fun' way?" I asked. Shaina
expanded her answer and implied that the fun is different
'cuz it's in person...it's nice to travel [and] look at the
real thing... I would rather look at the picture...sculpture
there... sometimes the museum is better than the website
because of that... it's not real on the computer.
Shaina suggested that although she could make something using the computer
and liked doing it with some of the online art-making activities it was not the same as
creating something with her own two hands. "I would rather work with my hands to
make something...feel it." Shaina also implied that people should know how to make
things with their hands "using different things," otherwise, they would not do very well
using a computer. "It was sometimes harder than I thought." Shaina mentioned having
difficulty with the Artist's Toolkit "Shape" program because she could not move some
of the shapes in certain ways, or at least how she wanted them to shift. She preferred
drawing activities, particularly "Paintbox" on the NGA Kids site. "I felt successful with
that... 'cuz I could make things how I wanted to...I saw Desiree make her own
snowflake like mine." To conclude, Shaina thought all of the websites should have some
kind of drawing activity, "it's important... we use computers a lot, " she affirmed.
Yves [Y(m)9]
Yves is a charismatic, motivated, and enthusiastic, nine-year-old fourth grader,
albeit somewhat immature for his age. Yves is from a Russian family and speaks
Russian with his parents and younger brother. Yves is easily delighted and occasionally
prone to being over-animated and somewhat goofy as indicated by his classroom
teacher. While I would concur, surprisingly, Yves's enthusiasm is not disruptive to his
classmates, but rather infectious in terms of how he expresses his pleasure. I would
consider Yves's excitement more endearing than it is distracting as he has a tendency to
find positive aspects in many situations; at least in the art studio! Yves's teacher
believes he possesses greater potential as a learner than he demonstrates, due in part to
his occasional lack of restraint.
Yves likes to share what he makes in the art room with his peers and teachers
alike. He will construct involved stories about his work, frequently modifying the story
as he expands his ideas. Occasionally, Yves will create visually aggressive images that
are reflective of his interest in somewhat intense sports such as wrestling, hockey, and
soccer. Yves likes to amuse himself by attaching sound effects to the images he creates
and will often carry on a dialogue with his artwork as he develops it. Yves is
particularly drawn to making cartoon and superhero figures when he works in the art
studio and finds some of his friends to be inspirational in terms of their skill with re-
creating beloved cartoon images such as Sonic and Pokemon. Yves's creative energies
as an artist exceed his actual capabilities, but I have observed that his enthusiasm for
the process of art-making is a wonderful advantage in the art studio for both him and
his classmates. In other words, Yves's zeal for developing his visual ideas excites and
inspires those around him to further explore their ideas as well.
Yves' Relationship with Computer Technology
Yves stated that he is "very lucky to have his own computer." Although he and
his younger brother are very close, Yves appreciated being able to use his computer
whenever he wants, which averages a few times a week due to his parents' supervision
of his computer time and because sometimes he would "rather be playing soccerl"
When he uses his computer, it is typically for school assignments, to play games, and to
go online. Yves will spend less than an hour, on average, using his computer or going
online. This is also because his parents do not want him to spend too much of his time
not being physically active.
Because Yves enjoys competitive games and sports, both online and offline, and
boasts to being "quite good" at them, he prefers to visit websites that have games. Yves
will also revisit sites that have a lot of games and make a lot of updates to provide a
greater variety of choices and new activities such as www.nickelodeon.com and
www.cartoonnetwork.com. Yves had never visited a museum website prior to his
participation in this study and he admitted to not being averse to visiting sites that are
"good for thinking," like another favorite site of his, www.funbrain.com. Yves believes
that art museums have online programs that children can visit for a few reasons:
If you don't have money to visit a museum or don't
like going to a museum you can enjoy it another way,
online. You can be at home and do things on your own
when you want to and do it alone.
Yves' Thoughts about Art, Art-Making, and Art Museums
Yves is a gregarious and exuberant child. When he spoke during our interview
he tended to wave his hands and frequently modulated the pitch of his voice, ultimately
ending several of his responses to my inquiries with ardent exclamations. However,
when necessary, Yves can demonstrate restraint and was able to do so during our
almost thirty-minute interview. In keeping with Yves's personality, he responded
energetically when asked about working with art materials. "I feel excited and
energized! I made that!" When I heard that art enlivens Yves, I asked him why he
thinks people make art and how art is important to our lives. He replied,
I think people make art to entertain people..., for designs. If
you 're good at it you can maybe make some money! Art is
important to see. We decorate our houses with it. We can
learn things from it. . . . Art is an activity I enjoy. I would
do art EVERYDA Y if I could! It 'sfun and makes me happy!
Yves discussed where artist's inspiration comes from, dealing thoughtfully with
his responses by frequently pausing. "I think people get ideas from nature....shapes,
life..., experiences..., our imagination.'''' Yves himself is inspired by colorful art and
likes to look at paintings "especially if they are colorful and shinyf Yves continued
this line of thought suggesting that if an artwork is colorful then it appeals to him and
242
he considers it "good." Also, similar to authors he likes and is familiar with, if he likes
one work by an artist, ' 7 might like his other work and think it is good. If I think the art
is good, I know the artist must be proud of his work.''''
Yves likes the work of Frida Kahlo and experienced difficulty pronouncing her
name, so he pointed to a self-portrait of her during our conversation. In art class, we did
a tin design piece inspired by her artwork and Yves said that he finds her work "good''
and ' 7 think it's funny how she painted her self with her unibrow. I like art that can be
funny. I admire (a classmate) artwork. He's good at making Sonic. He knows all
the lines and shapes. His Sonic inspires me." Although Yves is drawn to looking at
colorful or funny paintings, his favorite medium to work with is clay. He takes pleasure
in the process of getting dirty when working with the material and adding color to it
when it has been fired. ' 7 like that I can paint clay! I like getting dirty and making
shapes out of the clay and putting it together."
Following this statement, I turned our conversation to visiting art museums.
Yves has visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his family and "remember[s]
seeing some paintings," although he could not recall specific works. He also mentioned
visiting a children's museum in New York City and seeing art there. As to other
museums, he said, ' 7 know I have been to others, but I don't remember which ones. I
know I saw things that Indians made and there were animals." When I commented that
it sounded as if he had been to a natural history museum based on what he had seen,
Yves face lit up. "Yes! There's art there too!"
Even though Yves could not remember specific artworks he had viewed, he
reiterated what he had stated earlier about looking at art.
I really like to look at paintings, especially ones that
are colorful because I like colorful art. If it's shiny it
catches my eye and I like to look closely at it...I can
look at artist's work and get ideas. I am persuaded
to do art and look at art. I like to look at paintings
and [work] (Yves made a hand gesture as though
using clay) with clay.
Realizing that viewing art is a reason people visit art museums, Yves indicated
that he would like to make art there himself. "It would be great to paint or use clay
there ...I think it would be great to paint or use clay when looking at those things
[artwork]," he said. Yves added to this response and implied that he would like to have
a party at a museum like a classmate of his had done. Although it was "a lot of fun!" he
could not recall objects he saw or the museum where the party occurred.
Yves' Experiences with Art Museums' Web Activities
Met Kids
Yves initial reaction to the Met Kids site was that "it [would be]funr although
he did not like how the site visually looked which was "boring." Based on several
utterances he made while composing some of his virtual line drawings (Figures 102 to
104) Yves was engaged with what he was doing. Although I could not always catch
what Yves interjected, I was aware of his ebullient tone as one of my journal entries
demonstrates.
Yves had a tendency to wriggle and dance in his chair constantly
throughout the session. Very similar to his actions in the art
studio. I watched Yves access the samurai section of the knight
site and he became even more physically animated as he looked
at the images of the objects. Yves would just begin to talk to the
screen and occasionally to his neighbor (Researcher's Journal,
244
January 24, 2008).
I know Yves to be a talker in the art studio and my observations of him
illustrated in my journal entry aboveduring his interactions with Met Kids showed
him to be no different when he was online interacting with the activities on Met Kids.
Figures 100 and 101 are screen shots Yves collected and included in his final Met Kids
portfolio. Figure 100 is the same object Shaina collected during her site exploration. In
addition to the artwork images he collected, Yves engaged with the drawing activity
from "How van Gogh Made His Mark." Figure 102 is an example of Yves's first
interaction with the van Gogh drawing program. Figure 103 illustrates a scene with
figures while Figure 104, also a scene with figures, shows Yves' incorporation of
language with his imagery, aggressive imagery that is typical of his drawings.
Figure 101: Ghana, Asante, "Linguist Staff' Figure 100: Activity, "China, Dawn of a Golden
Age, 200-750 AD"
1 9
t h
- 2 Q l
h
C e n
' \ * * 1-
i j g . i - SE
245
Figure 102: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His Mark" Figure 103: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His
Mark"
Figure 104: Activity, "How van Gogh Made His Mark"
The competitive nature of some of the fourth-grade male participants became
apparent when they engaged with the "jousting" game from the "Knights in Central
Park" link. I recorded an observation in my journal of these boys talking with one
another while they explored this section of the website. Yves was both directly and
indirectly involved in the interactions I recorded.
As students settled in I found my attention foe used
on a group of 4
th
grade boys sitting next to one
another: Yves, -, , and . My attention
gravitated to this group because they were the most
vocal while they interacted with the site and they
tended to quickly jump from section to section of the
site, sharing their finds with one another. These 4
th
grade boys tend to be very vocal with one another.
Making statements such as: "look what I can do,"
"Can you do better than me?" Many of these
comments are directed to each other, but yet they do
not look at one another when they speak. While on
the Met's "Knights in Central Park" activity, a
competition almost appears to be brewing among
them with regard to the games/activities in this
section.
Reflection: What are they learning, if anything,
about the Met and its collections from these
activities? Are they aware of, or able to make the
connection that these activities relate to the objects
in the Museum's collections?
spent a lot of time talking with his neighbor Yves,
playing the jousting game, he queried Yves numerous
times "doyou want to see me win?" Yves did not
reply. on the other hand did, ", you have to
read the questions first!" No one looked at each
other, they talk to the screen and gesture to it, but do
not directly communicate with each other
Yves's final commentfollowing two, forty-minute sessionsabout the Met
Kids website was, "I think it is perfect." Yves's other compliments of the site included
comment about the site's many activity choices and how easy the site was to navigate.
Yves indicated that he most likely would not visit the website again. ' 7 don't really go
to museums," he stated. At the end of the second session, I mentioned to the
participants the next website they would visit. A passage from my observation journal
highlights Yves' response to my announcement:
Students are asked to stop, save, and complete the questionnaire
at the end of the portfolio as they will be visiting a new site next
time. Yves lets out a "Yea!" at the news of a new site next week.
Because it is the first week of students completing a site
questionnaire, a majority encounter issues filling it out online. I
have made hard copies of the questionnaires in case some
students can not fill out the online one. This will be a back up.
Students are reminded that they will be completing these
questionnaires every other week as they are critiquing the sites
247
acting as "co-researchers" (Researcher's Journal, January 31,
2008).
ArtsConnected
Yves noted his initial reaction to the ArtsConnected website in his digital
portfolio as "/ think I won't like it all." This sentiment reversed in Yves's completion of
his site-exit questionnaire where he commented that he would visit the site again.
Yves's also indicated that the site was easy to navigate and offered a lot of choices, but
that he did not like how the site looked. Yves expressed no interest in visiting the actual
museum sites based on his virtual experiences and did not elaborate upon this response.
Yves's digital portfolio for the ArtsConnected website contained only one
screenshot of a composition he created using the "Shape" program. Yves' recorded the
phrase "my picture shapes" beneath the image of his shape picture (Figure 105). Yves
did not collect any images of artwork from the museums' collections to include in this
portfolio. Whenever I observed Yves during either of the two, forty-minute sessions
that he engaged with the ArtsConnected programs, he was more often than not talking
to his computer screen. On occasion, he would make a comment to the participant
closest to him, but I was never able to catch what he said during these two particular
periods. I noted my observations of Yves' verbal interactions with his screen in my
journal. It was at this point in the research that I began to more frequently record how
the participants socially interacted with one another when they used a computer, as
compared to their social interactions with one another and materials in the art studio.
248
Figure 105: Shape, "The Artist's JoolkiT
^ gjflllllllillbi
._
Observation: Yves, a 4 grader interacts with his
computer more than I have seen other students do. He
continually talks to the screen and will sometimes direct
a comment to those around him.
Observation: When students look at a classmate's screen
and see something that s/he is doing they will ask the
student how they did what they did or how they got there.
What is interesting is that although they discuss, they
look at and point to the screen rather than looking at
one another as they communicate. Social interaction
seems to be occurring at an entirely differently level
than what I have observed before. Although I have
observed this previously, it is now seems to be occurring
each week. There seems to be a lack of personal
socialization, a lack of connection with each other
through facial expressions and other gestures. Students
are interacting with each other via a screen. This is very
different than when they are doing art in the art studio
where students' interactions have more personal contact
For example, there is a tendency to look at and watch
one another, they will look at each other when they are
speaking as well as when they share materials and ideas
NGA Kids
Before he had engaged with any of the activities on NGA Kids, Yves recorded
in his digital portfolio that the NGA Kids website "is one of the best. " I watched Yves
move quickly through some of the images and activities on the website during the first
of his two, forty-minute sessions. During the first session, Yves engaged with the
"Jungle" program where he created a Henri Rousseau inspired jungle scene (Figure
106). At some point, Yves also interacted with a program that enabled him to create a
pulsating composition of white lines. Yves did not save this image to his digital. Yves
spoke with me about what he created and asked if what he made was art. Offset below
is the record from my journal of the exchange I had with Yves regarding his white-on-
white animated composition.
Figure 106: Activity, "Jungle"
Yves: "I have a batch of lines here, is it art?"
"Why wouldn 't it be?" I respond. "You made it and you have
your own style as a creator. "
Yves: "I've made something here with lines, but it comes and
goes, watch. . . "
"Yes, I'm watching,"I respond.
Yves: "Look Ms. Mulligan, it's white on white, but you can still
see it Is it art?"
"It reminds me of a Russian artist's work I saw at the Guggenheim
Museum years ago. His name was Malevich. He created paintings
that were of different shades of white.
Yves: "I'm Russian, too!"
Reflection: When Yves was asking me and showing me his work, he
reminded me of when I saw an exhibition of Russian works at the
Guggenheim years ago and I told him so. There was a section of
Russian constructivists work. Yves' piece made me think of
Malevich's white-on-white painting. I remember visitors saying/
asking something similar to Yves about a white on white artwork
is it art? How can it be art?
Yves moves on and then lets me know that he has found some
Japanese art. I ask him what he likes about Japanese art. "It's
just cool," he tells me. He continues to look at the artwork, leaning
particularly close to the screen scrutinizing Japanese warrior
armor. I receive no further elaboration and turned my attention to
another co-researcher (Researcher's Journal, February 14, 2008).
Although Yves did not retain a picture of his white-on-white virtual image, he
did save two additional images he composed using the "Paintbox" program. These
virtual illustrations, shown in Figures 107 and 108 display figures and text. Yves' exit-
questionnaire revealed the following responses to the NGA Kids website and its
activities: "easy to navigate, interesting topics, and many choices, but a lot to look at
on the main page.'
1
'' Yves did not supply responses on his feedback form that indicated
an interest in re-visiting the site or visiting the museum in person.
Figure 107: Activity, "Paintbox" Figure 108: Activity "Paintbox"
:3*\ *
. ^r >-
:C
^ ^
W
Destination
"I think it will be fun!" Yves remarked about the Destination website in his
digital portfolio. Yves explored several areas of Destination as supported by the images
he saved to his portfolio and few of his utterances I recorded in my observation journal.
Figures 109 and 110 are examples of images that Yves created and saved using the
Polly Apfelbaum "Tools" link. Yves noted beneath these images that they are "like that
sculpture," referring to the Boccioni sculpture shown in Figure 112. Yves also noted
that the link for this sculpture had "Cool sounds!" Figure 111 is a screen shot Yves
251
collected of Keith Sonnier's sculpture on display at P.S.I. Under the image, Yves
typed, "cool work."
Figure 109: Activity, "Polly Apfelbaum" Figure 110: Activity, "Polly Apfelbaunr
The journal entry below details Yves verbalizations. Although Yves mentions
my name, he directed his comments more to his computer screen and did not attempt to
make eye contact with me in order to engage me in a verbal exchange, hence my lack
of a response to his pronouncements. As a result, I was able to continue to record his
remarks. Based on Yves's commentary of what he observed, he viewed the Frida Kahlo
and the William Anastasi links on the Destination website. The Anastasi section of the
website provides an opportunity for youngsters to create a timed, line drawing in fifteen
seconds, which can then be replayed and view. Yves' reference to a slide show is the
animated drawing he created. Screen shots are still images; hence animations cannot be
kept in this format.
Yves: "Ms. Mulligan, here's Frida Kahlo, we looked at her
artwork in art class!"
, says to Yves, but not does not look at him: "There's
nothing good here." (referring to the MoMA site).
Yves: "I don't agree."
begins to copy what Yves is doing on the site. Actually, he
has stopped what he is doing and watches while Yves
navigates [around] the website.
Yves has found an activity where he can make [an animation]
of sorts. continues to watch him and periodically returns to
his screen. "I made a slide show and I used pictures to make
it," he says to.
"Ms. Mulligan," Yves says, "I've finished my slide show. I
saved it to my portfolio so you can see it"
Yves' "slide show" was not among his portfolio pieces this
could be due to the network issue today
The final comment Yves recorded in his portfolio was "I think it was fun."
Yves, however, did not note whether he would recommend the website or be interested
in visiting the museum based on his experiences with Destination. Yves documented in
his exit questionnaire that the site was easy to navigate and had interesting choices, but
he did not like the website's alien guide.
Postscript
Yves' s online art museum experiences resulted in his stating that he would
"rather go to a museum" even though he recorded in one of his exit questionnaires that
he doesn't really go to museums. Yves remarked that visiting a museum in person
would enable him to see a lot more art than he could online. "On the computer, it is like
a preview of what I can see. It is not the same size on the computer and I don't see the
real thing." Yves did however, enjoy playing games on the websites and offered a
253
conflicting response to my question about his preference for either creating art online or
creating with art media as this part of our discussion illustrates:
/ like both equally. I like that there are games as part of
art on the websites. I like learning about artists in both
places and getting ideas too. I like getting dirty though and
having made something with my own hands. I like working
with everything! I also can't hang up my art that I made by
a computer the same way... When I hang up my artwork that
I made in school, it shows a lot and it can feel a certain way
too.
Yves was not lacking his usual enthusiastic demeanor during his interview,
particularly when we talked about recommending some of the websites in the study. "I
loved the Met site! I liked that it had knights with good games to play. I liked that I
could learn and play at the same time!" Conversely, Yves indicated in his portfolio exit
questionnaire that he thought the site was "perfect," but then later stated that he would
not recommend it. Yves continued to comment that there wasn't one site that he really
did not like other than finding "the alien on the one site a little annoying. . .. Each site
had something to do."
Yves did not hesitate to want to share some of his ideas for developing the
websites. Yves suggested that the creators of the website activities should consider
making some aspects "more realistic. That alien was silly and pointless." I asked Yves
to further explain by what he meant by "realistic." "Why not make it so it's like you 're
walking through the gallery or make like us [feel like we're in the museum]. What was
that first site we visited where we could make that thing of [our self]?" I proposed the
word avatar and Yves shook his head vigorously and smiled while saying, "YES.
r
' Yves
offered another suggestion for the art museum websites, an idea based on his fondness
for clay. "I think it would be really cool if we could work with clay in virtual reality! It
254
would be cool to make and use shapes in clay and make things stretch and change
shape.''''
Summary
This chapter presented descriptive narrativesinterwoven with participants'
relationships with computer technology and their individual thoughts regarding art, the
art-making process and art museumsof the seven, young co-researchers' who
interacted with art activities from four, pre-selected art museums' websites. From these
multi-layered descriptive narratives, six major themes emerged that are reflective of the
participants' experiences. These six themes, or approaches as I have designated them,
are a coalescence of the co-researchers' online experiences, their responses to multiple
inquiries, my observations as the researcher, and the fourteen thematic dimensions used
to contextualize the data collection process (Table 1). The six thematic dimensions I
have identified are broad, yet focused categories of how I theorize children approach art
museums' online art and art-making activities in a Free-Choice learning context. These
six approaches are the: (1) critical approach, (2) experiential approach, (3)
personal/preferential approach, (4) social approach, (5) technological approach, and (6)
visual approach.
In Chapter V, I will explore and analyze these conceptual approaches by
isolating them throughout the data and discussing them in light of the literature and
from the context of Free-Choice Learning theory. Each of the six approaches will be
aligned with a thematic statement along with an explication of the theme, followed by
specific examples from the data in order to illustrate from where these themes emerged
(Corliss, 2008). These themes were inherent to the phenomenon being investigated and
are therefore crucial to understanding the children's perspectives and their experiences
of interacting with art museums' online art-making activities.
In addition to the six themes I identified, the interactions co-researchers' had
with art museums' online art and art-making activities resulted in some unanticipated
and intriguing outcomes that warrant mention here and will be fully discussed in
Chapters V and VI. One of these noteworthy findings is how children's social
interactions when using digital art media differs dramatically from what I have
observed of their social exchanges in an elementary art studio. Another is youngsters'
understanding of the power of viscerally engaging with actual art objects in museum
settings, but based on their online visiting experiences, reluctance or rather
ambivalence, to physically visit an art museum. These and other unexpected outcomes
of the research investigation will be more closely examined and analyzed in Chapter V
and will illustrate how children are intuitively pro-active critical investigators of their
Free-Choice Learning experiences via six approaches when they engage with art
museums' online art-making activities. Finally, I will argue that Free-Choice learning
for children may have its limitations.
256
Chapter V
DISCUSSION: THE THEMATIC REALITY OF YOUNGSTERS' VIRTUAL
ART-MAKING
Introduction
Chapter IV presented the findings of the research data collection process in
the form of four-part narratives for each of the seven co-researchers. These narratives,
while interpretive by design, were not an analysis of the data. The goal of this chapter
is to examine, interpret, and elucidate the findings via the contextual framework and
in light of the research questions put forth to guide the investigation. These initial
inquiries, therefore, require reintroduction prior to a comprehensive analysis of the
data collected. These questions, however, must be deemed secondary to the overall
purpose of this study, which is:
Numerous art museums have been designing and uploading digital art and
art-making activities for children as a way of promoting their collections and
engaging youngsters' interest in the visual arts beyond museum walls.
However, to date little research has been done to inquire about the
developmental and artistic appropriateness of such programs for elementary
age young people. One way of approaching this issue would be to assemble a
group of elementary youngsters to participate in a detailed critique of a
selected set of museum collection inspired digital art activities.
The overarching questions that guided this study asked:
1) What might we discover by engaging young people in this kind of
investigation?
2) How might their responses be used to develop digital art-making
257
In order to investigate the proposed research problem, I also examined the following
sub-questions:
1) Although a few theoretical constructs have been suggested by researchers to
of the theory of Free-Choice learning relate to the development and design of
2) What might be the implications of a study of elementary age children's
critical investigation of museums' digital art and art-making activities for the
design of museum education online curricula?
In this chapter I will argue that children interact with art museums' online art
activities via six distinct yet interconnected approaches in a Free-Choice Learning
context. I will expound upon these approaches, or thematic dimensions, throughout this
chapter and discuss them in relation to the two overarching research questions and the
first sub-question. The second sub-question will be discussed in Chapter VI, as it is an
inquiry related to the outcome of the research, rather than a query directly connected to
an analysis of the data.
In her narrative study of teachers' reading lives, Julia Corliss (2008) asserted the
importance of considering the themes of the phenomenon being researched. "Becoming
aware of and sensitive to the themes of a phenomenon [is] a means of giving shape to
that phenomenon" (p. 184). A critical examination of the data sources revealed that
youngsters' tend to approach art museums' websites and virtual activities in specific
ways. This in turn guided me to the identification and isolation of six thematic
dimensions, or approaches, that give shape to, and aid in, understanding the
phenomenon studied. These six focusedyet broad categories of approachessupport
the illustration of the phenomenon investigated and are the result of exhaustively
comparing and examining the co-researchers responses and experiences, thereby
identifying threads of commonality and determining connected patterns across the data.
These threads are illustrated in Table 5. This table is a condensed chart of all the data
collected. I include it here to illustrate for readers where each of the threads were
located among the data sources. The data collected from each co-researcher was
scrutinized and analyzed to reveal the possibility of common threads and patterns. The
common threads that emerged and the patterns identified among the data sources,
evolved into the criteria. These criteria, when isolated, resulted in thematic dimensions
that have been distinguished as approaches.
The comparative analysis of all the data took approximately five months and
required that I not only deconstruct each co-researcher's four museum site visits, but
also their interview and questionnaire responses. I reviewed each co-researcher's
museum website visits side-by-side in a spreadsheet format to determine if there were
any commonalities among their recorded experiences. For example, all the participants
visited each of the four websites. Each child completed a digital portfolio and site exit
questionnaire. I organized each of their responses and images into a spreadsheet by
website that enabled me to view their responses comparatively. By organizing the data
in this way for analysis, I was able to determine what activity each participant
interacted with and contrast their responses. For instance, my spreadsheet of the co-
researcher's data from the Met Kids website indicated that each participant interacted
with the "How Van Gogh Made His Mark" activity and noted that it was his/her
favorite interactive on the website. Also included among the spreadsheet data were
observations from my journal, which I separated by co-researcher and website as well.
The Thematic Dimensions that Emerged from the Data Sources
and Merged into Approaches
This section will present the themes that emerged from the co-researchers' data
sourcesinterview and questionnaire responses and digital portfoliosas well as from
my observations as the researcher and in light of my review of the literature. These
themes are reflective of the co-researchers' experiences with art museum's online art
activities, the phenomenon that is the basis of this research. The six intertwined themes
overlap, revolve, recur, and are flexible. Because the relationship among the approaches
is reciprocal, one approach does not take precedence over another in a hierarchical
sense, rather, they all occur and intersect at various points during a child's experience
with art museums' online activities. Figure 113 is a conceptual model designed to
illustrate how I theorize the relationship amongst the six approaches. As there is no
hierarchical structure to the six dimensions, how they connect to one another is a fluid,
flexible construction. The approaches are situated around the "Axis of Experience."
The axis represents the totality of a youngster's experience with art museums' websites,
and similarly to the approaches, the axis does not remain fixed but rotates multi-
directionally, rotating 360 both vertically and horizontally on its axis.
Figure 113: A Conceptual Model of the Six Thematic Approaches
Vi sual -Aesthel ic
Approach
Technol ogi cal *
Approach
Critical /
s APHSi c h /
tffc
Social
Approach
Experiential
, Approach
/ Person a!/P referential
' Approach
The six thematic approaches that emerged from a comprehensive comparative
analysis of the research data have been presented here in alphabetical order. Any
primacy of importance is dependent upon the individual youngster and what s/he
personally values and interacts with on an art museum's website at any given time. As
previously mentioned, the approaches, although independent, function together as part
of the experience, overlapping, changing position, flexible, and recurring. The
delineation between approaches is subtle, and where and when one approach begins or
ends, another may be happening concurrently. Although the themes intersect at some
point during a child's experience with art museums' online activities, each approach
possesses its own distinct characteristics. If a particular approach appears to take
precedence over another, or emerges more frequently during a child's experiences with
art museums' web activities, this is conjecturedbased on the data analysisto be due
to development, interests, or, perhaps, the learning style of the individual child. How
261
the approaches interact with one another will be clarified in the next section of the
chapter where I present evidence analyzed from the data for each approach.
The six thematic dimensions identified via an analysis of the data and discussed
in this chapter are: (1) Critical Approach, (2) Experiential Approach, (3) Personal/
Preferential Approach, (4) Social Approach, (5) Technological Approach, and (6)
Visual-Aesthetic Approach. These approaches address the overarching research
question: What might we discover by engaging young people in this kind of
investigation? I will argue that when fourth- and fifth-grade youngsters engaged in this
study as co-researchers, an analysis of the data revealed common threads of experience;
i.e., the six approaches.
Included with each approach is a statement of what the approach reflects
followed by an explication that illuminates the meaning of the approach and its
presence in the data sources. For this mode of presentation I am indebted to the
narrative research of Corliss (2008) whose qualitative study used a narrative format that
is a touchstone for the analysis and presentation method of this investigative endeavor.
Corliss (2008) presented the themes identified from her research in a manner that both
elucidates and exemplifies the phenomenon she investigated.
Before I expound upon the six approaches in detail, my discussion of the themes
begins with the inclusion of Table 5, a chart that identifies the criteria, abbreviated and
condensed from the rich font of data that helped to establish each approach. This chart
illustrates the specific criteriathe common threadslocated across and isolated
throughout the various data sources from the participants' visits to the four websites,
that emerged as thematic dimensions and then merged into the six thematic approaches.
262
These criteria evolved not only from Table 4, an observation reference chart for the
data collection process, but also over five months of examining and evaluating each
data source. The hypothesized observable themes identified identified in Table 4
resulted from my two pilot studies and my review of literature related to museum
website analysis. As I collected and then examined the various data sources,
particularly information from my observation and reflection journal, along with the co-
researchers' digital portfolios, I referred to the chart as a guide of assumptions worthy
of debatenot as explicit and predetermined conclusionsin order to contextualize the
data and its analysis. Examination of the data sources revealed the presence of many,
but not all, of the assumed observable themes that shall be addressed in the following
section.
For each thematic dimension that arose from the data analysis, Table 5 identifies
one to three main criteria that emerged and the data source(s) from where the
information came to light. The data sources have been abbreviated to acronyms within
the chart, and directly below the table is a key that denotes the specific source
designation. These individual criteria will be discussed throughout this chapter. In
particular, within the statement and explication of each thematic approach, specific
examples from the data will be incorporated to demonstrate the criterion, its source, and
its connection to the phenomenon investigated.
Table 5 Criteria that Emerged from Data Sources to Generate Thematic Approaches
Cri teri a
o Overall opinion of the site (its
look, navigability, usability and
choices)
oOpinion of a site's content and
its activities
o What activities the co-
researchers engaged/interacted
Data
Sourcc(s)
PDP
PI
PQ
ROJ
PDP
PI
Website
ArtCo
Met
MoMA
NGA
ArtCo
Met
1 hemal i e Di mensi on/
\ ppro. i oh Nul l i f i ed
Critical
Approach
Experiential
263
with
o Why it was done (influence of
prior experiences with other
websites,
o References to materials-based
art experiences
olndivudual engagement with the
site
o Personal thoughts regarding the
choices of artwork
displayed/available on the site
o Personal thoughts regarding the
choices of available activities
o Interactions with other within a
Free-Choice setting
o Interaction/Interface with
computer screen
o Influence of technology on the
site and its activities such as
animation, links, games, virtual
tours, and art-making activities
o Navigability and usability of a
site
o Aesthetics of a site and its
activities such as how a co-
researcher perceived the site in
terms of it presentation (layout,
organization, and imagery)
PQ
MWB
PDP
PI
PQ
ROJ
MWB
ROJ
PDP
PI
PQ
ROJ
MWB
PDP
PI
PQ
ROJ
MWB
MoMA
NGA
ArtCo
Met
MoMA
NGA
ArtCo
Met
MoMA
NGA
ArtCo
Met
MoMA
NGA
ArtCo
Met
MoMA
NGA
Approach
Personal/Preferential
Approach
Social
Approach
Technological
Approach
Visual-Aesthetic
Approach
Table 6 Key
Data Sources
PDP = Participant Digital Portfolio ROJ = Researcher's Observation and Reflection Journal
PI = Participant Interview MWB = Museum Website
PQ = Participant Questionnaire
Website Code
ArtCo = Minneapolis Institute of Art (ArtsConnectEd)
Met = Metropolitan Museum of Art
MoMA = Museum of Modern Art
NGA = National Gallery of Art
The Six Thematic Approaches
Table 6, displayed on the preceding pages, has been included to show readers
the data sources whence I located the criteria for each of the six thematic approaches
identified. It is a visually organized and condensed chart of all the data analysis that
occurred over a five-month period. Essentially, I spent five months reviewing,
comparing, and analyzing every data source from each co-researcher as well as
information from my observation journal, all through the lens of Free-Choice Learning.
To further develop readers' understanding of how I isolated common threads among
and throughout the various data sources, and identified the six thematic approaches, the
following sections include statements and explications of each theme. Following the
explication of each theme are direct examples, from co-researchers' data sources, of
information that supports the approach or reflects the criteria, as well as additional
evidence from related literature, and/or observations recorded in my journal.
The Critical Approach
Approach Statement
The Critical Approach reflects the opinions (positive or negative) the co-
researchers have about the art museum websites they visited and how their pre-existing
knowledge, attitudes, and expectations of what a website should consist of influence
their opinions of art museums' websites. The Critical Approach is evident in some of
the suggestions participants made for what they believe an art museum's website
should include among its content. Overall, the research findings indicate that children
are intuitive critics, or discerning analysts, of their experiences with art museums'
website activities. While youngsters of this age may not be able to always clearly
articulate an assessment, those who participated in this investigation did not hesitate to
share what they liked or did not like about a website and its activities. Co-researchers'
opinions of a site could be closely linked to their personal preferences and experiential
background. Therefore, the Critical Approach closely overlaps with the Experiential,
Technological, and Visual-Aesthetic approaches.
Explication of the Approach
Fourth- and fifth-grade students were invited to act as co-researchers who
recorded their opinions and monitored their interactions as they engaged with the
activities of their choosing on art museums' websites. The youngsters' critiques varied
in some instances, paralleled one another in other cases, and diverged in a few areas, as
I will explain in the following section. I support the Critical Approach with examples
and direct quotations from the participants' narratives, which are inclusive of their
interviews, digital portfolios, and questionnaire responses regarding their thoughts and
opinions of each website. The seven co-researchers commented upon and critiqued
what they were able to do and see on the websites they visited, the appearance of the
websites, and what they believed the sites should include in their overall content.
Evidence of the Approach
Youngsters can undoubtedly be ambivalent and their perceptions ambiguous,
but as this research demonstrates, children in the fourth and fifth grades (ages nine to
eleven) can also be judgmental. I equate the criticisms of the co-researchers involved in
this study with their ability to think analytically. According to the data of their
interactions with various online art making activities, the co-researchers did not hesitate
to offer suggestions for additional, or enhanced content of the websites they visited.
Two of the participants, Adam and Yves, were able to be specific in terms of their
suggested ideas. The five other co-researchers, in contrast, were unable to be explicit
with their recommendations, which were vague and lacking specificity. In an example
from Abigail's portfolio of her visit to the Met Kids website, she simply stated the site
"should have more activities." Neeka was only slightly more forthcoming. Neeka
asserted that several sites, such as Destination and NGA Kids, require "more drawing
activities" without offering suggestions of how to enhance the sites' virtual drawing
activities, or ideas for developing new drawing interactives.
Adam was one of the few participants to specifically indicate that art museums'
websites for children should have more games, and he provided examples. Adam
offered his criticism in a more constructive tone than some of the other co-researchers.
Adam suggested some of the game-based activities he engaged with, such as those on
the Met Kids site needed to be "more challenging." Adam also proposed the inclusion
of games that relate to the artists featured on the sites. Such activities would provide
thought- provoking experiences for users, he implied, and suggested the inclusion of
"crossword puzzles." A criticism of Yves' was that art museums' websites should have
"more realistic" components. Yves criticized the use of the alien on Destination as
"silly and pointless.... Why not make it so it's like you're walking through the gallery
or make us [feel like we're in the museum]." Yves suggested the websites include
"avatars"
14
that visitors can create in their likeness. Avatars, he suggested, would lend a
sense of realism to the experience and could act as the individual user during a virtual
visit, thereby creating a more personally interactive experience.
14
An avatar is a virtual persona of an individual. Avatars are often associated with computer games or
online interactives whereby players create or select an image to represent them in virtual reality.
Abigail, Claudia, and Neeka concurred with Yves assessment of Destination s
floating mascot. I observed in my journal both Claudia and Abigail sharing with Shaina
their dislike of the alien avatar:
Abigail and Claudia discuss working on the MoMA site and looking at the van
Gogh sections with the sound effects. Shaina, a 5
th
grader, chimes in and
comments on how much she likes the site. Both Claudia and Abigail confirm
that they like the site, but that they dislike the alien in the beginning
(Researcher's Journal, March 27,2008).
Claudia commented in her exit questionnaire that she did not find Destination
"very interesting... [and] the alien is silly." Claudia was equally critical of issues she
experienced with the van Gogh activity on Destination. This criticism reflects an issue
directly related to the Technological Approach.
For the starry night painting that you make a poem they should let you make
your
own words because there are words we want but are not there. Plus, get the
trashcan out of the side, it keeps swallowing the words I put next to it or above
it for my poem.
Neeka was more judgmental of Destination's use of the alien avatar calling the
figure "weird.... I didn't like the alien...it was not right for my age." This criticism
directly links with the Personal/Preferential Approach as it demonstrates that Neeka's
censure of the alien coincided with her personal interest and engagement with the site.
An additional critique Neeka made in relation to Destination's content can be
associated with her preferential interest of drawing: "there needs to be more drawing,"
she recorded in her portfolio.
Shaina, on the other hand, assessed Destination as "so interesting... .and so
cool!" However, she did not express equal enthusiasm for the Met Kids site overall. "I
did not think it was interesting.. .it was confusing.. .1 wouldn't be interested in visiting
the museum anymore." Some of the other co-researchers also responded that they
would not be interested in recommending the site or physically visiting the art museum
they virtually visited based on their online experiences. Desiree stated a lack of interest
in visiting the Meta museum she has never been tobased on her experiences with
Met Kids. "I wouldn't visit the actual museum. The site didn't make it seem that
interesting." Desiree also found ArtsConnected lacking interest. "This wasn't a very
good sight.... [I] did not like how it sounds and did not find it interesting." Because of
this unfavorable opinion, Desiree commented she would not recommend the site to a
friend.
Neeka presented a conflicting opinion ofNGA Kids. Neeka's response to the
website could be a result of her single site visit to the website. Neeka indicated that she
was not interested in physically visiting the National Galalery of Art: "I wouldn't visit
[the] actual museum b/c not really.. .a lot of stuff." Despite this statement, Neeka
recorded "everything I wanted to do was there [on the site]."
When queried during his interview, Yves responded that he had been to a few
museums, but except with his visit to Met Kids, where he recorded the response, "I
don't really go to museums," Yves did not indicate in his exit questionnaires if he
would revisit the websites again or be interested in physically visiting the museums he
virtually visited. Yves' lack of a response to revisiting the websites or visiting the
museums indicates indifference or ambivalence about his experiences.
Because the Critical Approach reflects both positive and negative opinions, this
section will address more positive comments than the previous two paragraphs. Desiree
recorded NGA Kids as her overall favorite site. "I liked this sight better than any of the
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other sights I've went to. I thought it really gave a chance for you to do art unklike the
other sites which I considered pretty boring." Shaina also wrote positively of NGA
Kids. Shaina professed, "I think this is the best site!" This comment led to her state, "I
want to...see the sculptures and paintings!" Shaina's positive opinion and experiences
with NGA Kids promoted an interest in visiting the National Gallery of Art. Abigail
also preferred NGA Kids, and wrote in her portfolio, the site "is good to use... [I] really
liked it.. .and it has many great artworks."
Neeka reacted positively to her experiences with the activities on Met Kids. She
recorded in her digital portfolio, "I think it has a variety of fun stuff that people can
enjoy.... I would recommend it.. .because it is fun and you can test your art skills."
Claudia also documented her optimistic opinion of Met Kids:
I think this was a very nice site and I will definitely recommend it to someone! I
would recommend it to a friend because I think it's very interesting and has
beautiful colors!.... I played games, watched things, and colored.... It makes
you feel proud because when you are done you saw that you did so many
things! I think I feel really proud because I took many pictures and I drew a lot.
Yves commented that he thought Met Kids "is perfect" and later wrote of NGA
Kids it "is one of the best." Of Destination, Yves replied, "I think it was fun., .it is very
funny." Adam thought Destination had "lots of interesting artwork" and Met Kids "was
amazing.... I like it a lot." ArtsConnected received praise from Adam. He recorded that
he thought the website was "really fun!"
Both the Met Kids and NGA Kids websites were considered by all the
participants to be the "best" websites, overall. While each co-researcher had a criticism
about an activity on each of the sites, they all agreed that these two websites had the
most interesting activities and choices. Neeka was the only participant to find NGA
Kids lacking drawing activities, but "there were things to do.... I had a great time
playing all the fun art games..." All the students responded positively to "How Van
Gogh Made His Mark" on Met Kids despite the fact that it only made black ink
available to users. An entry from my observation journal recorded an exchange among
Claudia, Neeka, and myself about the availability of black ink. Claudia and Neeka are
the two most active sketchers of the seven co-researchers, and as such, their common
concern is not surprising.
Independent of each other, Claudia and Neeka asked how the color of the 'ink'
in the How Van Gogh Made His Mark drawing activity could be changed. With
this activity, children can create virtual pen and ink drawings using a virtual pen
and ink bottle. Children can choose to vary the thickness of lines depending on
which line they choose. However, the color cannot be changed, as it is not an
option. 'Why do you think that is?' I asked them. Claudia responded that she
not sure while Neeka suggested that since the only one ink bottle is given, it is
the only color choice for drawing and van Gogh must have had only black ink
with which to draw (Researcher's Journal, January 31, 2008).
The Experiential Approach
Approach Statement
The Experiential Approach reflects youngsters tendency to interact with and
respond to activities based on their prior experiences with similar online virtual
activities, as well as their prior experiences with artistic media with which they have the
most knowledge and/or capabilities, but not necessarily personal interest.
Experiential refers to the participants' prior and/or related experiences with
various web-based sites and virtual activities, and visual art media. For example,
participants who had more knowledge of drawing techniques and/or greater confidence
in their drawing abilities were more likely to engage with drawing-related activities on
each of the websites. However, a child may not have chosen to engage for an extended
period of time with a drawing activity if s/he did not personally prefer the drawing
options available. Additionally, children who had interactive experiences with virtual
computer games were more likely to seek out and engage with game-related programs
on the websites. The Experiential Approach relates to constructivist learning theory and
Csikszentmihayli's theory of "flow" experiences. I will demonstrate evidence of this
theme with excerpts from the participants' narratives that reflect connections between
their prior related website and art studio experiences and the activities with which they
interacted. The experiential approach directly overlaps with the Personal/Preferential
Approach and connects closely with the Technological Approach.
Although not readily evident in some of the narratives, each of the co-
researchers relied on the experiential in some capacity, whether technology based,
museum based, or art making based. Ennes and Thomas' (2007) research similarly
discovered that children's online interactions were influenced by their prior
experiences, in particular, youngsters' experiences with video games. "Many of the
students expectations" they state, "...were founded on their experience playing video
games in other areas of their lives" (p. 11).
Although both the two boys and all the girls expressed an interest in playing
games online, Yves' interactions with a game on Met Kids stands out as the most
related to his gaming experiences. However, before I address Yves interaction with a
particular game, I want to point out that Adam, Neeka, Claudia, Shama, and Desiree all
commented in their portfolios about playing games and I recorded observations in my
journal of them interacting with the games available on the websites. Interestingly, the
co-researchers had a tendency to use the term "game" interchangeably with the word
"activity." For example, during my interview with Desiree, she referred to her use of a
virtual block building activity and a 3D shape activity as "games," not as art-making
activities. This lack of distinction between what constitutes a game and what an art-
making activity is suggests that the participants are bringing their prior knowledge of
websites and computer games to their interactions with art museums' web activities
because virtual games, not art-making activities, are what they are familiar with when
they interact with various websites.
During our interview, Yves boasted at being "quite good" at both online and
offline sports and games. Yves spent time on the Met Kids jousting game and he, along
with some of the other participants, became very competitive about the game. I
recorded comments they made to one another other in my journal: "can you do better
than me?" and "do you want to see me win?" I recorded observations of Yves's
physical animation when playing with games and his frequent outbursts at his computer
screen when he interacted with a game. Yves' experiences with different types of
games and sports may have influenced his online experiences with game-based
activities, but he was also cognizant of his prior experiences with artworks offline.
Yves commented to me about his recognition of Frida Kahlo that he observed on the
Destination site. "Here's Frida Kahlo, we looked at her artwork in art class!" Yves
exclaimed. Shaina also mentioned artwork she had seen in art class that she noticed on
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the ArtsConnected website. I recorded in my journal a brief exchange I had with Shaina
about Claes Oldenburg's "Spoon Bridge" at the Walker Art Center. Shaina observed,
"it's pop art, isn't it? It's a great work Ms. Mulligan. I remember the class talking about
it in art." These examples are not only evidence of the Experiential Approach, but the
Social Approach, as well, because the co-researchers shared these experiences with
others.
During my interview with Abigail, she was clear to state that based on her
experiences with art museums' online art activities, she would rather create art using art
materials. "Something I can feel, something that feels more like mine. I like knowing
that I really made it." This statement implies that Abigail is aware of differences
making art online and creating art in an art studio, but a lack of comprehension that
virtual reality is a different kind of experiential space and medium in which to create
something. However, Abigail's desire to experience tangible materials in a sensory
context is clear, and seemingly, preferred.
In the case of the other six participants, they too were cognizant of the
differences and perhaps, power of the physical material experience in comparison to the
virtual. Adam responded that he would "rather go to a museum because it I could do all
these fun things on the computer then I could probably do better things in a museum."
By "do better things," Adam referred to what he could physically observe, to which I
refer to "the real," or actual, physical works of art.
Claudia related her physical use of drawing materials to her ability to draw with
a computer mouse and vice versa. According to both Claudia and Neeka, their
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experience with each media, both physical and technological, influenced their
interactions with online drawing activities. Claudia stated,
you definitely need to know how to move the mouse to make something! It's
not like using a pencil. I think you have to know how something looks and how
to make it with a pencil on paper first before you can make it on a computer
good.... I think that because I like to draw and know how to use a pencil to
draw I was able to draw things on the websites. Having knowledge about
drawing definitely helped me to make things online.
Neeka, an avid sketcher commented, "having knowledge about drawing definitely
helped me to make things online." The drawings Yves created on both the Met Kids and
NGA Kids site (such as Figure 102) are reflective of his propensity to draw aggressive
imagery in the art studio as well, in part, because he is so active. On more than one
occasion I observed and recorded Yves fidgeting in his seat and talking to his computer
screen, an experience not unlike his interactions in the art studio. Yves's experiences
with some of the online drawing activities reveal his use of suggestive language and
images. Lowenfeld (1987) points out that "a child who is physically active is much
more likely to indicate movement and action in figures" (p. 290).
Hurwitz and Day (1995) offer educators suggestions for drawing instruction of
children at the preadolescent stage of drawing experience. Although they do not discuss
drawing experience with digital media, their recommendations for teaching drawing are
applicable to youngsters' online drawing experiences. Hurwitz and Day (1995) remark
that drawing:
Provide [s] a pleasurable art activity that allows children to attain a degree of
success.... Provide[s] children with skills that may be employed in other art
activities.... Offer[s] an opportunity to study works of outstanding professional
artists from many cultures.... To see freshly through close observation.... To
exercise imaginative powers and.... To develop skills of concentration.... To
exercise memory and be able to use recall ability as a basis in drawing (p. 158).
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In addition to interests in drawing, during their interviews, Yves, Adam,
Claudia, Abigail, and Desiree all specifically mentioned their love of working with
clay. Yves commented that he finds pleasure in the process of getting dirty when using
clay and enjoys adding glaze to his fired sculpture. Yves' experience of working with
clay contributed to a suggestion he had for art museum website developers. Yves
excitedly stated, "I think it would be really cool if we could work with clay in virtual
reality! It would be cool to make and use shapes in clay and make thinks stretch and
change shape." Yves would not have been able to make this recommendation if he had
not had experiences manipulating different kinds of clay.
In Creative and Mental Growth, Lowenfeld (1987) argues, "a material is wisely
used only if it fulfills the purpose for which it is intended" (p. 296). Yves' idea for art
museums to develop virtual clay activities, while based on his experiential knowledge
of a material, could encounter issues in the virtual realm. Clay is such a sensory-based
medium that recreating its properties in a digital format, while intriguing, would alter
its physically manipulative properties. For example, how different would the creation of
a virtual pinch pot be for a youngster who has never used clay compared to a child who
has? How could we look at such experiences comparatively? The ability of a youngster
to manipulate clay in virtual reality would appear to exemplify Lowenfeld's assertion,
by not fulfilling the intended purpose of the clay medium. Lowenfeld also argues that
as children develop artistically, "any art materials should facilitate the self-expression
of children and not be a stumbling block" (p. 296).
Based on the experiences of the co-researchers, the virtual media with which
they interacted did provide opportunities for self-expression; however, they did
encounter several stumbling blocks during their interactions. One example is the
aforementioned exchange among Claudia, Neeka, and myself regarding the perceived
limitations of the "How Van Gogh Made His Mark" drawing program. Another virtual
activity problem perceived by both Claudia and Abigail during their experiential
interactions, concerns ArtsConnected "Shape" program. On the following page is an
excerpt from my observation journal of Abigail and Claudia's "stumbling block."
Claudia seems to be trying to figure out what looks to be for her,
"kinks"
in the Artist's Toolkit program. She requests that I come over to see what she is
doing. Claudia attempts to put a circle into a specific space, but as she does so,
it covers up the other shapes she has already placed. 'I can not figure it out,'
she said. 'What are some other options you can try?' I asked her. 'I still have a
few buttons to try.' 'Let me know when you have figured it out.' Claudia sticks
with it and discovers that she must hold down another button to place the shape
where she wants it. 'It was actually quite easy,' she says.
This would not be an obstacle in the art studio with tactile media. I
should have gone there with Claudia to discuss the difference of working
online and working with physical materials. Abigail [appears] perplexed to me
by the puzzled look on her face. She stops what she is doing and looks around;
perhaps to see if anyone else is having the same issue, as she appears to be
having. Abigail is trying to move and place shapes around one of her
compositions but appears to be having difficulty. Abigail turns her attention
toward Claudia when she overhears her asking me about the shapes
overlapping and covering other shapes, shapes she wants to see.... Following
my response to try another tool, Abigail and Claudia find a solution together
and each create several more shape collages with the program (Researcher's
Journal, February 7, 2008).
According to Lowenfeld (1987), for children of this age, "it is exciting [for
them] to discover that objects can overlap, ... that one object can cover another is
important, because it implies a recognition of the interrelationships between objects" (p.
316). Although Claudia is aware that objects overlap, she could not manipulate the
shapes to overlap in a manner that did not completely cover up other shapes in her
composition. Figure 66 is the virtual collage Claudia created using the "Shape" activity
on ArtsConnectecfs "Artist's Toolkit" program and where she encountered issues.
What Claudia knows about drawing and collage materials in the art studio was difficult
to reconcile with her experiential engagement with a virtual collage program.
Another virtual experience several co-researchers commented upon was the use
of the computer mouse as a drawing and painting tool. Several of the participants
indicated in their portfolios and interviews their appreciation of using a computer
mouse to create and manipulate lines and shapes. Both Neeka and Claudia's comments
about their experiential knowledge of drawing having an effect on their online drawing
experiences have already been addressed in preceding paragraphs. However, Adam
discovered he could "draw with my mouse!" when he used "How Van Gogh Made His
Mark" on the Met Kids website. Abigail shared with me during her interview that in
order to create art in virtual reality "you have to know different art materials and
different technical things.. .how to draw and how to use a mouse!" Neeka, aware that
both her interest in and experience with using drawing materials influenced her virtual
drawing interactions, commented during her interview, "well, maybe it helps if you
LIKE to draw so that when you use the mouse to draw something, you can."
Finally, Desiree noted a positive drawing engagement she had with the NGA
Kids "Paintbox" program. Desiree expressed pleasure at being able to "make.. .my own
art with just having to drag pieces over." While not explicit, Desiree's pronunciation
suggests that some of the other programs with which she interacted required more
movement of shapes rather than the creation of them. Desiree's remark warrants
reflection as it indicates that her knowledge of art making and materials is more
278
comprehensive than the virtual drawing activities capacity. According to Hurwitz and
Day (1995),
for children, art is a means to engage all of their senses for learning and
expression. Creating art heightens children's sensitivity to the physical world
and fosters a more perceptive appreciation of the environment (p. 87).
Desiree's experience demonstrates that many of the virtual art making activities she
encountered made her aware of the differences between her previous experiences with
tangible art materials and virtual media.
The Personal/Preferential Approach
Approach Statement
Youngsters' viewing selections and their engagement with activities on art
museums' websites are guided by their individual interests and preferential choices.
The Personal/Preferential approach considers and references children's motivation for
interacting with various activities and their level of engagement with an activity or site.
Additionally, the Personal/Preferential approach relates most directly with Free-Choice
Learning theory and Csikszentmihalyi's theory of flow experiences.
The Personal/Preferential approach overlaps directly with the Experiential
approach. However, each approach is clearly represented in the data as distinct
methods. Participants were given Free-Choice to interact with any and as many
activities they chose on the four art museum websites introduced to them. As such, their
choices relate directly to their personal preferences. Personal preference also reflects
279
participants' responses to the quantity and quality of choices made available to them as
site visitors. For example, a student who enjoys drawing may not have been engaged or
motivated to draw using the virtual drawing tools and activities that were available on a
website because she/he did not like the options provided, and therefore preferred to use
another activity. Nevertheless, some of the co-researchers' individual activity selections
may have been rooted in the experiential. For instance, if a youngster expressed an
interest in Asian culture, s/he was more likely to view the available choices of Asian
artifacts out of personal interest.
With every website visited, the co-researchers expressed and/or reflected on a
personal or preferential interest, and therefore considered their individual preferences in
the viewing and interactive choices available on a site. "In Free-Choice learning
situations, the learner can self-select the challenge they wish, rather than having it
imposed upon them. This element of control emerges as another fundamental
component of motivation" (Falk & Dierking, 2002, p. 17). In this study, children's
activity choices directly correlated with their motivation. Few choices meant a lack of
engagement, as I will demonstrate in the following paragraphs. Ennes and Thomas'
(2007) research revealed parallel results. They found "students were mindful of the
selection process, and choice was very important to them" (p. 11).
Schaller et al.'s (2003) research discovered that museum websites should
provide "users something to do rather than something to see. Manipulation of objects
and ideas that produce a new construct is crucial to a strong form of interactivity" (p.
2). Although Schaller, et al. did not look specifically at art museums, co-researchers
from this study expressed a desire to do and make something, as well as view artworks.
The observation of cultural and historical artifacts is crucial to the art museum
experience, and with this research, the online viewing experience was a strong
component of youngsters' interactivity with art museums' websites. Hurwitz and Day
(1995) support this assertion with their statement, "Artistic behavior seen from a broad
perspective suggests a reciprocal action between art making and responding to art....
The process of engagement with the world of artworks can be as powerfully absorbing
and satisfying as the process of their creation" (p. 91).
The capacity to create something in a free-choice context using a virtual art-
making program, combined with the option to observe artworks that influence and
inspire creation, figure into flow experiences. "Flow learning experiences, like all free-
choice learning experiences, are not just mental experiences, but rather whole body
experiences involving all the senses." As Csikzentmihalyi states, 'When goals are clear,
feedback is unambiguous, challenges and skills are well matched, then all of one's
mind and body become completely involved in the activity'" (Falk & Dierking, 2002,
p. 18). While not all the senses can be involved in children's virtual media experiences,
three of the websites the participants visited, NGA Kids, Destination, and Met Kids,
provided opportunities for children to employ their senses in unique ways, e.g.,
listening to sounds associated with a work of art.
An analysis of the data sources revealed that several of the participants
preferred art-viewing experiences where their sense of sound was engaged, in
particular, on MoMA's Destination website. Shaina commented that she appreciated
being able to listen to music when she interacted with the Giacometti link. Desiree also
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indicated an interest in being able to "h[earj paintings and sculptures.. .unlike other
sites," but that she was well aware she did not have that option at the actual museum.
Neeka recorded in her Destination exit questionnaire, "I like how it sounds.... I heard
sound with art I learned about." Abigail inferred that the inclusion of sound with artists'
work, such as with Starry Night on Destination, gave a different context to van Gogh's
work than on the Met Kids site. She thought the addition of sound to the viewing
experiences to "be great for my age." Conversely, Claudia noted that Destination "had
silly sounds" and the inclusion of sound was not a motivating factory in sustaining her
observations of the art.
While the incorporation of sound may have motivated the engagement of some
of the research participants, the choice of available artwork on some of the sites did not.
Several of the children, like Claudia, remarked during their interviews that art museums
have websites for kids so that children can see "what the museum has and what you can
do with art." Claudia thought the ArtsConnected website displayed "interesting
and... many kinds of beautiful kinds of art," and NGA Kids "has some really cool things
to do and see." However, the participants were more likely to comment on the lack of
choices of available artworks to view. For instance, Adam ambiguously wrote about art
on the Met Kids website, "[I'm] not crazy about some of the artwork." Abigail
indicated that ArtsConnectedneeds more artwork for visitors to see, and on
Destination, "there wasn't much to look at...too much information, and to little
balance."
I recorded in my journal seeing participants quickly observe digital artworks.
The time they spent looking resembled how they might view an artwork unattended or
282
unengaged in a museum. The lack of available viewing choices, as professed by some
of the participants in their portfolios, could be a result of a lack of motivation on their
part, or the museum websites not providing artworks with engaging viewing entry
points for users. That children were not engaged to sustain observation and interaction
with many website artifacts, suggests a compromise of their potential flow experiences.
The journal entry below recorded my reflection of children's brief viewing interactions:
It seems, in some ways, that students spend as much time looking at art on a
computer as they would in an actual museum space, about 5-15 seconds. I
wonder why that is? For example, I watched Desiree barely look at any of the
artworks available on this site, although she did quickly look at some, whereas
some of the boys went straight to the activities. Unless they are engaged in a
discussion about a piece, what are the chances they will consciously choose to
spend additional time looking at a piece? Shaina seems to be spending
time looking at the artwork and listening to information about it. I can't tell
what piece she is looking at (Researcher's Journal, February 14, 2008).
The selection of viewable artwork and the variety of activities available to
website users was important to each one of the seven co-researchers and connects
directly back to their desire for choice. If we establish choice as a motivating factor in
children having flow learning experiences with art museums' websites, than based on
the responses of this study's participants, they preferred multiple options not only with
the games and activities with which they engaged, but also the artifacts they could see.
Lowenfeld stresses (1987), "the field of art can contribute a great deal to a child's
growth by stimulating an awareness of the things around him" (p. 286). At present,
virtual reality is very much in the realm of children's awareness, and art museums'
have entered this space. What they haven't done, according to my young co-
researchers, is provided an appropriate amount of engaging activity and viewing
choices. As a result, a flow experience is compromised and although children could
"self-select the challenges they wish," many of their interactive choices were not only
limited, but "imposed upon them" (Falk & Dierking, 2002, p. 17). The Technological
Approach will further address the issue of choice as it pertains to the capacities of
available technology.
The Social Approach
Approach Statement
The Social Approach refers to the occurrence of socialization and how
youngsters of the preadolescent stage interacted with and engaged others during their
Free-Choice learning experiences with art museums' online activities. The Social
Approach relates closely with the Experiential and Technological Approaches.
This thematic dimension considers the social nature of the participants'
visitation experiences to art museums web-based art activities. Children's interactions
with others (adults and peers alike) in a technologically focused environment manifests
in diverse ways: such as how youngsters engage and physically interact with one
another; in behaviors they exhibit that are dissimilar from those of an art class; and
actions different or similar to an actual museum visit. Gender socialization differences
also became evident during the research process. The evidence of this approach culls
primarily from what was observable during the ten class sessions and recorded in my
observation journal.
All of the participants involved in this study exhibited social behavior in some
capacity. Every co-researcher demonstrated a need to socially interact with another
individual at some point during an online experience. Because children who are at the
preadolescent stage of development tend to be more social, this finding is not
surprising. According to Lowenfeld (1987), in the "the Gang Years" (ten to thirteen
years of age) of artistic development, children think more socially and are influenced
by others opinions. Schaller et al. (2007) discovered that when they compared age
groups interacting with museums web activities, they found "children more likely to
have a social learning style," appropriate to their stage of development (p. 6). What is
intriguing is not that the children socialized with one another, quite the contrary, but
how the youngsters involved in this study expressed social behaviors in the context of
interacting with online art activities.
In a journal entry from January 24, 2008,1 recorded the following observation
about what I consider to be unique qualities of their social interactions and behaviors
when using computer technology:
socialization is happening at a different level/scale, or in a different way than
what I've seen before such as in the art studio or in a museum gallery. While the
students may talk to one another, they do not seem to be talking with one
another. Essentially, they make little to no eye contact with each other when
they talk [to each other]. While they help each other to find things or to show
things by gesturing and pointing, they do not look at each other when they
communicate. When a student asked another "how do you get on that?" The
other student would lean over and either use the mouse to show the student or
point to the appropriate links. For example, Desiree has just asked , her
neighbor about the jousting game, but did not avert her eyes from her screen.
Claudia and Abigail did the same thing when talking about the van Gogh
drawing activity, and Yves and about the medieval joust.
This is not the only recorded evidence of socialization that occurred via a
computer screen. Two weeks after recording the above observation, I again noticed
children socializing in a depersonalized way via their computer terminal and reflected
on how different it appears from children socializing over physical art materials.
Social interaction seems to be occurring at an entirely different level than what I
have observed before.... There seems to be a lack of personal socialization, a
lack of connection with each other through facial expressions and other
gestures.... This is very different from when they are doing art in the art studio
where students' interactions have more personal contact. For example, there is a
tendency to look at and watch one another [in the art studio], they will look at
each other when they are speaking as well as when they share materials and
ideas (Researcher's journal, February 7, 2008).
During the research investigation, gender differences also became evident. At
the second session of the research enrichment course, the participants selected their
own computer terminal. I observed boys and girls separate themselves by grade and
gender with boys on one side of the room and girls on the other. My journal entry from
January 24, 2008 notes,
Interestingly, students were able to select their seats and have automatically
separated themselves. The 5 graders are sitting one side of the room and the 4
graders on the other. Also, boys are sitting next to boys and girls next to one
another.
Additional gender differences seemed to be more pronounced in terms of how
the boys and the girls socialized when they engaged with specific activities. Boys were
more competitive with one another and girls tended to seek acknowledgement and
approval from one another about what they were doing and created. I addressed the
competitive nature of boys in the Experiential setting because their resulting
interactions with games were based on their prior experiences with virtual games. In
terms of the Social Approach, I observed boys engaging more with game-based
activities, fostering competitive socialization. I recorded utterances made by the
participants in my journal such as, "Do you want to see me win?" "Look what I can
do!" and "Can you do better than me?"
Schaller et al.'s research (2007) uncovered that "among children 10-13, boys
prefer Role-Play [games] significantly more than girls do, while girls prefer Design
more than boys did" (p. 7). In my study, boys became more socially interactive when
playing games, and girls more social with one another when seeking out approval for
their endeavors. According to Hurwitz and Day (1995), children are "motivated to
become skilled in making art that passes their own critical judgment and that of their
peers" (p. 86). Evidence of a female co-researcher being social in order to seek
acknowledgement for something she created comes from my observation journal. The
entry, dated January 31, 2008, notes:
Neeka asked Shaina, 'is this good?' of a virtual ink portrait she has made using
the van Gogh activity. Shaina does not respond, but Claudia, a 4
th
graders stops
her work to look over at Neeka and comments on its 'goodness.'
In the same entry I reflected on this observation:
Why is it so important for some students to know if their work is 'good' and
what constitutes good for them? Is it merely a call for attention? For affirmation
to validate one's efforts? To make a personal connection with others such as a
form of social interaction? To share in the art-making process?
Both my observation of the girls' interactions and my resulting reflection find
support in Hurwitz and Day's (1995) assertion above. The scenario I describe above
reflects a desire to share a personal experience in a social context, as does a social
interaction I recorded between Claudia and me, which reflects her need for validation
of her creative endeavors, an occurrence not unlike her queries in the art studio.
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'Ms. Mulligan, can I get rid of artwork that I made and saved, but that I am not
happy with?' 'Why are you unhappy with some of your work?' I asked her.
'I've done a lot more things in the last few weeks that I prefer.' 'You may save
what you like, it is your choice and your portfolio,' I responded.
The co-researchers not only interacted with one another, and socialized via their
computer screens, but there were occasions when they interacted with some of the
adults in the room as well, such as Ms. Watnik and myself. Several of the participants
engaged me in looking at what they had made, what they noticed, or in assisting with a
technical issue they were having. Of all the students involved in the study, Yves was by
far the most social individual. Yves is gregarious and vocal. Not only does Yves like to
share ideas and experiences with peers in the art room, but also he did so in the
Computer Instructional Center (CIC) during the research investigation. I observed Yves
on numerous occasions talking to his computer screen, similarly to how he engages
with art materials in the art studio. In my journal I recorded this observation: "Yves
would just begin to talk to the screen and occasionally, to his neighbor."
Additional evidence of Yves' need to socialize is also recorded in my journal.
On several occasions, Yves directed questions and comments to me such as when he
inquired about "a batch of lines.... Is it art?" he asked. Another exchange between Yves
and myself dealt with his observation of a work by Frida Kahlo on Destination, an artist
whose work he described during our interview as "good" and "funny." Finally, Yves'
creation of a "slideshow" using a program on Destination prompted him to tell me, "I
saved it to my portfolio so you can see it."
The Technological Approach
Approach Statement
The Technological Approach reflects the participants' relationship with and
knowledge of computer technology and Internet websites and how their understandings
influenced their online interactions, choices, and opinions. The Technological
Approach has similarities to the Critical and Experiential Approaches.
The technological aspect reflects participants' interactions (or interface) with
the screen/computer and the technology inherent to each art museum website. There are
several components to the technological approach. One component reflects the nature
of technology and how the co-researchers interacted with their computer and computer
screen. A second component relates to the navigability of a site and whether or not
activities are accessible and easy for children to locate. A third component considers
the computer-generated activities uploaded to the websites, or their usability. A fourth
component reflects youngsters' technology experiences such as basic computer usage
and Internet knowledge, a direct overlap with the Experiential Approach. Support for
the technological approach is apparent in my journal entries that reveal children's
physical interactions with computers and responses from the co-researchers that refer to
their knowledge of and issues with technology.
All the participants in this research use technology both at home and in school,
but with more time spent on a computer in school. When on a computer at home, the
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children in this investigation spent more time doing their homework than using the
Internet. When they did go online, the children averaged about one hour at a time, a few
days a week, and explored many of the same sites. Popular sites among preadolescent
stage children in this study were www.disneychannel.com. because of its games and
www.webkinz.com, because of its role-playing interactivity.
Schaller, et al. (2007) found in their research that "children prefer structured
activities like Role-Play and Design" when engaging with museum websites. Schaller
et al. (2007) refer to design activities as "open-ended inquiry and
experimentation... with a personal creation as the product of the experience" (pp. 1, 3).
In terms of this study, a similar finding emerged, that virtual activities that are design
basedopen-ended and experimentalsuch as drawing and building programs, were
the online activities preferred. While this result does link directly with the Preferential
Approach, I use it here to demonstrate that it is the design nature of the technology and
not the content per se that the participants preferred. For example, a child may prefer
one drawing activity over another because of how it engages him/her to draw, not the
topic that engages him/her to draw as in the case of "How Van Gogh Made His Mark."
In addition to the types of technology museum websites used, the co-researchers
commented on a website's usability and navigability. Jackson and Adamson (2007)
discovered that working with children in their study "highlighted some usability
problems but also showed that the children already had some clear expectations of how
the application would work" (p. 9). The technological usability of programs is closely
associated with the Experiential and Personal/Preferential Approaches in my research.
For example, several of the co-researchers commented that m some way users'
knowledge of technology influenced their use of and experiences with art in virtual
reality and their knowledge of physical art materials impacted how they worked with
technology. Quite simply, they were aware of the technological. For instance, Abigail
commented that "you have to know different art materials and different technical
things.. .how to draw and how to use a mouse" in order to use many of the programs
and activities provided on the sites. Otherwise, sites and activities could be difficult to
use, she suggested. Desiree expressed awareness that what she could do with pencil and
paper could not be learned or done similarly with technology. "You can't learn to draw
like you can in art class. You can't do the same things." Adam expressed surprise at
being able to draw online and although he did not connect the technological aspects of
drawing on a computer with drawing in actuality, his exclamation, "I didn't know I
could draw with my mouse!" suggests that he was perceptive of differences.
The limitation of the available technology on the websites the participants
visited was echoed in comments made by Neeka and Claudia. Claudia questioned the
usability of the Artist's Toolkit "Shape" program. I recorded an exchange between
Claudia and myself in my observation journal about difficulty she experienced with
"Shape" and not being able to manipulate forms in specific ways. Claudia eventually
figured out how to place things in her composition, commenting that "it was actually
quite easy," but such issues would not have occurred with tangible collage materials.
Claudia's concern directly references the technology of the program.
Schwartz and Burnette (2004) found similar results in their informal evaluation
of youngsters' interactions with MoMA's Destination website:
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Interestingly, many of this young group of users already understood
certain Web conventions, but others did not. Their use of the mouse was notably
different from adult users, and careful notes were made about when and what
children wanted to click on the site. Where certain objects had not been
clickable, they were made so, and new tools were developed to create multiple
options for navigating the site (p. 9).
The Visual-Aesthetic Approach
Approach Statement
The Visual-Aesthetic Approach relates to the visual components of an art
museum's website for children such as its coloration, layout, text, imagery, and overall
appearance. A youngster's aesthetic sensibilities influences his/her opinions of how a
website and its activities look and are organized. The Visual-Aesthetic Approach
interacts closely with the Critical, Personal/Preferential and Technological Approaches.
The Visual-Aesthetic Approach reflects the visual appeal a site and its activities
have on a youngster's aesthetic sensibilities, and vice versa. One component of the
Visual-Aesthetic Approach is how the co-researchers responded to various aspects of a
website's visual presentation. For example, if a site or its activities had bright colors
and more images than text, a participant was more likely to have a positive response to
the site and/or its activities. A site or link with too much text lacked appeal for a
youngster. A second component of the Visual-Aesthetic Approach is a youngster's
interest in the artwork viewable on a site. The type and quantity of artwork on a site
influenced how appealing a youngster personally considered the site. A third
component is the format or layout of a website and its activities. The structure and
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visual organization of a site influenced a youngster's perception of an activity or the
site. Confirmation of this approach is evident in the co-researchers' responses that
allude to the visual aspects of an activity or site.
Each of the co-researchers involved in this study was sensitive to the visual-
aesthetic characteristics of the websites they visited. Color sensitivity was especially
present in the data and correlates directly to the artistic development of children in this
age group. Lowenfeld (1987) acknowledges the development of color schema and color
relationships among children at this stage of artistic development. Children's
connection to color is impacted by their visual and emotional bond with it.
With each of the four websites visited by the co-researchers, they all
commented on the visual appearance of it site and its use of color. Children's visual and
emotional awareness of color impacted their initial impression of a website or a site
activity. Shaina, Desiree, Yves, and Abigail all agreed the homepage of Met Kids "was
boring looking." Shaina remarked that the site looked "like it's for adults." Other
website homepages were found to be "uninteresting," "cluttered," and with "too much
on the homepage." Websites like NGA Kids and ArtsConnected were mentioned for
their "bright colors" or for being "very colorful."
Two co-researchers also noted that a site or an activity that had too much text,
or a lot of text and images on a page, appeared confusing. Both Yves and Desiree
directed this comment to the NGA Kids website. In their research, Judy Haynes and
Dan Zambonini (2007) also noticed that "sites with a more graphical, less ["text-
heavy"] home page seemed to suffer less from [usability issues]... than those sites that
offered little distinction between their homepage and subsequent 'content level' pages"
such as collections or education pages (p. 6).
Children at this stage of artistic development are also developing their aesthetic
sensibilities. Lowenfeld (1987) asserts, "Aesthetic growth can be seen in the way
children relate the subject matter to the qualities of the material with which they are
working.... Utilizing the intrinsic qualities of a material is a characteristic of aesthetic
sensitivity" (p. 328). Children, I discovered via this study, based their interactions with
art museums' websites on their prior knowledge of and experiences with digital
technology and art materials. When Lowenfeld made his argument, computer
technology was not the widely available and used medium it is today. However,
Lowenfeld's assertion retains applicability to the findings presented here. Youngsters
involved in this study were aware of the intrinsic qualities of digital media, a material
with which they are frequently and increasingly interacting. Their aesthetic approach to
art museums websites is rooted in their combined sensitivity to art and virtual media.
Summary
"Art can provide a means for children to develop their inherent creative abilities and,
in the process, to integrate their emotional, social, and aesthetic selves"
(Hurtwitz & Day, 1995, p. 87).
From a phenomenological perspective, the six thematic approaches can be
construed as representativebut not definitiveof children's interactions with art
museums online art making activities as they are interpretations of the data collected
from this case study investigation. This chapter has attempted to demonstrate, via an
analysis of the data sources, that children present different attitudes when they engage
as users of art museums' website activities. The young co-researchers involved in this
study displayed various behaviors-they were critical; they were social; they were aware
of the technological; they relied on the experiential; they considered the personal; and
they were sensitive to the visual.
In discussing the findings of the research, in light of Free-Choice Learning
theory and recognizing the six approaches, this chapter has addressed the following
research sub-question:
Although a few theoretical constructs have been suggested by researchers to
of the theory of Free-Choice Learning relate to the development and design of
It is from an examination of the data, contextualized by the theory of Free-Choice
Learning, that I identified the six approaches. Recognition of the six approaches as
empirical evidence of children's interactions with art museum's online art-making
activities can provide art museums with research-based support for the development
and design of future web-based art activities.
Evidence from this study and from Schaller, et al.'s research (2007) suggests
that in order for museums to create engaging activities for young online audiences,
developers must consider several factors:
one of the long-standing challenges in creating informal learning experiences
for the Web is how developers can visualize their remote, often anonymous
audiences. Because many Web users surf as individuals, it is helpful to look for
ways to understand their diversity and uniqueness. We have become
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increasingly convinced that in order to create more engaging and effective
learning experiences for all types of learners, Web developers must deepen their
understanding of the ways that factors such as learning style, age, and gender
influence user preferences for particular types of interactive digital learning
activities. Evaluation methods and analysis of the effectiveness of specific
informal on-line learning sites have continued to mature (Bearman and Trant,
2004 as cited in Schaller, et. al, 2007, p. 1).
It is important to assert that the six thematic approaches identified and discussed
in this chapter should not to be deemed learning styles. Rather, based on evidence from
the study, the preadolescent co-researchers approached, or came to their online
experiences with intuitive expectations and individually ingrained attitudes. This
research investigation did not attempt to assess the participants' styles of learning prior
to or during their online interactions, but this does not preclude learning style as a
manifestation of the experience. The thematic approaches are an outgrowth of Free-
Choice Learning theory, where learners can control their learning encounters. It is a
child's stage of development that factors into his or her experiences, not necessarily
their learning style that defines it. As Falk and Dierking (2002) acknowledge,
all learning begins, and ends, with the individual's unique interests, motivations,
prior knowledge, and experience....Learning is both an individual experience
and a group experience. What someone learns, let alone why someone learns, is
inextricably bound to the social, cultural, and historical context in which that
learning takes place.. ..Learning is facilitated by appropriate physical contexts
and by well thought-out and built designs.. .an art museum or studio for learning
about the visual arts.. .Learning is influenced by the developmental stage that
the person is at (p. 56).
Chapter VI will discuss the implications of the research endeavor for art and
museum education in light of the data analysis presented in this chapter, and addresses
the secondary overarching research question, and the research sub-question.
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Chapter VI
IMPLICATIONS FOR ART AND ART MUSEUM EDUCATION
Museums have a long history of studying their visitors (Falk & Dierking,
2002). Research of online visitation encompasses intriguing possibilities, but poses
unique issues with regard to determining who the users are, what exactly it is they do,
how they do it, and what they would like to do. As Schaller et al. state, "we are still
grappling to understand our on-line audiences in their rich diversity and individual
uniqueness" (2007, p. 9). I believe the findings of this case study can assist art and art
museum educators in better understanding the educational potential online art and art-
making activities hold for young virtual visitors because the results of the
investigation are a direct outcome of children's web-based interactive experiences. In
an effort to further readers' understanding of the influence and implications the
findings of this study have on children's art education, this chapter will present
additional evidence in light of the secondary overarching research question:
How might [children'sj responses be used to develop digital art-making
and the subsequent research sub-question:
What might be the implications of a study of elementary age children's critical
investigation of museums' digital art and art-making activities for the design
of museum education online curricula?
An intention of the research was to gain a more cogent understanding of the
roles children's interests, knowledge of and experiences with the visual arts and
technology, and their developmental capacities should and can play in the design and
creation of digital art and art-making, web-based activities. This research provides
insight into how children approach their online art-making experiences with art
museums' websites and reveals that youngsters are intuitive and perceptive users of art
museums' web-based art activities.
In order to address the implications of this case study for art and museum
education, I propose three comprehensive recommendations for art museums that either
have, or are developing, online art and art-making activities for children.
1. Art museums should consider that the children involved in this study
approached art museums' web-based activities in six ways: (1) critically; (2)
experientially; (3) personally/ preferentially; (4) socially; (5)
technologically; and (6) visually-aesthetically and that these approaches
warrant inclusion in the planning and designing of online art museum
curricula. As such, for each approach, I offer several suggestions for art
museums to consider as they develop online activities for children:
With regard to the Critical Approach, art museums should take into
consideration that children are intuitive critics of their online experiences.
This study revealed that children nine to eleven years of age instinctively
know what they like and do not like when it comes to using online art-
making activities, despite their difficulty articulating and specifically
expressing their critiques. Art museums' websites should therefore
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encourage and provide more visually accessible and more frequent
opportunities for youngsters to offer their assessments of the types of
choices and activities these website provide, along with the layout and
organization of the sites, and the imagery included.
For the Experiential Approach, I recommend art museums bear in mind
children's stages of artistic development, as well as obtain a general sense of
youngsters' art instruction youngsters by collaborating with art educators so
that the online activities that art museums create reflect not only museums'
collections, but children's experiential base with materials. Reciprocally, I
would recommend art educators consider utilizing the online resources of art
museums as a way to encourage children to continue to explore museums
and their creative potential. Art teachers can incorporate online programs
into their instruction and appeal to the capabilities of children who may
enjoy making art, but experience difficulty working with physical materials.
For the Personal/Preferential Approach, I propose that art museums
more clearly indicate and articulate difficulty levels and age range of
activities similar to the Tate Kids website (Jackson & Adamson, 2009) along
with clearly outlined and highlighted categories of activities. The co-
researchers in this study expressed a desire for more challenging, and in
some cases, additional age appropriate activities. One way to do this would
be for museum website activities to be clearly labeled on homepages as to
the type of activity a program is so that children who prefer to draw, sculpt,
paint, observe, tour, and/or play games can select and directly link to those
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activities. Although some sites, such as Destination and ArtsConnected offer
different types of activities, the variety and differences are not necessarily
readily evident and/or directly linked on site homepages.
When creating online art, this research discovered that children are
social in nature, albeit their interactions take on a different context than they
do in an art studio. Evidence from this study indicated that children interact
with others via their computer screens and by sharing discoveries of
activities and information they located. As a result of the Social Approach
children take, I recommend museums' websites for youngsters provide more
opportunities for children to share their virtual artwork with one another in
online gallery sections, and that they be encouraged to work with peers,
caregivers, or as a class, to discuss and create virtual artworks where they
can share their inspirations, techniques, and strategies.
To take into account the Technological Approach, I would advise art
museum website developers to consult current trends in educational
technology and talk with youngsters about their expectations for websites
and the types of websites they are accessing. The results of this research
established that children's understandings of technological conventions such
as usability, navigability, and accessibility were applied to their interactions
with museums' web activities. Sites that were deemed aesthetically
appealing, easier to navigate, provided activities that were easy to use and
manipulate, and websites and activities with uncomplicated accessibility,
were determined to be more engaging by youngsters in this study. In
addition, based on responses from my co-researchers, children appear to be
very attuned to computer-animated games and virtual worlds such as those
found on the www.webkinz.com and www.disneychannel.com websites.
Keeping these sites in mind as references, museum websites may want to
seriously contemplate the inclusion of more interactive virtual gallery tours
(virtual worlds) in which children can role-play (as avatars), search,
discover, and observe artworks. Schaller, et al.'s (2002, 2003, 2005, and
2007) research supports this recommendation, revealing children prefer role-
play and game-based activities online.
Finally, this study demonstrated that how a site looks and is organized
influences a child's perception of it. Therefore, to attend to the Visual-
Aesthetic Approach, I propose that when designing a website and its
activities, art museums take into consideration what youngsters value in
terms of appearance. For example, this research, along with Burnette and
Schwartz (2004) and Jackson and Adamson (2009) revealed that children
are attracted to bold colors and imagery, and a website or activity that
includes too much text lacks immediate visual appeal. Thus, when creating a
website and its activities, museums should refer to the visual designs of
websites that are currently popular with children (and which provide both
educational and entertainment opportunities).
Free-Choice learning can happen anywhere at anytime, and with anyone,
but based on evidence from this study, children's Free-Choice time with art
museums' online art activities may require adult or educator facilitation in
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order for youngsters to have a "flow" experience where they are engaged
and motivated, and where they build upon knowledge they already possess.
According to Falk and Dierking, "To be a successful free-choice learner, it
helps if the information is presented in ways that truly facilitate learning"
(2002, p. 31). To provide opportunities for children to be successful during
free-choice learning experiences, initial introduction and facilitation by an
educator (be it parent, art, or museum) may be required. The results of my
study demonstrate that children occasionally needed clarification and
assistance when engaging with online activities.
3. Online art and art-making activities for youngsters can offer exciting
possibilities for children's artistic development and resulting art education.
However, regardless of whether a site's design and possibly its content have
been outsourced or designed in-house, it is the responsibility of art museums
to ensure that what is put online has art educational intent, import, and
integrity grounded in research and theory. In short, a museum should create,
contextualize, pilot, and evaluate its virtual art activities with youngsters and
art educators before it commits to uploading them. Schaller et al. (2003)
note, "defining what makes a Web site 'educational' is just about as slippery
as nailing down what counts as interactive" (p. 2). Instead of attempting to
define how art museums' websites for youngsters are educational, the results
of this research, along with Schaller et al.'s (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007)
and Jackson and Adamson's (2007) provide insight into how we should
begin to approach and characterize, and not define, web-based art education.
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Finally, based on the findings of this focused, case-study investigation, it is
important for art and art museum educators to rethink and readdress how they approach
and utilize technology in their respective fields, in light of its potential for the artistic
development of youngsters. This in turn can lead to research that can provide additional
understandings about art education in virtual reality with virtual art media. The next
and final chapter will reflect upon the overall investigation and offer suggestions for
future research endeavors related to this area of art education inquiry.
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Chapter VII
CONCLUSIONS:
REFLECTIONS ON CHILDREN'S VIRTUAL ART MUSEOLOGY
Introduction
"Like any new medium, it will take time to understand how to most effectively utilize
the Internet as a learning tool" (Falk & Dierking, 2002, p. 136).
As previously asserted, my motivation for exploring this area of art education
research derives from my combined pedagogical practice as an elementary art teacher,
my personal aesthetic experiences with works of art, my sincere admiration for the role of
art museums as stewards of historical and cultural objects, and my interest in an emerging
trend of art museums providing virtual art-making opportunities to young audiences via
institutional websites. The narrative case study presented in this document is very much a
result of my desire to contribute empirical data to an area of art education-based research
that I perceive to be a growing phenomenonthe increasing number of online art and art-
making activities developed by art museums specifically for children.
One of my foremost objectives of this study is to initiate a dialogue among art and
museum educators about the educational relevance and potential the online art and art-
making resources of art museums may hold for youngsters' art education. With a scarcity
of published research to support children's use of these online art-related activities, as
well as the influence and impact, if any, of these programs on their artistic development, I
have presented evidencein the form of six approachesthat argues
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for art museums to more closely examine and consider children's critiques, materials-
based experiences, interests, social dispositions, technological understandings and
expectations, and aesthetic sensibilities as they develop virtual art and art-making
activities for their websites.
Reflections on the Investigation
Locating the "Real" in the Research of Art Museums' Virtual Real-ity
When I endeavored to examine art museums online art and art-making activities
from youngsters' perspectives, I had little idea of what I would discover in terms of
their perceptions. I was aware that my observations of art museums' web activities
were based upon my philosophy and pedagogy as an art educator. However, as I am not
the anticipated visitor, nor user of art museums' virtual activity "wings," I invited
fourth- and fifth-grade students to my co-researchers in the investigation. The young
participantsthe intended users of art museums' online activitiesvisited the websites
of four art museums' virtual branches and freely selected their interactive art
opportunities. The young co-researchers used and examined the digital art and art-
making activities found on the art museum websites visited. The collected online
experiences of seven of the participants, along with their interview and inquiry
responses, and my recorded observations and reflections, became the core data
analyzed.
Through the design and implementation of a case study presented as a
descriptive narrative of seven children's free-choice experiences with art museums'
305
online activities, and an analysis of the data collected that considers their stages of
artistic development in relation to Free-Choice Learning Theory and additional related
research, I conceptualized six thematic approaches for children's interactions with art
museums' online activities. When further scrutinized, these six approaches indicated
patterns of behaviors of how children tend to use and approach art museums' online art-
based activities. The resultant dimensions, or approaches, that emerged are: (1) critical;
(2) experiential; (3) personal/preferential; (4) social; (5) technological; and (6) visual-
aesthetic. These six approaches overlap, intertwine, and recur during a child's
interactive experiences with art museums' web activities. How the approaches manifest
during a youngster's interactions with museums' online art-making programs depends
on the needs, wants, and values of the individual child. Notwithstanding these findings,
this research has limitations that will undoubtedly be considered should future research
be undertaken. The following section will reflect on these limitations and offer
recommendations worthy of consideration for investigations yet to be initiated.
Limitations of the Research
No study is without its limitations but it is from an appreciation of these
confines that this investigation will benefit and allow future research to achieve its
potential. There are several limitations that warrant mention as they impacted the
investigation in some form or another, some minor, others more germane to the
research as a whole. At the outset of the study, I grappled with various methodological
possibilities that would best aim to address my research inquiries. The qualitative case
study methodology I embarked uponwhile valuable in contributing new
understandings to art and museum education research of how children approach the
online art activities of art museumshas as a shortcoming a lack of quantitative data.
While the qualitative data collected resulted in a richly descriptive presentation and
analysis of information, contributions from a greater number of co-researchers would
have offered greater insight into a larger and more diverse pool of youngsters'
experiences.
The small number of participants invited to participate in the research lent itself
to a qualitative case study where quantitative measures were included to further support
the investigation. However, had the methodologies selected been reversed, a
quantitative study would not have yielded the rich personal experiences and
perspectives of the individual co-researchers, and would have resulted in an entirely
different research focus. Numbers would have supplanted the children's narratives, and
relegated their experiences to tables and charts rather than to illustrative personal
accounts.
In addition to the aforementioned, I have identified six limitations that merit
discussion and consideration for any future research that may be undertaken in this area
of art education:
Empirical Evidence As there are only a handful of published studies
related to this area of inquiry, addressing the research questions and
establishing a context required an exploration of research from an array
of fields, such as art and museum education, visitor studies, and Internet
user studies. There was also dependency on prior unpublished research I
conducted to investigate art museums' online art and art-making
307
programs for children and young people's responses to these sites and
activities. Although I did make several attempts to seek out in-house
research of art museums' virtual activities and websites, my interest has
been focused on developing and establishing an empirical foundation for
the design of similar online art-making activities, whether by museums or
other art institutions.
Theoretical and Instructional Foundations As of this time, there is no
clearly identified or firmly established theoretical basis or consensus
regarding the educational influence and effectiveness of online digital art
and art-making activities provided by art museums on children's art
education and on which to build a solid research foundation. While
theories have been suggested, such as constructivist-based learning
theoies (Schaller, et al., 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007) and how they
possible relate to learning in online museum environments; John Falk and
Lynn Dierking's theory of Free-Choice Learning and how it connects to
children's interactions with digital art-making programs; and Ennes and
Thomas' (2007) incorporation of Visual Thinking Strategies in the design
of online art resources, no theoretical or instructional foundations support
the educational potential of art museums' online art-making activities.
Schaller, et al.'s (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007) research studied
learning styles. My objective was not to determine via a specific
constructivist learning theory what and how children learn using
museums' web activities, but how youngsters' online experiences can
potentially influence their art education, and conversely, how their art
education influences their online interactions. Based on the results of this
investigation, children require some intervention or facilitation by an
adult to fully harness the art education promise of online art-making
activities, contrary to the tenets of Free-Choice, which may not be the
most appropriate or applicable theory to children engaging with online
art-making activities.
Participants I invited youngsters nine to eleven years of age (fourth and
fifth graders) from the school where I teach to participate in the research.
Although randomly selected, the original group of fifteen children
condensed to become a group of seven co-researchers. Such a small study
group, while rich in data, can be construed as lacking breadth due to the
number of participants. The developmental stages of these seven
participants also has repercussions for additional research as this age
group is increasingly social, more aware of their surrounds, and
developing a greater sense of how to express their ideas. Moreover, the
group of seven youngsters was not particularly mindful of museums,
despite their close proximity to a major metropolitan area rich with
cultural institutions. The addition of more participants could have
provided perspectives not evident with this population.
Physical Research Site When engaging with art museums' digital art
activities, participants were confined to the use of the computer lab at
the school where I teach on Long Island. Although participants could
use the sites during any free computer time (at home or school),
observation data could only be collected from one location site by the
researcher.
Virtual Sites and Activities Since I used specific art museums' websites
(selection based on a previous pilot study I conducted), the participants
did not have free-choice of art museum websites. The number and sites
selected can be easily viewed as a limitation. However, participants had
free-choice to select the activities with which they engaged on each site,
in keeping with Free-Choice Learning Theory.
Technology I discovered, as did some of the students who began the
research that computers and the world of cyberspace suffer equally
from inconsistency and unpredictability. There were several class
sessionsas mentioned in my observation journalwhen it seemed as
though technology would thwart the data collection process. Such an
inhibiting occurrence would be less likely in either an art museum or an
elementary art studio, as the reliance is more on oneself to generate the
experience than on a computer. Unfortunately, there were occasions
when the co-researchers either lost some of their online work or
struggled to save it as the school district computer network and/or
Internet connections became unresponsive. Additionally, technology is
developing at such a rapid pace, and with more schools incorporating
computer and Internet usage into the general curriculum, new
programs, methods, and software are continually being introduced.
310
Maintaining currency with these applications and introducing them to
children requires dedication and determination from technology
administrators and teaching staff.
Educational Aims of the Study
"There is no single right way to learn things, and no single place or even moment in
which we learn. All our learning happens continuously, from many different sources
and in many different ways (Folk & Dierking, 2002, p. JO).
The art education of young children online, and in a virtual capacity, is still in
the initial stages of investigation, although art museums' websites have been in the
public domain of cyberspace for nearly a decade. There is little doubt that art museums
have harnessed the meteoric growth of technology and Internet usage to promote their
institutions, collections, and resources. This is due in part to assertive public relations
marketing and the progressive insight and perseverance of several art museums'
departments of education. However, with the continually developing pace of
technology and the enormous scope of the World Wide Web, art museums have not
established a research basis for the online art "education" or "learning opportunities"
they are offering young audiences via online interactive websites.
The findings of this case study could open new possibilities for a methodology
of how art museums should develop online art and art-making activities that provide
children with rich and meaningful experiences in, with, and about the visual arts in the
world of e-learning. As Viktor Lowenfeld wrote (1987), "a material is good only if it
contributes to children's needs and helps to express their intentions" (p. 336). Digital
media is quickly becoming a material through which youngsters have opportunities to
311
express and make meaning. Additionally, a consequence of the findings of this
narrative case study could be the development of new online art curricula inspired by
young people's experiences, but developed with art educators knowledge of children's
artistic development and art museum educators' expertise of museums and their
collections. Furthermore, the digital art activities for young people that are being
uploaded by art museums could offer new art museum education opportunities for
youngsters that encourage a lifelong interest in physical and virtual art museums and
the visual arts for children of multiple interests, learning styles and capacities.
A study that specifically examines developmentally appropriate practices for the
online world of art museum education, combined with the experiences and knowledge
children bring to their online interactions with digital art programs the six approaches:
critical, experiential, personal/preferential, social, technological, and visual-aesthetic
would be an unprecedented research endeavor. Further investigation of art museums
digital art-making activities will serve to develop the research literature and contribute
data directly collected from the young users the sites have been designed to serve. This
case study investigation identified six themes that emerged from children's critical
examination of art museums' websites. My hope is that these thematic approaches will
assist art museums and web developers in evaluating and designing online art curricula
for children that are reflective of youngsters' development, interests, and experiences,
as well as current pedagogical practices in art education. Moreover, I hope art museums
will involve young people in the assessment of their online art experiences so that their
knowledge can be reflected in the content and design of digital art and art-making
312
activities. Particularly if art museums continue along a trajectory of offering online art
programs.
The individual children who acted as my co-researchers for this investigation
brought the study to life with their unique personalities and perspectives. Throughout
my time as an observer, the research not only reaffirmed how much I enjoy working
with and learning from my students, but I discovered that I was more cognizant of their
artistic capabilities than I had originally anticipated. Furthermore, I realized how crucial
it is for their young voices to be attended to when their free time is involved. Whether
or not the children gained specific artistic techniques or knowledge about the visual arts
from their interactions with art museums' online activities, I do not know. My intent
was never to measure what students could learn from these online art activities and
sites, but to discover what they did, wanted to do, and what they knew how to do as
individual artists when the choices were theirs alone. I can only share what knowledge I
as a researcher acquired in the context of this investigation and as it pertained to my
seven young co-researchers.
As an educator, I believe that learning consists of many variables that are often
difficult to define if not illogical to attempt to measure. Learning, similar to how I view
an aesthetic experience, is wholly personal and subjective. The acquisition and
retention of knowledge is uniquely individual and acquired with and through various
means. If we consider with certainty Falk and Dierking's (2002) assertion that all
learning is essentially a matter of free-choice, and that it can happen anywhere at
anytimesuch as with children's interactions with art museums' online activities
than perhaps we must also take into account that, in essence, learning is always
313
occurring in some small, immeasurable, and, perhaps, unconscious capacity. Regardless
of who we are, where we are, or what we are doing, we are continually on a learning
trajectory, a course that does not cease, but only varies its direction. Peacock and
Brownbill (2007) proposed that educators adopt
a more integrated and holistic approach to understanding museum Web
site use, taking a broader view of the user experience and its context in
order to better plan, manage, evaluate, and promote...on-line endeavors
(p. 8)
In some ways, that is what this case study has accomplished: it has assumed a
broader view of young users' approaches to art museums' website activities.
Recommendations for Future Related Research
As a researcher, I realized that an outcome of all studies should be to encourage
future investigations that will seek to continually challenge and build upon what other
studies have previously explored and realized. This study is no exception, and I believe
much is yet to be uncovered and revealed about youngster's art-making experiences,
both Free-Choice and teacher-facilitated, with art museum's web activities. While this
study succeeded in addressing several of my personal inquiries and professional
concerns, there is still much knowledge to be gained with answers to new questions that
have arisen from this study or will likely continue to surface. Questions may beget
answers, but the converse of that is equally true.
Many of the questions that emerged from this investigation encourage my belief
that I have only grazed the surface of an intriguing and burgeoning area of research.
314
Several questions that are an outcome of this investigation are in some ways a
continuation of my initial inquiries and the final question returns to an original query:
What purpose are art museums' online activities truly serving in
relation to the art education of youngsters?
How are these activities encouraging/ promoting and/or hindering
children's artistic development and art education?
What are some specific interactive web activity possibilities that art
museums could develop or re-imagine to directly contribute to the
artistic development of youngsters?
How can we determine the effectiveness of such programs?
Are these sites and activities more effective in terms of children's
Free-Choice Learning or teacher-facilitated learning experiences?
How would children's virtual visits to art museums compare with
their actual visits to museums? Based on my knowledge of the
students who participated in this study I am cognizant that what
some of them created online is not reflective of their capabilities in
the art studio.
How do children's interactions with digital art media compare with
their tangible art media experiences in an elementary art class?
In what specific ways do they inform one another?
How can we comparatively assess and look at these differing visual
art experiences?
315
What would a critique of art museums' websites for youngsters by
elementary art educators reveal about their content and applicability
to art education in the elementary school art studio?
What is (or should be) the role of technology in elementary art
education and in developing children's artistic experiences?
Is it necessary for art museums' to offer younsters online art-making
experiences when museums' expertise and commitment has been to
presenting physical objects of art?
Summary
The knowledge gleaned from this investigation of children's experiences with
and their critiques of art museums' web activities offers a unique evaluative perspective
manifested in the six approaches: critical, experiential, social, technological, personal/
preferential, and visual-aesthetic. This research demonstrated that children appear to be
intuitive criticsregardless of whether or not they have been requested to offer their
opinionswho know what is engaging to them and what is not when using art
museums' online activities. What children do, what they want to do, and how they
approach art museums' online activities is connected to their personal preferences and
prior experiences with both art materials and digital media.
The children involved in this study approached their online art museum visits as
they would many other situations, as a social venture where their personal interests,
attitudes, aesthetic sensibilities, and technological and experiential understandings
316
come into play. As increasingly frequent users and consumers of technology,
youngsters have certain expectations for their online experiences and how something
looks and the initial impression it makes does matter when you are nine, ten, or eleven
years of age. However, and despite this evidence, youngsters tend toward ambivalence
and ambiguity about what they think they should be able to do and how they should be
able to accomplish it when they visit an art museum online.
Somewhat like a visit to an actual museum, the desire to see "the real thing" is
there, but once you have seen it, what do you do with that experience? Is "the real
thing" really worth an actual visit or even a revisit? Or is seeing a digital representation
sufficient enough because a pixellated replica can be visited at anytime using any
Internet linked computer? If a child has the opportunity to physically manipulate art
materials or the option to manipulate digital media, my research suggests that children
will freely choose a sensory-based experience with materials over a virtual experience
with digital resources. However, children again tend toward ambivalence when it
comes to actually visiting a museum. While five of the co-researchers found value in
online and on site museum visits, and preferred the "real" to the virtual, one could just
as easily visit an art museum from a computer, an another, not at all.
As Falk and Dierking assert, "we do not have to imagine what an elephant looks
and smells like; we can actually see and smell it.... Context matters, both because it
enriches and strengthens learning, and because it makes learning easier." In other
words, learning is tangible, straightforward, and often sensory based (Falk & Dierking,
2002,
317
p. 55). What can art and museum educators do to ensure that youngsters realize that
context does indeed matter and that the virtual cannot replace the actual or the real
supplant the virtual? This remains to be (and I hope will be!) investigated.
To conclude, I want to thank John Falk and Lynn Dierking. Although I have not
(yet) had the privilege or the honor to meet them, it is because of their work with Free-
Choice Learning theory that I discovered something about myself: that I am a highly
motivated Free-Choice Learner. The lessons I have learned from my research are truly
without limits. "Learning is not all in our heads, but rather it is a dialogue, a coming
together of internal and external reality" (Falk & Dierking, 2002, p. 149). In the case of
the research presented here, I would argue that learning or, rather, educational potential
is a collaborative discourse of internal, external, and virtual realities among educators
and learners alike.
318
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Appendix A
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326
Appendix B
Pre-Online Investigation Questionnaire:
Computer/Online Background and Preferences
Participant Code Male
Female
Age/ Grade Date
1. Do you have a computer at home for your own personal use or do you share a
computer?
Yes, I have my own computer I I No, I do not have a computer at home
I share a compute
ter
2. How often do you use a computer?
every dayD a few times per week I I once a week I I less than once a week
3. About how much time do you spend on a computer at one time?
less than an hour between 1-3 hours more than 3 hours
4. What do you feel you know how to do well on a computer?
(check all that apply)
I I type I I surf the Internet I I communicate with others!I play games
I I make things! I other I I use different software such as:
5. How often do you go online and use the Internet when you are on a
computer?
I I every day! la few times per week! lonce a week I I less than once a week
6. About how much time do you spend on the Internet each time you log on?
I I less than an hour between 1-3 hours more than 3 hours
7. What do you do like to do on the Internet? (check all that apply)
I I play games I I watch videos e-mail blog IM
I llearn new information/research I I download/listen to music
I I make things! I surf for new websites download/look at images
I I shop/ buy things I I other
8. List three of your favorite websites and write down WHY they are your
favorites.
website #1:
why I like it:
website #2:
why I like it: ~
website #3:
why I like it:
9. When you visit/find a new website, how important is it to you that you
have a lot of choices of things to see and do?
I I very important I I somewhat important I I not very important
10. What keeps you re-visiting a website? (check all that apply)
I I how it looks/sounds I I variety of things I can d o D constant updat es/ new activities
I I my friends recommend and use it a lot I can save and/ or print what I do
I can share what I am doing with my friends other
11. What museum websites, if any, have you visited?
name of site(s)
12. How did you find out about the museum' s website?
I I parent(s)/ guardian(s) teacher friend Internet search
I read about it link from another site other
13. What did you do on the website?
ayed games I I made things I I read/ pri nt ed information
took a virtual tour collected artwork/objects searched around the site
Dpi
Appendix C
Excerpts from the Researcher's Observation Journal
Week 4: February 7, 2008
Visit site 2: ArtsConnectEd - The Minneapolis Institute of Art
Observation: Yves, a 4
l
grader interacts with his computer more than I have seen other
students do. He continually talks to the screen and will sometimes direct a comment to
those around him.
Observation: When students look at a classmate's screen and seeing something that s/he
is doing they will ask the student how they did what they did or how they got there.
What is interesting is that although they discuss, they look at and point to the screen
rather than looking at one another as they communicate. Social interaction seems to be
occurring at an entirely differently level than what I have observed before. Although I
have observed this previously, it is occurring each week. There seems to be a lack of
personal socialization, a lack of connection with each other through facial expressions
and other gestures. Students are interacting with each other via a screen. This is very
different than when they are doing art in the art studio where students' interactions have
more personal contact. For example, there is a tendency to look at and watch one
another, but look at each other when they are speaking as well as
a sharing of materials and ideas.
Abigail, a 4
th
grader has stopped her work and is observing what Claudia and Desiree
are doing instead of focusing on her screen. Could these be a result of over visual
stimulation perhaps?
Shane, a 4
th
grader is creating Sonic on the Artist's Toolkit program. This is typical of
Shane. Regardless of where he is, Shane will always draw Sonic or another cartoon
character. Even with the use of new tools with which to create, Shane draws the same
image.
Observation & Reflection: ALL of the students lean into and look closely at their
screens, almost as though they are myopic. I feel uncomfortable as I observe them. The
glare of the screens making my eyes tired from afar! What is the reason for this?
Adam is leaning particularly close as he works on what looks to be a needlepoint
activity on the website.
When I have observed children in the art studio they will often focus intently on the
materials they are using, sometimes not at all as in the case of clay where they . . . seem
to want to smell it first and then work with it without even looking at it until they
329
are ready to begin sculpting in earnest. However, how they look so closely at the screen
and how they look at their work in the art studio are quite different; the close proximity
to a screen and to paint or clay is quite different.
Reflection: Could this interaction with the computer screen impact how they relate to
the content or activities? Is the close proximity to the screen a result of attempting to
connect/relate more directly with the online art as in a museum or a physical
material as in an art room? A big leap in terms of how individuals interact with
computer screens, one another, art materials, their environment, etc.
Claudia, a 4
th
grader seems to be figuring out what looks to be for her, "kinks" in the
Artist's Toolkit program. She requests that I come over to see what she is doing.
Claudia attempts to put a circle into a specific space, but as she does so, it covers up the
other shapes she has already placed. "I can not figure it out," she says. "What are some
other options you can try?" "I still have a few buttons to try." "Let me know when you
have figured it out." Claudia sticks with it and discovers that she must hold down
another button to place the shape where she wants it. "It was actually quite easy," she
says.
Reflection: This would not be an obstacle in the art studio with tactile media. I should
have gone there with Claudia to discuss the difference of working online and working
with physical materials.
Abigail [appears] perplexed to me by the puzzled look on her face. She stops what she
is doing and looks around; perhaps to see if anyone else is having the same issue as she
appears to be having. Abigail is trying to move and place shapes around one of
her compositions but appears to be having difficulty. Abigail turns her attention toward
Claudia when she overhears her asking me about the shapes overlapping and covering
other shapes, shapes she wants to see.. .Following my response to try another tool,
Abigail and Claudia find a solution together and each create several more shape
collages with the program.
Observation: The Artist's Toolkit program will show a virtual image of a well known
artwork related to the art concept/principle that an individual chooses to interact with
using a program. Some concepts are shown to the viewer and can not be interacted with
on one's own terms.
Students are reminded to take screen shots of whatever they have made and to save the
images in their digital portfolios.
Observation: As students put images into their digital portfolios, they seem to think and
consider where they will place things, almost as though they are creating a digital
collage or composition. While no directions where given about arranging their images,
many of the students appear to be thoughtfully considering where they will place
things. Joseph, Yves, Claudia, Adam, and Abigail for example were observed arranging
their work.
330
Appendix D
Online Investigation Questionnaire:
Post Website Visit Responses
Looking at and Creating Art in Virtual Reality
Participant Code Male Female,
Age/ Grade Date
1. Museum website visited
2. Amount of time spent on the site
3. Was the site easy to navigate?
YES NO
4. What did you like about the website? (check all that apply)
I I how it looks/ sounds it was easy to navigate it had interesting topics
I lit had a lot of choices of things to do other
5. What did you NOT like about the website? (check all that apply)
I I how it looks/sounds it was difficult to navigate
there was too much to read there were not a lot of choices of things to do
I did not find it interesting I I it was not right for my age other
6. Please list the things you did on this website that you have not done
elsewhere.
7. Would you visit this website again or recommend it to a friend?
Explain why or why not.
YES NO
8. Does having visited this art museum' s website make you interested in
visiting the actual museum? Explain why or why not.
YES NO
331
Appendix E
Participant Interview Protocol
Questions about art and the artistic process
1) Why do you think people make art?
2) Why do you think art is important to have in our life?
3) What is art to you?
4) Where do you think people come up with ideas to create art?
5) Where do you come up with ideas when you are creating something
using art materials (e.g. paint, clay, paper, etc.)?
6) What are some feelings you have when you are making something using art
materials (e.g. paint, clay, paper, etc.)?
7) What materials do you enjoy working with the most and why?
8) What kind of art do you enjoy looking at, talking about, or inspires you when you
are
creating something?
9) If you have a favorite artist, who is it and why is s/he your favorite?
Questions related to art museums
10) What art museums, if any, have you visited?
11) How do you feel about going to an art museum?
12) If you were to visit an art museum, what kind of art would you like to look at and
why?
13) What are some things you think you can do when you visit an art museum?
14) What would you like to be able to do/see when you visit an art museum?
(what do you think visitors should be able to do?)
15) Many art museums have websites people can visit, if you have never been online to
an art museum website, what do you think you will find there or be able to do on
such a website?
16) Why do you think an art museum would have a website?
Questions related to art in virtual reality
17) If you had a choice to create art using materials such as paint, paper or clay or using
a computer, which would you choose and why?
18) What are things you think are important to know to make art using materials?
19) What do you think a person needs to know to make art in virtual reality?
20) What do you think the differences are between making art with materials and
creating art using a computer (program)?
21) Why would an art museum have online programs where you could make art?
Post-Study Interview Questions
1) You have now visited several art museum websites, and if you have been to an art
museum, which one do you prefer? Explain why you prefer one to the other.
332
2) Of the different art museum websites you have visited, which one did you like the
most? Be specific and explain why you liked the site so much.
3) What would you like to see on an art museum website or what would you like to be
able to do that wasn't available to you?
4) Having made art in both the school art studio and online in the computer lab using
art museums' websites, which do you prefer and WHY?
333
Appendix F
Interview Response Transcript
Participant Code: CffllO Date: May 8, 2008
Questions about art and the artistic process
1) Why do you think people make art?
People make art 'cause maybe when they get bored it can make you feel
better. You can express your ideas with art. You can your work upon your
wall and make a space look pretty.
2) Why do you think art is important to have in our life?
People enjoy making it. Making art makes some people happy.
3) Where do you think people come up with ideas to create art?
People can look around a room, pick up objects, and use the world around usto
get ideas. Other people's art can give us ideas too.
4) What makes a work of art good to you? (whether you created it or someone
else did)
Colors, especially bright colors! If I like how the lines and shapes are I will
like the art. I like portraits too. If the art is made in a medium I like than I
will probably like it.
5) What kind of art do you enjoy looking at, talking about, or inspires you
when you are creating something on your own?
/ really like my older sister's artwork. She made this painting using the
Chanel design. It was really good and very cool. Her work inspires me.
6) Which artists' work do you enjoy looking at and talking about?
/ really like the work of that illustrator that came to visit our school, but I
can't remember his name. Chris Soon-Piet? The artist who created
illustrations from photographs? Yes, that's him. His paintings look JUST like
the photos! His work shows so many details in paint. I like Picasso too. His
art has great colors and shapes.
334
Appendix G
Digital Portfolio 1 (Adam)
As I enter this site I think
There are lots of interesting pictures.
It also shows a little history about the picture.
I think this is a great site.
My Virtual Portfolio
(take a picture of your art using - "command" + "shift" + 4)
I
V,
I' . - I. '
MSfX
r
.
H.
EXT
k
1 I
\-* '* \
A-
s<5
336
K,
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:
J:
f^T^^J
f v / ' . /
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p4s-
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rir
jTririiii iiixt
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5
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i&g
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t l . f.-'T'
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339
340
My Favorite Activity
(take a picture of the activity using - "command" + "shift" + 4)
r -

,
1
*
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*;
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341
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Did you save your work? If not, do so now.
342
As I exit this site I think
It was amazing.
I liked it a lot.
There was lots of things to see and do.
I sot to draw stuff.
343
What is Your Opinion?
Type in your response or use the color fill to pick the desired answer.
2 classes
1. How much time did you spend on this site?
2. Was this site easy to navigate?
0 Yes No
3. What did you like about the website? (check all that apply)
how iQooks how i Qounds it waf i asy to navigate
it hadQt erest i ng topics it offeJUId a lot of choices of things to do
it wasrireat for my age other pi
4. What did you NOT like about the website? (check all that apply)
how iHooks how i Qounds it waQifficult to navigate
it did G)t offer a lot of choices of things to do I did rOt find it interesting
it wa Qo t right for my age other
5. Please list the things you did on this website that you have not done
elsewhere.
I got to make my own drawing.
I also got to look at different pictures of night.
6. Would you visit this art museum website again and recommend it to a
friend?
Y^H NcD
Now explain why or why not.
7. Does having visited this art museum' s website make you interested in visiting
the actual museum?
YesH No D
Now explain why or why not.
I had a lot of fun and I would want to learn more about the history of some of
the artifacts.

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THE AMBIGUITY OF PERCEPTION:

VIRTUAL ART MUSEOLOGY, FREE-CHOICE LEARNING, AND

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