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Thesis Info
- LABS ID
- 00628
- Thesis Title
- Harmonizing Digital Drawing Practice within Studio Art Pedagogy
- Author
- Grant Tedaldi
- E-mail
- grant AT cosmicclash.com
- 2nd Author
- 3rd Author
- Degree
- Ed.D
- Year
- 2016
- Number of Pages
- 292
- University
- Teachers College, Columbia University
- Thesis Supervisor
- Richard Jochum
- Supervisor e-mail
- rj2137 AT tc.columbia.edu
- Other Supervisor(s)
- Judith Burton
- Language(s) of Thesis
- English
- Department / Discipline
- Art Education
- Copyright Ownership
- Grant Tedaldi
- Languages Familiar to Author
- English
- URL where full thesis can be found
- search.proquest.com/openview/d275cc61ce6f9de6695bd567734e1ae3/1.pdf?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
- Keywords
- drawing technology digital wacom adaptation
- Abstract: 200-500 words
- This qualitative study investigates the feasibility of implementing digital drawing
tablets into a high school art course. It was driven by the researcher’s observation of high
school students using digital devices to write stories, take photographs and compose
music. When drawing, students seldom used digital devices to create or share their
artwork. The question leading the study, thus, probed the feasibility of replacing
traditional drawing materials in a foundation level art class with tablet computers
allowing drawing directly onto the screen. The study focused on the processes and
outcomes of using digital drawing tools with a class of 26 high school students through
action based research methods. The case study also included structured interviews with
two professionals: a graphic tablet hardware developer and an artist who transitioned
from traditional materials to digital drawing during his artistic career. Data analysis
indicated that students who used digital tools achieved similar success as their peers who
were using traditional drawing tools in acquiring knowledge from the studio curriculum
and creating artwork. Data analysis indicated that using digital drawing hardware and
software would present a high cognitive load, which jeopardized the usability of drawing
technologies, requiring additional preparation from the teacher as to work with the tools
without delays in classroom instruction. Results of the study enabled the researcher to
further develop his pedagogy by redefining goals and strengthening processes, rather than
relying on established demonstrations. Common themes from the interviews indicated a
technology orientated personality type and digital drawing, while sharing roots with
traditional drawing, may exist as a separate medium. Recommendations were offered to
teachers and digital interface developers with the intention to minimize the disjunction
between traditional and digital drawing. The researcher and the professional participants
of the study acknowledge the necessity to expose high school students to digital drawing
tools in their art classrooms at a time when these tools become ubiquitous with computer
use. The researcher concludes that it is pedagogically feasible to adapt a traditional
drawing curriculum to include new technologies in art alongside existing ones.