Hello, my name is Katie and today I will be using
current research, based in educational studies and cognitive psychology,
to share ways to diversify practices and improve
learning in art history courses.
At the end of this presentation, art history educators
should be able to...  1. Recall the benefit of
including elements like narrative, interleaving, group work, 
and frequent, low-stakes quizzing, as well as emphasizing the importance
of a growth mindset in class.
2. Build mnemonic devices with students to teach them about
memory cues and how to create their own.
3. Develop a series of increasingly difficult, 
scaffolding projects for team-based learning.
4. Explain to students and colleagues the value
of utilizing new teaching techniques rather than sticking with the
traditional lecture format.
5. Consider which of the suggested techniques provided
may be the most applicable to their curriculum and experiment
with modifications to their syllabi to include these new techniques.
First, in the introduction, I will lay out some background information
for how students are currently learning and the other, more
effective methods that can be used.
Lectures are the "traditional" form of teaching in art history, 
particularly in introductory courses, but this is a passive learning
practice and the effort is put forth by the instructor, rather than 
 the students.  Lectures are not participation based so
everything that is occurring during the lesson is prompted by
answered, and explained by the instructor. Students may take notes, 
but research hasn't shown note-taking alone to be sufficient to increase
learning or recall (Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel, 2014).
Knowledge cannot be passively absorbed.  Learning must
be active and effortful in order to be stored in long-term memory.
For a long time, reading or hearing information presented has
been the primary way for students learn information and it was
relied upon that this exposure was enough for students to remember.
However, studies show that this isn't the case.  In order to
make learning last, active methods must be used so that information can
be consolidated within the brain (Brown et al., 2014).
Team-Based Learning
or TBL
utilizes groups to further conceptual understanding, 
encourage generation, stimulate student engagement, and
puts students in charge of their own learning.
When working together in a group, students can teach each other
information.  This helps the student who is teaching work towards mastery
and the other student receives assistance and clarification
on topics they may be unsure of (La Follette, 2017).
By putting students in charge of their own learning,
they are required to generate solutions amongst themselves instead
of relying on the instructor for answers.  Students must therefore be more
engaged and do more active thinking and discussing than in a lecture
format.
Team-Based Learning also fosters creative thinking.
and it gives students more freedom to approach and explore material from their
own perspective, instead of only learning the instructor's interpretation. 
This opens the door for more thoughtful responses to questions
and it pushes students to use more higher-level thinking skills than more passive methods
of learning.  When collaborating, it's necessary for students
to use strong communication skills for discussing and justifying their answers
or opinions (La Follette, 2017).
Just like students in a team work together, pieces of information
can also work together through the process of interleaving, which is 
 the integration of related topics to support learning.  Interleaving
information helps students to make connections and it apply learning to new situations
by linking related information to form contextual
understanding.
It's like weaving together different colors of thread.  Interleaving
information contributes to, and helps students to see, the greater whole.
In short, interleaving reveals to students that the 
whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Brown et al., 2014).
However, interleaving is challenging and slows the initial
leaning process, but the difficulty it presents increases
effort, making it desirable.  Interleaved learning lasts
for longer and increases a learner's ability to apply the information
they have studied.  Regardless, the extra challenge makes
it unpopular with both students and instructors because the progress
is less obvious and immediate (Brown et al., 2014).
Of course, it is important to make sure students are remembering and 
understanding what they are being taught. Frequent, low-stakes quizzing
can be helpful for both students and instructors because it helps to 
identify gaps in memory and comprehension, which creates opportunity 
to refocus and relearn (Brown et al., 2014)
For example, Peer Instruction (or PI) is one
form of multiple choice quizzing that includes class discussion, peer feedback
feedback and clarification from the instructor, as well
as individual recall practice.  PI's are very flexible
so instructors can customize the session to their liking.
In a PI session, students are prompted with timed questions
which they are first asked to answer by themselves.  They may then
discuss the question and answers with their peers to decide if they will keep or
change their answer. At the end of the question, the instructor will ask
a student to explain the logic behind the answer they chose or will go
over the question and answer options themself.  This is a great
chance for students to see their learning applied, to make connections. 
and to ask questions (Brown et al., 2014)
Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of human tradition
Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of human tradition
since long before words were written down, people have been sharing information
through the passing of stories.  Learners remember information better when
it is presented in a narrative because it includes elements like humor and setting
that make information feel relatable in a way facts cannot.
Humans are hardwired to see narratives because we dislike ambiguity
and because it gives us logical explanations to emotional responses (Brown et al., 2014).
Art history is all about response to and representation of
the world in which it was created, meaning art is often a narrative
within itself.  Narratives help learners to develop context and
relevance for information. This, in turn, help the brain sort information 
into mental models.  Helping students to understand the narrative
connections tied to the artwork they study, encourages students to take a deeper look
when considering and critiquing something new (Brown et al.,  2014).
The most difficult thing to critique is ourselves.  Humans have 
a bias that makes them falsely believe that everyone shares the same values
that they do.  Metacognition, which is the ability to recognize one's own 
thinking and perspective, is a critical skill that students need 
in order to develop a trained "eye."  Students must be able to
accurately self-evaluate and look closely and objectively at how their
perspective of themselves, as well as their perspective of everything around
them, influences their learning (Brown et al., 2014).
No one likes to fail.  Early in our lives we learn that successes
are rewarded and failures are typically met with disappointment. 
Because of this, may students prefer to avert challenges
and focus on what's easy, rather than what's difficult, and thus
may result in failure.  Students with a growth mindset
know that learning is a dynamic process and can see mistakes as minor,
temporary barriers that present opportunity for improvement.
Seeing in opportunity in failure may not be intuitive, 
but keeping opportunities for improvement in mind can greatly heighten a student's drive
to learn and their potential to do so (Brown et al., 2014).
Next, I will present suggestions for implementation.  
These suggestions are gear towards higher education or advanced high school
courses.
Suggestion No. 1: Build a series of scaffolding projects
incorporating individual work and team based learning
to foster student engagement, heighten analytical and observational
skills and deepen understanding.  Instructors can develop a
series of projects of increasing difficulty to take place over the 
course of the term.
For example, have students individually write analysis papers
at the beginning of the term, then later in the semester create group
assignments that expand on analysis, but include higher level
skills too. By letting students work independently first,
instructors can ensure that students have taken steps towards building the desired
skill or skills. Then, when working together in a group,
students can use that foundational, practical knowledge for their collaboration
and discussion (La Follette, 2017).
Suggestion No. 2: Have students work in TBL groups to
develop mnemonic devices.  Assign each group to one week of the
term and those students will be responsible for developing a mnemonic device
for something presented in that week's curriculum.  Art history
is full of potential for mnemonic devices, but because the curriculum is 
 already heavily image based, it may take some additional creativity (Brown et al., 2014).
For example, one could create a mnemonic device by likening the 
layout of an early christian cathedral to a hopscotch path.
The path, a common image from childhood, is adjustable so
it can accommodate different layouts.  It also includes numbers to which
cathedral elements can be assigned.  Students must actively think about
the content when developing their mnemonic device, and later, 
that mnemonic can make recall more efficient (Brown et al., 2014).
Suggestion No. 3: When introducing a new artist or movement, 
share with students a relevant anecdote about the artist, movement, or work
or a personal story (Brown et al., 2014).  For example, when studying
art nouveau, it's hard to miss the prevalence of the "green fairy"
that pops up over and over again (Brown et al., 2014).
This "green fairy," better known as absinthe, was a highly
popular drink amongst Parisian artists during the second half of the 19th 
and beginning of the 20th century.  It was known for having "creativity"
inspiring properties.  To elaborate on Picasso's "Glass of Absinthe"
an instructor shared with the class a humorous anecdote about a trip
to Europe when he tried the "green fairy" drink for himself, and 
explained the ritual of how it was prepared (J. Siewart, personal communication, January 26, 2014).
Suggestion No. 4:  When studying art history, there are 
a lot of dates involved and after a while they can start to blur together.
Have students create a dynamic timeline they can regularly update
over the course of the term to include global events, cultural shifts,
as well as class content.  The timeline can provide students with contextual
knowledge that can help them remember information (K. Morrow, personal communication, January 21, 2014).
For example, constructing a timeline of events in western Europe
during the same time castles were being built, can help students
see that Viking raids had an impact on the development of castle structure.
When studying medieval castles, I can remember that France built
fortress style castles well before the English, because they built them as 
defensive response to Viking raids.  Britain was more united
than the rural, segmented French. So while the English could fight the Vikings
off, France's elite had to find ways to protect themselves and
their tenants (K. Morrow, personal communication, January 21, 2014).
Suggestion No. 5: Peer instruction is one way to
quiz students over information.  However, it can also
be used to stimulate class discussion, debates, or prompt
further exploration by varying the kinds of questions presented to the students.
Ask students questions they really have to think about 
with subjective or open-ended answers (Brown et al., 2014).
Furthermore, PI's can be used to make a quiz into a lesson
by asking students to write their answers as they go.  Emphasize
that the goal isn't necessarily to be "right," but to really think about the
content. Using discussion, students can gain insight into new
perspective they may not have otherwise considered (Brown et al., 2014).
Suggestion No. 6: Help students to develop metacognition
and recognize their own biases and nescience in order to
more fully appreciate the complexity of art. 
Looking at something from the perspective of someone else can be enlightening.
For example, when looking at art from another time, context can be 
lost to modern viewers (Hamann, 2010).
Perspectives lost by time and cultural differences can be  rediscovered
by the awareness of one's own ignorance and reconsidering
the "lens" through which we see.
Velâsquez's "Las Meninas," for example, may look to the 
untrained eye like a portrait of entirely European influence.
However, looking closer, small details that would have been highly
significant and obvious to viewers of the time, appear.
Three key elements: cochineal red fabric, 
red clay pottery, and a small silver tray all show the connection
of the Spanish royal family to their effort to colonize South America (Hamann, 2010).
Suggestion No. 7: Ask students to write a page about a well known
pop-culture icon, historic figure, etc. and 
have them share what that person was, and was not, good at. Students should
also consider how much work and time that person put in to reach their goal.
Remind students to keep a growth mindset (Brown et al., 2014).
The image shown is one of the photographer, Cindy Sherman's "Untitled Film
Stills" from the late 1970s.  This series of photos 
includes some of her earliest work, and they are often unpolished and raw,
but nonetheless they made her very well known in the art world (Barrett, 2012).
These character-based "selfies," made long before selfies were a thing,
art not without mistakes (you can see the cord of the camera switch
in this picture) but nonetheless, she continued to work and she got better
as she went. 
Sherman has said that her focus was on the idea, rather than the technique.
Like students with a growth mindset, Sherman used her mistakes to improve
and is now considered one of the most fascinating, innovative photographers
of the post-modern movement (Barrett, 2012).  Students who focus on the potential for 
improvement, instead of fearing failure, are actively moving themselves towards
success (Brown et al., 2014).
In summary, art history instructors can use a variety
of techniques that are more engaging and effective than lectures, to increase
students' memory, cognizance, and understanding (Brown et al., 2014).
And finally, here are some great references that I used, and 
I would highly recommend if you would like further information.
Thank you for checking out my video! I hope it has given you some ideas
and inspired you to go out and give some new techniques a try.
