Think back to your college days…what classes do you remember most? Chances are, regardless of major or credits earned, they’re probably the ones that unexpectedly changed your perspective, where an instructor seemed to go the extra mile to help you, or in which you felt a true sense of belonging and involvement.
What your most memorable classes all have in common is that they engaged you. Now, just how did those instructors do it?
That’s the question we set out to answer in our latest webinar, Teaching Digital Arts Online: Integrating Programming and Graphic Design to Foster Creative Expression . During this webinar, we used online digital arts courses as a use case to explore with Brian Miller from the University of Michigan and Holly DeGrote from Northwest Iowa Community College, the innovative and effective ways instructors can improve engagement and student achievement in their online arts courses.
So if you didn’t catch the webinar live, you’re in luck as we recap the key takeaway for engaging students in online programming and graphic design classes. They reveal the unique challenges of their disciplines and the techniques and practical tips they use to captivate students and elevate their learning experience.
Addressing the Challenges of Teaching Online
While learning online continues to increase in popularity, finding ways to teach hands-on graphic design online is essential. Professor DeGrote emphasized the need for using various teaching tools and innovative teaching strategies. She fosters connections among students and encourages engagement by incorporating weekly assignments and discussion boards, enduring traditional discussion board shortcomings to find Flipgrid as a more potent tool.
Thematic Learning and Harmonize
In his course, “Computing for the Arts and Sciences,” Professor Miller helps students from the arts or humanities understand relevant themes in these disciplines. He emphasized the use of Harmonize for both in-person and online classes to present rich interaction between his students and foster a cooperative learning environment. He also highlighted the use of technology for driving discussions as it empowers students who might be too shy to participate in face-to-face interactions.
Technology in the Classroom
Both speakers stressed the importance of technology in their teaching methods. Technology plays a vital role in improving learning outcomes due to its versatility. Canvas, for instance, is utilized for many tasks ranging from a grading system to an all-round teaching tool. Techniques such as screen capturing through Canvas Studio and annotations add another dimension of feedback for students, providing a richer, more engaging learning experience.
The Critique System
A crucial insight into an online graphic design class’s dynamics was the critique system. Professor DeGrote noted that while some students could initially shy away from showcasing their work, creating a supportive and encouraging environment helps students overcome this fear is critical. She further added that seeing their peers’ work spurs students towards participation and critiquing.
Coding in a Visual Language
Transitioning from graphic design to programming, the conversation took an exciting detour when Professor Miller introduced SNAP – a program focused on translating programming language into visual language. Developed at UC Berkeley, SNAP is a block-based visual language that runs entirely online, further easing the challenges of downloading software or dealing with system requirements. SNAP also finds application in teaching programming to students of all levels, becoming instrumental in creating visual projects.
Supporting Student Transition
As the conversation delved deep into specific classroom practices, Professor DeGrote discussed a reading assignment designed to transition students towards professional life. This assignment, filled with insights about professional etiquette, networking, and career development, bridges the gap between academic learning and workplace expectations.
The speakers also delved into the idea of using books like “Burn Your Portfolio” to provoke thought and discussions among their students. Auto-grading assignments and making it easy and safe for students to receive feedback are some creative methods used to inspire and encourage creativity among students.
Teaching Digital Arts Online
In summary, teaching digital arts online is a dynamic process with unique challenges that online teaching practitioners find solutions for. By sharing their experiences and techniques, instructors from the University of Michigan and Northwest Iowa Community College provided tangible and actionable insights, shedding light on the innovativion and resilience required to provide a robust online learning environment. Using tools such as Canvas, Flipgrid, Harmonize, or SNAP are crucial to successful online education.
