Notes from “Innovative pedagogies series: Wow: The power of objects in object-based learning and teaching” by Dr Kirsten Hardie, Associate Professor Arts University Bournemouth
Why OBL?
- to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of, and the ability to use, the language and approaches that are used to define, decode and decipher how we communicate and read and judge the visual across a variety of contexts (AUB 2012). i.e. The use of objects enables learners to communicate visually.
- Students are encouraged to interpret the objects: “interpretation is the process for constructing meaning. Interpretation is part of the process of understanding” (Hooper-Greenhill 1999, p. 50).
- Objects can be particularly stimulating in relation to learning processes when handled and studied closely. Objects can act to ground abstract experiences, can enable recall of knowledge, and can arouse curiosity. (Hooper-Greenhill 1999, p. 21).
How? one way of doing it could be to request all students write a detailed consideration of the objects that includes related sketches, photographs and quotations.
Answer questions such as: (within the design context) what is its function, age and target audience? Who designed and manufactured it? Is it ergonomically designed? What does the object communicate and what values do you think it has? (E.g. financial, social, historical or cultural). To understand objects beyond the obvious issues of function and purpose
Based on the article I read (notes below). My proposed object-based learning exercise will be tailored to first year fine art students. I would like them to be able to view and analyse an (art) object based two approaches – the heart-centred approach and the head-centred.
Part 1: If it is a 3d object small enough to be handled with two hands, I’d like them to feel it under the table with their hands. Describe how and what they can feel. Shape, surfaces, weight, texture,
Then I will ask them how they feel about the object by only feeling them. Not physically describing it but how the object makes your feel. Can you feel something by touch only?
They will then draw it on a piece of paper without looking at the object based on the descriptors and feelings they have just shared with the group.
Part II: Then I will reveal the object. They will now use a head-centred approach to describe the object in as much detail as possible (visual analysis).
Objective is to be able to analyse an object with as much detail as possible based on visual analysis.
Then we move on to heart based analysis. How does this object makes you feel?
And the second and final drawing exercise is to draw the object without representing the object but based on how you feel about the object, thinking about the feelings and description from part I. this is a Heart-based approach to drawing and representing.