Art Education Commons^™

Trust The Process: Why Messy Projects Make Great Music Education., Molly J. Devine

Staff Scholarship - New Zealand

PRESENTATION ON: Trust the Process: Why messy projects make great music education. In Aotearoa’s increasingly diverse music classrooms, project-based learning offers a way to honour each learner’s voice, background, and strengths. But collaboration isn’t always smooth. This workshop explores how to guide students through the messy, emotional, often deeply human process of working together. Rooted in kindness and manaakitanga, we’ll share tools and reflections for creating music projects that are inclusive, culturally responsive, and genuinely transformative.

Action Research To Explore The Use Of Augmented Reality To Support High School Students In Understanding And Creating Art Work In A Drawing Course, Alicia Joanne Cobler

Theses and Dissertations

High school students in Drawing 1 at a high school in South Carolina struggle to understand meaning or make personal connections to their own artwork. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of immersive reality technology, specifically augmented reality (AR), in art for high school Drawing 1 students to help them understand meaning in art and create their own meaningful artwork. Creating personally meaningful symbolic works of art is one of the first Visual Art National Core Standards (National Core Visual Art Standards, 2014). Creating meaning in artwork allows students to understand society, provide an opportunity …

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

Fostering An Inclusive Environment For New Students Through The South Pacific Division Community Support System At The Adventist International Institute Of Advanced Studies: An Appreciative Inquiry, Anasa Tabua

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This study uses Appreciative Inquiry to explore how the South Pacific Division (SPD) community support systems at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), grounded in Social Capital Theory, foster inclusivity for new students. It examines existing systems, identifies strengths, and explores enhancement strategies. The findings offer implications for other AIIAS communities and Adventist institutions seeking to enhance support systems and foster inclusive environments.

A “Teaching As Emergent Learning” Approach To Teaching Deep Creativity, Steven Greenstein, Iain Kerr, Emily Olson

LASER Journal

Creativity is the process by which a change that is new and different emerges. We call it deep when it yields novel forms of both quantitative and qualitative change. If we are to take on the most pressing and persistent challenges to our social, global, and planetary well-being, we need novel approaches of a qualitatively different kind than those that have failed to bring about radical change in the past. In other words, we need deep creativity. The paradox at the heart of ``ideation-first" approaches to creative practice (e.g., brainstorming or ideating) is that if creativity aims to produce outcomes …

Kamp Krystal Killjoy: Doing Feminism/Making Media, Kristin Comeforo

Feminist Pedagogy

In the current (2025) political climate, just as the United States and the world needs feminism, fewer and fewer people identify as feminists. This article suggests "feminist making," as a means for revitalizing feminism for the 21st century. It presents the narrative fiction podcast Kamp Krystal Killjoy as a social justice strategy to meet the challenges of today.

Aproximaciones A La Cultura Contemporánea: Un Encuentro De La Visualidad, La Narrativa, La Semiótica Y Su Didáctica, Romano Ponce-Díaz Phd, Iván Ávila-González Phd, Emilce Beatriz Sánchez Castellón Phd, Gabriel Segundo Iguarán Montiel Msc, Juan Carlos González Vidal Phd, Ximena Díaz-Santillán B.A., Andrea Alejandra Echeverría Barrios B.A, Diana Estefanía Martínez Dagnino B.A, Edgar Ávila González Phd, Diana Esperanza Álvarez Campos B.A, Aurora Mariazell Romero Martínez Msc, José Abraham Mitre Lázaro Msc

STEM for Success Resources

Este volumen reúne reflexiones críticas y propuestas analíticas que convergen en tres ejes:

La voz, la identidad y el cuerpo.

Producto de la colaboración entre la Uniguajira y la Facultad de Letras de la Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Aproximaciones a la Cultura Contemporánea: un encuentro de la visualidad, la narrativa, la semiótica y su didáctica articula un corpus interdisciplinario que examina fenómenos culturales actuales desde perspectivas semióticas, literarias, pedagógicas y visuales.

A través de una estructura rizomática, el libro desborda los límites tradicionales de los campos académicos para ofrecer una cartografía flexible de lectura, en la que …

Pod 20th Anniversary Publication 2025, Project Open Door

Publications + Documents + Videos

RISD Project Open Door (POD) is celebrating 20 years and its commitment to supporting access to art education.

In early June community members gathered at Woods-Gerry to view work by current POD students and alums in an exhibition that featured paintings, sculptures, photographs and other works.

Professor Emeritus Paul Sproll, founder of the program, spoke at the June event about POD’s inception in 2005. “This show reflects the strong community behind Project Open Door,” he said. “Thank you RISD, thank you students, thank you alums and thank you supporters. This work is important, and I hope it will continue for …

Movement As Metamorphosis: An Examination Of Transformative Learning In Dance, Whitney Egstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using the arts-based methodology of Educational Criticism and Connoisseurship (Uhrmacher, Moroye, & Flinders, 2017) to examine the curriculum and pedagogy of a Colorado-based dance studio, this qualitative dissertation explores how transformative learning (TL) unfolds within the context of adult dance education. Grounded in Mezirow’s (1991) theory of transformative learning, the study investigates how dance becomes a medium for personal transformation, identity reconstruction, and emotional healing. Data collection included six hours of interviews with instructors and students and twelve hours of class observations, focusing on how adult learners experience curriculum not just as technical instruction, but as an embodied, relational journey …

Promising Partnerships In Art Education And Special Education: An Interview With Beverly Gerber, Jennifer Elaine Smith, Yilin Shen

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Dr. Beverly Gerber is a strong advocate for developing “promising partnerships” between art educators and special educators. She has spent her career working to advocate for increased inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities. From this advocacy, she has written books that have sat atop the National Art Education Association’s best seller’s list. In addition, Dr. Gerber is a co-founding member of the Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education (DARTS) in the council for Exceptional Children. DARTS will celebrate it’s 10^th anniversary in 2025. Dr. Gerber’s work has had a notable impact on the intersection of art and special …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Tread: A Digital Solution For Sustainable Travel, Audrey Claire Talmi, Amy Besford

Graphic Communication

This senior project aims to create an eco-tourism website that promotes sustainable and ethical travel by connecting users with local businesses, communities, and culturally respectful experiences. As mainstream tourism increasingly contributes to environmental degradation and social displacement, this platform will provide responsible alternatives by avoiding over-touristed destinations and favoring underrepresented areas. It will allow users to book flights, lodging, and activities while educating them on the consequences of over-tourism. Through a combination of intuitive user interface, thoughtful user experience, engaging visual design, and curated educational content, the website will serve not only as a booking platform but as a digital …

Highlighting The Benefits Of Community-Based Public Art Practices: Narrating A Year Of Living And Working Amongst The Creative Communities Of Providence, Rhode Island., Keara Mchaffie

Masters Theses

This thesis investigation explores the benefits of publicly

accessible arts programming and considers the significance of art

education experiences outside the traditional classroom setting.

The social and emotional benefits of these spaces are specifically

considered as a means to build confidence, and foster meaningful,

supportive connections beyond traditional academic measures.

Embracing a qualitative, mini-case study approach, the study

details hands-on experiences collaborating with different

organizations across Providence, Rhode Island during a year-long

graduate program. The data highlights how access to public

programs in community-based settings, such as libraries, play a

pivotal role in strengthening creative ideologies and community

relations.

To Reflect & To Be Reflective: Student Experiences Of Critique In Art & Design Higher Education, Jade Seobin Yun

Masters Theses

This thesis investigated the critique process in art and design higher education, focusing specifically on student experiences at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Through a combination of autoethnographic reflection and a campus-wide student survey, the study explored how critique was perceived, practiced, and internalized by students across disciplines. Central to this inquiry was the emotional and pedagogical complexity of critique, which was often treated as an assumed skill rather than a learned process. Drawing from personal narrative, pedagogical literature, and qualitative data, the research proposed a framework of Trust (Barrett, 2019), Courage (Brown, 2022), and Responsiveness (hooks, 1994) …

Rooted In Learning: Eco-Art Pedagogy And Place-Based Learning, Emily Van Heusen

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the integration of eco-art pedagogy and place-based learning (PBL) in secondary art education, investigating how these approaches help develop artistic practices and deepen environmental awareness among high school students. The study focuses on the implementation of a 4-week curriculum at Mount Pleasant High School in Providence, Rhode Island. This research examines how art making and place-specific learning contribute to local environmental investment, personal connection and environmental engagement. Using a mixed-method approach grounded in arts-based research (ABR) and teacher-research methodology, this study analyzes teen-created artworks, sketchbook and journal reflections, and researcher personal reflections and field notes. The research …

Daily Creative Practice: A Path To Well-Being For Self + Society, Ellie Cashman

Masters Theses

Daily creative practice is a proven way to promote health and happiness, and to counteract what many are currently calling a global crisis in mental health.

There has perhaps never been a better time to be creative. Our collective healing and future human flourishing depend on it.

The author’s life and teaching experiences are explored, in the context of human history, (social) psychology and the challenges of contemporary culture.

Finally, the author offers a preview of a curriculum for Daily Creative Practice that will be further developed and implemented in Fall 2025, thanks to a grant from RISD’s Graduate Commons. …

Playing With Ideas: A Museum-Based Inquiry, Claire Meagher

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the ways that alternative arts approaches such as

Teaching for Artistic Behavior, creative inquiry, and play based learning can

be incorporated into a contemporary arts based curriculum in the museum

setting. In addition to this, it looks closely at the significance of the museum

space and community in these learning encounters. The methodology included a

preliminary case study and teacher based research, which were completed with

the School & Teacher programs at the RISD museum. The qualitative data from

this research consisted of observations, teaching experiences, and reflections in

a visual journal. These findings supported the creation …

Coarse Woody Debris: Growth & Decay, Cody W. Young

Masters Theses

Coarse Woody Debris is the felled wood from trees. When branches break off and trunks fall down to the ground, the wood from the tree begins to decay. Humans need to acknowledge the importance of this regeneration and habitat building process to help protect it. The debris from coarse wood decay provides multiple benefits to the surrounding ecosystem. It is important to leave the woody debris in the context in which it fell so that the cycles of growth and decay can be preserved. My project is a public service announcement about the values of coarse woody debris. Instead of …

Playful Parenting, Shloka Kartikeyan

Masters Theses

“What is the next big milestone for my child, and how can I be ready for it?”

That is the question in every parents' mind as they watch their child grow. The developmental milestones being the source of guidance and cause of worry for parents.

We are in an overwhelming era of options - the global toy market was valued at around $114.4 billion in 2024 as reported by Global News Wire* - that’s the size of options in toys alone for parents to choose from. With all these products geared towards encouraging child development, parents are often left to …

Rooted In Embodied Making: A Notebook On Process, Vija Lietuvninkas

Masters Theses

This thesis takes the form of a wooden box containing an archive of fragments – scanned notebooks, sketches, photographs, emails, journal entries, and other materials – that trace a year of embodied, process-based inquiry. Rather than presenting a linear argument or a polished final product, the work reflects a nonlinear, exploratory methodology grounded in making, wandering, and self-reflection.

Born within the context of the 2025 Sustainability Design Lab, an interdisciplinary initiative at RISD examining the material culture of wood across design fields, this project documents the artist’s evolving engagement with green wood as both material and metaphor. Through practices such …

Poetries Of Abandonment: A Study Of Plath And Glück, Yara Abdelmoneim

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the intersection between literature and trauma, which can be discerned in the key works of two poets, Sylvia Plath and Louise Glück. While offering readings of crucial poems, the thesis also examines the interrelations among trauma, memory and narrative as theorized by two contemporary psychiatrists, Bessel van der Kolk and Judith Herman. Both Plath and Glück wrote about personal and generational trauma after going through different experiences of abandonment. Absence, indirection and repetition provide the basis for literary techniques that allow their traumas to be better understood by authors and readers alike. The degree to which each …

The Unicorn And Christ – Metamorphosis And Symbology, Luis Mendonça De Carvalho, Francisca Maria Fernandes, Maria Fátima Nunes, Ana Maria Costa, Paula Nozes, Ana Paula Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The unicorn is a legendary chimaera that, for centuries, has been present in the mindset of Euro-Mediterranean cultures. Although its morphological description changed, tradition identifies it as an animal like a horse, albeit smaller and with a spiralling horn on its head pointing forward. The unicorn has been known since Antiquity, with references by authors such as Ctesias and Pliny. However, its relevance for medieval Europeans began with the Biblical references to this animal in several Old Testament verses. These verses gave legitimacy to the unicorn, and it was accepted as a tangible animal. During the Middle Ages and early …

Engaging Undergraduate Students In Critical Visual Reflections Using Their Visual Journals, Madeleine A. Barney-Gibbs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This qualitative, arts-based study examines how undergraduate students engage with visual journaling to construct and articulate knowledge in a social science course centering issues of diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Drawing on Freirian critical pedagogy and critical visual reflection, this research centers students’ voices and creative processes. Through one-time, audio-recorded interviews, participants share insights about their journaling experiences, reflect on memorable pages, and articulate both the significance and intended future use of their visual journals. The collaboration between researchers and student participants involves shared reflective practices, flattening hierarchies, and emphasizing embodied expression, including nonverbal and vocal cues. This approach builds …

Reimagining Pedagogies Of The Prison Yard: Using Ethnotheatre To Embody Transcarceral Conocimiento, Mabelle Reynoso

Dissertations

Latinxs make up 40% of California's population but account for 45% of the prison population and 47% of the jail population (Sawyer, 2023). Their overrepresentation in carceral custody not only impacts the individual but also affects families and communities by limiting access to social, political, and educational capital and agency. In response to gaps in research specific to the collateral impact, this interdisciplinary arts-based qualitative study highlights the experiences of five formerly incarcerated Latino men who participated in an Arts in Corrections playwriting class during their time in a California state prison. This study foregrounds their knowledge as cuentistas (storytellers), …

The Creative Classroom: A Phenomenological Study Of Engagement In Students With Adhd, Kathleen A. Johnson

Art 895 Research Papers

Qualitative research guides this engagement study with a Phenomenological approach. The researcher aims to examine how creative expression fosters increased engagement among students with ADHD. Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often approach their education differently than neurotypical students. Neurodivergent students frequently encounter challenges related to focus, impulse control, and organization. However, the cognitive benefits of art education enable these students to utilize their creative thinking and problem-solving skills, resulting in engagement that aligns with their natural abilities. The art classroom provides experiential learning opportunities that benefit engagement. By exploring the unique intersection of creativity and learning, this research highlights the …

Notetaking Reimagined: The Impact Of Combining Text And Visuals For Effective Learning, Sarah J. Mussetter

Art 895 Research Papers

This Mixed-Methods Narrative Case Study examines previous research on the effects of visual/ illustrative notes and their effect on knowledge coding, retention, and retrieval processes. It adds to current research in the form of a case study of a high school advanced photography course in Livingston, MT and the effect that adding visuals to notetaking practices affects student performance and memory throughout the semester. This study also proposes a method of introduction to visual notetaking that can be implemented in classrooms regardless of subject matter.

The Art Of Building Belonging Through Student Voice And Choice: Liberating Learning And Creating Community In Catholic Schools, Rich Hill

Doctoral Dissertations

This is a study of students’ voices, choices, and experiences. Its purpose is to examine the barriers and opportunities for building belonging in Catholic schools. The research is a contribution to the positive work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging currently taking place in various Catholic school contexts. It is also a response to specific issues that continue to permeate students’ curricular experience, such as the silencing of voice, the lack of choice, untapped educational agency, and the exclusion of their authentic identities. The study is designed to learn directly from students’ own lived experiences, their testimonies, and their artwork. …

Soybean Oil-Derived Acrylate/Methacrylate Ether For High Resolution Additive Manufacturing (3d Printing) Technology, Tanuj Patel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing is one of the rapidly developing techniques, as industries continue to explore new ways to create prototypes and end-use parts, one of the significant challenges that remains is the reliance on petroleum-based plastics for 3D printing, especially in the production of photocurable resins. that may be used to prototype complex structures and sophisticated geometries that are typically challenging to produce with conventional methods. Thus, replacing petroleum-based plastics with renewable resources is increasingly important for additive manufacturing (3D printing) of photocurable resins. The use of bio-based renewable resources in AM is a feasible alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics. Henceforth, …

Joy In Lifelong Learning: An Introduction To Planning For Learning Disabilities In Museum Education, Elaine L. Davis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

For over a century, the role of museums as learning institutions has been considered alongside that of schools. However, special education practices are rarely adapted for museum education, requiring educators in museum contexts to undertake extra work to accommodate those with learning disabilities. This thesis used Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Textual Analysis to review pedagogical white papers and academic research on museum programs aimed at neurodivergent audiences. The findings were used to create a professional development guide for museum educators at a range of different types of museums.

Moments, Movements, And Manifestation: Disrupting Neoliberal Ideologies Through Documentation In Collaborative Arts Partnerships, Geralyn Schroeder Yu, Juana Reyes, Teju Adesida, Noé Cuéllar, Mark Diaz, Brandon Phouybanhdyt

Education Department Faculty Articles

For over three decades, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) has challenged neoliberal approaches and classroom hierarchies through arts integration inquiry practices involving students, teachers, and teaching artists. The authors emphasize a two-year study of CoLab, a CAPE initiative that fosters new public-school partnerships. Using narrative inquiry, the researchers highlight the documentation practices described by CoLab teaching artists as they collaborate with teachers and students. The research results reveal how documentation in collaborative arts integration serves as a process of meaning-making, characterized by moments, movements, and manifestations that spread and grow, much like ripples in water after a stone’s disruption.