Open Minds and a Sense of Adventure: How Teachers of Art & Design Approach Technology

Abstract How does the use of technology in Art and Design differ from its use in other subjects? What uses do art teachers make that might seem noteworthy to their colleagues in other subject areas? And are there respects in which ICT affects art teaching uniquely? The following report is drawn from two national, qualitative studies, carried out over four years and involving over two hundred skilled computer users in the UK teaching force 1. The studies explored good practice in use of ICT in twelve separate curriculum subjects. Research addressed the following questions: How does ICT help teachers convey the central concepts of their subjects? What can be learned with the aid of ICT that might not be learned as readily in any other way? The study found that each curriculum subject uses ICT distinctively, has singular hardware requirements and is treated differently in terms of resourcing and access.