The integration of digital technologies into fine arts education in the context of digital art: An action research

The environment and life of 21st century?s people are in a constant state of flux by the rapid developments of technology. Their perceptions are changing with the every single new technology added into individuals? lives. It can clearly bu seen that the technologies described as ?new? by the previous generations are no longer called new by the children of today. Art, which depends on personal and social perceptions is developing a new language, and many artists all around the world produce artworks in the field of dijital art. Individuals have to face with multilayered conditions mixed and melted into one another, to learn this new language spoken in the art environment. Education is one of the fields affected mostly by the impact of technological developments. Teachers from different disciplines study on the design of learning environments enhanced with digital technologies. Art education should also adapt itself to the changes and developments shaped by the requierements of the day. However the curriculums of primary, secondary and high schools in Turkey, do not have any educational attainments or activities correspond to those developments in art education. In this study, the question on how digital technologies can be integrated into art education was answered through the Digital Art course designed by the researcher. The research process involves the instruction, problems and solutions of a newly designed course in which the researcher was the instructor. Therefore the study was conducted within the action research model. The instruction part of the research was implemented in 2011-2012 Fall semester in the Arts and Crafts Teaching Program at the Department of Fine Arts Educationat Anadolu University. The participators of the research were the researcher herself as the instructor of Digital Art course, and 12 undergraduate students who took Digital Art offered as a selective course in the program. The data was constructed in 42 hours of lessons performed in 14 weeks, between 3 October 2011 and 2 January 2012. The technology usage information form, video recordings of the lessons, research diaries of researcher and students, semi-structured interviews, blog posts and students? artworks were used as data collection tools. The data gathered from the instruction was analysed by descriptive analysis. Findings were discovered and interpreted based on the research questions. The conclusions related to the findings were presented as well as the suggestions for the instruction itself and further research. Some of the main results obtained through the research data were summarized: According to the opinions of the students, their perceptions about using technologies in art education were developed through integrating Web 2.0 tools into learning environment. Students stated that their artistic perceptions developed through the artworks, readings, research, and activities given in the context of digital art content. During the instruction, students faced some problems about collaborative works and research assignments. These problems were decreased through in-class and out of class activities. At the beginning of the semester, students didin?t have enough knowledge about digital art. At the end of the instruction, it can be said that students became more capable of expressing the main characteristics of digital art. Through the digital art exhibition performed after the end of the course, it was understood that effective collaboration were provided in group activites, and students? artworks put were into practice. Students thought that their awareness were raised on using digital technologies as educational tools, and transferring digital art content for their future teaching experiences. Keywords: Art Education, Digital Art, Digital Technology, Technology Integration.