Virtual & Digital

Digital and virtual technologies bring many benefits to art, craft and design education.

These are new and developing tools for art educators to enhance their teaching by providing new ways of acquiring, processing and presenting visual and creative information to their students.

Information technologies also support the management of professional information about students and the curriculum. These technologies will affect teaching and pedagogy and will require teachers to think carefully about the implications of their students’ use of digital media and AI (Artificial intelligence), particularly regarding assessment and examination contexts.

In doing so teachers will need to reflect upon, and constantly monitor, both the benefits and potential dangers of the developing digital world for teaching and learning.  

Digital media offers many new opportunities, tools and digital forms for artistic and creative expression. Incorporating digital and virtual technologies in the art and design curriculum will equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate and thrive in an increasingly technology-driven society.

Digital media promotes exploration and experimentation with an expanding range of creative possibilities not achievable through traditional art forms, although it can also emulate traditional media such as making studies for painting, photography, photo-collage, graphic design, stencil and print-block making, surface pattern and multi-media installations.

These options, alongside laser, etch and cutter tools, 3D printers and other digital tools are expanding students’ opportunities for creative making, encouraging experimentation through reworking multiple ideas in different media, and promoting innovation and imaginative thinking.   

Through online platforms, students can engage with contemporary artists, access virtual galleries and museums, watch artists, designers and makers explain and demonstrate techniques, learn online and participate in collaborative projects, thereby extending their capacity to research and broaden their understanding of art, craft and design in local and global contexts.

Digital technologies also enable students to capture, document, present and preserve their artwork in digital formats.

In today's digital age, it is crucial for students to develop digital competency with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate and thrive in a technology-driven society.   

So that teachers can guide students in utilising digital tools and techniques – to enhance artistic expression and integrate digital and virtual technologies effectively – they will need to continuously evaluate and adapt their facilities and pedagogy.

Professional development and ongoing training can help teachers stay up-to-date with technological advancements and best practices for incorporating digital media into their curriculum.

Digital innovation is a fact of life and will continue to exert an influence on creative opportunity, curriculum, pedagogy and expanding career pathways. 

Educators N.B. The inclusion of digital and virtual technologies in the art and design curriculum requires careful consideration of ethical and responsible use. Art educators – should support learning that introduces copyright, digital appropriation and correct referencing, digital citizenship, and the potential impact of their digital creations on society. The curriculum should explore and develop digital visual literacy and emphasise the importance of respecting intellectual property rights while using digital media in an ethical and responsible manner.  

Art educators will be aware of the fact that new technologies may not be available to all students equally, making access and opportunity an issue to be addressed in their curriculum, in teaching and by their school.  

Virtual and digital processes include:

  • AI
  • Image Manipulation
  • Digital Photography
  • Web and App Design
  • Film
  • Installation
  • Animation
  • Time-Based Media
  • Multi-media
  • Typography  

These processes can be used in a number of ways:

  • Researching
  • Designing
  • Creating
  • Iterating
  • Refining
  • Copying
  • Pasting
  • Layering (with computers)
  • Cameras
  • Software and Apps
  • Image-processing
  • Multi-Media
  • Time-Based media

As such, we can do the following:

  • Design
  • Plan
  • Code
  • Thumbnail Sketch
  • Conceptualise
  • Visualise
  • Prototype
  • Illustrate
  • Select
  • Colour
  • Animate
  • Assemble
  • Communicate
  • Explain
  • Narrate
  • Review
  • Evaluate
  • Refine
  • Create
  • Imagine
  • Manipulate
  • Test

  

Further information can be found on the Machine Learning page.

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