On Thursday, November 18, 2021, the closing conference of the Lecturers' Platform 'Education at the Intersection of Art, Science, and Technology' took place, focusing on crossovers in education, art, science, and technology. Various speakers gave presentations on ArtsSciences practices in different educational contexts. Additionally, the lecturers' platform presented its research agenda and the revamped website with new ArtsSciences lessons for primary and secondary education, as well as contemporary resources from the ArtsSciences practice.
Speakers
Speakers The speakers at this conference were Hanno van Keulen (Director of Science Education & Communication, TU Delft) and Andrea Bandeli (Director, Science Gallery International). Watch the lectures below.
Workshops
Following the lectures, participants engaged in various workshops hosted by the Research Group ARts Education, Anouk Wipprecht, Waag in collaboration with Technasium Foundation, Wijs met Techniek, Cibap and Jenny van den Broeke.
ArtsSciences Unlocked: Art, Science, and Technology for Youth with Autism
The content of arts education in primary and secondary education often emphasizes self-expression and the portrayal of emotions. This places demands on precisely those skills that are often less developed in students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Educational and care organizations supporting (dropped-out) students with ASD are therefore seeking a more suitable arts offering for these students. ArtsSciences education, operating at the intersection of art, science, and technology, could better align with students with ASD. ArtsSciences education is more based on solution-oriented, systematic, and technically oriented ways of thinking and working.
This workshop consisted of two parts. The first part focused on the design research ArtsSciences Unlocked, in which we developed design principles for ArtsSciences education, tailored to the desires and capabilities of young people with autism. In the second part of the workshop, participants themselves worked on a systematic-oriented art assignment.
The Future of AI - De Waag
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is seen as one of the most important technologies of the near future. Due to media attention and initiatives such as the National AI Course, it is becoming increasingly tangible and understandable. However, AI is anything but flawless. AI consists of code written by humans, mostly developed for and by commercial companies, and is therefore not neutral or without an agenda.
This workshop was a hands-on introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) and exploration of the possibilities of working with it in the classroom. Based on disruptive examples from art and science, participants explored urgent issues surrounding Artificial Intelligence that are or will be relevant now or in the near future. By creating a prototype and reflecting on it, it was possible to take a critical look at the development of this technology.
Ethical Reflection on the Impact of Technology - Cibap
With technology, more and more is possible, but do we also want to solve everything with technology? And what impact does technology actually have on our lives? This ethical reflection on the impact of technology is gaining momentum, accelerated by challenges such as COVID-19 and discussions about big data and privacy. Technology should not be an end in itself but a means that you should always critically question its use. That is exactly the attitude we want to instill in students by teaching them skills to ethically reflect on the impact of technology on people during their education. In this workshop, participants worked with practical tools to learn to reflect on the impact of technology.
Building a VR Empathy Machine
How do you get closer to the perspective of others when the ability to empathize stops? Xiomara Vado Soto, social worker and counselor, and Jenny van den Broeke, director and teacher, challenged participants to empathize with a perspective that is likely far from their own. They worked on sketches for 360-degree work in which the visitor steps into the shoes of a perpetrator of high-impact crime: burglary or street robbery. How can we come to stronger policies and prevention from this perspective? It was explored how Virtual Reality can contribute to increasing empathy. The process steps to design a VR installation were used to shift from the looking at position to the being it perspective. This was to explore how to reduce the empathy gap and take the perspective of the perpetrator as a starting point.
Centre of Expertise Arts&Education
The Lecturers' Platform OKWT may have come to an end, but the research continues! The OKWT research agendais an important pillar of the new Centre of Expertise (CoE) Arts&Education, which started in early 2022. Here, practice-oriented research is conducted into educational innovation and social innovation through two research lines: Research at the Intersection of Art, Science, and Technology and Social Engagement. The CoE Arts&Education is a cross-disciplinary collaboration between AHK, AKV|St. Joost / Avans University of Applied Sciences, Codarts, Hogeschool iPabo, HvA, HKU, ROCvA, and the field.
Visit the website of the Centre of Expertise Arts&Education to learn more and sign up for the newsletter!