Speaker
Dr
Michael Hoch
(The CMS Experiment, Austrian Academy of Sciences, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland)
Description
art@CMS SciArt Workshops are interdisciplinary workshops designed to introduce school, college, and university art and science students to the scientific world of particle physics and fundamental research through artistic enquiry. They incorporate an introduction to particle physics, CERN and CMS, followed by a philosophical reflection and discussion session designed to inspire the students to create their own, science related artworks. The students then have the opportunity to mount an exhibition of their work.
Forgoing more traditional educational models, students construct and develop their own non-declarative projects, i.e. projects which begin without having pre-defined outcomes. As such, students follow a design framework which promotes creativity, efficacy and most importantly, acts as a useful step towards autonomous learning.
Working in such non-declarative and concept-based learning environments is far more demanding of the teacher as well as the learner. It is in order to respond to this added difficulty that the design framework was conceived; it is a flexible tool to help both teacher and learner navigate these complex waters. The advantage is obvious; teaching through concepts is a teaching that can facilitate understanding in a similar way to the way in which pictograms facilitate navigation. The design framework acts as a non-prescriptive scaffolding which the learner can use to support their concept from brainstorming, research, analysis, development, mock-up, final to post project analysis. We see this as a 360 degree design exercise and not just a linear one.
SciArt Workshops foster skills that are more appropriate to the challenges of the 21st century. Much work has already been done by the likes of Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1) to quantify the benefits of developing skills such as innovation, creativity and critical thinking. The excellent work of institutions such as the RSA (2) show other examples of such work in action.
Aiming to act like an ideas factory, SciArt Workshops are built on a platform of learning, sharing and sustainable development; a form of learner(s) hub where the individual can take ownership of their ideas, honing them through a rigorous learning process to the point where they can share them with others.
1. Paul,R., & Elder, L. (32006) A guide for educators to critical thinking competency standards.
2. https://www.thersa.org
Primary author
Dr
Michael Hoch
(The CMS Experiment, Austrian Academy of Sciences, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland)
Co-authors
Dr
Achille Petrilli
(CERN, Geneva, Switzerland)
Dr
Angelos Alexopoulos
(The CMS Experiment, University of Ioannina, Greece, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland)
Dr
Mick storr
(University of Birmingham, UK, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland)
Mr
Stephen Preece
(International School of Geneva, Switzerland)
