DBAE is a method that I find good in theory, but as emphasized above, it has a disadvantage in that there is no standard method. The literature on DBAE is extensive and may be overwhelming for a new teacher or even an experienced teacher who is seeking to change the methods they use to teach art. One of my high school art teachers used something that I am only now able to identify as a very dry, rigid use of DBAE, making us memorize facts about a different piece of art every day and write short paragraphs about them each day. This culminated in a test at the end of the week that consisted mostly of regurgitating titles, names, and dates, with little time spent on interpretation of the pieces we had looked at. Compare this to some of the methods mentioned in the articles referenced, for example, Jean C. Rush's detailed explanation of a lesson on contour drawing (Rush 1987). The lesson teaches critical analysis by having students compare their work to the examples created by adult artists, which builds background knowledge for the student. Basic criticism is learned as students evaluate their own work and that of their classmates.
Overall, DBAE is a matter of how it is used. It may either be used very rigidly, or very openly, and teachers will use it in their own way. Evaluation is important as it allows a teacher to discover what is and is not working in their classroom, and they will be able to adapt their curriculum to better suit the needs of their students.
It is so interesting to learn that DBAE came from the Getty. The Getty is very influential institution dedicated to scholarship and research in education.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was doing the research for my project I found a great article that tested students who wrote about their work alongside their studio practice and it was astounding the effect that it had. They were better writers, critical thinkers, and artists. I plan on working it in at all levels next year, we do some in my advanced classes, but very little. Great job, very informative.
ReplyDeleteGetty put tens of millions into this method in the 80s and 90s and then quit. Many were opposed to the rigid manner of this method. Texas TEKS in art are partially based on the four domains. If you think about it, in a way, this method is an example of multi-tasking--make art, talk about it, write about it, and philosophize about it--that's a lot to do in one art class. Just gives you an idea of the vastly different ways that have been developed to learn about art. Nice job.
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