I am interested in supporting digital literacy and plan to make a video of my learning the ‘language’ of 3D printing from my perspective as a digital immigrant/visitor. I have a Prusa 3D printer, bought in lockdown last summer, and intend to learn how to use it in order to be able to teach these skills effectively to students and colleagues. The video will document this journey and conclude with examples of the capabilities of a Prusa. I would interview colleagues who are using these in innovative ways including its use in ceramics and print-making, and look at cutting-edge developments including the 3D printing of a house.
My original SIP idea was: How would a digital visitor/immigrant learn a digital skill in order to be able to teach a digital native/resident?
I planned to focus on learning to operate a Prusa 3D printer and to explore this from the perspective of a digital immigrant in order to be able to teach it effectively. This is a skill that I will be learning as my department recently acquired two Prusa 3D printers. I planned to make a filmed element for my presentation which would document the process of my learning journey, and what resources I would access in order to become proficient enough to be able to demonstrate the printers to students. I wanted to question other art-educators and find out what resources are their go-to methods and also address learning styles; are art-educators and students aware of how they learn best, and how do they use that self-knowledge.
I learned how to use Premier Pro in lockdown, so relatively recently had gone through a similar, very steep learning curve, with the intention of being able to teach students how to use that too.
I applied these SIP questions to this original idea:
- Demonstrate the professional context of your project (e.g. your teaching practice, creative/disciplinary practice, research, leadership).
As a sculpture technician, becoming conversant with emerging technologies is essential to being able to support student’s learning. Focussing on a particular piece of equipment by going through the learning process myself and by applying it to my own practice, will help me shape my teaching offer. Finding the necessary information will also address learning styles, what works best for students, how do they navigate their own learning?
- The question or problem your project responds to, and why this matters.
The (original) question was how a digital immigrant/visitor can learn something well enough to enhance the learning of digital natives/residents and to look at what resources are available to enable this transition. I planned to investigate these resources and to gauge and reflect on their effectiveness for myself as a teacher and also for students who may feel uncomfortable with emerging technologies (including those from digitally poor backgrounds)
- What you plan to do in terms of ACTION (e.g. intervention) and what will inform this.
I planned to film my learning of the equipment and then talk to digital visitors and a digital residents to compare and contrast their experiences of this specific device.
- What you plan to do in terms of RESEARCH (evaluation, reading, analysis etc.)
I planned to research the learning patterns of digital natives/immigrants and to include material that I found about the evolution of attention spans. I would also have researched what works best in terms of learning styles, something which interested me during the first unit of the PGCert, and how these can be taken into account when digital immigrants are learning new technologies.
I also planned to interview the ceramics technician at Camberwell to gain insight into his practice and how he has enhanced his skills using 3D printing. We’ve talked several times about how he uses 3D prints to make slip-cast pieces. Given that ceramics/pottery/clay are inherently low-tech and one of the earliest forms of art; combining this with digital technologies is an exciting area of experimentation. I would have liked to explore how to teach these skills to digital natives and I felt excited at the thought of talking to other technicians who are working in this area.
I wanted to interview an artist called Anya Gallacio who uses a 3D printer to ‘print’ complex designs using liquid clay slip. I’m fascinated by the combination of these technologies which seem so at odds with each other – the main point of this piece by her called ‘Beautiful Mind’s shown at the Thomas Dane Gallery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJS86FCZdW8
I began to simplify my research question through extremely inspiring conversations with my peers on the course. My point of focus evolved and I realised that narrowing down my investigation might mean more depth of research rather than a lighter touch across too many areas. During peer’s presentations of their ideas for research and through feedback on what I presented, I began to see the value of keeping the question and area of research more simple. Uncovering the bones of the question took many attempts and I found that trying to explain my intention to anyone who would listen was a useful device! I’m hoping that the simplifying of the idea will allow the time and space for more depth in the research rather than having too many factors to investigate.
During discussions with peers, I was describing the process of students being shown how to use dangerous equipment during inductions into safe methods of studio practice. One such activity is demonstrating the use of a battery-powered jigsaw. Whilst being wonderfully versatile and powerful, there’s a possibility of serious injury if not used with care. Students have ready access to these around the studios and can use them out-of-hours with no staff present. It is essential to make them aware of the risks of using the tool, whilst also wanting to give them the confidence to develop life-long skills. Also, from a life-long-skills perspective, students being able to use these tools safely in their studios in future is the best possible outcome.
I was describing this process to PGCert Peers and explaining that I am aware of how much learning to use a noisy and potentially dangerous piece of equipment can take people outside of their comfort zone. I was asking if peers remembered learning a new skill and wondering what part fear plays in the learning process. For example; Do you remember something more vividly, do you learn more effectively, if the learning process took you outside of your comfort zone? If you are shown a dangerous tool and the dangers are highlighted, does it mean that you absorb the necessary information more effectively? I wondered also, if this applied to other skills, not necessarily physically dangerous ones, but perhaps learning skills that you consider to be very challenging, for example, as a digital immigrant/visitor, this for me would be learning to be proficient with a 3D printer which is where I began my thoughts about my research question.
I began to ask teachers and learners how they know their own learning with the element of challenge, including pushing one’s self to explore unknown areas in their making process, and whether this actually becomes a tool in itself. This is when my research question became clearer.