CS and AR to Expand the Limit of Art

Purpose & objective

Participants will learn how to create a project that not only connects two subjects Art and Computer Science but also shows the learning benefits of working through an interdisciplinary lens. The theme of the project is “action”.
The resources used for this project are accessible on this website. It is a repository of:
set of tutorials to use Cospaces, an AR creation platform.
the design journal that describes the task to the student.
the rubrics used to assess the project.
Steps of the project:
At the beginning of the project, students learn to create a world on the website CoSpaces, and then to program the objects using a coding block language. CoSpaces is a web platform that allows you to create and animate with code world in 3 dimensions. The virtual creation can then be explored using a MERGE Cube that turns the world into a hologram.
At the same time in Art class, students learn about the use of colors with different shades and hues to create their paintings. They also need to pay attention to keep proportions real. As the theme of the project is “action”, they need to show the beginning of a movement or action in their painting.
The final painting is scanned to be added as one face of the MERGE Cube using the Cospaces platform.
Students will recreate the painting inside the cube giving a 3 dimensions perspective to their painting. They will need to implement in their 3D world the movement initiated in the painting.
While they are creating their world, students keep a journal where they explain their work but also show how they use what they learn in Art and Digital Design, and what are the benefits of doing an interdisciplinary project.
Skills developed in each subject:
Each subject will be an opportunity to learn and practice different skills such as:
- procedures, conditions, variables, and lists in computer science.
- use of colors and realism in Art.
It also gives the opportunity to manipulate objects in a 3D environment using coordinates plane and make connections with Math class.

Benefits of connecting both projects:
Adding an art component to a computer science project allow the teacher to reach students who may find more interest in art than in STEM subjects. By manipulating objects such as “ rabbit” or “flower” instead of numbers, it may ease the understanding of computer science concepts such as lists.
By practicing skills in another setting, it helps to reinforce the learning of those skills. For example, when they create their project in Cospaces, they need to pick colors that are very similar to the one used in art. They practice again the skills learned in art but in a different environment. We can observe the same transfer with the opportunity to work with coordinates plane or when they work on a scale as they have to respect the same proportions used for their art painting.
On the art side, the implementation of the art project in AR gives a new perspective to the painting as you can see it from different points of view and give new interpretations.

Evaluation of success:
The project is assessed using four criteria combining Art and Design expectations: demonstrating skills, synthesizing, communicating, reflecting. Rubrics associated with the criteria are visible on the website and are shared with the students as we move on the project so they know in advance the expectations.
All along the project, various formative assessment (self, peer, and teacher) take place so students know which skills they need to work on to improve.
For the first criterion, demonstrating skills, we will be looking conjointly to the skills used in our respective subjects. If a student excel in Design and did poorly in Art, the grade can not be excellent or poor but will be average.
For the second criterion, synthesizing, we will be looking at the ability of the student to demonstrate his interdisciplinary understanding. We look at his ability to use colors and proportion in both subjects and also if the world in 3D shows a real connection with the painting.
For the third criterion, communicating, we will be looking at the ability of the student to communicate his interdisciplinary understanding. We will read his journal explaining his integration of art skills in design.
For the fourth criterion, reflecting, we will be looking at the ability of the student to reflect on his work and learning journey focusing on the benefits and limits of creating a project combining Art and Digital Design.

Supporting research

Boaler, Jo. Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead and Live without Barriers. London, Harper Thorsons, 2019.
Olszewski, Brandon, Dr., et al. "Curious minds: what learning sciences tells us." ISTE2019, Philadelphia. Lecture.
Provenzano, Nicholas. "Embracing VR in the classroom." Hello World, no. 10, Oct. 2019, pp. 40-41.
Sousa, David A., and Thomas Pilecki. From STEM to STEAM: Using Brain-compatible Strategies to Integrate the Arts. Californie, Corwin, 2013.