Qualitative Research Methods ITV Assignment

Complementary Methods Chapter 2  Art Based Research By Carol A. Thesing

Art-based research has the presence of design elements and aesthetic qualities. It is a qualitative, intrinsic research approach.

There are seven features of art-based education inquiry. They are as follows:

1. Creation of virtual reality. Objects of art are virtual entities. In other words, virtual reality is the expression of reality through whatever form the artist takes. In the virtual world an author precisely observes and records each detail of human activity, adding his own experiences making this an analogue to the real world. A new way of seeing results because of a fresh outlook..

2. The presence of ambiguity. Gaps in writing to be filled in by the readers imagination or experience.

3. The use of expressive language. Use of expressive language uses words to enhance meaning in around about way. An example would be the use of metaphors.

4. The use of contextualized and vernacular language. Using everyday language in a highly descriptive manner that a non-researcher reader could easily understand and participate.

5. Promotion of empathy. The ability to understand how another feels and to recreate that feeling, thought, or motivation.

6. Personal signature of the researcher/writer. Each work of art-based literary inquiry holds the unique vision of its author.

7. The presence of aesthetic form. This is not a standard form but a feeling of that a character has changed or grown as a result of detailed events.

Not all seven are always present in art-based research but the more present, the more artistic in character the research is.

The two areas of educational research co-authors of this chapter, Tom Barone and Elliot Eisner, address are as follows:

1. Educational criticism. This involves the interweaving of description, interpretation, evaluation, and thematic

2. Narrative storytelling. This is simply the telling of personal accounts.

The concept of artistic based research is regarded as an oxymoron by many. More traditional researchers oppose it as reliable data, than accept it. They feel something as subjective as art doesnt fit in research.

I found this chapter fascinating. I had no idea art-based research was accepted at all. My personal experience leads me to believe in the reliability of art-based research. I do think a person would need to be proficient in observation to get reliable data. I especially found the example of The Case of Billy Charles Barnett at the end of the chapter interesting because it connected for me the transformation learning we talked about on Friday to art-based research.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 1999

Answers

As I said in my email, wonderful choice. I can't remember if I posted the additional book that I mentioned to you for other folks to see. If I didn't it is:

The Kind of Schools We Need: Personal Essays by Elliot Eisner

Subheadings are:

Cognition and Representastion The Arts and their Role in Education Rethinking Educationl Research The Practice and Reform of Schools

I actually read this like a novel--in one night! (I know, where's my life?!) I loved it.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 1999