Desiring Learning in a Hospital School Arts Education Program

Authors and Affiliation

• Christian Ehret, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Ji Yoon Chung, McGill University

• Contact Emails:

  • cehret@unc.edu

  • jy.chung@mail.mcgill.ca

Abstract

• Purpose of Study: Analyze desire as a driving force in learning within a hospital school arts education program.

• Context: Ongoing three-year co-design project addressing challenges in hospital schools for K-12 students.

  • Importance: Supports participation in continuous learning amidst social and emotional challenges of hospitalization.

• Findings:

  • Affective revelations during a collaborative art project connect to the concept of desiring learning.

  • Contributes to research in learning sciences regarding the relationship between affect and learning ecology design.

  • Challenges negative perceptions of hospitalized children's capacities and emphasizes emotional change as integral to knowledge acquisition in the arts.

Introduction and Rationale

• Focus: Problem of practice in children's hospital schools through the concept of desire influencing learning.

• Role of Hospital Schools:

  • Provide essential services for K-12 students to continue education during prolonged hospitalization.

  • Address emotional distress impacts on students’ learning agency through disrupted daily connections to regular school and peers (Plage et al., 2022).

• Objective of Hospital Schools:

  • Facilitate ongoing academic progress and foster a sense of normalcy to help students view themselves as learners, despite uncertainties of hospitalization (Boff et al., 2021).

• Design Challenges:

  • Participation is elective based on medical status and students' daily preferences.

  • Need for opportunities to engage students amidst ongoing disruptions.

Theoretical Framework

• Conceptualization of Desire:

  • Desire viewed as an inherent force in unfolding activities, moving beyond simple lacks or wants (Tuck, 2009a).

  • Affirmative view of desire derived from philosophers and theorists: Spinoza, Vygotsky, Massumi, etc.

  • Definition of Desire:

  • "Expression of the creative impulse towards human flourishing. It refers to being awakened, excited, energized, eager, ready to act" (Leitão, 2022, p. 256).

• Historical Background:

  • Tracing the role of desire through various theorists emphasizes its significance in learning and engagement in social activities.

• Application of Theory:

  • Participatory Design-Based Research (DBR): Understanding children's desires in shaping educational curricula in arts learning contexts.

Affective Revelations and Learning

• Definition of Affective Revelations:

  • Moments in artmaking where students become aware of social life feeling different, leading to deeper participation and emotional connections.

• Importance of Affective Revelations:

  • They contribute to desiring learning outcomes in hospital education and help in reimagining clinical spaces through personal experiences.

• Past Research Connections:

  • Highlighted collaboration and individual identity development as learning outcomes in arts education (Halverson & Sheridan, 2022).

Project Methodology

• HEART CART Overview:

  • Started in 2023 as a collaborative design initiative involving researchers, artists, educators, and children.

  • Emphasis on children’s voices and creativity for well-being.

• Axiology in Design:

  • Aligning with children's emotional experiences as learners.

  • Activities designed based on children's desires for social connections and community.

Activities and Data Collection

• Description of Sessions:

  • Focus on a collaborative map making activity over three one-hour sessions with students aged 8-13.

  • Objective: Utilize artistic medium to reflect experiences in the hospital environment.

• Materials and Setup:

  • Large blue felt sheets, blocks of paper, Styrofoam boards, markers, crayons, and watercolors.

• Data Collection Methods:

  • Audio recordings, multimodal field notes; reflections post-session to discuss design insights.

  • Transcription and translation of recorded sessions.

Affective Revelations Analysis

• Identification of Processes:

  • Two types of affective revelations:

  1. Placemaking Affective Revelations (PMAR):

     • Students reinterpret familiar spaces through art, imbuing new meanings and emotional comforts as seen during the mapping activity.

  2. Collective Affective Revelations (CAR):

     • Students recognize and share collective narratives; shared experiences characterized by emotional resonance have shown to strengthen social connection and participation.

• Example of Placemaking Affective Revelation:

  • During mapping, students redefined their perceptions of clinical spaces by connecting their hospital experience with personal memories, like viewing the Daehan Outpatient Clinic as a comfortable place akin to a theater.

• Example of Collective Affective Revelation:

  • Students singing and creating narratives around shared cultural references, like a popular cat on ice video, indicating the importance of shared emotional experiences in strengthening community bonds.

Discussion: Reimagining Narratives in Hospital Education

• Objective of Analysis:

  • Challenge existing narratives that depict hospitalized children negatively by emphasizing their engagement and creativity.

  • Illustrates how children identified as learners through creative activities.

• Recommendations for Educators:

  • Design activities that emphasize emotional connections and personal narratives during artmaking sessions.

  • Facilitate environments where students can press into the emotional context of their work, promoting affective revelation.

• Future Directions:

  • Continue to explore how affective knowledge contributes to transformative learning experiences in the arts.

References

(Full citations as provided in the original text are listed here in the reference section.)

Acknowledgements

• Funding acknowledgment for the HEART CART project by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture.