NODEM 2013 Conference

The paper presents a study about selected important factors enhancing possibilities of learning in digital workshops planned and executed in school programs in art museums in XXX. The theoretical basis contemplated to argue for a comprehensive conceptual framework backing the enquiry draws from art education theory; mainly the works of Helene Illeris (2005, 2009) and the learning theory of Olga Dysthe (1999, 2003), which focus on dialogic communication and engagement in reflections about content explicated within a socio-cultural approach. In working towards a framework for clarifying factors enhancing learning the concepts of ‘art experience’, ‘educator dialogic performance’and ‘qualities of media production processes’ in educational settings are chosen to be central preconditions, hence the framework furthermore draws on accounts of young people and their learning experiences with creating digital content as elaborated among others by Kirsten Drotner (2001, 2008) and Øystein Gilje (2008). The concept of ‘potential for further reflection’ is clarified with theoretical reference to the notion of critical thinking disposition discussed and used by Nancy Lampert (2006), and the students approach to learning (SAL) originally termed by Marton and Säljö (1976) and discussed by Åge Diseth (2007) in the case of student evaluation of the teacher and educational activities. To address the research question of what conditional and processual factors can be argued to support possibilities of learning a structural equation model (SEM) facilitating latent variable analysis of constructs is used. A theoretical model incorporating of the relative strength of relations between students’ perceptions of these selected factors and outcome is developed across a sample of 502 respondents (females age M = 15.5, SD = 1.68) who responded to a survey as part of their evaluation of the workshop. Results indicate that dialogic performance of museum educators, a positive art experience and qualities in the process of creating digital content are strong factors supporting students’ participation and reflection. The findings also show that although some students are disaffected by art and see little value in experiencing art works, their level of amotivation is likely to be decreased by these factors.