As Visual Art has a historical element, embedding appropriate ICT into the curriculum can breathe new life into the content for students. Research by Cothran and Ennis (2000, as cited in Egeberg & McConney, 2018) has shown that students are more engaged when teachers present them with active learning opportunities – ones where they have an active, rather than passive, role in the lesson. Capel et al., (2016) write that ‘good practice’ is ICT that is applied in both a contextual and practical manner. In other words, the technology augments the lessons and engages the students by involving them in an active learning role.

In this practicum, I had a Year 9 class who was doing a painting project inspired by Art Nouveau. I had done a preliminary class to introduce the project –this involved transcription drawings and a brief history lesson that was given through direct instruction. I found that students were somewhat disengaged with the historical element of the class. To begin to rectify this, I spoke to students across my classes and asked them what type of instructional activities they enjoyed most. The responses I heard the most frequently were YouTube videos and Kahoot quizzes. Notably – they are both ICT resources. Next, I spoke with my mentor teacher and discussed the pros and cons of both of these, and how I could use these resources in a way that was ethical and useful for the students. My mentor had a relevant YouTube video resource that he had already vetted, and shared it with me. From there, I decided to create an accompanying Kahoot.

The Youtube video was about largely about Alphonse Mucha – the most celebrated Art Nouveau artist – and an overall look at the historical context and aesthetic styles of the movement. From there, I researched further into the artists mentioned, and their most famous work. I sourced and cited all the images shown, and wrote down possible questions. From there, I created a first draft of a Kahoot quiz. I showed it to my mentor who made some suggestions about types of questions and appropriate length. I adjusted my questions to be less open-ended, and to include several true or false questions. He also suggested to add more questions with pictures, to stimulate the visual learners in the class. I edited the Kahoot, and showed it to him again. He approved it, and asked for a copy of the link.

The following class, I showed the class the YouTube video. I then ensured that each student had a device, and informed them that we were about to do a Kahoot quiz - Figure 3 and 4. The class was very excited – and once they had calmed down, I explained the rules (no inappropriate names, using real names only, device is to be used for quiz only, etc.) and explained the disciplinary consequences for any breach. The students were noticeably more engaged through the Kahoot format than the traditional approach. Students were more proactive in answering questions, and more involved in the class. After my practicum, I returned to the school for some additional data. Upon inquiry, my mentor informed me that the class average mark was higher for their STICI* analysis task when compared to the other Year 9 class who did not have a video and accompanying Kahoot. This experience has solidified for me the importance of integrating ICT into the curriculum. It has opened my eyes to newer, less traditional formats of giving lessons, and the positive impact that ICT can have on engagement in students.

*STICI is an art analysis framework, which stands for SUBJECT, TECHNIQUE, INFLUENCES, COMPOSTION, and INTENTION.