Eye on the Esplanade: Fostering student engagement through technology

By Medicine Hat News on September 22, 2017.

In my experience as a gallery educator, I have found that one of the very best ways to cater to individual learning needs is to provide interactive, immersive and participatory opportunities. For visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners alike, the most memorable experiences are rooted in dynamic delivery. We live in a world where the immediacy of information is both valued and expected. To keep in tune with the times, we are constantly evolving our school programming to include new and engaging techniques. When students walk through the Esplanade’s doors, we want them to feel completely in sync with their learning environment. I have consistently found that including new media technology into our programming is a great way to reach all types of student learners. For the past year or so we have been lucky enough to count a set of iPads amongst our growing collection of educational resources. This has allowed us to greatly revamp and improve our traditional tour models and in turn we’ve been creating memorable, accessible and multi-sensory experiences like never before. In short, students love iPads.

New media is an art form in and of itself. We can now create digital paintings, stop-motion animations, photo-based artworks and so much more. In addition, we have access to a wide variety of apps and digital games specifically designed to enhance student learning experiences. I have thoroughly enjoyed the process of gradually and seamlessly integrating the use of iPads into our regular programming. Students can now create art inside the art gallery without the worry of paint splatters, marker stains and all the other hurdles of traditional art materials. It’s a new and completely unique way for enthusiastic young learners to interpret the artworks that are on display. I’m perhaps most excited about our newest digital addition to our popular Permanent Museum tour: A digital scavenger hunt that invites students to follow clues, snap pictures and answer trivia questions pertaining to Medicine Hat’s rich and varied past. During weekend art classes, a whole new world has opened up in terms of the breadth and scope of our projects. Not only are students able to draw and paint pictures, but they can now make those pictures move!

Our overarching goal in introducing technology into our programming is to create unique experiences that allow diverse learners to get the very most out of each trip to the Esplanade. We’d like our visitors to truly feel connected to the museum. By offering students the opportunity to touch something, get up and move around or by allowing them to play a game, we can take them deep into Medicine Hat’s past. These games reaffirm the content that they learn throughout their visit, while create lasting, memorable and meaningful impressions.

IPads are not meant to replace the real artworks and artifacts that are on display. Instead, they are meant to enhance our visitors’ perceptions of these objects. Deeper learning is at play here.

Dayna Walls is the education coordinator at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre.