Learning Process: Artist vs.Gamer Outline of Presentation by Jennifer Grasl Hello, I am Jennifer Grasl an Elementary Art Educator. The Net Generation’s learning process has been transformed due to the influence of technology in their lives. I am conducting research to determine if this generations learning process is the same process that has been used for artists for centuries. This slideshow will educate on the learning process of both, the brain function in each of the hemispheres and how if effects learning, how to determine which hemisphere is the dominant side, and the findings of my research.

Outline: Slide 1: Learning Process: Artist Slide 2: Learning Process: Gamer Slide 3: Right and Left Hemisphere Learning Characteristics Slide 4: Determine Your Dominant Side Slide 5: How This Impacts The Learning Process Slide 6: Research Findings Slide 7: Conclusion During this presentation, I will cover the following things: The Learning Process of an Artist, The Learning Process of a Gamer, Right and Left Hemisphere Learning Characteristics, How to Determine Your Dominant Side, How All This Impacts The Learning Process, My Research Findings, and My Conclusion on my Research.

Learning Process: Artist An artist uses visual information obtained through observation or through imagination and processes their perception of their observation. In order to complete a piece of art the artist must connect with their perception and what they intend for the finished piece of art to look like. They do this by aligning similarities (problem solving) between the two realms and deciding, what type of art they wish to create, the medium they will chose, and their subjective interpretation of what they observed. They learn through experiencing and experimenting, being creative and resilient if something does not work out as planned. The artist prefers demonstrations opposed to written or verbal instruction. It is necessary for the artist to emotional connect to their work so that their artistic style can shine though. The right side of the brain is dominant in completion of a piece of art; it is the seat of passion and dreams. The right side of the brain deals will space, intuitive and holistic thinking, and is spontaneous. Slide 5 has a more detailed chart of these functions.

Learning Process: Gamer Due to technological advances and exposure to video games, the Net Generation has transformed how they learn and process information. A Gamer uses visual information obtained through observation or imagination and processes that information through problem solving strategies. These problem solving strategies are used to align similarities and decipher difference in their observation and allow them to draw a conclusion. The conclusion drawn is subjective allowing for growth as a learner. They learn through experiencing and experimenting, and are resilient if something does not work out as planned. The Gamer prefers games that they can connect emotionally with. It keeps them involved and allows the learning process to continue. The Gamer uses the right side of the brain to be intuitive and spontaneous thinkers.

Right and Left Hemisphere Learning Characteristics Left Hemisphere Style Right Hemisphere Style Rational Problem solves by logically and sequentially looking at the parts of things Looks at differences Is planned and structured Prefers established, certain information Prefers talking and writing Prefers multiple choice tests Controls feelings Prefers ranked authority structures Responds to verbal instructions Intuitive Problem solves with hunches, looking for patterns and configurations Looks at similarities Is fluid and spontaneous Prefers elusive, uncertain information Prefers drawing and manipulating objects Prefers open ended questions Free with feelings Responds to demonstrated instructions Prefers collegial authority structures This slide show a chart with more detailed information on what processing and preferred learning is done on each side of the brain. Although processing is done on both sides of the brain, people tend to be more dominant to one side. Notice that many characteristics that fit both the Artist and the Gamer. Sequential Is a splitter: distinction important Is logical, sees cause and effect Simultaneous Is a lumper: connectedness important Is analogical, sees correspondences, resemblances Draws on previously accumulated, organized information Draws on unbounded qualitative patterns that are not organized into sequences, but that cluster around images

Determine Your Dominant Side So how do you determine what side of the brain is your dominant side? “Here is an example. Read the sentence in this triangle and write it on a piece of paper. If you wrote I love Paris in the springtime, you are wrong. What is written there is I love Paris in the the springtime. What happened? Your visual L-mode, seeing familiar symbols on the page, automatically activated its rich network of connections to language (also known as "reading"). In recognizing the pattern of letters and words, it called upon the template for correct English sentences, one of the strongest mental patterns for a native speaker. As a result, you "saw" what was already in your mind instead of what was actually written. If I had asked you to draw the triangle and what was in it instead, you would not have missed the word repetition since you would have had to draw the word the at the right end of the third line and then again at the left end of the fourth line. In R-mode, we notice more of what we see because we do  not name things” The Shift http://learn-to-draw.net/theshift.aspx.  

How This ImpactsThe Learning Process? How it relates to the way an Artist Processes information and a Gamer Processes information. Due to the technological advances the Gamers has become a very visually driven generation that uses perception, intuitive thinking, problem-solving strategies, and resiliency to complete tasks and learn information. This is similar to how an artist approaches an artistic piece. How a visually driven society of Gamers would naturally adapt their way of learning to suite the needs of their technological exposure. Because Gaming and technology has advanced the way it has, the Net Generations way of learning has forever adapted to meet it’s demands. How such different exposures in fact be very similar. Art is developed on the right side of the brain and early technology was used for processing which tends to be left brain dominant. We are now dealing with technological advances that allow us to bridge the gap between these two sources.

Research Findings Traditional aspect of teaching art: Art History. Sample Art. Real-Life Experience Independent Research: Assigned Artist. Use of Internet to find facts and examples. Assessment Similarities: Observed information. Process their perception of that observation. Applied it to their real-life experiences. Problem solved how to make their mental image a reality. Produced a finish piece of art. Assessment Differences: Independent research group provided more variety in their art. More retention of Art History. Introduction of new artist not previously introduced. In order to compare these two concepts I chose to use a more traditional aspect of teaching art to the students with an providing an art history lesson including a background of the artists and samples of the art, related it to real-life experiences, and gave students the opportunity to create their own piece of art reflective of that artist’s style. With another group, I gave the students the name of the artist and allowed them to research independently the art history and samples of the art and creating a piece of art reflective of that artist’s style. Let’s look at the results. The production process was similar because both groups observed information, process their perception of that observation, applied it to their real-life experiences; problem solved how to make their mental image a reality, and produced a finish piece of art. The difference was the final results the group that was allowed to research on their own not on only created more variety in their art but retained more facts about the artist researched often comparing them to artists that had not been introduced. The students that used technology were quickly able to process information being obtained, decide whether or not is was useful, and apply it directly to what they needed. During this process they encountered many different pieces of art they may have been interested in, only to process it to be used at a later time.

Conclusion So what does all this mean? It means that the ways of processing used by the artistic mind, is not just limited to an artist. It is simply a way of thinking and processing information. Due to the technological advances that of taken place over the past few decades, the Net Generation or The Gamers have been exposed to so much visual stimulus that they have become similar to artistic thinkers.

Resources Edwards, B. (1989). Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. JP Tarcher Edwards, B. (1999). The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Putnam Publishing Group Kapp, K. (2007). Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning. John Wiley & Sons. Inc. Purcell, C. (2004). Painting with Your Artist's Brain: Learn to Paint What You See - Not What You Think You See. North Light Books Tapscott, D. (2008) Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World. McGraw-Hill.

Websites http://www.artofperception.com/  http://www.artofperception.com/ http://brain.web-us.com/brain/right_left_brain_characteristics.htmWebsite 2 www.drawright.com The Shift http://learn-to-draw.net/theshift.aspx.

Images http://www.ballybegvillage.com/images/Painting/artist-working.jpg http://www.lailashahzada.com/Images/oil_painting_the_frenzy.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBW5bKnkdTI/Svd1q_-U2VI/AAAAAAAAACI/4fm0zyMB9_0/s320/picture-6.png http://epikal.com/wp-content/images/2009/07/Perception-Is-Reality-Artwork.jpg http://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/technology/gallery/2007/dec/13/christmas.gadgets/top10-89.jpg http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/12/16/icon_games3_dec17,0.jpg http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/11/01/lw1_games_wideweb__470x358,0.jpg http://whollysblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/apple-ipad-games.jpg http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/322/reviews/932984_20071119_screen001.jpg http://electricartscorp.com/images/3D%20Art%20-%20Technology%20Meets%20Nature.jpg http://www.ballybegvillage.com/images/Painting/artist-working.jpg http://www.lailashahzada.com/Images/oil_painting_the_frenzy.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBW5bKnkdTI/Svd1q_-U2VI/AAAAAAAAACI/4fm0zyMB9_0/s320/picture-6.png http://epikal.com/wp-content/images/2009/07/Perception-Is-Reality-Artwork.jpg http://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/technology/gallery/2007/dec/13/christmas.gadgets/top10-89.jpg http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/12/16/icon_games3_dec17,0.jpg http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/11/01/lw1_games_wideweb__470x358,0.jpg http://whollysblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/apple-ipad-games.jpg http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/322/reviews/932984_20071119_screen001.jpg http://electricartscorp.com/images/3D%20Art%20-%20Technology%20Meets%20Nature.jpg