Ph.d.-forsvar ved Christian Kobbernagel, RUC

Mandag, 21. oktober 2013

13:00-16:00 på Roskilde Universitet, Kommunikation Hus 42, lokale 42.2.37.

Students’ learning experiences in digital workshops - A thesis of enquiry into learning and communication and methodological explorations using Q methodology and structural equation modeling in the field of art gallery education

Abstract
The thesis investigates student learning experiences in the field of art gallery education. The study reports findings and methodological insights collected using Q technique and surveys as evaluation instruments in ARKEN Museum of Modern Art and The National Gallery Denmark. The enquiries focus in part one on mapping typical student views of digital workshops among 13 to 19 year olds with respect to their reflection and content production, and explores the applicability of Q methodology in this field with specific attention to larger person samples. Results show four typal student views suggesting diversity of learning experiences primarily influenced by activity level and art appreciation. The Q technique is found useful; however, its use faces challenges in the special case of analyzing experience structures item-wise. In part two the aim is therefore to establish a structural equation model in order to examine patterns of general relations between students’ perception of selected conditional aspects of museum educators’ dialogic communication, art experience and qualities of content creation and outcome factors clarified as potentials for further reflection on art or art-related issues. The findings indicate that reflection during the workshop is central for learning possibilities, and that qualities in the process of content creation can both  be argued to tend to decrease amotivation, and furthermore to support possibilities of learning through student participation in group work.
The thesis is thus a step forward for the endeavor to measure and evaluate learning processes in museums using digital media production as a vehicle.
Christian Kobbernagel, Department of Communication, Roskilde University. Email: chko[at]ruc[dot]dk

Supervisor: Kim Christian Schrøder
Co-supervisor: Richard Desjardins