MARA University of Technology
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
EDU 702: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Lecturer: Dr. Johan @ Eddy Luaran
ART FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED & BLIND STUDENTS:
ART CRITISM THROUGH MULTISENSORY INSTRUCTION
Name: SUZILA BINTI ISMAIL
ID no: 2014866832
Date of Submission: 29 December 2014
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
Art is an important but often challenging subject for blind and visually impaired
students. However, the absence or restriction of sight should not limit individuals in
their study and appreciation of the arts. Instead students should be provided with a
variety of experiences to make art interesting and meaningful. This curriculum will
explore the many obstacles visually handicapped individuals encounter as they try
to understand and enjoy art. It will provide information on how to ensure that these
students have the same or similar opportunities as their sighted peers.
1.0.1 The Importance Of Learning Visual Art
Art education is essential for a well-rounded academic program that
contributes to higher order thinking skills across all disciplines. Art
education provides children with a fully integrated appreciation of culture
and community. Art is a powerful means of expression that enables the
child to develop a wide range of skills such as: leadership, teamwork,
communication, self-discipline, self-expression & creativity. Art education
has many benefits and students with special needs should not be excluded,
however, often teachers are ill informed of the variety of ways to integrate a
child with special needs in the arts classroom.
In the 1980’s arts education for the blind was thought to be unimportant
or impossible, there was a clear need to be met- busy teachers needed not
to reinvent the wheel but the blind and visual impaired students needed not
to be excluded. Some may argue of teaching art to people who are blind.
People with sight loss/impairment are as likely to have a need to make and
appreciate art as those with sight, their mental visual activity continues even
after loss of sight and engagement in the visual arts is possible regardless
of the degree of their visual activity. Despite a student’s abilities, arts
education will help all students develop critical thinking skills, language
skills, cooperative learning, self-awareness, self-confidence, sensory
development (there is multi-sensory art experiences in the creation of art)
and manual dexterity (working with a variety of tools and materials).
In order to implement inclusiveness in the classroom it is important to
be aware of any form of stereotyping, for example, blind and visually
impaired people relate to the visual arts in a variety of ways, just as sighted
people. Some students may enjoy tactile contact with art while others may
demonstrate very little interest in touch as a means of artistic or aesthetic
experience, regardless of the characteristics or degree of their visual
handicapped. Some students learning and appreciation of the arts involve
creative process and imagination, rather than merely touch as a means of
art education. These student would benefit most by stimulating their visual
memory, you can achieve this by describing an event, place or object,
which may trigger their memory and personal experiences. Personally, I
may evoke this in the students to trigger various levels of emotion, which
may allow them to produce astonishing works of art that are highly emotive
and self-expressive. According to Rogow (2000) people with visual
impairments rely on their environment as a crucial role in providing a means
to explore the world around them; when vision is absent language serves
as a means to establish and maintain contact with other people. Educators
must avoid phrasing instruction with: “This or that, here or there” to avoid
confusion, you must be able to communicate with specific verbal instruction,
doing this will allow the visually impaired student to feel confident &
included in the classroom.
1.0.2 Art Education For The Blind
Art is an important but often challenging subject for blind and visually
impaired students. However, the absence or restriction of sight should not
limit individuals in their study and appreciation of the arts. Instead
students should be provided with a variety of experiences to make art
interesting and meaningful. This curriculum will explore the many
obstacles visually handicapped individuals encounter as they try to
understand and enjoy art. It will provide information on how to ensure that
these students have the same or similar opportunities as their sighted
peers.
"Every seven minutes, someone In America will become blind or visually
impaired." There are approximately 10 million visually handicapped people
in the United States and approximately 2 million are school-age children.
(Art History Through Touch And Sound series A Multisensory Guide for
the Blind and Visually Impaired, 1998-99, Art Education for the Blind, Inc.,
New York.)
There are a number of different causes of visual impairments resulting
in a wide variety of visual problems. Children can be born blind or become
blind as a result of an accident, illness, or eye condition. Some individuals
are totally blind while other may see light, shadows, and colors and yet
have no useful vision. Depending on their conditions, others may see
images that appear blurry, distorted, or incomplete while others are able to
read large print but have difficulty traveling without assistance.
Many visually impaired children are mainstreamed into regular
education classrooms and work along with their sighted peers with the
assistance of adapted materials, such as Braille translations of text. It is
the job of the teacher of the blind to assist both the student and classroom
teacher in making this a full and rewarding experience. Students should
not be excluded from a class or activity due to their visual impairment.
However, some subjects, such as art, are more difficult than others to
adapt or modify. Individuals are classified as visually impaired or legally
blind according to their visual acuity, that is, a person's ability to
discriminate fine details. The legal definition of "visual impairment" refers
to an individual with a visual acuity of 20 / 70 in the better eye with the
best correction. The legal definition of legally blind refers to an individual
with a visual acuity of 20 / 200 in the better eye with the best correction or
a visual field of no more than 20 degrees. In both cases, vision cannot be
fully corrected by prescription lenses, optical devices, surgery, or medical
treatment.
In Malaysia, alarming increment in blind population is noted with about
46.9% from 1990 to 1999. By September 2000, there were about 13,835
registered in Blind Association and it is predicted that, it might be less than
50% of the total blind population in the country, (Social Welfare
Department, 2000). According to George Thomas who are the president of
Social Welfare Department, the number of blind people was slightly
increase lately when there was around 64,000, but only 18,000 are
registered. However, the Government’s efforts to set up both integrated
and special schools for the blind in recent years have yielded fruit and
proved a watershed as far as educational opportunities for the blind are
concerned. It was proven when there are now 33 schools that cater to the
blind community in which 27 integrated schools and six special schools
with about 850 blind students are enrolled in these schools and most of
them will complete Form Five education. The MAB does its part by
highlighting the importance of education and advising blind students to
sign up for school and pursue tertiary education as well.
1.1 Statement Of The Research Problem
This research in filling the existing gap of knowledge in the field of art education
dealing with art curriculum for the blind and visually impaired. This study will provide
general educators and art educators with a resource that could be utilized in their
own classrooms or communities. Through my examination and documentation of
how the students involved in the study experienced the art forms, guidelines will be
created to aid teachers in developing art lessons, curricula, and techniques to meet
the needs of students who are visually impaired or blind.
The researcher pedagogy reflects the notion that all students should be able to
explore their artistic creativity and their critical inquiry towards art regardless of any
disabilities.The researcher realized when teaching art to students who are blind that
researcher instructional methods were not all appropriate. How does a blind person
appreciate art when it cannot be touched, heard, or smelled? How can they
analytically discuss a work of art without seeing it?
Through this study, researcher will test whether a multisensory interaction will
enhance the students' ability to analyze and respond to the arts. Through
multisensory learning students will strengthen their critical comprehension of an
artwork and that multisensory instruction will prove to be more effective than using
only tactile instruction it will allow students who are blind to examine multiple levels
of meaning in an artwork.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 15% of the world’s
population consists of people with disabilities (PWDs) (World Health Organization
&The World Bank, 2011). From this amount, 161million are visual impaired which is
37 million people are totaly blind while 124 million people have low vision. Some
85% of visually impaired people live in third world countries and more than 82% are
aged 50 years and above. In general, uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts
are the leading cause of blindness in low-income countries (World Health
Organization &The World Bank, 2011).
Malaysian Government estimates that there are 1.3 million people with
disabilities (PWDs) in this country (Zinaidah, 2010). However, based on the
statistics obtained from The Department of Social Welfare, only 426838 (PWD) were
registered up till September 2012. Of this number, 38728 which is 8.98% are
visually impaired. Based on the statistics, the number of registered visually impaired
people has been increasing from year to year. A new statistic issued in September
2012 shows that 4604 visually impaired people have been registered. This includes
people who have vision problems from birth as well as adults who have vision
problems due to accidents or diseases.
Adventitious blind person is a person who originally has normal vision and later
is diagnosed with vision problems by a medical officer. As these are people who
have gone through life with good vision, blindness may affects them badly. The new
vision status tends to make them more temperamental, prone to boredom, quick to
panic, passive and reclusive (Mohd Nor, 2010). As they enter the world of blindness,
they generally face limitation of movement, unsure about their future, suffer loss of
income, compulsion to leave their studies, difficulty in facing society, and difficulty in
accepting their predicament (Mohd Nor, 2010).
A study by Shirley, Kelley, Matlock, and Page (2011) on five diabetic patients
who lost their vision found that the blindness had a negative impact on their families
and daily life. Among the impacts were over-protection by their families and inability
to continue working, which in turn affect them financially.
1.2 Research Objectives This study is outlined based on several objectives which are:
1. To examine the use of multisensory stimuli aid impaired and blind’s
interpretation and knowledge of art.
2. To develop the sensory instruction towards impaired and blind people.
3. To investigate the effectiveness of sensory instruction towards impaired
and blind people.
1.3 Research Questions In order to achieve the objectives of this study, the research questions are devised
as follow:
1. Does the use of multisensory stimuli aid impaired and blind’s interpretation
and knowledge of art?
2. In what order should the sensory instruction be presented?
3. Are there has effectiveness of sensory instruction towards impaired and
blind people?
1.4 Research Hypotheses
This research is intended to test one hypothesis:
H01 : There is a significance difference in students art critism through multisensory
instruction.
1.5 Operational Definitions
The following operational definitions of term apply to this discussion:
1.5.1 Visually Impaired and Blind
According to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
(NICHCY) Website, (2012) the blanket term "visual impairment" includes low
vision, partially sighted, legal blindness and total blindness. These terms are
discussed below. Low vision is used to describe a loss of visual acuity while
retaining some vision. It applies to individuals with sight who are unable to
read a newspaper at a normal distance of viewing, even with the aid of
glasses or contact lenses. People with low vision often need adaptations in
lighting and/or enlarged print to read something. There are two specific types
of low vision which are Myopic- Unable to see distant objects clearly
commonly referred to as "near-sighted" and Hyperopic- Unable to see close
objects clearly commonly referred to as "far-sighted." Partially Sighted is
usually used in educational contexts to describe a visual impairment that
requires special education services. The partially sighted student meets the
challenge of disability in much the same way as a totally blind student.
Accommodations include the use of readers, audio taped texts, and raised-
line drawings. Legally Blind refers to people that have less than 20/200 vision
in the better eye or a limited field of vision that is 20 degrees or less at its
widest point. People who are legally blind may have some useful vision.
Totally Blind individuals need Braille, raised-line drawings, audio recordings,
and/or other non-visual media as an accommodation for accessing the
content of visually presented materials. In this study, visually impaired and
blind people are referring to the participants with their disabilities in seeking
the knowledge of art through the multisensory instruction prepared in the
artwork as to develop art criticism.
1.5.2 Art Critism
Art criticism is describe as the analysis and evaluation of works of art. More
subtly, art criticism is often tied to theory; it is interpretive, involving the effort to
understand a particular work of art from a theoretical perspective and to
establish its significance in the history of art. Art critism is responding to,
interpreting meaning, and making critical judgments about specific works of art.
Art critics help viewers perceive, interpret, and judge artworks. Critics tend to
focus more on modern and contemporary art from cultures close to their own.
Art historians tend to study works made in cultures that are more distant in time
and space. When initially introduced to art criticism, many people associate
negative connotations with the word "criticism. " (Barrett, Terry. , 2004)
Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary. Mountain View, California:
Mayfield Publishing Company). Thus, in this study the definition of art criticism
are brought the meaning of understanding the content thoroughly the
represented multisensory instruction artworks. The participants will express
their own judgments and interpretation of an artwork based on prior knowledge
of art criticism.
1.5.3 Multisensory
According the (Calvert , 2009), multisensory instruction is describe as the way
information is delivered to the student. The three primary modes of instruction
are visual, auditory, and sensory-motor. Visual instruction includes activities like
reading a text or looking at a picture. Auditory instruction might involve listening
to a lecture or a book on tape. A third mode of instruction is sensory-motor. This
is often referred to as a “hands-on” approach. Sensory-motor instruction can be
further divided into fine motor (tactile), and gross motor. Many forms of
instruction use more than one mode. For example, watching a film involves both
auditory and visual components. Writing is an example of an activity that
involves fine motor and visual instruction. Speaking would be a fine motor and
auditory experience. Acting out a scene from a play involves all three modes:
visual, auditory, and sensory-motor activities. Therefore, the terms of
multisensory is the best describe that the essential of contact or touching sense
are domain in triggering the stimulus in the brain to connect with the instruction
and develop the art criticism. The participants will occur the sense of
imaginations through the textural surface been touch.
1.6 Limitation Of Study
There are a few limitations that the researcher will face in conducting this study.
Firstly, this study should be conducted by taking all the samples from each Special
Education School in Kuala Lumpur which included several district areas,
Titiwangsa, Wangsamaju, Setapak, Ampang, Cheras, and Gombak. Due to
limitation in time and cost, the researcher will conduct it in one district area only,
which is Setapak. So, there is possibility of inaccurate result to represent all the
sample will be gain.
Secondly, the samples are not in the same condition or criticalness of impaired
and blind which all the result might not consistent unless the study is using simple
random sampling and interview to gain better result.
Thirdly, due to the different level of understanding art among the samples, the
information collected through the interview and multisensory instruction would be
variable. The research will face difficulties to held an interview to all possible
sample.
Fourthly, the readiness of samples to participate and give the accurate and
honestly in answering interview due to the difficulties they face. Some of them are
not really understand what is art criticism thus lead them to give inaccurate answer;
the answer that covering their weakness. There will be possibility that inaccurate
result will be collected. Hence, the researcher should plan the question survey
carefully in order to avoid from having other problems.
1.7 Significance Of Study
The purpose of conducting this experimental research towards impaired and
blind students is to create art criticism and knowledge of art itself through the
multisensory instructions. The development of multisensory art education is
extremely significant since most state schools for the blind do not have a visual arts
program. Classroom and art teachers are required to include art instruction in their
curriculum but are not always adequately trained in special education methods. This
study is timely and important because under the national and visual art standards,
teachers are required to teach the content of aesthetic, historical, and critical inquiry
in art as well as the production of art. Educators are asked to implement these
disciplines with all classes that they teach including students with disabilities. The
arts are basic educational processes that involve students with differing abilities and
from various age groups in sensory perception and critical thinking. Students must
be provided with opportunities to discuss artworks on an interpretive level. They
should have means, through which they may look, feel, listen, and even smell the
artwork. A multisensory interaction will enable students to successfully respond to
the arts. Even without sight, one can still interact with and appreciate art. Currently
very little research in multisensory learning currently exists in the field of art
education. The data from this research will document the importance of
multisensory art education for students with sight-loss as a whole. This research is
essential to the education development in Malaysia as the government vitalized the
education and establishes the policy of Special Education Needs (SEN). Through
this policy, the disable people are given the equality and opportunities to take part in
academics thus contribute to the human development. Malaysian education policy is
to integrate students with learning difficulties or special educational needs. There
are currently about 768 special education integration programmes in Malaysian
primary and secondary schools. On the other hands, this research is contribute to
the development of other institutions or Non-Government Organizations (NGO) for
example Lembaga Pembangunan Seni Visual Negara(LPSVN). It’s triggered to the
emergence of an artist and participants to contribute in developing such related
artworks to exhibit or publish on. The exhibitions held might benefits to the
participants or artist itself, the gallery, and organizations by collecting funds and
make it charity for the representative. By addressing their concerns, it is hoped that
the study will give meaningful insigh into how the visual impaired and blind people
would contribute to the art criticism and their self-development through the
multisensory instructions. The researcher wish to improve the visual art knowledge
through art criticism.
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
This chapter will provide a review of existing literature pertinent to this study.
Sources gathered for this review include studies from professional research
journals, research-based articles, and dissertations as well as information from
professional presentations. The literature analyzed in this chapter comprises of
blindness, visual impairments, the educational rights of students with disabilities, the
arts and students with disabilities, art education as therapy, multisensory art critism
instruction, vision of sensory impairment and theoretical framework.
2.1 Blindness
According to Malaysian Association for the Blind the most common cause of
blindness is the cataract with the majority of cases in the Third World where
corrective surgery is not available. In developed countries such as Australia, most
vision loss is due to age related conditions that cannot be corrected. Not everyone
who is blind or vision impaired is the same. While some blind people have very little
or no vision, most vision impaired people have some useful vision. Just because
someone uses a white cane or a guide dog doesn't necessarily mean they can't see
anything. The reason not all blind and vision impaired people have the same level of
vision is because blindness and vision impairment can be caused by a number of
different diseases and conditions, as well as accidents. The major categories are:
inherited or congenital conditions, ageing, and conditions related to disease or
infections.
There are many congenital eye conditions (those present at birth) which are either
inherited or caused during pregnancy or birth by other means. Some of them may
cause total and irreversible blindness while others may be treatable or may leave
some vision remaining.
According to Huebner (2000) it is not uncommon for professionals to jot down
“blind” when a person is severely visually impaired while even light perception can
help individuals to locate objects, orient themselves and avoid obstacles. Similar to
low-vision, there is a tendency to ignore the remaining functional vision of
individuals that are classified as blind. The World Health Organization (WHO)
defines blindness as visual acuity of less than 3/60, or a corresponding visual field
loss to less than ten degrees in the better eye with the best possible correction. For
the purpose of this thesis we will reserve the use of the term blind specifically to
refer to individuals that have a total lack of vision and those with varying degrees of
light perception. Light perception (LP) will usually be acknowledged in brackets. In
this manner, visually impaired will be used to refer to the group of individuals whose
sight is limited but who still have a certain amount of functional residual vision.
2.2 Visual Impairment
The World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of
Impairment, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH) system is used to classify the types
of visual impairment. This system, as the name suggests, is used to classify
disorders, impairments, disabilities, and handicaps. Impairment is defined as “any
loss or abnormality in an anatomical structure or a physiological or psychological
function.” Similarly a disability is “any restriction or lack (resulting from an
impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range
considered normal for a human being.” This places an individual in a handicap that
is a person’s disadvantaged position in society due to an impairment or disability.
Visual impairment is defined as the limitation of actions and functions of the visual
system. The National Eye Institute defines low vision as a visual impairment not
correctable by standard glasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery that
interferes with the ability to perform activities of daily living.
2.2.1 Types of visual impairment
According to the World Health Organization the classification of visual
acuity and impairment includes :
2.2.1.1 Low visual acuity means vision between 20/70 and 20/400 with the best
possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.
2.2.1.2 Blindness is defined as a visual acuity worse than 20/400 with the best
possible correction, or a visual field of 10 degrees or less.
2.2.1.3 Legal blindness in the US means visual acuity of 20/200 or worse with
the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.
2.2.1.4 Visual acuity of 20/70 to 20/400 (inclusive) is considered moderate
visual impairment or low vision.
2.2.2 Causes of visual impairment
Types of impairment are different for different causes of visual impairment.
In total vision loss for example there may be total darkness of the visual
fields. Other types include visual impairment in glaucoma, age-related
macular degeneration are as follows:
2.2.2.1 Glaucoma
This condition is due to the rise of normal fluid pressure inside the eyes.
The type of vision is usually like a tunnel. The intact vision remains in
the center while progressively the peripheries start decreasing. The
center of the tunnel reduces in size progressively till total vision is lost if
left uncorrected.
2.2.2.2 Age-Related Macular Degeneration
A central area of woolly or cottony opacity obscures the central part of
the vision. The peripheries may be normally seen. AMD usually blurs
the sharp, central vision that is needed for closely viewed activities like
reading, sewing, and driving. This is a painless condition.
2.2.2.3 Cataract
There is general clouding of the vision. As the whole eye lens is
affected the blurring of vision may be diffuse until it is totally lost. There
may be other symptoms like photophobia which is inability to see the
light and diplopia is a double vision. Cataracts are very common in
older people.
2.2.2.4 Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes leads to damage of the smaller arteries and blood vessels at
the back of the eyes over the retina. Diabetic retinopathy is the most
common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in
adults. Usually vision impairment in diabetics begins as black spots or
floating shapes that appear in the field of vision. Slowly complete vision
may be lost if left unchecked.
2.2.2.5 Near sightedness
Myopia or near sightedness or short sightedness means a person can
see nearby objects clearly but distant objects appear blurred. High
myopia may lead to vision impairment.
2.2.2.6 Retinitis Pigmentosa
This is a genetic or inherited condition. Initially it manifests as night
blindness. As the disease progresses there may be a tunnelling of
vision with loss of peripheral vision followed by complete blindness.
2.3 The Educational Rights Of Students With Disabilities
All students, regardless of disabilities, have the right to the same educational
goals and standards. Federal laws mandate that students with disabilities be
included in all aspects of the general public education curriculum. Reauthorizations
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1997 and 2004 indicated that
students with disabilities must have access to and are expected to make progress in
the general curriculum (IDEA, 1997, 2004). Reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act in 2001 (No Child Left Behind Act) required that all
students participate in school, district, and state accountability systems (NCLB,
2001). According to IDEA, students with disabilities must be appropriately
accommodated to participate in these assessments. Taken together, IDEA and
ESEA provide the basis for inclusion of all students with disabilities in general
education, with high expectations for their achievement in high quality education
programs (Kleinert, Kearns, Quenemoen, & Thurlow, 2013; Thurlow & Quenemoen,
2011).
2.4 The Arts And Students With Disabilities
Research, narratives, testimonies, and descriptions of successful projects and
programs demonstrate that students with disabilities benefit from well-designed
inclusive arts education (Malley & Silverstein, in press). Engaging in the arts
provides students with disabilities opportunities to convey sophisticated ideas and
experience validation of their work. For many students contending with academic
challenges requiring a set way of acquiring knowledge, the arts, with inherent
opportunities for diverse and variable expressions, responses, and outcomes, offer
the only means of success and full expression. Students with disabilities
participating in the arts can exercise cognitive processes, find and develop their
unique voices, and tell their stories (MacLean, 2008). Arts teachers, special
educators, and other professionals and paraprofessionals working with students
with disabilities have attested to the power of arts education in their students’ lives
(Malley & Silverstein, in press). Research and observations in literature have linked
the positive impact of arts education for students with disabilities to both academic
and social/emotional domains (e.g., Hillier, Greher, Poto, & Dougherty, 2011;
Kempe & Tissot, 2012; Mason, Steedly, & Thormann, 2008). Responsive and
proactive inclusion of students with disabilities in arts education is paramount to
their overall well-being and future success.
2.5 Art Education As Therapy
As the profession of art therapy has established itself, definitions have become
more settled. From a contemporary perspective, art therapy may be defined as a
form of therapy in which creating images and objects plays a central role in the
psychotherapeutic relationship established between the art therapist and client.
According to American Art Therapy Association (2004), art therapy is defined as a
uses art media, images, and the creative process, and respects patient / client
responses to the created products as reflections of development, abilities,
personality, interests, concerns, and conflicts. It is a therapeutic means of
reconciling emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, developing social skills,
managing behavior, solving problems, reducing anxiety, aiding reality orientation,
and increasing self-esteem.
Other national professional associations provide similar, but subtly different,
definitions. The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as: The
therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship, by people who
experience illness, trauma, or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal
development. Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and
processes, people can increase awareness of self and others cope with symptoms,
stress, and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-
affirming pleasures of making art. (from the AATA website, 2003)
In a similar vein, the Canadian Art Therapy Association and the Australian
National Art Therapy Association define art therapy in the following terms, art
therapy is a form of psychotherapy that allows for emotional expression and healing
through nonverbal means. Children, unlike most adults, often cannot easily express
themselves verbally. Adults, on the other hand may use words to intellectualize and
distance themselves from their emotions. Art therapy enables the client to break
through these cumbersome barriers to self-expression using simple art materials.
(from the CATA website, 2003). Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy, that is an
interdisciplinary practice across health and medicine, using various visual art forms
such as drawing, painting, sculpture and collage. Generally, it is based on
psychoanalytic or psychodynamic principles, but all therapists are free to utilize
whatever theoretical base they feel comfortable with. (from the ANATA website,
2003).
Art therapists who are interested in working in the public schools might find it
helpful to understand the special education system and how art therapy services
can be utilized in a special education setting. A good place to start with is the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a 1990 federal law (reauthorized in 1997
and again in 2004) that ensures a free and appropriate public education in the least
restrictive environment to all youth regardless of ability. This act allows for the
provision of special education services to address deficits or challenges that several
affect a student’s classroom performance.
2.6 Multisensory Art Critism Instruction
Is multisensory art instruction more effective than traditional art instruction?
Does it really make a difference for a student with sight-loss? Research on
multisensory learning in art or other disciplines is minimal. Articles tend to be
generalized and not specific to content or disability population. Contemporary
educators recognize that individuals learn and perform at different rates.
Multisensory instruction allows for exploratory learning, giving students freedom for
their own individual learning style (Mangold, 2002). Dominic Lopes (2007) suggests
that philosophers and art critics might consider the possibility of developing a
multisensory pictorial aesthetic. Artworks are perceived through the senses. "Thus
an understanding of art depends in part on an understanding of sensory perception"
(Lopes, 2007, p. 425).
Multisensory instruction uses the senses as tools to learn. Blind children can
achieve intellectual, social and emotional growth through non-visual cues ( Osbom,
2003). Visually impaired learners have the opportunity to smell, hear, touch, and
maybe even taste the piece. In my study, students will hear and touch the artwork.
The following articles will address key components in using music or sounds and
tactile stimuli to aid the learning experience. I have omitted smell, since no articles
were found and it was not used with the focus group in this study.
2.7 Vision Of Sensory Impairment
This is a general overview of the implications of vision impairment, hearing
impairment and multi-sensory impairment. The impact of impairments for individual
students with complex learning difficulties and disabilities would need to be
analyzed in depth. According to Pagliano (1994), 80% of traditional education is
presented visually. Consequently:
…the student with vision impairment may lag behind in achievement in
comparison to sighted peers due to the impact of visual impairment on learning.
(Waldron et al, 2006, p 3)
In such cases, it has been confirmed that special educational support in the
form of specific instructional techniques, materials or assistive devices are essential
if the student’s engagement in learning is to be optimized (Miller and Levack, 1997).
In the early years, assistance is required to help overcome the constraints imposed
by limited vision. Rates of learning will vary widely from child to child. The
Developmental Journal (2006) points out that there is no middle cluster of children
with little or no sight that can be considered ‘average’ or ‘typical’. (Developmental
Journal - General Overview, 2006, p 21)
In order to determine the unique educational needs and abilities of a student
with vision impairment, it is important to consider a variety of factors relating to this.
These include: ‘type of eye condition; age of onset; degree of functional vision; type
of intervention provided’ (Waldron et al, 2006). Gaining an understanding of these
factors will help identify the unique educational support requirements of a student
with VI (Anderson, 2003).
The impact of VI on learning is also interrelated with any coexisting disabilities.
A study by Mervis et al (2002) found that nearly two thirds of children with VI had a
comorbid diagnosis, indicating an extremely high prevalence of complex needs
amongst this population of students. This finding is supported by NICHCY who state
that:
Many children who have multiple disabilities may also have visual impairments
resulting in motor, cognitive, and/or social developmental delays.
(NICHCY, 2004, p 2)
2.8 Theoretical Framework
Figure 1.1: Theoretical Framework
Art education is essential for a well-rounded academic program that contributes
to higher order thinking skills across all disciplines. Art education provides children
with a fully integrated appreciation of culture and community. It is a powerful means
of expression that enables the child to develop a wide range of skills such as:
leadership, teamwork, communication, self-discipline, self-expression & creativity.
Art education has many benefits and students with special needs should not be
excluded. People with sight loss/impairment are as likely to have a need to make
and appreciate art as those with sight, their mental visual activity continues even
after loss of sight and engagement in the visual arts is possible regardless of the
degree of their visual activity. Despite a student’s abilities, arts education will help
all students develop critical thinking skills, language skills, cooperative learning,
self-awareness, self-confidence, sensory development (there is multi-sensory art
experiences in the creation of art) and manual dexterity (working with a variety of
tools and materials). According to Rogow (2000) people with visual impairments rely
on their environment as a crucial role in providing a means to explore the world
around them; when vision is absent language serves as a means to establish and
maintain contact with other people. To understand fully how visual impaired student
learn and react towards a work of art which been created to stimulated their
sensory, it is important to examine their criticalness of sight and vision as they may
come out with the art criticism when engaging to the developed artworks. In this
research, multisensory instruction is the main approach and it is stand as
independent variables with the forming of emboss painting and collagraph
technique.
Robert Gagne Theory is developed his learning theories based on the
behaviorist’s and information-processing point of view. He is known for his
contributions of cognitive learning hierarchies, which involve the development of
skills based on a building-block principle. Gagne’s theory defines five major
categories of learning that each require a different type of instruction in order for
learning to occur. The five categories are verbal information, intellectual skills,
cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes. Within this theory, there has
hierarchies of “nine events of instruction” model shown that is gaining attention,
informing learners of objectives, stimulating recall of prior learning, presenting the
stimulus, providing learning guidance, eliciting performance, providing feedback,
assessing performance and enhancing retention and transfer. On the other hands,
Eisner concern with connoisseurship and criticism which for educators and
researchers. Connoisseurship is the art of appreciation in which the character,
import, or value of objects, situations, and performances id distributed and variable,
including educational practice. Criticism is the process of enabling others to see the
qualities of something. Thus, educators need to develop the ability to work with
others so that they may discover the truth in situations, experiences and
phenomenon.
Artworks may generate different interpretations. To interpret an artwork is to
generate meaning, and this is most aptly pursued when the work is considered
within the social, historical and cultural context within which it was made along with
the physical structures with which it is presented. Analytical frameworks form the
scaffold upon which students will build discussions of works of art for their
theoretical content. It is through these theoretical lenses that students will discover
that a work can take on several different meanings. It is here that students will find
intrigue in that their interpretations of works of art can develop intuitively, often
against normative views. Through the application of various aesthetic theories
students will determine a work's effectiveness, or lack thereof, according to their
personal definition of art. Rhetorical techniques will be employed in the public
oration of their interpretations with the intent to move their peer audience toward
emotive response. A goal is that students proactively challenge their listeners to
adopt an appreciation for the work not previously considered.
Therefore, the process of art criticism follows a four-step method of inquiry:
Description, Analysis, Interpretation, and Judgment. This sequence is implicitly a
rhetorically persuasive structure because its sequence moves from relatively
objective reportage (color, line, shape, etc.) to more subjective operations. As an
evaluator of a work of art, Ethos (credibility) is established at the outset in the first
two operations of Description and Analysis. One is more likely to be persuasive in
the last two, Interpretation and Judgment in validations of a work's Pathos
(emotional appeal) and Logos (the argument presented) in support of its being
valued. That students' discussions of art criticism can be approached through
persuasion holds great potential to support students' understandings of the various
perspectives through which art can be appreciated in the application of aesthetic
theories. Regarding this, Gagne and Eisner is the individual which performed
theories and promotes the conceptual understanding.
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
This chapter will discuss the following; Research Design, Population and
Sample, Instrumentation, Pilot Study, Data Collection, and Data Analysis Plan.
3.1 Research Design
In order to complete this research, a quantitative approach will be used to
collect the information. The experimental research will be held to examine the use
of multisensory stimuli aid impaired and blind’s interpretation and knowledge of art,
to develop the sensory instruction towards impaired and blind people, and to
investigate the effectiveness of sensory instruction towards impaired and blind
people. The students from Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Setapak (SMPKS),
Kuala Lumpur have been chosen as the samples for this study and an interview as
an instrument will be used in this research to gather the data needed.
3.2 Population And Sampling
The population for this study will be all form four students in Sekolah Menengah
Pendidikan Khas Setapak (SMPKS), Kuala Lumpur. This study used random
sampling methods to choose respondents because every units have equal chance
to be selected as a sample. In this research, the samples are selected based on the
stratified sampling which they are dividing into two group, moderate criticalness and
fully criticallness. This sampling technique is chosen as the objective of this study is
to evaluate the art critism toward impaired and blind students. All of the respondents
consist of students from various criticalness and condition of impairment since they
were randomly selected. The sample sizes for this study are 30 respondents.
3.3 Instrumentation
3.3.1 Interview
The instrument used for data collection in this research study are interview,
observation and artwork. The first instrument that will be used in this study is
semi structured interview. The purpose of interviewing the sample is to find out
their experiences and seeking art criticism. The interview done to each of the
respondent to assist in answering the research question of this study. This semi
structured interview consists of 11 questions and can be categorized into two
category which are Tactile Figures and Tactile Reproduction.
3.3.2 Observation
The second instrument that will be used in this study is an observation
scheme. The observation scheme is systematically structured in order for the
data from the observation to be systematically recorded. The purpose of this
observation is to gain more data from the respondents since they were unable
to response to the researcher in writing but able to response verbally towards
their express. The observation scheme consists of four criteria which are ‘peer
interaction’, ‘participation’, ‘engagement in class discussion’ and ‘answer
researcher initiated question’. Each criterion is provided with four qualities
ranging from one as the most positive description and four as the most negative
description of the criteria listed in the observation scheme. Each quality
specifically describes the criteria that are being observed. The researcher will
have to choose the quality that best describes the student in natural setting of
the observation. The observation scheme is included in the appendix section.
3.4 Data Collection
To complete this study, several stages need to go through by the researcher.
Firstly, the pre-test need to conducted on a smaller populations of the same
intended sample such as the art students from Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas
Setapak (SMPKS), Kuala Lumpur. Next, the production of artworks begin to lead
the experimental which involved the participants to multisensory instructions. After
that, the researcher will examine the artwork respectively. Then the researcher will conducted an interview to the participants to observe the art critism then followed by
analyzing data from the interview. In order to gain the additional information in
completing this research, the researcher will observe the stimulation towards the
participants when engagements between multisensory instruction artwork and touch
sensory. After done the observation, it is mean the post- test are done through the
knowledge and art criticism which is called evaluations. The researcher will figure
out on how the data collection will be analyzed in this research as in flow chart as
follows:
Figure 1.2: Summary of the Data Collection Procedures
Pre-Test
Produce artwork for experimental
Examine the artwork through multisensory instruction toward participants
Conducted an interview to the participants to observe the art critism
Analyze data from the interview
Observe the stimulation
Post-Test (Art Critism)
3.5 Data Analysis
The study involves quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Descriptive
statistical analysis, inferential statistics such as Pearson Correlation and the
Independent Samples T-Test, will be used for the quantitative data. Classroom
observation field notes will be compiled. Meanwhile each observation will be
summarized and interpreted accurately. The interview transcripts later will be
grouped and will be nicely quoted to strengthen the basis of argument. The data
collection to achieve the objectives will be done based on the three steps which are:
Research Questions
Instruments
Type of analysis
1. Does the use of
multisensory stimuli aid impaired and blind’s interpretation and knowledge of art?
1. Semi Structured Interview 2. Observation
- Content
Analysis (Art Critism)
- Data coding
2. In what order should
the sensory instruction be presented?
1. Artworks 2. Observation
- Observation
Rubric
3. Are there has
effectiveness of sensory instruction towards impaired and blind people?
1. Observation
- Observation
Rubric
Table 1.1: Methods of Data Analysis
3.6 Conclusion
This chapter has explained briefly on the research design, population and
sample, instrumentation and the methodology that employed in conducting in
this study. Clear explanation on the data collection procedure and how the data
were analyzed has been provided. The results and discussion of findings are
presented in the next chapter.
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT (A SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW)
Questions 1 2 3 4 5 6
Section A (Element of Arts)
1) What color do you see?
a) Are the colors bright or dull?
b) Are the colors bold or shy?
c) Are the colors shaded or solid?
2) Are the shapes flat or angular?
3) How does this painting show rhythm?
4) How does overlapping add to the rhythm?
5) Where is the center of interest?
6) How does the painting show motion?
7) Describe the mood of the painting.
8) How does this woric make you feel?
Section B (Touch)
(Tactile Figures)
1) Can you identify the object? What is the object doing?
2) How are the shapes the same or different?
3) What textures do you feel? Are they soft or hard?
Smooth or rough?
4) What kind of motion is the object suggesting?
(Tactile Reproduction)
5) What kinds of shapes or objects do you feel?
6) What do these shapes/objects suggest?
7) Where are most of the shapes/objects located?
8) Where are the shapes repeated?
9) Where are the shapes random?
10) How do the shapes show rhythm?
11) Where are the rough areas? Where are the smooth
areas?
