Arts‐Based Educational Research: The Challenges of Social Media and Video‐Based Research Methods in Communication Design Education

Abstract

This article discusses the practical and ethical challenges and benefits of using social media and video‐based research methods – also known as Photovoice – to investigate contemporary Communication Design education. The two visual research methods discussed include the social media mobile application Snapchat® and participant‐generated GoPro® video filming. The investigation focused on understanding students’ on‐the‐ground, lived experiences of studio learning within two distinctive higher education case study settings in the United Kingdom and Australia. This study employed Participatory Action Research (PAR) as an inquiry process and incorporated a methodological framework involving a combination of narrative inquiry, visual Participatory Design (PD) and visual ethnography. The findings of this study revealed the impact of specialised studio and classroom‐based Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) on student learning and engagement as the participants expressed differing responses to their own learning and community of practice at each site. The choice of arts‐based educational research methods used for this study allowed the relationships between place, lived experience, and community to be explored. Students, in effect, became investigators of their own practice through engagement in a rigorous set of visual methods, which placed the tools directly into their hands.

Use of the Collaborative Wall to Improve the Teaching-Learning Conditions in the Bachelor of Visual Arts

“…In the Contemporary Communication Design course, the students acquired a leading role during the realization of the school activities through the use of social media and technology applications (Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019). In particular, Snapchat facilitated the communication and interaction between the 3 / 10 participants of the educational process (Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019). Furthermore, the GoPro application facilitated the active role of students through the creation of videos (Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019).…”

“…In particular, Snapchat facilitated the communication and interaction between the 3 / 10 participants of the educational process (Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019). Furthermore, the GoPro application facilitated the active role of students through the creation of videos (Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019).…”

“…Technological advances are causing the creation of new school activities inside and outside the classroom (Costantino, 2018;Mannathoko & Mamvuto, 2018;Pavlou, 2020). As a result, teachers use technological tools, educational platforms and web applications to facilitate the participation of students at any time (Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019;Tadayonifar & Entezari, 2020;Wilks, Cutcher, & Wilks, 2015).…”

“…Today, the roles of students and teachers are changing due to the emergence of new technological tools (Gopalan, Fentem, & Rever, 2020;Kerr & Lawson, 2020;Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019). Therefore, students 2 / 10 have the possibility to consult the information, use the educational platforms and review the course contents from anywhere (Brown & Fridman, 2020;Chen et al, 2020;Rathner & Schier, 2020).…”

“…Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has improved the teaching-learning conditions in the Faculties of Arts and Design through the use of mobile devices (Souleles et al, 2017), Learning Management System (Strycker, 2020), reality augmented (Kerr & Lawson, 2020), technology applications (Brown & Fridman, 2020;Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019) and social networks (Marshalsey & Sclater, 2019).…”