A Preliminary Study of Practice-Led Research in Arts and Design Higher
Education: Analysis of Typology
Lin Fang-Tzu, Lin Hui-Wen
2018 8th International Conference on Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI 2018)
Introduction
• The motivation:
• Practice-led research has been a trend in higher education. Especially in Europe, the U.S.A, and Australia.
• The definition of practice-based research and practice-led research have not been explicitly defined. I wondered how it works and if they actually have some common points or similar methods to be counted as practiced-based research or practiced-led research.
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
• The purpose:
• To clarify the application methodologies of practice-led theses
• To view the research methodologies, research results, and the connection between practice and research
• To talk about the pedagogy design on practice-led research.
1
Introduction
• This paper analyzed around fifty postgraduate theses (Mainly from National Cheng Kung University, National Chiao Tung University,
National Taiwan University of Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taipei University of
Education)
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
30%
14% 26%
10%
4%
16%
Analyzed Postgraduate Theses
National Cheng Kung University Taipei National University of the Arts National Taiwan University of Arts National Chiao Tung University
National Taipei University of Education Others Universities
• Categorized them into two main
categories of practiced-led theses in arts and design, which are Creation Practice and Teaching Practice.
2
Introduction
• Viewing the Art Degree Offering Situation Worldwide
• The reformation of doctoral degrees in Australia, UK, and Finland in the early 1980s allowed university faculties and departments offering art degrees to conduct their own research practices.
• In Finland, the Doctor of Arts degree has been available in Aalto University School of Art and Design since 1983. The opportunity to create products as part of the dissertation began in 1992.
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
• Scholars in Taiwan are following up the trends of doing practice-led research
• In Taiwan, to create artworks as one way to achieve master degrees has been available since 2013.
• Besides a performance of the creative work, postgraduate students in Taiwan have to submit a documentation about the process of making the creative work.
• However, doctoral theses in arts and design still tend to be theoretical research. 3
Literature Review
Frayling (1993) came up three categories about the relationship between research and art and design
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
• Do research into a variety of theoretical perspectives on art and design.
Research into art and design
• Includes material research, development work, and action research.
Research through art and design
• Research where the end product is an artefact.
Research for art and design
4
Literature Review
• Some researchers prefer to use the word practice-led than practice- based since 2007.
• According to S. Lycouris (2011), practice-led research emphasizes on creative work and to integrate practice in arts and design into the research progress.
• Practice-led research focus more on the documentation of the
research process also the evaluation and reflection of the researchers themselves than the theoretical research part.
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
5
Two Main Categories
Creation Practice
Standard Creation Testing Creation
Community-Involved Creation
Teaching Practice
Preparation Evaluation Teaching Evaluation Two-loop Evaluation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
6
Category 1-Creation Practice
• The researcher has to record the whole progress when doing the creative work.
• The creative work has to be presented publicly. It can be presented in a way like an exhibition, an event, or other artistic acquisition.
• The theoretical part comprises the student’s written analysis of his or her own creative work in relation to the chosen research topic.
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
• There are three types in the category of Creation Practice that we sorted:
1. Standard Creation 2. Testing Creation
3. Community-Involved Creation. 7
Literature
review Preparation Creating Public view Comment and
review
Conclusion and suggestion
Category 1- Creation Practice
Researchers have to finish creating the artwork in person and to present it publicly.
For example, I-Pei Chang (2007) did research on Hakka culture in Taiwan and then designed some artefacts such as tableware and furniture based on the research.
And then she attended a design competition as a way to let her artwork be publicly viewed.
Type 1- Standard Creation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
Tableware and furniture
A design competition
8
Evaluate and revise
Loop for at least twice
Literature
review Preparation Creating Testing Public view Comment
and review
Conclusion and suggestion
Category 1- Creation Practice
During the creating phase, researchers test the creative work such by doing interview or demonstrating prototype before the phase of public view.
Researchers evaluate and revise the artwork for at least twice while creating the work.
Type 2- Testing Creation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
9
Category 1- Creation Practice
For example, Ching-Ru Chen (2014) shot a short film as the work creation. The film included some issues like the transition of family structures in Taiwan and dementia.
She revised the content of the film after evaluating with experts and partners for many times. As for the public view, she displayed the film in a cinema with ninety audiences attended. After that she arranged a forum after the film to get feedback from the audiences
Type 2- Testing Creation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
Literature
review Preparation Creating Testing Public view Comment
and review
Conclusion and suggestion
Evaluate and revise
Loop for at least twice A short film
A forum Displayed in a cinema
10
Category 1- Creation Practice
Researchers got involved in a community by participating a project or having an internship.
Usually the researcher made the creative work with the local people in the community instead of making it by their own. In this type, it is important to get familiar with the community. The
researcher has to know more about the research area and research subjects to have deeper understanding so that he or she can get more explicit result.
After the project ends, the researcher has to interview the research subjects and to analyze the result along with his or her own documentation. Finally, to sort out conclusions and suggestions.
Type 3- Community-Involved Creation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
11
Category 1- Creation Practice
For example, Hao-Yueh Chang designed a kitchen including the interior, the flow, and some renovation with the local people in their community by
designing some activities for the community.
Because the kitchen is in the community, it can be viewed publicly and also be used for a long term rather than just be exhibited for a short term.
Type 3- Community-Involved Creation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
A kitchen Publicly long-termed used
12
Category 2- Teaching Practice
In this category, the creative work of the researchers is the lesson plan.
And their creative work is viewed publicly during the phase of teaching.
Researchers discovered the problems, faced the problems, and solved the problems as practitioners or teachers. Some of the researchers may have experience of teaching already before they start doing the
research.
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
13
Category 2- Teaching Practice
Collect data, do the introduction and literature review, and get to know more about the research subjects.
Design the lessons and execute the lesson plan.
Meanwhile, to evaluate and revise the lesson plan with research partners or experts for more than two times.
Get the feedback from partners and subjects by doing interviews or questionnaires. Finally, analyze the result
and write the conclusion and suggestions.
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
14
Category 2- Teaching Practice
• There are three types in the category of Teaching Practice that we sorted:
1. Preparation Evaluation 2. Teaching Evaluation 3. Two-loop Evaluation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
15
Loop for at least twice
Evaluate and revise
Literature review
Design the lessons
Evaluate with experts
or partners
Teach Analyze
Conclusion and suggestion
Record
Category 2- Teaching Practice
During the phase of design the lessons, researchers would evaluate the lesson plan with experts or research partners and revise it.
In addition, this procedure has to be done at least twice.
Type 1- Preparation Evaluation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
16
Category 2- Teaching Practice
P. C. Liu (2013) designed a lesson plan combining art with Orff Schulwerk and taught to kindergarten students. She evaluated and revised the lesson plan by
giving a testing teaching and interviewing the research partners during the phase of design the lessons. She collected more information by evaluating observation documentation and the teaching diary to complete a formal lesson plan.
Type 1- Preparation Evaluation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
Loop for at least twice
Literature review
Design the lessons
Evaluate with experts
or partners
Teach Analyze Conclusion and
suggestion
Evaluate and revise
Record
interviewing the research partners giving a testing teaching
17
Evaluate and revise
Loop for at least twice
Category 2- Teaching Practice
After designing the lesson plan, researchers evaluate and revise the lesson plan with experts or research partners during the teaching phase and loop the procedure at least twice.
Type 2- Teaching Evaluation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
Literature review
Design the
lessons Teach Evaluate with experts
or partners Analyze
Conclusion and suggestion
Record
18
Category 2- Teaching Practice
J. Meng (2016) tried to teach creative dance to high school students to stimulate student’s interests on learning dance.
She designed six learning sheets for the students and asked them to finish the learning sheets so that she could revise the lesson plan as well during the phase of teaching.
Besides, the researcher wrote the reflection diary by evaluating the documentation during the class after finishing every class
Type 2- Teaching Evaluation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
Loop for at least twice
Literature review
Design the
lessons Teach Evaluate with experts
or partners Analyze
Conclusion and suggestion Evaluate and
revise
Record
Designed learning sheets
Reflection diary
19
Loop for at least twice Evaluate and
revise Evaluate and
revise
Loop for at least twice Literature
review
Design the lessons
Evaluate with experts or
partners
Teach
Evaluate with experts or
partners
Analyze Conclusion and suggestion
Record
Category 2- Teaching Practice
Researchers evaluate and revise the lesson plan with experts or
research partners in both phases of designing the lessons and teaching, and each loop has to be run for at least twice.
Type 3- Two-loop Evaluation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
20
Category 2- Teaching Practice
K. L. Chao (2017) designed a lesson plan combining art with role playing and taught to primary school students.
The researcher revised the lesson plan by doing interview with the research partners during the phase of design the lessons and also during the phase of teaching.
Besides, the researcher gave the evaluation sheet to students and asked them to finish it after every class.
Type 3- Two-loop Evaluation
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
Loop for at least twice Literature
review
Design the lessons
Evaluate with experts or
partners
Teach
Evaluate with experts or
partners
Analyze Conclusion and suggestion
Evaluate and revise
Record
Evaluate and revise
Loop for at least twiceinterviewing the research partners interviewing the research partners Designed evaluation sheet
21
Conclusion
We sorted out two main categories in practice-led research.
The two categories all have creative work but with different kind of presenting ways.
Creation Practice:
The creative work can be an artefact, a product, a film, a drama, a dance and so on.
During the work production process, the
researcher has to document the whole process along with his or her reflection.
Teaching Practice:
The lesson plan is the creative work of the research, and it is viewed publicly during the phase of teaching.
The documentation of the phase of teaching may also be done by their research partners.
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
22
Conclusion
We hoped to:
• Provide scholars in arts and design some references on instructing practice-led research to their students.
• Suggest scholars in arts and design can form a committee of practice- led research to further discuss about that application methodologies of practice-led research.
• Help scholars to set up their own criteria and standards of verifying practice-led theses.
Introduction Literature Review Two Main Categories Creation Practice Teaching Practice Conclusion
23
References
• M. Mäkelä, N. Nimkulrat, D. P. Dash, and F. Nsenga, “On Reflecting and Making in Artistic Research,” Journal of Research Practice, vol. 7, 2011. Available: http://jrp.icaap.org/index.php/jrp/article/view/280/241
• L. Ryynänen, “Arts, Research and Doctoral Studies in Finland, Helsinki: Academy of Finland”, 1999.
• W. L. Ho, “The Thesis Structure and Writing Model for Art Practice-led Research ,” Visual Arts Forum, vol. 9, pp.
48-76, Jul. 2014.
• Ministry of Education. Taiwan, Degree conferral law, Laws & Regulations Database of Taiwan, 2013, Retrieved from http://edu.law.moe.gov.tw/EngLawContent.aspx?lan=E&id=132
• C. Frayling, “Research in art and design,” Royal College of Art Research Papers, vol. 1, no. 1, Apr, 1993
• S. Lycouris, “Practice-led research in arts, design and architecture. In T. Fell, K. Flint & I. Haines (Eds.),”
Professional doctorates in the UK 2011, pp. 62-70, 2011.
• I. P. Chang, “A study of applying Taiwan culture features in minimal designs-- A case study of Beitou hot spring product design,” Master thesis, Dep. Craft and Design, N
• G. R. Chen, “The production Report of Short Film “Take me home”,” Master thesis, National Taiwan University of Arts, New Taipei city, Taiwan, 2014.
• H. Y. Chang, “Redesigning a Community Kitchen in a Rural Senior Care Center, an Action Research,” Master thesis, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, 2012.
• P. C. Liu, “An Arts Learning Project for Young Children: Orff Schulwerk Revisited,” Master thesis, Taipei National University of The Arts, Taipei, Taiwan, 2013.
• J. Meng, “Improving the Interest of Creative Dance: Using Changping Affiliated Middle School as a Research Example,” Master thesis, Taipei National University of The Arts, Taipei, Taiwan, 2016.
• K. L. Chao, “An Action Research on Role Play in Children Art Teaching, ” Master thesis, National Taiwan University
of Arts, New Taipei city, Taiwan, 2017. 24
