Communicating Science with the Creative and Performing Arts

1
Communicating Science with the Creative and
Performing Arts

• Siân Owen
• Science Communication Unit

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Overview

• Communicating Science with the Creative and
  Performing Arts
• Classroom Activities
• Picturing Physics
• Attitudes towards Science and Art
• Project Impact
• Science Journeys
• Summary

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Communicating Science with the Creative and
Performing Arts

• Science-Art Crossover
• Science inspiration to Artists
• Creativity
• Communicating through Creative and Performing
  Arts
• Funding Bodies
• NESTA, National Endowment for Science, Technology
  and the Arts
• Wellcome Trust PULSE
• Research Councils

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My PhD Introduction

• Does the way we in which we teach Physics
  determine how students feel about the subject?
• Investigating the processes of teaching and
  communicating Physics with the Creative and
  Performing Arts

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Classroom Activities
I really like or I quite like
I neither like nor dislike
I dont like much or I really dislike
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• Aims
• To entertain, inform and enthuse young people
  (Year 8 students) about forces, particles and
  electricity
• To provide coverage and enrichment of the
  appropriate parts of KS3 of the National
  Curriculum
• To encourage schoolchildren and their teachers to
  explore new ways of presenting scientific
  material
• To encourage collaboration between science and
  art teachers within schools

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• Walker Art Gallery Visit
• Conrad Shawcross The Steady States
• Conrad Shawcross marries art and physics in his
  giant, loopy works
• The Observer
• one man pottering in a shed can daily
  demonstrate the eternal laws of the
• infinite universe
• Guardian

Workshop
Exhibition and Awards Evening
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Picturing Physics Art Work
99 Participants
4 Schools
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Students Attitudes towards Science and Art Before
Taking Part in the Project
Science 60 Like Science 24 Neither like nor
dislike . Science 16
Dislike Science
Art 89 Like Art 7 Neither like nor dislike
Art 4 Dislike Art
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Attitudes Towards the Project
Please write down three words or sentences that
describe the project for you.
Innovative 5
Too many questionnaires 3
O.K. 3
Team work 3
Better than school 2
Boring at times 2
Positive Comment 4
Inspiring 2
Art Work 2
Art and Science 2
Fun 37
Interesting 25
Exciting 19
Different 13
Educational 13
Good 7
Enjoyable 7
Creative 7
Superlative 6
Funny 5
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Student Learning
76 Very Useful or Useful 24 Fairly Useful or
Useless
Students Comments It brought science to life
(Female) I was able to learn for myself in a fun
way (Female) It is like seeing science
(Female) It was more arty than science
(Male) I already new about science that we used
for the project (Female)
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Impact
Science 85 Much more or more interesting 14
Neither more interesting nor . more
boring 2 Much more or more boring
Art 55 Much more or more interesting 33
Neither more interesting nor . more
boring 12 Much more or more boring
13
Positive Change in Attitude
No Sub Group
15 Fun
9 Enjoy art subject
7 Effective learning technique
7 Different
4 Hands on
2 None traditional
2 Fun whilst learning
2 Making and drawing
2 Different perspective
2 Like both subjects
2 A lot to do
1 Involvement
1 Creative
1 Colourful
Effective
Enjoyable
Engaging

Different
it has definitely made me see science in a
different point of view (female)
14
No change in Attitude
No Sub Group
1 Fun
1 One off
1 Different
1 Effective learning technique
1 Dislike art
15
Teachers Comments

• Stimulated interest in Physics/Science with class
• Saw class in different environment/class setting
• Built stronger relationship with class
• Fun for staff and pupils
• Increased science understanding
• Produced interesting art works
• Shown scientific ideas in different ways

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Drawbacks

• Time consuming
• Cost
• Hard to coordinate Science/Art lessons
• Time off timetable for gallery visit
• Time dedicated to project after school

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Science JourneysCommunicating Science with Drama
Science 89 Much more or more interesting 8
Neither more interesting nor . more
boring 4 Much more or more boring

• we can express how we feel about science and
  show each other what we know (Male)
• It is something different after all (Female)
• you get to see how and why things work (Male)
• drama makes things easier to understand
  (Female)
• Not just riting (Male)

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Positive Change in Attitude
N Sub group
58 Fun
20 Fun whilst learning
20 No written work
19 Active
19 Effective learning technique
12 Involvement
9 Visual
9 Different
9 Enjoy drama
8 Not teacher-centred
6 Attention
4 Interaction
3 Remember
3 Like both subjects
2 A lot to do
2 Allowed to talk
Effective
Enjoyable
Engaging
Engaging
Different
19
No Change in Attitude
No Sub group
3 Like science before
3 Science in workshop too easy
2 Science too difficult in general
1 Dont like either subject
1 Ineffective learning technique
Negative Change in Attitude
No Sub group
1 Science in workshop too easy
1 Nothing in common
2 Ineffective learning technique
1 Immature
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Communicating Science with the Creative and
Performing Arts

• Effective
• Enjoyable
• Engaging
• Different

Siân Owen Science Communication
Unit sianowen_at_liv.ac.uk