Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Newcastle University
Dyslexia and the Studio: bridging the gap between theory and practice
Challenging conventional thinking, namely that dyslexia primarily impacts students' written assignments but enhances their aptitude for succeeding in creative assessments, this article explores the effects of dyslexia on students within both the studio-based and theoretical components of a Fine Art degree. The non-studio part of the degree involves art historical and theory elements, taught through lectures, seminars, essays, and formal written exams. Contrary to conventional thinking, the research shows that the studio component, in terms of its learning environment and teaching methods, presents an equally challenging context for students with dyslexia, and that the written element or lecture-based studies can provide students with a valuable and constructive counterpoint, and one that can subsequently inform their learning strategies in the studio components of the course.
The research involved focus group discussion and individual in-depth interviews with students at various stages of the degree programme. The research was carried out by a specialist learning advisor and academic, in order to ensure that the research methods adopted were appropriate and sensitive to the situation. In academic work in this field, this collaborative approach sets this body of research apart and generates valuable specialist insight and synergies from differing perspectives.
In focusing on the gap between assumptions made about studio-based students and their actual experiences and needs, the research addresses a thus-far neglected aspect of student learning and, in considering the studio as a learning environment, has relevance beyond discipline. Outcomes of this research have been presented at international conferences (Storyville: Higher Education Academy: Arts and Humanities, Brighton; Ireland International Conference on Education, ICEE-2012, Dublin; ELSIN XII, Cardiff) and formed the basis of a successful Higher Education Academy Teaching Development Grant (2013).
