Writing differently in Art and Design: Innovative approaches to writing tasks

Erik Borg

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

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Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationWriting in the Disciplines Building Supportive Cultures for Student Writing in UK Higher Education
EditorsChristine Hardy, Lisa Clughen
Place of PublicationBingly, UK
PublisherEmerald Group Publishing Limited
ISBN (Print)9781780525464
Publication statusPublished - 18 May 2012

Bibliographical note

Author's note: This applied research paper begins with a historical survey of the inclusion of writing as a component of Art and Design education at university. It demonstrates that writing became a component of Art and Design education in order to elevate artists and designers in their society, which tended to value theory and denigrate practice. However, writing has tended to be marginalised in these disciplines. As a result of this, Art and Design often attract students who resist writing and prefer to express themselves in other ways. Teachers in Art and Design have developed a variety of approaches to writing that can be profitably used in other disciplines where students also resist writing.
Rigour
This paper is founded on a systematic survey of Art and Design education and on a wide-ranging knowledge of methods of teaching writing in these disciplines. The historical survey begins with the development of formal education for artists in the Renaissance, but looks particularly at more recent developments. The methodologies suggested for encouraging writing have been tested in a variety of contexts and can be transferred to many disciplines.
Originality
The historical analysis of the development of writing as a component of Art and Design education is innovative and significant. It links the social history of Art and Design education with changes in the post-compulsory education sector that occurred in the past fifty years. The approaches to writing support that are proposed offer lecturers in a variety of areas possibilities of encouraging writing among students who resist more traditional approaches to academic writing.
Citation or other Indicators
This paper was peer reviewed, and the volume evaluated by external reviewers.
‘This chapter is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here at http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open. Emerald does not grant permission for this chapter to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.'

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