The Art and Science of Light. An Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Experience

Abstract

Light fascinates us. We study it, use it, and in the absence of natural light (sunlight), spend time and money to generate artificial light. When humans first looked at the heavens, they were in awe of the power of light. They wondered where it came from and about its properties. In time, they found ways to investigate light and in turn found answers to some of their questions. The day we learned to generate artificial light our world changed forever. Without artificial light our current way of life comes to a standstill. Clever as we have become with our advanced technologies, without natural light, life on Earth would not be possible. It is not by accident, then, that light is one of the most studied phenomena and one of the most desired resources. Light is investigated by scientists, pondered over by philosophers, sung about by musicians, and depicted on canvas by artists. Light obviously had to precede life on Earth.Light, therefore, is an excellent topic for an interdisciplinary course. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to design and teach such a course with a visual artist at The Evergreen State College (TESC). Our goal was to explore how artists and scientists use and study light with a group of 50 juniorand senior-level students. Almost all the students who enrolled in this course were art majors, providing me with an excellent opportunity to teach them some science (chemistry in particular), while learning how artists use and study light.Although seemingly disparate, art and science have much in common. Both disciplines require careful observation, contemplation, record keeping, attention to detail and, in the 21st century, use of advanced technology. Artists and scientists use different tools for probing nature and nature provides fascinating challenges for all. The connection between art and chemistry in particular, has been explored in this Journal (1-4). Mary Virginia Orna has written extensively on this topic (5-9). The National Chemistry Week (NCW) theme for the year 2001, "Celebrating Chemistry and Art", included several Journal articles on this topic as well (10-17).

Slovenian Primary School Teachers' Opinion on Interdisciplinary Approach Between Fine Art and Science Education

“…It is important to be familiar with contemporary techniques of planning the process and be aware of the developmental specifics of the children in the classroom. It is beneficial for the teacher to know what educational goals have already been achieved in previous years (Bopegedera, 2005;Brouillette & Graham, 2016). Educational goals to be achieved must be carefully planned and set (Bopegedera, 2005;Jones, 2009).…”

“…It is beneficial for the teacher to know what educational goals have already been achieved in previous years (Bopegedera, 2005;Brouillette & Graham, 2016). Educational goals to be achieved must be carefully planned and set (Bopegedera, 2005;Jones, 2009). The objectives need to be set separately for each subject and then the common content is meaningfully selected (Bopegedera, 2005).…”

“…Educational goals to be achieved must be carefully planned and set (Bopegedera, 2005;Jones, 2009). The objectives need to be set separately for each subject and then the common content is meaningfully selected (Bopegedera, 2005). Consistency and accuracy are very important when planning an interdisciplinary lesson, because if not, the approach will not be achieved (Jurkovič, 2007).…”

Dance like Bacteria Wonder with Me! Embracing Microbiology through Science and Art from Primary School to University

“…The multidisciplinary nature of the teaching elements including role play, the use of familiar everyday objects such as balloons, baking material and art equipment together with experimental techniques and scientific data collection. This can be a powerful tool to reinforce and consolidate student learning (Bopegedera, 2005;Cowrie & Otrel-Cass, 2011). This study was limited by the small number of students, it being a pilot study, however, further investigation on the combination of teaching techniques and how they may reinforce conceptual learning would be of merit.…”

This is not a Pipe: Incorporating Art in the Science Curriculum

“…Aside from its inherent active-learning nature, which characterizes student-centered pedagogies, engaging in hands-on activities to create visual art products or just exposing students to exercises of aesthetic contemplation have been shown to promote gains in cognition (Efland, 2002;Eisner, 2002;Gardner, 2006;Heath & Gilbert, 2015;James & Brookfield, 2014). Exploring art as a tool for learning science has been the subject of several studies at the K-12 level (Egan & McKellar, 2010;Gardner, 1990;Greenberg & Patterson, 2008;Halpine, 2004;Hartle & Jaruszewicz, 2009;Meyer, et al, 2013;Paige & Whitney, 2008) and, to a lesser extent, in higher education (Bopegedera, 2005;Furlan, Kitson, & Andes, 2007;Halpine, 2008;Lunn & Noble, 2008;Welch & Fasano, 2016).…”