To Screen or Not to Screen? Exploring Primary School Children’s Perspectives on the use of Green Screen Technology when Looking at and Responding to Visual Arts.

Abstract

The 1999 visual arts primary school curriculum was evaluated by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in 2005 as part of a phase one curriculum review which also included maths and English. This review reported that there was an unequal balance between the making art and looking at and responding to art strand units, recommending that teachers need greater support in teaching the latter strand unit effectively (NCCA, 2005). Since then, the NCCA has published a draft framework for a new primary school curriculum underpinned by the development of seven key competencies (NCCA, 2020a). Two of these critical competencies are “being a digital learner” and “being creative” (NCCA, 2020a). The 1999 curriculum promotes the use of information and communication technologies within visual arts. Considering this, and the vision of creating digital learners within the newly devised curriculum, the research which follows explores the specific use of ICT, in the form of green screen, as a tool for teaching the looking at and responding to visual arts strand unit in response to the need highlighted in the 2005 curriculum review (NCCA). Relevant to the aim of this research is conveying the perspectives of Irish school children who will act as participants in this study. The perceptions of children on the use of green screen to look at and respond to visual arts will be explored and presented. Although no finite answers will be gained from this exploratory, qualitative study, it will provide significant perspectives from children about the looking at and responding to visual arts strand unit and using ICT as a teaching methodology. These perspectives may have implications for future studies and curriculum development.