Digital Media Tool Application Strategies in Art Teaching and their Effects on Students’Artistic Expressiveness

Abstract

This research explores the impact of digital media tools on pedagogical approaches to art education, as well as their potential to enrich students' artistic expression. A mixed-methods research design was used, with 348 secondary school students from three urban schools. The research entailed a blend of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, in conjunction with an assessment carried out over the course of a full academic year that focused on the use of digital drawing packages, 3D computer-aided design applications, and augmented reality on a variety of instructional levels. Through the exploration of the data gathered, a remarkable improvement in many artistic skills was observed; precisely, students showed a 26.6% increase in creative thinking skills, with the evolution of technical skills exceeding 34.2% compared with cohorts taught through traditional methodologies. In addition, during digital creativity activities, students' attention spans ranged between 42 and 68 minutes. The findings indicate the use of technology within educational systems drastically changes the nature of teaching, acting not as a substitute but as an enabler of the integration of traditional methods and modern digital sensibilities, thus recontextualizing art in new ways. This research adds to the theory of education through support for pedagogical models focused on developing creativity through technology, with the aim of promoting imagination within a rigorously structured environment.