Transcript
Unknown Speaker 00:00
Hi, everyone. Welcome to today's session at 330. It's the session is a welcome from on site online to hybird. The impact of COVID-19 on the art of observation. I'm Katherine Nip and I'm also be one of the CO chairs of the MCI data insights SIG group and I'm here to actually welcome you and introduce you to our session here today. For those everybody probably already knows MC ns and nonprofit volunteer Breton professional organization, we're committed to growing the digital capacity museum professionals. MC n has developed a deep active community engagement in your own conversations, webinars, and resource sharing. So as an FCM member, you can join special interest groups participate in our mentorship program and shape MC ns future leadership roles, such as co chairs, conference chairs, and with time with the FCM board. So if you're not a member of M Sam, we hope that you're going to join us. There's more information at mc n.edu. I also like to thank our sponsors, Microsoft registration assistance, fund support, axial Ignite sponsor, and all our other sponsors that are listed on the program schedule for helping this wonderful conference possible today. And so today, our session is actually a live q&a session from the previous recorded presentation. We're taking in the format of a zoom meeting today. So we asked that if you like to ask a question, you can pose it in the chat, you can also raise your hands using one of the reactions, I'll say the reactions or put it in the chat and then I can call upon you as well. And then you can unmute yourself. I do ask that if you're if you're not speaking to please keep yourself mute, so that we will to hear others speakers as well. So let's get started and have a little good time for the next half hour. Today, our presenters is Heather Parker, the associate curator and academic. I have Academic Outreach at the Agnes Etherington Art Center at Queen's University. We also have denita ciros, our digital Development Coordinator, also for the Agnes the routine Art Center at Queen's. And so I'm going to hand it over to these two lovely speakers. For that, to start off our session.
Unknown Speaker 02:35
Thanks so much, Catherine. Hello to everyone. It's nice to see all these faces and people joining us for the q&a. And we're really excited to have a chance to chat about what we've been doing and ideas that you have and any questions or contributions you have. Just to give you a little recap of what the program is about. The Art of observation is. Now a four session programs were medical students at Queen's University, they come to the art gallery, and they see the art we talk about visual analysis skills. And primarily This is the primary driver for the creation of the program was to teach them visual analysis skills for diagnostics. And from that, we created a bigger program that had four sessions and included things like empathy training, cultural sensitivity training, thinking about other perspectives, listening all sorts of skills that they're building over the sessions. It includes two analysis sessions and two art making sessions. And it really has been a program that is centered on an in person experience and in gallery experience. And it was this is always crucial, because the way that we designed it and the way that we taught the program. And so as we delivered the pilot program, that was part of this overarching research study the School of Medicine was working on, we delivered our first three sessions, and it went wonderfully. And then the fourth session got postponed due to COVID closures. And we ended up teaching that on zoom, almost identical to how we would have taught it in person, just because it was an emergency teaching situation. But then as we look towards what was going to be fall 2020. But we did now winter 2021. And offering the second session of it. We want to have more robust online teaching grades, we're cutting edge, more innovative pedagogy. And so we've been working on this and developing a hybrid approach where we can have an online module that could exist in a place like an exhibition template and could be accessed so it's a website that people would access. And then that could be followed up either by a zoom call. If we have to move back to a totally online or by an in gallery tutorial that would be shorter, lower capacities to delete distant in our spaces which have very low capacity these days. And so I guess with that summary, I would love to hear from other people who have questions. Maybe you've been working on similar projects for different projects with online components like that. feedback, comments, anything, any kind of contributions that you have.
Unknown Speaker 05:29
And likewise, a bit the digital platform, because that's still very much in development. I wish it was ready, but it's not quite yet.
Unknown Speaker 05:54
Oh, sure. Yeah. stalling attacker.
Unknown Speaker 05:59
Would you have one question from Ruth is, can you give some examples of imparting empathy to medical students via art.
Unknown Speaker 06:08
So empathy is a very difficult thing to measure. And that's one of the challenges that we've been having with our research study is how to measure empathy and growth and empathy. And so we have a different way to tackle that. But But teaching comes down to showing people narratives that maybe aren't their own this idea of alternate viewpoints, letting people see art, and come up with their own assumptions first, and then questioning those assumptions and asking them about where they originated and where they're going. And then sometimes providing more context later on in a teaching process. And often people will learn that they their understanding, or their reading of a situation is not the same as other people. And so I think that that can help to students to think about where people come from also teaching about different cultural contexts. So we've been very careful to include indigenous artworks, art from our African historical collection, and other global artworks in the teaching. So that students, the medical students can start to get an understanding of different artistic contexts and, and then take that and apply that to their clinical practice as well.
Unknown Speaker 07:39
One of the other things that I could talk to is about five, we've been trying to incorporate more indigenous artwork online, we've been doing a doodle and participating in some consultations with indigenous community groups, and various consultants recommending using these online works in different ways. And so one of the things we have been starting to do this year is consulting with a committee on using work from our permanent collection, historical works, to get approval to use them. In every instance, it's not just a one off approval, but ensuring that every instance we can use these cultural ancestors from our collections to teach with and eat alongside a lot of the feedback we've been getting is that we should rotate through different woven items to allow the, the objects or ancestors to rest, and working with different emphases in the collection of cultural ancestors, to make sure that we're using them in appropriate ways, and that we're including community viewpoints while we do them. Dimitri, did you want to speak a bit more into that?
Unknown Speaker 08:54
Um, well, so as part of our digital strategy, we also and kind of in consultation, in parallel to the sessions that Heather mentioned, we spoke with several members of the indigenous communities that are local, so we're located in Kingston, Ontario, and we're on the traditional territories of the hood nashoni anishinabek, and the here on one dad peoples. So we invited local elders to talk to us about how to present indigenous ancestors online. Um, and some of that included
Unknown Speaker 09:36
a lot of
Unknown Speaker 09:38
thought around storytelling and how the object is made and things like that. So kind of getting a better understanding of indigenous culture through those kinds of digital technologies like 3d imaging, photogrammetry, things like that, but we do have a question in the chat that I'm seeing about how to recreate online imparting empathy to medical students and arts? And how do you make that online experience at least as meaningful as the in person one? Um, and if I could just kind of jump on that one a little bit. Um, I think there's digital experiences, and then there's in real life experiences, and I think they're kind of different ways of experiencing art. And the in real life offers a particular things and then a digital experience offers particular things. And I'm part of, I think one of the things we're hoping to do with our online experience is
Unknown Speaker 10:59
really
Unknown Speaker 11:01
prompt people through open inquiry based questions and close looking tools. Like, true by F, zooms, and annotations and multimedia. Um, those two still kind of inculcate those questions, but I think Heather will also be joining those with zoom calls.
Unknown Speaker 11:27
So if you wanted to kind of talk about that, like how you're going to teach those those things. Yeah, so the way we're going to design it is having this exhibition template that will modify for teaching. Sorry, for teaching purposes. And then either pairing that with a zoom call, or an in person gallery experience. And so in that experience, you can teach, you can have the that wonderful, inspiring, see art for the first time connection that you often get with students who haven't been in an art gallery setting before. And then online. As Danuta said, you do lose some things with online delivery, but you gain other things. And so having you don't have that connection, but I think you can still show them different things. And you can teach them about nuance that you can teach them about things in the background that they might not have noticed that first. And so I think having them again, go through a process of discovery, using artwork that is both medically themed and not medically themed. And so they have some things they can connect with, in somatic ways and things that they have to reach more for, and try to have that variety and it seems to help them to make different connections at different points in time.
Unknown Speaker 12:52
Do you have another question from Kathryn in the chat? For the purpose of the recording and accessibility? I repeat the question. Can you speak further about the online tools you're exploring for fostering observation or closer looking?
Unknown Speaker 13:09
Yeah, thank you for that question. Um, so we are building our own WordPress based templates for online exhibitions. And we are including modules that will allow us to do closer looking like through mostly triple if capabilities. So using big high res images and being able to look very closely at them. And as Heather mentioned, to notice things in the background, we've also explored the possibility of a while ago, there was a a tool being floated around through Kodak. And they're slow looking tool, which uses a triple if manifest and takes you like inch by inch across the canvas, which can take about 15 or 20 minutes. So it's a really slow experience. However, that's a third party tool, and we don't really know how to figure like, configure that with our setup at the moment. Um, but um, I think like using the we also have a series of modules that ask our black prompt introspection, through artworks and so we have what we're calling a pause quote, or prompt module, which we can put images on the background and then a text question or prompt for deeper thinking. I wish I could show you guys this but they're still in development. So, hopefully, like in the next month or so, um, but um, yeah, I hope that kind of answered the question.
Unknown Speaker 15:14
Sounds exciting. Actually, I'd be looking forward to seeing that as well in the next month. So so maybe we can all circle back on that. Yeah. There's a question for Alison Liddell. And she said she can ask it on the mic. So maybe I'll hand it over to her. She wants to unmute
Unknown Speaker 15:30
Allison.
Unknown Speaker 15:32
Thanks. Um, he actually sort of neighbors were over at the archives of Ontario. So hi, controller. I had a question regarding this. One of the what feedback have you gotten from the students about their experience so far? And using the interactive experience on the, you know, by the web and going to the program, the modules? And also, how have you been able to kind of capture their experience and document it in any way? And if, if so, or, if not, is there a plan or any kind of potential process to document represent students experiences of this new version of your observation? Or the different cohorts that will be going through this new version of their observation? And how would that be represented? Is that something you're thinking about?
Unknown Speaker 16:24
That's a great question. Thanks, Alison. Yes, we have been documenting everything. Because the pilot project was part of this research study on education and delivery of programming in the School of Medicine. It's been, we've had a huge number of surveys, I think we ran nine surveys in the winter. So like post, pre and post tests, for the whole session for the whole program, and then pre and post test for each lesson. So that we could measure student learning in art observation, as well as empathy, looking at medical images, as well as diagnostics, looking at things like x rays. So every, every student did a lot of people with breast. And out of that there was also a survey about tennis action and things they learned and how they want to modify it in the future. And so from that initial survey, we got feedback that four sessions was not as valuable, it was not as effective not being in person. And we expected that kind of feedback, it's hard, it's quite jarring to switch modes of delivery, partly through a session. And even though we have that feedback, when we talk to the educational researchers at the School of Medicine, planning ahead, they said that, because that happened in March, they actually expect that students have now acclimated to using zoom. And they're, they're happy to use them. And so that there's been a huge like, really a seismic shift in the their expectations for the delivery of sessions. And so they expect students to respond a lot better to the new, this year's program. And we will be doing this kind of survey for the following year, as well. And once we have the data analyzed, we will probably be publishing an article about about the project as well. And so it's a couple of us on the exit team, who are working on this. And then also people who are eating the School of Medicine, and one art historian who ever come together to make this move forward. And so they have tons of ideas and lots of things like measuring clinical skills and surgical skills and other things over many years. And so looking at students at the end of their program and seeing how much they've learned. And it's really, it's been a really fantastic group to work with, because of the ideas about measuring success and program evaluation.
Unknown Speaker 18:57
Yeah, and I'm sure for the online experience, too, that will get folded into Heather's evaluation as well, which I hope I get to see some of how they experienced the actual platform so I can make it better moving forwards as well. And I'm sure like once the sessions are done every year, we'll be able to kind of iterate to expand on content and the way that the lessons are delivered online. And should they continue that way to you?
Unknown Speaker 19:35
And we have another question in the chat from Bruce. How do you think the program you have developed might apply to students in other disciplines what changes would be needed?
Unknown Speaker 19:49
We have students from all different disciplines with a diagnosis. We think we've had students from every faculty on campus, education, law business and we We did do a one off smoking session program for the School of Business, we have found that every program needs to be customized for the audience that we have the faculty we're working with all have really particular ideas of what they're interested in, we have run this program. In other versions, we have a one session version we run for first year nursing, as well as graduate in rehabilitation therapy. And so we do offer your art of observation to other people in Health Sciences in different versions. And we will continue to do that. But we also develop other other programs like concentrating on, you know, more business or legal things. I have found, though, that anecdotally, people in many disciplines are interested in learning these skills. And so although it might not be a compulsory for a class, people would opt in, and we have curricular visits from other disciplines to our exhibitions, just not for this program in particular. Yeah, and
Unknown Speaker 21:09
I'll just add to Heather's answer, um, and that the online platform that we're also building, we are also intending to have it be yours through practicum placements with students. So it is also a site of Academic Outreach beyond this project as well. In fact, one of our first product projects that we will be launching once this template is done is a student curated project on hand fans from our collection of Canadian dress. So we'll be looking to see how that will expand with students and art history and other students that cleans.
Unknown Speaker 21:57
Fatima has a question of where did the original inspiration for the program come from? That's a great question. And what were they hoping expecting What happened? hoping or expecting would happen.
Unknown Speaker 22:11
So the original inspiration came from other projects that have happened, happened for a number of years in the States. There, the idea of academic gallery is much more robust in the United States than in Canada. In Canada, we're the largest gallery, an academic gallery, with the largest collection, largest staff largest mandate. And part of that is because a lot of the other universities, and the universities that are our size are bigger, are in major cities that already have provincial or national galleries. And so because the Agnes is in a smaller city that doesn't have any other gallery, Agnes is the gallery for Kingston. And it gets a lot of support from the academic side and the public side as well. So we've been very lucky in that way. And so one of the things that we have been wanting to do for years, is to look at what people are doing in projects in American universities, and to bring that into Canada. And it took a while to build those partnerships on campus and to find the right team who is willing to invest in it and the right approach to start this project. But as soon as we found the, one of our partners in the School of Medicine, everything just started flying, and all these new ideas and have fantastic learning opportunities. And he's coming, keeps coming back with more ideas. So recently, we hosted surgical residents to do a sculpture training class, in person in the gallery. And they'll be measuring their hands on surgical skills before and after, as well as wellness and other things. And we got great feedback from that. So as soon as these you find the right partners, and you get the right start, and then all of a sudden, things just blossom from there. So we've been Yeah, we've been really excited about it. And it's it's been something that's been growing gradually for maybe a decade or so. But this is the big launch of the bigger program, and we hope to make it grow in the future as well and similar projects with other faculties. And
Unknown Speaker 24:22
that's great, Heather, I was actually one of my own questions was going to ask it was was the feature of this program look like to you and what do you hope to achieve? So I think you've answered that. Just a quick note that we do have, we have four minutes left, so we have a couple more minutes for some questions.
Unknown Speaker 25:06
Can I ask you a question?
Unknown Speaker 25:08
Yes, Lauren?
Unknown Speaker 25:10
Hi,
Unknown Speaker 25:10
I'm from Ottawa. Hello, I work at in ingenium. In digital, but my background is actually like medical illustration. So I find this topic super fascinating. And I love how you've kind of merged these two fields together. And I was just curious, you know, with this new approach to balancing in person visits versus online? How are you? Are you approaching that all with the actual art making? Since? No, that is such an in person thing. But you know, with all the other kind of virtual things you're seeing online around the world in terms of like, teen nights and things like that, like, Is there a way that you're trying to augment that for online as well? Or is that solely in person.
Unknown Speaker 25:51
So that will be online as well. And we hope to offer a virgin in person interaction online, as this moves forward, but as you probably know, being another one close case, things are shifting, and we're not sure if we're going to stay open over the next few months. And so we're trying to be agile with that as well. So we have been offering public programs with artmaking. Online on zoom, since we shut down in March, and then reopened default, we have been shipping art material to people who register and then offering the sessions on zoom, we've been offering some sessions where people use materials they have at hand. So pencil and paper, for instance. And we've been doing this both for adult focused art classes, kids art camp, and art high, which is a sort of mental health art therapy program that we offer to university students, but other people as well, to do art from their home. And so normally that would be in our studio, but now it's on zoom as well. So we've gotten more experienced in doing that. And we have some educators who are quite happy to teach that way. And some people who are in the current context one teaching online instead of increasing So, yeah, I think it will go quite well. But there are always hurdles and things you have to prepare for ahead of time and ship out and make sure that you've got everything planned.
Unknown Speaker 27:20
That's great. Thank you. Really, I am really excited to actually connect with you if you're interested in that after to talk more about this program, because it's super interesting. And maybe there's something new if you're looking to Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 27:30
we we both love to connect with anyone who has any questions or any comments or just wants to get in touch.
Unknown Speaker 27:38
I will second that.
Unknown Speaker 27:41
That's actually a perfect closing because we're just about at a time, I think probably about 30 seconds left. So just wanted to thank everyone for joining us. And, you know, I know everyone's probably using the MTN Slack channel, so definitely can continue the conversation there. I'll let Heather and to maybe have a closing remark if they have any chat.
Unknown Speaker 28:04
Thanks so much, Kathryn. It was great to talk to people and get a sense of what other people were working on or the contexts that they had been, like present presenting these kinds of programs into. And as I said, reach out to me and let me know if you have any further questions or comments or want to see these once they've launched, which will be in a few months.
Unknown Speaker 28:25
Yeah, and thanks again for everybody and check back on the digital aspect of it in January or February.
Unknown Speaker 28:33
Thank you, everyone.