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Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts:
The Continuing Challenge of Meeting the Needs of
Students, Clients, Subjects and Web Visitors
Bernard Robin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Instructional Technology
University of Houston - College of Education
University of Houston/Community Partnerships
Urban, Multicultural, Focus on Education
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Texas Southern University Art
Department
Blaffer Art Gallery
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Educational Partnerships
In the Beginning…
 1997: Bayou Bend Web
Site Discussion Begins
 MFAH: Seeking Innovative
Uses of New Technology
that Enhance Public
Access to the Arts
 UH: Seeking Meaningful
Web Design Projects for
Instructional Technology
Graduate Students
 Result: A Graduate-Level,
Collaborative, ProjectBased Web Design
Course
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Theoretical Framework
of Other Educational Web Projects
• Increased richness of students’
learning through increased
relevance and greater motivation -March
• Students become empowered when
they work on actual projects with
actual clients; and
• Classroom becomes a testing ground
for managing group dynamics and
interpersonal skills -March & Puma
• Students learn to work in teams,
enhance their communication
skills, and gain experience in
project management and planning
-M-DCPS
• Specific roles for each of the
stakeholders based on their
expertise, level of commitment,
and ability to participate in the
creation of digital resources -Frost
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Theoretical Framework
• proficient use of productivity, authoring,
multimedia, graphic, and web tools
• proficiency in planning, facilitating, and
assessing learner-centered instruction
• understanding instructional design and
development theories, models, and
processes
• creation of effective electronic learning
materials to address such facets as
design, layout, navigation, text, and
multimedia
• the ability to use technology to
communicate with broad
audiences for and to locate
necessary information through
multiple sources
• the ability to effectively work,
problem-solve, and research
through social interactions in
diverse team environments
• fluency with technology planning
and policy making, project and
information management
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Integrating Community
Content: A Real-World
Curriculum
1. Real-World Projects to
Solve Authentic
Problems
2. Investigations and Data
Collection by Students
3. Cross-Disciplinary,
Multicultural
Collaborative Teams
4. Creative Approaches to
Presenting Information
Online and though
Emerging Technologies
5. Community Partners as
Content Experts and
Course Facilitators
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Demonstration of the Web Projects
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Challenges
1
Projects Cover Successive
Semesters
2
Extensive Amounts of MultiLayered Content
3
University: Limited
Understanding of
Organization’s Policies;
Organizations: Limited
Experience Developing
Technology-Based Materials
4
Changing Expectations of the
Clients
5
Different Expectations of
the Students
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Project Stakeholders
Graduate
Students who
design and
create the web
projects…
The Subjects
of the web
projects or their
caretakers…
The Clients
for whom the
projects are
created…
Web
Visitors to
the sites...
Other Content
Providers such
as teachers &
students…
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Graduate Students
Biggest Challenges
Unsure how to deal
with assertive
client
Worried about
working in a
team
Effectively
managing group
process & meeting
deadlines
Creating an
identity for the
web site
Learning to use
FrontPage
Unclear client
expectations
Frustrating by
client's numerous
design change
suggestions
Balancing contradictory
demands of accessibility
for users and developing
dynamic visual imagery
Copyright issues,
especially for images
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Graduate Students
Greatest Accomplishments
Able to create a
very professional
looking website
client was happy
with
Website was true to
the subject’s vision,
and was cohesive
& informative
Completing the
project by working
together as a team
Zeroing in on an
identity and
pleasing design
Client was
excited about the
depth of content
Ending the semester
with several usable
components and ideas
for where to go next
Creation of an
Effectively
educational site that
managing group
can be the focus of my
process & meeting dissertation research
deadlines
A site that reaches
a broad audience
with multiple
points of entry
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Graduate Students
Biggest Disappointments
Not being able to
complete the
project
Too much
miscommunication
and lost time
between team
members
Not enough time to
experiment, would
like to have learned
more JavaScript
Not enough time
to work with so
much content
That we didn't do
even more with
the project
Lack of ownership
by other students,
who later became
involved in the
project
It took so long that it
was difficult for
students that came in
the 2nd semester to
understand the value
of what had been
done in the 1st
semester and build on
it rather than tossing it
all out and starting
over
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Graduate Students
Most Significant Things Learned
Goals should be agreed
upon early and as
specific as possible.
Miscommunication
First time for me could be lessened if
to work on a
How to use
team members
FrontPage & not to “real” project
submitted several ideas
be intimidated by
for each component,
I have worked in many
the skills of others
read and reviewed each
group projects but
other’s ideas and had
never really was the
What it takes to
leader of a project. I
the opportunity to
design something learned more about
discuss the ideas and
working in a project
that people will
come up with a
and managing it than
actually want to use anything else
collective decision
How to work for a
real client & focus
on their vision for
the website
How to distribute
responsibility in a
team
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Graduate Students
Would not
recommend the
course to students
with minimal
technical skills
Project was unusual
and challenging, but
a wonderful learning
experience
Enjoyed this course
because it required
students to truly
integrate technology
into a learning
situation
Other Comments
The client had very
I think the focus of
strong responses to
the course should
graphical imagery.
be on project
She wanted
management and
something strong
teamwork, not new and moving. It was
skills development
interesting that the
distortion of the art
Was the closest thing works wasn’t an
I had experienced to issue, although we
working on an actual almost dismissed
consulting job with a the idea because of
that aspect.
design team
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Graduate Students
Other Comments
It would have been
good if our group had
shared our answers to
some of the questions
asked in our earlier
assignments about
project goals and
personal goals
I was very
impressed with
the relationship
that formed
between the team
& the client. They
were truly
professional and
punctual in
Each student should
have a designated role, communicating
which is assigned by a with us and really
project manager based made this project
a priority.
on their skills and
interests
It might be helpful to
make questions for
the clients before the
first meeting that will
more specifically
reveal the scope of
the project
Open-ended
directives are not
as desirable as one
may envision
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Clients
…how extremely
happy we all are
about the results of
our collaboration
on the Chuck
Close web site. It
is really wonderful.
…the strength of
the partnership, its
educational focus,
was also its major
drawback: pace of
progress was often
slow and frustrating
…museum
education staff
served as both
client and
teachersometimes found
themselves in a
conflicting role as
they attempted to
teach students
but also wanted a
professional,
polished website
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Subjects
Last week I had
the opportunity to
sit with Chuck
(Close) himself
and go through the
site. He loved it!
…the strength of
the partnership, its
educational focus,
was also its major
drawback: pace of
progress was often
slow and frustrating
…museum
education staff
served as both
client and teachersometimes found
themselves in a
conflicting role as
they attempted to
teach students but
also wanted a
professional,
polished website
…realized that
even the best
intentions are not
always enough to
overcome long
standing political,
cultural feuds and
ensuing distrust
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
The Web Visitors
Using LiveStats (from DeepMetrix, Inc)
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
K-12 Teachers and Students
Add student movie
reviews for the
Screening America
website.
Test educational
materials with
participating
teachers and
students
Have students
create videos
using themes from
Screening America
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
What We Have Learned
1. Course assignments
should more closely
match topics covered in
class
2. Integrate hands-on
assignments to more
closely align with
development work for
clients
4. Continuously survey
students to learn what
works and what does
not
5. Allow students to have
group work time as part
of each class meeting
3. Allow current students
to have access to
previous students’
assignments
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Next Steps
1. Discuss the
expectations and
requirements of the
students earlier in the
semester
2. Have students discuss
personal and
professional goals
earlier in the semester
3. Develop questions for
the clients that will
reveal more specifically
the scope of the project
4. Have each student choose
a designated role based on
their skills and interests –
this differs slightly from the
recommendation that the project
manager should choose a
designated role for each team
member and gives students
some voice in the role they will
play within the team
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Next Steps
5. Designate, or have each
team designate a project
manager for each
collaborative group and
spend more time on project
management and
teamwork issues instead of
just new skills development
6. Have more specific
assignments with less
“open-ended directives” for
students
7. Work more with public
school teachers and
students in the design,
development and
evaluation of educational
resources
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Next Steps
8. Add more multimedia clips
(such as those
demonstrated on the
Screening America site) to
the projects and work on
resolving copyright images
9. Increase the use of datagathering software on
current and future web
projects
10. Add communication
resources to the sites
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Not The End…
Bernard Robin
[email protected]
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Recommendations
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Be prepared to educate students about the museum's mission, organization, and
functions;
Designate a staff member with knowledge of the subject matter to work with university
faculty and students throughout the project as the primary liaison;
Authorize and encourage other museum departments to cooperate, especially:
a. Curatorial;
b. Education;
c. Publications;
d. Registrar
e. Library;
f. Slide or image library;
g. Rights and Reproductions;
h. Museum photographer;
i. Public Affairs
j. Information Technology and Webmaster.
Provide tours and special access to the relevant collections for the students;
Provide facilities for class meetings in the museum;
Give students memberships or free admission;
Become familiar with relevant web sites;
Review the students' work frequently and provide constructive criticism;
Host the final presentations to acknowledge the students' work.
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Recommendations
1.
Focus on your permanent collection and on those works of art which have
been published, have been the focus of research, for which you have
images and curatorial expertise. The great challenge of working with
temporary exhibitions is that text and images are often not ready far
enough in advance for students to have enough time to develop the site.
2.
Begin with projects that do not have definite time restrictions. An exhibition
Web site has to be ready to launch a month or so before an exhibition
opens. A component of the museum Web site focusing on an aspect of the
permanent collection often has greater flexibility and the museum can
respond to the needs of students developing the site.
3.
Be realistic in the scope of your initial projects. The Bayou Bend Web site
was developed from three existing brochures focusing on Bayou Bend’s
collection, founder, and gardens and architecture. Students had access to
abundant research and images. The Grandeur of Viceregal Mexico project
had little advance scholarship accessible in English; few texts on the
specific objects; few images until well into the project.
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts
Recommendations
4.
Be prepared to spend a significant amount of time working with faculty and
students. MFAH project director and education director, Beth Schneider,
attended the weekly 3-hour meeting of the Web design class; facilitated
the student group working on the exhibition introduction; and was the
conduit for all content information, images, and text approvals. The project
also required frequent meetings with faculty and curators.
5.
Be aware that some projects are not appropriate for students. The online
catalogue was first assigned to a graduate student who was just learning
Cold Fusion with less than hoped for results. The most efficient solution to
this problem was for the museum to pay a UH staff member expert in Cold
Fusion and a graduate student who were able to complete the project on
time and with significantly greater expertise.
6.
In a classroom setting, the museum is not a traditional client and university
faculty and students are not traditional contractors. Student learning is the
focus of the classes. Learning to work with actual clients is a part of that
process, but not the most important part. The museum staff members
involved in the project need to balance the educational needs and goals of
the students and faculty and the needs of the museum in creating a final
project. This can be a very delicate and sensitive process.
Community-Based, Educational Web Projects for the Arts