Visual Thinking Strategies From the Museum to the Library

What’s Going On In This Picture?

Presented by Amelia Nelson, Public Services LibrarianNelson Atkins Museum of Art

Agenda

• In today’s presentation I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned about Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) and why it’s effective

• How I use VTS in information literacy sessions • How VTS furthers the goals of information

literacy • Share some on-going research about VTS and its

connections beyond art• I’d like to close with time for questions

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) History and Theory

Jean Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development

• Sensori-motor• Pre-operational• Concrete operational• Formal operational

Stages

Cohen, Lisa J. The Handy Psychology Answer Book. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 2011.

Theory of Aesthetic Development Stage 1 – Accountive

o Inventory objects, storytelling, connection to life experiences

Stage II – Constructiveo Build frameworks using logic, perception and judgements

State III – Classifyingo Identify place, school style, time and provenance

Stage IV – Interpretiveo Seek personal encounter, appreciating the subtleties of line

and shape, and interpreting symbolic meaning

Stage V – Re-creativeo long history and experience of looking at and studying art,

combine personal experience as well as universal experienceHousen, Abigail, “Eye of the Beholder” (paper presented at the conference of “Aesthetic and Art Education: a Transdisciplinary Approach,” sponsored by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Service of Education, Lisbon, Portugal, September 27-29, 1999)

John Singer Sargent , American , American, 1856 - 1925 Fisherwomen Returning, ca. 1877

Oil on canvas Unframed: 19 5/8 x 24 1/4 inches (49.85 x 61.6 cm) Framed: 27 3/8 x 31 15/16 x 2 1/4 inches (69.55 x 81.1 x 5.72 cm)

Gift of Mrs. Louis Sosland

Gallery Location: 216 -

What’s going on in this picture?

What do you see that makes you say that?

What more can we find?

“Our initial challenge was, of course, to determine how one might support aesthetic growth. Clearly this is not a matter of studying what experts do, and then instructing children to do the same. … If the top-down educational approach of instructing beginners to act like experts really worked, everyone would be an expert, and at a very early age too.”

Housen, Abigail, “Eye of the Beholder” (paper presented at the conference of “Aesthetic and Art Education: a Transdisciplinary Approach,” sponsored by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Service of Education, Lisbon, Portugal, September 27-29, 1999) accessed August 22, 2015, http://www.vtshome.org/research/articles-other-readings

“Ultimately, information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them.”*

Critical thinking skills developed from• Evidence supported

observations• Inferences based on

observations• Considering multiple

inferences• Revising• Elaborating

Information Literacy VTS(Visual Thinking

Strategies)

*American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (January 10, 1989, Washington, D.C.)

Africaninstallation colonialism

African textile

What is it made of?

construction

Studio/group construction

Made from metal?How is it made?

Was it made for the museum?

Specific African tribe?

Looks like it’s made from recycled materials

Symbolic meaning?

Ghanaian Culture El Anatsui Tapestry

seriesProvenance of Dusasa I

VTS to Research Strategy

VTS ConnectionsBeyond Art

Michigan State UniversityPlanetarium, 1964

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see.” -Alexandra K. Trenfor

Inspiring Thoughts of Great Educational Thinkers By Dr. Vimal Kishor

Questions?Thank you!

Copies of my bibliography are in back, these include the full image credits

Amelia Nelson, Public Services Librarian at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Artanelson@nelson-atkins.org816.751.1215