Emergency Remote Studio Teaching

The creative arts use primarily visual, kinaesthetic and somatic modes that depend on face-to-face communication in contrast to many other university subjects which rely more heavily the written word. hands-on, practice-based nature of art education makes it perhaps one least transferrable a fully online model. What can be learnt, then, from forced situation teaching supervising studio-based learning higher context under COVID-19 conditions? This reflective essay draws writer’s experience as Fine Arts lecturer involved emergency remote (ERT) studio-based, visual courses during 2020 academic year. Framed series ‘fieldnotes’ aims capture those fleeting, yet significant, thoughts reflections so easily lost once things quickly reach level ‘new normal’. Notes field include: effects shifted social dynamic communications context; challenges video call dialogic space for studio critique; impact structured systems with regard documenting recording work-in-progress; affordances dynamic, multi-modal digital medium working contextual research material. Developed pedagogical perspective combining reflection-in-action reflection-on-action I offer first-hand observations discussion, socialised against relevant literature, contribution urgent conversations shape future environment.