Teaching Information and Communication Theories through Arts

Abstract

This article reports on an experience where arts-informed pedagogy was combined with the traditional lecture-style teaching in a course on information and communication theories delivered at the Masters level in the School of Journalism and Communication Sciences (EJCAM) at Aix-Marseille University in France. After the course content had been delivered orally, students were required to work in groups to create art exhibits that showcased how information and communication theories operated in different historical or contemporary situations in the society. Sixteen impressive art projects were created by the students, and an arts exhibition was held within the school premises. To gauge students’ reception of how the arts-informed pedagogy contributed to their appropriation of the course content, they completed an online survey two months after the course. Their responses showed an overwhelmingly positive reception and demand for more creative modes of learning in information and communication studies. The arts approach complemented the verbal mode of learning by creating a recursive and collaborative learning environment that enhanced students’ participation, self-esteem, and creativity and served to illustrate the interdependence between theory and practice.