Creating a Visual Exhibition as a tool of Hybrid Learning
The third Learning Teaching Training Activity (LTTA) for the EU-funded project “T4T – Tools4Teaching in Digital Education Settings” took place from 3-5 October in Athens, Greece. MYARTIST, an organisation with expertise and experience in various fields related to arts, culture, accessibility and inclusion, served as host for the mobility.
The aim of the LTTA was to enhance the practical skills and abilities of the participants in adapting their current online training activities to the proposed new approach and to provide a platform for the discussion of ideas and viewpoints among the participating adult educators and training experts.
Participants in the T4T initiative also had the opportunity to stroll through downtown Athens and view their surroundings through a different “lens”. With the invaluable help and guidance of the Emfasis Foundation, our participants had the opportunity to learn more about homelessness in Athens, the various outreach initiatives that the Emfasis Foundation currently manages, and the importance of the daily work of professional street workers. Through this activity, the group dynamic was strengthened and communication within the group was improved through a more vulnerable discussion on difficult topics.
On the second day, participants had the opportunity to work with more informal techniques taught and trained by psychologist and drama therapist Stamatis Paraskevas.
They created a six-part narrative introducing our protagonists and their goals, as well as the challenges they face or the support they receive. They drew their experiences on paper to be scanned later and added to our online exhibition.
After learning about automatic writing, they wrote a fairy tale together. In the process, they each had to say a word or phrase so that they could come up with something of their own as a group. They have to coordinate their efforts and look after each other. Then everyone had one minute to draw a scene from the fairy tale on a shared sheet of paper.
The participants also visited EMST Athens to see the different artworks and discuss the topics they had studied. They were lucky enough to visit the group exhibition “Statecraft (and beyond)”, which deals with issues such as race, xenophobia and nationalism. Through team discussions and visits to different places, they got to know each other better.
On the last day of the training, the participants were given time and space to reflect on their experiences so far. They created stories with words and colours, using their bodies and the method of automatic writing. The fact that they ventured out of their comfort zone was the most important factor.
MYARTIST showed the potential of a virtual exhibition. They discussed how to ensure and improve accessibility by doing simple but efficient activities. Canva served as their main digital tool. Participants uploaded their original artworks along with titles and descriptions. Finally, they recorded audio versions of the descriptions.
The fact that this event had a hybrid format is very important. This allowed the partners to explore how group dynamics emerge and change through different pedagogical approaches in mixed or hybrid learning environments. The team will release the finished product of the virtual exhibition soon for you to enjoy and be inspired by!