Creative coding at Käsityökoulu Robotti

Description

The increasing use of digital technologies brings forth a new set challenges that besides the economic and societal viewpoints are also reflected in the education and culture. On the other hand, instead of challenge, digitalization of our environment could also be seen as a new material and new medium for expression. This article suggetst that through the method of creative coding both the understanding of digital structures, as well as the ability to self-expression through digital is possible.

This article focuses on Käsityökoulu Robotti (www.kasityokoulurobotti.fi), a type of hackerspace for children, which offers children teaching on art and technology. Käsityökoulu Robotti situates itself in the context of art education, the maker movement, critical technology education, and media art. Art education is essential to Käsityökoulu Robotti in a bilateral sense: to discover in which ways art can be used to create understanding in technology and at the same time to teach children to use new technological tools as a way for self-expression. These questions are intertwined: digital technology, such as code, can be a substantial way to express oneself in a way that otherwise couldn’t be expressed. Moreover, using artistic approaches such as creative coding can generate tangible knowledge of digital technology. The deeper understanding of digital technology is critical when dealing with the ever-increasing digitalization of our society, as it may help in understanding the digital structures that underlie digital world.

The article examines how does creative coding work as a teaching method in Käsityökoulu Robotti to promote both the artistic expression and critical understanding in technology. Furthermore, creative coding as a tool for bridging the cap between maker movement, critical thinking and art practices is brought into focus. The research is a result of ethnographic research project in Käsityökoulu Robotti.

Period	31 May 2017
Event title	Digital Technology in Arts Education
Event type	Conference
Location	Bergen, Norway
Degree of Recognition	International