[[alternative]]A Study on Curriculum Development, Visual Culture and Art Education: Using Advertising Images as an Example

[[abstract]]A Study on Curriculum Development, Visual Culture and Art Education: Using Advertising Images as an Example Abstract At this age of modern technology, visual images pervade our daily lives. To respond to the trend as well as to the societal changes, “visual culture” has evolved as a specialty in the art education society both at home and abroad. Taking advertising images as an example, this paper explodes the content of visual culture and art education, investigates the theories related to the development of this kind of curriculum and develops on the grounds of visual culture and art education curriculum made “Magic Advertising”. After it is drafted, “Magic Advertising” undergoes a first- and a second-phase modification. Afterwards, curriculum is implemented under single-participant research design. Informants in this research are the 6-graders of Class 4 from an elementary school in Taipei City. Assessment is made based on informants’ journal pages as well pre- and post-tests and has been adapted as the basis of feasibility study. Findings of the study are: 1.As far as the content of visual culture and art education is concerned Visual culture and art education has one distinctive feature in that it is transdisciplinary, therefore, images selected should be culturally rich. In defining the scope of teaching materials, the current status of local visual culture development should be taken into consideration. 2.Theories involving this paper This research has been conducted based on the following advertising image analysis theories: (1) the four stages, namely, description, analysis, interpretation and judgment of art criticism; (2) the concept of signifier and signified in Semiotics and (3) use value and exchange value in Marxism. In setting up the framework of this curriculum, “Theme Approach” is taken and the integrated curriculum mode, “Interdisciplinary Concept Model with Essential Questions” is adopted. 3.Develop a visual culture and art education curriculum with advertising images Based on literature review, the researcher has developed a pedagogical process named “4 Steps of Interpreting Advertising Images”, and a “Curriculum Design Flow Chart”. Evolving from the two, and with some modification, the “Magic Advertising” curriculum is proposed in this paper. In addition, the researcher claims that in developing a curriculum, the planner needs to review the said curriculum from the perspectives of various professionals and hold some discussions with professionals in order to verify the validity of the content. 4.Assessment and Review of “Magic Advertising” Based on the professionals’ review and the result of curriculum implementation as well as learners’ achievement, the researcher concludes that “Magic Advertising Curriculum” proposed in this paper is feasible. Drawing on her findings, the researcher further puts forth some suggestions for art educators to be on visual culture and art education curriculum, the implementation of “Magic Advertising” as well as the application of advertising images to visual culture and art education curriculum. Key word: visual culture, art education, curriculum, advertising image