MOTIVATION
Our intention is to increase the number of students experiencing low-level approaches (as in command line prompts and programming) that remove as many layers of interface abstraction as possible. Specifically, we are offering an alternative to the standard “Creative Suite®” focused approach to new media aspects of art and design foundations. ARRAY[ ] offers examples of alternate models and methods of learning, collaboration, and relevant responses to art/design edu outside of higher education, all from a standpoint of practical and friendly curriculum for the introduction of complex ideas and processes.
DESCRIPTION
ARRAY [ ] is a repository of entryways into new media craft, processes, materials, cultures, and contexts specifically geared towards beginners (both teachers and students). The title ARRAY [ ] is inspired by a concept common to programming languages that generally means, “a systematic arrangement” or “a variable that can be indexed.” ARRAY [ ] content includes both project scenarios and essays as mechanisms for learning. Unlike a conventional printed textbook, ARRAY [ ] can use the flexibility of the web platform to grow, change, and respond to shifts in art, design, and education. ARRAY [ ] projects are modified as contributors test and refine their projects in studios and classrooms. ARRAY [ ] projects are updated as philosophies, circumstances, and technologies evolve. ARRAY [ ] contributor essays and blog entries capture current thoughts and accumulate over time to reveal patterns and trends in thinking/activity.
ARRAY [ ] is committed to accessibility, literacy, and criticality, translated into agency. ARRAY [ ] information is free, friendly, and open to everybody interested in learning. ARRAY [ ] concepts prioritize the kind of information beginners need to get acclimated while introducing contexts and suggestions for further engagement.