Teaching an art-based course via Zoom

Contributed by: Tracie Hayes

This quarter, I taught the lab/studio section of “Art, Science, and the World of Insects,” an intro-level course in the Department of Entomology and Nematology that exposes undergraduates to insects and their place in culture. At the beginning of the course, students are assigned an insect to research throughout the quarter. They then align their research with the artistic process to produce a compelling design focused on their assigned species. So much of this course is about how art can be used as a tool to share information and communicate ideas. This component of art-making has always been important to me, as I have been trying to navigate the in-between world of art and science for the last 6 years.

With all classes being taught through Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, getting across the value of considering the synchronicity between art and science has been more of a challenge. As a first-time TA, I am realizing that one of the most powerful parts of teaching is being able to pick up on the energy of your students in order to respond appropriately. Via Zoom, sensing this energy can be hard, and miscommunication is more likely. Over half of our time together on Zoom was used for critiquing sketches, final designs, and in-process paintings. As an undergraduate art major, my favorite days were critique days, as there was so much excitement in the room as we discussed each other’s work. I think of critiques as a way to honor all of the hard work that goes into the project, and as a way to push each other to move forward and think deeper about why we are making what we are making.

I found it challenging to create this engaging environment on Zoom, so that my students would feel proud of their work but also excited to build on their ideas for the next critique. I was also unable to communicate my own enthusiasm for the value in connecting art and science as much as I would have wanted to. However, I did find a lot of hope in what my students were able to produce this quarter. Despite all that is going on in the world, they found the time and came up with some truly original projects. They pulled from specific aspects of their insects’ biology; they connected their designs to social justice movements, music, architecture, agriculture, and history; they took breaks from their studying for other classes in order to learn how to mix colors and use watercolor paints. It was exciting to watch their ideas progress throughout the quarter, and I am glad that this class was able to continue on under these circumstances. In a way, this experience has prepared me for further teaching and mentoring more fully than I was expecting. I am motivated to keep working, keep learning, and keep building on this art-science communication toolkit.