Experiential and reflective learning in the course design of art, self-exploration and spirituality

Abstract

General Education (GE) is an important educational component at universities in Hong Kong. Most GE courses encourage students to connect themselves to their cultural heritage, develop their critical and analytical skills, promote their moral and ethical standards, and extend their horizon to world technology, languages, cultures and humanities. In a speech about the purpose of general education at South China Normal University, Sean D. Kelly (2010) pointed out that it was crucial for GE courses to help students to experience their own life as meaningful and worthwhile. This report is going to share how a GE course entitled as Art, Self-exploration and Spirituality is designed to help students to explore meanings of key life themes through experiential and reflective learning in art appreciation and making expressive artwork. This course covers selected concepts in art psychology, aesthetics, and spirituality. The teaching and learning activities involve six lectures, six workshops and one gallery visit. The lectures are designed to equip students with introductory knowledge about art psychology and spirituality. In the six workshops, students are facilitated with expressive art and focusing techniques to go through self-exploration and self-growth process in contemplating important life themes, such as stress, love, joy, life, hope and self through creating their own art work. A gallery visit will provide students another opportunity of experiential and reflective learning, in which they are encouraged to see, to hear, to feel and to understand humanity and spirituality in art appreciation.