In recent years I have been involved in teaching both Java (for the Sun Certified Java Programmer exam) and life-drawing. This has included after-work life-drawing classes attended by people working in largely technical / analytical jobs. Life-drawing is an intensive creative activity, which demands a very high level of concentration; therefore I was concerned that people might struggle with it after a full day's work, especially as many of them had no previous experience of life-drawing.
However, we found the opposite to be the case. During our discussions afterwards, class members expressed how refreshed they felt after the process, describing it as being like stretching a limb that had been cramped up all day. Drawing relieved the mental stress caused by concentrating for long hours on analytical work, and led to a feeling of completeness; it relaxed the mind, but also left it sharper and more open.
It has occurred to me to run another Java Certification course, but this time with short breaks throughout the day for life-drawing. I envisage the class arranged in a semi-circle, each student at a separate desk with an easel (or flip-chart stand) beside it. The centre of the semi-circle would be where I would teach, and where the model would pose.
Students would be encouraged to be bold in their drawings and to feel that the process is more important than the product. I would use certain exercises to encourage this view (such as drawing where you cannot see the page you are drawing on), and would ensure the students did not feel that they had to share their pictures if their confidence was low - but nonetheless provide opportunities for putting work up on the walls.
My theory is that the switch between the two very different activity types would:
a) help keep the mind alert throughout what is otherwise a very intense day of technical learning
b) prevent narrowing of focus and blocking of lateral thought
c) better enable students to see connections between concepts at an abstract level
d) stimulate interest and discussion, building a faster group rapport.
Another thing that interests me in relation to this is a blurring of tool use - e.g. having the students perform some programming exercises in charcoal on the easels, and drawing on the computers (with appropriate input devices, such as drawing tablets). Alternatively, this particular course is one which I have often thought could be taught entirely without computers, due to the nature of the exam one is preparing for; furthermore many of the questions benefit strongly from a visual interpretation (
e.g. class hierarchies); therefore the pencil-and-paper approach of the life-drawing could be carried over quite deeply into the Java part of the course.
This idea is based only on small-sample observations, general reading, anecdote and personal experience. It bears some relation to the earlier thread entitled "Problems sitting on the seat", about the value of taking a break - however in this case I am suggesting a specifically active break aimed at stimulating different parts of the brain. (Real breaks would also be provided!)
I would be very interested to know if anyone is aware of any research either supporting or contradicting such an approach.
Many thanks
Daniel Scrivener
