Research in Visual Arts Education - The National Society for ...

ART, DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENTAL PARTICIPATION
in Sweden in a project on textile design. Liv Merete Nielsen, Janne Beate
Reitan and Ingvild Digranes participate in the European DEsignCOmmunication
(DECO) project.
The Norwegian national journal for art and design education is called
FORM. It contains broad national discussions on educational issues and curriculum
development. The lack of suitable channels for publication of referee-based
articles in this field explains why Norwegian researchers often publish
their articles as chapters in edited books. Thus, Norwegian researchers
have published in the following international referee-based periodicals the
last years: The International Journal of Art & Design Education, Nordic Journal
of Architectural Research, Scandinavian Journal of Design History, Norsk
Antropologisk Tidsskrift, Tidsskrift for børne- og ungdomslitteratur, Information
Design Journal and Codesign.
The need for a referee-based periodical within art and design education
has been evident. Therefore the organisation that publishes the journal
FORM has taken the initiative to establish FORMakademisk (FORMacademic).
The first issue was published in and is ranked officially as a scientific
journal. 2008, articles are published in the Nordic languages or in English.
Challenges
Within a few years the number of researchers with a doctorate degree,
rooted in the field of art and design education, will increase. The number of
researchers will reach the critical mass that is required for building a sustainable
research society. Further, there is a demand for research conferences
and publications to build arenas for presentation of research and critical
discussions at an epistemological level.
Oslo University College has, in cooperation with Arkitektur- og Designhøgskolen
in Oslo (AHO) and the UiO, arranged three doctoral courses in
art and design education (June 2005- June 2007). The challenge is to develop
these courses further in cooperation with other universities and colleges.
Irrespective of the future organisation of the universities in Norway, there
is a movement working for developing programmes for art and design education
at the doctoral level.
It is not easy to say something about the topics for further research, as the
field of art and design education is in need of research at a broad spectrum.
Research interests among Norwegian researchers are, at the present, connected
to two domains: 1) design education and 2) dissemination of art for
children and youth. Both these areas have their national and international
networks. The interest for the history, development and implementation
of curricula still seems to give inspiration for further research. So is also
NORDIC VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION IN TRANSITION 139