Integrating Art Analysis And Appreciation Into Subjects Areas And Disciplines Through Art Criticism And Interdisciplinary Learning

Abstract

 The quest for teaching aids and multi-media resources for teaching, and learning and the overriding interest in creating meaning in all disciplines is the motivation for this study. This all important drive for creating meaning through a multi-strategy of interdisciplinary nature in the context of this study identified as Art Criticism, calls for the inquiry into interdisciplinary learning due to its numerous benefits. The art has been seen by many as a subject area or discipline that has little or no relevance to other fields of study.  In view of these preconceived notions, this study proposes that integrating art analysis and appreciation into teaching and learning will not only correct this notion but also create a more rewarding and all inclusive interdisciplinary method of teaching and learning. Therefore, this research highlights the relevance of arts in interdisciplinary learning and explores the ways that art criticism and learning could be used to integrate art analysis and appreciation into other subjects as an interdisciplinary enterprise. This research adopts Richard Mayer's Multimedia Cognitive Learning Theory to explain the effectiveness of integrated teaching and learning, using art and multimedia in multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary 
approach. The methodology adopted for this research is basically qualitative research method with historical and deductive approaches 
used. This is achieved through documentary observation and textual references in the analysis and as means to advance the argument of the 
study. The study concludes that the evidence that sufficed the fact that the integration of art criticism and interdisciplinary learning has the 
potential to promote students' engagement in interdisciplinary understanding. This research recommends that art criticism is a means 
through which teaching and learning experience across disciplines is enhanced.