Visual & Performing Arts · 12th Grade

Active learning ideas

Interactive and New Media

This topic invites students to step beyond passive observation and become active creators in the digital landscape. Active learning works here because interactive media demands participation, not just analysis. Students will engage more deeply when they experience the roles of both artist and audience firsthand.

• Common Core State Standards
• NCAS: Creating MA.Cr1.1.HSAdv
• NCAS: Producing MA.Pr6.1.HSAdv

• 40–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The User Journey

In small groups, students 'map out' the experience of an interactive work (like a game or a VR tour). They identify the 'choice points' where the audience gets to influence the story and discuss how those choices make the viewer feel.

How does interactivity change the relationship between the artist and the audience?

Facilitation Tip

During Collaborative Investigation, assign small groups to focus on one user journey element to ensure all voices contribute to the final analysis.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Can a video game be considered a work of high art?' Students should cite specific examples of games and traditional art forms to support their arguments, addressing elements like narrative, aesthetics, and emotional impact.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Pairs

Simulation Game: Paper Prototyping

Students design a 'non-linear' story on paper, using index cards to show different paths a viewer could take. They 'playtest' their story with a partner, who makes choices that lead to different endings.

Can a video game be considered a work of high art?

What to look for

Present students with short video clips or descriptions of three different interactive art pieces (e.g., a video game, a VR experience, an interactive installation). Ask them to write one sentence for each, identifying the primary way the audience is engaged and one potential challenge for the artist.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Formal Debate
• 40 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Are Games Art?

Students debate the artistic merit of video games. They must use specific criteria (like emotional impact, visual design, and narrative depth) and compare games to traditional art forms like film or opera.

What are the artistic challenges of designing for a 360-degree environment?

What to look for

Students develop a one-page concept proposal for an interactive art piece. They exchange proposals with a partner. Each reviewer answers: 1. What is the core interactive mechanic? 2. How does it change the audience's role? 3. What is one suggestion for improving the concept?

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by modeling the creative process yourself. Start with low-tech solutions like paper prototyping to build confidence before introducing digital tools. Avoid assuming students understand the difference between interactive design and traditional media. Research shows that students grasp these concepts best when they first experience the challenges of designing for an unpredictable audience.

Success looks like students recognizing the intentional design behind interactive experiences and applying that understanding to their own creative work. They should move from seeing technology as a tool to seeing it as a collaborator in artistic expression. Classroom discussions should reflect nuanced thinking about audience agency and artistic intent.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Collaborative Investigation, watch for students who dismiss interactive experiences as trivial because they lack traditional artistic elements like paint or canvas.

  Use this activity to redirect their focus to the design choices made in games like Journey, where the absence of a traditional art form is precisely what creates the emotional impact.

• During Simulation: Paper Prototyping, listen for students who assume interactive art is simpler because the audience completes the work.

  Have them present their prototypes to the class and explain the specific logic and planning required to guide user behavior in even the simplest interactions.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Formal Debate