“The systems they (Arts) nourish, which include our integrated sensory, attentional, cognitive, emotional, and motor capacities, are, in fact, the driving forces behind all other learning.”
Researchers have consistently found a positive correlation between the arts and learner engagement. Aside from the obvious and practical purpose of art media in illustrating abstract concepts, depicting nuance, and boosting content relatability for the learner, arts stimulate brain activity and capture the viewer’s attention. Thus, engaging the learner on a cognitive as well as emotional level. An engaged learner implies a learner who is physically, emotionally, and intellectually invested in the learning program. Needless to say, such a learner is highly probable to transfer learning from a well-designed program.
However, caution must be exercised while the use of art media in learning programs. Flashy graphics and funny videos only capture the learner’s attention on a temporary and superficial level. Moreover, they are actually detrimental to the achievement of learning goals as they drive the attention away from the conceptual material, occupying short-term (working) memory space and, therefore, causing attention overload on the learner’s working memory.
