CHArt Computers and the History of Art CHArt 2000 Conference Paper Abstracts

VISUAL CULTURE AND THE NEW MILLENNIUM

Debbie Kent,
Visual Arts Data Service

Transforming Visual Image Archives for Learning and Teaching

The Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) is currently running the PICTIVA project, which aims to promote the use of image collections in learning and teaching in the visual arts.

The Visual Arts Data Service
VADS is part of the Arts & Humanities Data Service funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB).

Their aims are:

• To build a searchable on-line archive of digital resources for use by the visual arts community especially higher education for teaching, learning and research.
• To establish and promote good practice in the creation, management and preservation of digital resources through an advisory, training and publications programme.

The next eighteen months will show a large growth in the amount of collections that will be delivered online by VADS with the delivery of the JIDI and POSSE collections, as well as other independent collections.

Promoting the use of online image collections in learning and teaching in the visual arts

PICTIVA is a two-year project, funded by JISC as part of their programme to enhance JISC activities for learning and teaching. The project is targeted at the image collections offered by VADS, and it will be co-ordinated, delivered and promoted by VADS in partnership with the Institute for Image Data Retrieval (IIDR).

PICTIVA will:

• Produce generic tools to promote ease of use of the image collections delivered by VADS
• Develop learning and teaching materials based on the use of specific collections
• Evaluate this process and produce case studies based on the final outcomes of the project

Generic Tools

The generic tools will include online tutorials, making considerations about the format of the user interface with emphasis on the search and retrieval of images in the collections held by VADS as well as a trial of contents based image retrieval (CBIR). Learning and Teaching Materials The development of learning and teaching materials, based on the images included in specific collections, will be sub-contracted to academics with the relevant expertise. Evaluation The tools and materials will also be trialed by lecturers and students in participating organisations. Case studies reporting on usage or prospective usage will be included on the VADS site. Current status The project has four major stages: consultation, development, implementation and evaluation. The consultation phase will be completed by summer 2000 and the results of the user surveys will inform the specifications for the development of the generic tools and the learning and teaching materials.