Empowering Students Through AI-Enhanced Creative Projects in Art History��Integrating AI into Course Assignments�

Rose Adams, MA

Visual Arts

Why This Matters

• AI as a Research Tool: Navigating the Information Age
• The Rise of Digital Literacy: Essential for the Modern Workforce
• AI and Creativity: Expanding Innovation, Not Replacing It
• Ethical and Responsible AI Use: A Critical Skill
• Preparing for an AI-Integrated Future

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Project Objectives

• Deepen engagement with art history through creative formats.
• Develop essential digital literacy and research skills.
• Encourage students to move beyond traditional essays into dynamic, interactive research.
• Use AI tools to enhance—not replace—student creativity and critical thinking.
• Require students to reflect on their research and creative choices.
• Foster meaningful connections between art and architectural history, artistic expression, and digital tools.

The Assignment: AI Meets Art History

• Students explore an art movement, architect, artist or style.
• Formats: Podcast, Documentary, Infographic, or Zine.
• AI supports tasks like design, editing, and organization, not content creation.

AI Integration Strategy

- AI used for:

• Content organization (outlines, summaries)

• Multimedia support (design, video/audio editing)

• Critical engagement (students must refine AI output)

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Student Showcase

Podcast �(2 people max)

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• Objective: To create an engaging podcast episode that demonstrates a thoughtful synthesis of traditional research and AI-generated content, providing an informative and entertaining exploration of an artist, style, or architectural movement or iconic building.
• Description: Students will record a 13-15 minute podcast that includes well-researched information on a key architectural style, or structure, or artistic movement, supplemented by personal insights and AI-generated enhancements. AI tools can assist in generating a script outline, refining questions, or enhancing audio quality, while the core research should come from reliable sources.

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The Importance of Anatomy in the High Renaissance

Student Reflection

• Used AI to explore artists with an emphasis on anatomy, relevant to pursuing a career in sculpting.
• Primarily used AI for summarizing complex articles, especially by extracting text segments and copying them into ChatGPT, improving efficiency compared to sifting through entire papers.
• Shifted from renting physical books at the Fullerton Public Library to digital borrowing, benefiting from the convenience of a Kindle Fire.
• Discovered the Gemini 1.5 Notebook LM feature while working on a documentary-style video, which helped compile articles and generate summaries to create a podcast outline.
• Faced challenges with AI accuracy, needing to iterate and provide additional context to improve outputs, especially regarding anatomical analyses from the High Renaissance.
• Created a separate podcast to convey specific information when AI failed to produce desired quotes, citing sources like Giorgio Vasari and Leonardo da Vinci.
• Integrated the generated content into Adobe Audition for the podcast, refining sound distortions.
• Spent considerable time researching AI tools like ChatGPT, Google’s Notebook LM, and Illuminate AI, and now considering using them to create podcasts for Italian Renaissance Art as a study method.
• Noted AI tools like Grammarly significantly speed up tasks like proofreading and revising, enhancing both creative and academic work.
• Searched for an AI tool for creating a Works Cited page but found none that worked well, so opted for traditional formatting.
• Overall, AI has transformed the approach to research, writing, and content creation, making processes more efficient and enjoyable.

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Documentary-Style Video �(2 people max)

• Objective: To produce a short documentary that combines traditional research and AI-enhanced multimedia elements to narrate the story of a Renaissance art movement or artist in a visually engaging format.
• Description: Students will create an 8-10 minute documentary-style video that narrates the historical context and significance of a Renaissance art movement or artist. AI tools can assist with video editing, creating transitions, or generating a voice-over, but the core content should be rooted in research and personal analysis.

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Jan van Eyck in the Northern Renaissance

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Student Reflection

· Used ChatGPT to generate research topics related to van Eyck and the Northern Renaissance.

· Found research sources from The Art Story website, Khan Academy, and JSTOR database.

· Initially tried to use ChatGPT for summarizing but switched to traditional reading for better understanding.

· Decided to create a documentary-style video for the project.

· Planned to use iMovie, but faced issues with voice recording functionality.

· Used Pictory.ai to generate the video by pasting the script and editing it to add relevant images of van Eyck’s paintings.

· Tested AI-generated voice but ultimately recorded own voice for the video.

· Faced challenges with microphone clarity but overcame them for better audio quality.

· Chose the documentary format to visually present the art, making it more engaging and educational.

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Infographic & Social Media Campaign�

• Objective: To design an educational and visually engaging infographic, supported by a social media campaign, that combines traditional research and AI-enhanced design to communicate key aspects of a Renaissance art movement or artist.
• Description: Students will design a detailed infographic that visually presents their research on a Renaissance art movement, artist, or artwork. They will also create a complementary social media campaign (4-5 posts) to engage a broader audience. AI tools can assist with design, generating summaries, and optimizing posts for social media.

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Student Reflection

• Integrated AI as a supportive tool in developing an infographic on Mannerism, using it for research and specific tasks without fully relying on it.
• Used AI like a conversation to ask targeted questions, such as requesting names of art historians specializing in Mannerism, which were cross-referenced with reputable sources.
• AI helped summarize dense academic articles, saving time and highlighting key themes, especially when dealing with complex topics like Mannerism’s influence on Renaissance art.
• Primarily relied on academic sources like JSTOR, refining searches based on scholars mentioned in the articles.
• Leveraged AI for minor editorial tasks, such as grammar and spelling checks, and improving the formality and clarity of writing.
• AI's role was limited to research and writing; it did not assist with the design of the infographic.
• As a graphic design background holder, handled the technical aspects of the design.
• Focused on visual identity, consistency, and balance in the infographic design.
• Faced challenges in determining how much data to include and how to balance visual and textual elements.
• In this case, the data was the main component, with visual elements serving to guide the viewer or create pauses in the information.

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Zine or Digital Magazine

• Objective: To create an artistically designed digital zine that blends thorough research and AI-enhanced layouts or design to present an architectural style or movement in an informative and visually compelling way.
• Description: Students will design a 5-6 page zine that incorporates both factual articles and creative visual elements, providing a holistic look at a key architectural movement or structure. AI tools can be used to assist with layout, design, or generating content ideas. The zine should include both scholarly research and personal interpretation.

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Student Reflection

· Created a fun, creative, and informative magazine with a focus on architecture, presented in the format of a real estate magazine.

· Wanted to incorporate both informative content and satire, with a realistic approach since expensive homes actually use this architecture.

· Faced challenges narrowing down extensive research to fit within the constraints of a magazine while keeping it engaging but not overloaded with information.

· Used the library’s database to find credible sources, ensuring diverse and reliable information for the project.

· AI was considered for brainstorming ideas but was not ultimately used for this project, as the creator preferred developing unique concepts independently.

· Felt it was easier to rely on personal research methods and trusted databases rather than summarizing AI-generated content.

· Focused on creating a whimsical and unique magazine, taking pride in coming up with the idea and themes on their own.

· Chose not to use AI for this project due to concerns it would complicate the workload and disrupt personal strategies.

· Believes that AI should be a tool for personal projects or learning but not for replacing essential skills students need to develop.

· Compared AI use to a calculator: a helpful tool, but basic skills should still be learned independently.

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Student Response and Outcomes

• Students engaged deeply with the process.
• Sense of pride and ownership.
• Reflected on the role of AI for schoolwork.

Outcomes:

• Increased digital literacy.
• creative confidence.
• Better use of time.
• Smarter way to conduct research.

Benefits and Challenges

- Benefits:

• Increased engagement & creativity

• Practical digital literacy skills

• Research presented in diverse formats

- Challenges:

• Balancing AI with original research

• Ensuring AI supports, not replaces, student thought

• Ethics & citation concerns.

Key Takeaways

• AI should enhance, not replace, student work.
• Encourage critical thinking in AI use.
• Structure projects so that students drive the content.
• Transparency