Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop effective instructional media on the topic of art composition, shapes, and forms for deaf students at Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University. The instructional media took the form of physical, three-dimensional models of various shapes, which could be touched and seen. The participants were 25 deaf students from the Department of Deaf Studies, Ratchasuda College, who had never taken any art composition classes. The procedure was comprised of four steps. The first was selecting a sample group; the second step was to develop research instruments ; the third step was data collection; and the last step was data analysis.

This study found that using the three-dimensional models improved communication between the instructor and the students. With the instructional media, students can understand the concept of dimensions-width, length, and height-of three types of shapes (geometric shapes, natural shapes, and free-form shapes), which have been designed to allow the user to put the shapes into molds. When students visually observed the models, they saw the two dimensions -the width and the length-of the shapes. Once the students have learnt and understood the difference between shapes and forms, they eventually understand the concept of art composition.

Comparing pre-and post-learning tests revealed that after interaction with the media, the learning effectiveness increased significantly, with a 95% confidence interval. A majority of the students expressed the highest level of satisfaction on the variety and the relevance of the media with the lesson content

Keywords: Instructional media, Art composition, Shapes and forms, Deaf students