Teaching children about dementia: blending old and new technologies to capture evidence of student learning–an auto-ethnographic reflection

Abstract

This study examines ways that both old and new technologies were employed in an educational project teaching children about dementia. Participants were taught about the impact of dementia on the health of individuals and on the communities where they live. The Dementia knowledge, Art, Research and Education (DARE) project initiated in Australia, used a multimodal approach, blending digital technologies with traditional creative art materials. This paper explores a second iteration of the project in Scotland, where data obtained through observations, field notes, journaling, and analysis of artwork are presented through auto-ethnography. Conclusions discuss the effectiveness of blending old and new technologies and the pedagogical impact on the researcher, teacher, and student participants involved.