Google Arts and Culture is a curated vault of great artworks from more than ii,000 museums and archives. It has 360-degree panoramas of historic landmarks, 3D models, augmented reality tools that allow you virtually endeavour on historical headgear or walk through museums, and tools that sort art by color, theme, and any other parameter you can imagine. Users can create their ain galleries and walkthroughs and accept guided, zoomed-in tours of works such as Dürer's Affective or Frida Kahlo's All the same Life with Parrot and Flag.

Image depicts a painting of various citrus fruits with a green parrot and a small Mexican flag sticking out from the fruit. Painting is shown through Google Arts and Culture

While on the surface, Google Arts and Culture seems to be a colorful, fun tool that can help teachers overcome mutual classroom challenges such every bit participation, motivation, and deeper learning connections, at that place are some serious problems to bear in listen when you're deciding whether or not to use this tool. These bug include privacy, accessibility, disinterestedness, off-white employ, and questionable content. Because it's a Google product, users will be giving up some privacy, specially to apply some of the features, like art selfies. In order to utilize it with maximum privacy, yous will have to give up both student autonomy and many of its features in favor of a curated feel on a shared business relationship (that is, a common login from a browser in anonymous, private, or incognito way). Also, the difference between copy-protected and copyright-free works is not always obvious, which complicates fair apply. Finally, Google Arts and Culture is non ever designed with an eye towards access; its visual nature ways that students with visual disabilities (including colorblindness) will not get the full do good.

Image depicts a variety of paintings with people and settings. Above paintings are a selective color spectrum ranging from white to black.
Google Arts & Civilization Colour Explorer

At that place are disinterestedness issues too: Because it relies on curatorial taste, the selections are non only undeniably Eurocentric, merely tend to represent those artists that privileged curators and collectors have deemed "worthy." Picasso yep; Henry Darger, non so much. Speaking of Darger and his sometimes-agonizing piece of work, K–12 teachers should note that Google Arts and Culture has some explicit content. However, while there are nudes, at that place is naught that most people would consider "pornographic."

In cursory, Google Arts and Culture applies Big Information to art… with all the power, and all the shortcomings, that implies.

Tool Snapshot

Cost Complimentary
Learning Constructivism & Connectivism
Ease of Use ★★★✩✩
Privacy ★✩✩✩✩
Accessibility ★★★✩✩
Grade Size Unlimited
Login Yes for curating; No for exploring
ISTE*S Knowledge Constructor & Artistic Communicator
COPPA/ FERPA No

Ease of Utilize

Google Arts and Culture is very easy to apply. The awarding is primarily signal-and-click for most features, and Google's user interface is polished. We docked a star from this category because we believed that the amount of data initially presented is a bit overwhelming, especially for a beginning-time user. It would take a long time to get through all of the different kinds of content on the site.

Also, the app tends to bleed your phone bombardment very chop-chop. Nosotros come across this equally an outcome in usability because nosotros found information technology difficult to use augmented reality (AR) tools to a total chapters when having to rely on a charging cablevision to keep a full accuse on a device. In one of our tech demos, a user's laptop began overheating, causing the fans to run then hard that the device began buzzing. Thus nosotros removed some other star from the rating.

When using Google Arts and Civilization, students have the liberty to choose which features they want to explore whether it exist through augmented reality tools, 3D tours, or picture galleries. Google uses vague starting points in their "Explore" tab in order to engage the user. For case, ane selection for exploration is to search past "time" or by "color." Once the user clicks on these, information technology volition arrange artworks based on which fourth dimension period they are produced or what colors are used in the artwork's colour palette. This uncomplicated and intuitive method of organizing data makes it easier for users to collaborate with the site without feeling besides overwhelmed.

It should also be noted that the algorithms are imperfect. For instance, a search for "Grandma Moses" brings upward her biography (taken from Wikipedia), only and so features works by Moses Wainer Dykaar. It would be easy for students to think that the folk artist Grandma Moses was an academically-trained sculptor (she was, in fact, a self-taught painter). The lack of curation makes the site something best used by those who already know something about art, or who are guided by a teacher who knows most art. Furthermore, while some artists' works accept been carefully chosen, others accept not been not, and there are no filters to avoid potentially disturbing imagery. Some artwork contains nudity, acts of violence, and other imagery that may be inappropriate for younger audiences.

While many of the works are public-domain, others are not, and may not be able to be copy-and-pasted for projects. Discovering the copyright condition of the works is not e'er obvious due to the way they are presented. Equally with anything you find on an Internet search, be careful reproducing work found on Google Arts and Culture in any format that might be considered "for-turn a profit" or non-bookish.

Privacy

Google Arts and Civilization is not a role of the Google Workspace Suite, so it is not protected by COPPA and FERPA. It requires you to make a Google account before you tin can fully utilize information technology (though yous can browse for costless), and also requires you lot to download the smartphone app in order to proceeds access to many features. The smartphone version is also much more adult and in-depth than the desktop version, which encourages users to download the app—and thus grant Google access to their smartphone data. Google is notorious for acquiring a lot of their users' personal data, including the user's location and search history. This information is sold to third party sites that volition apply data for marketing purposes, thus profiting from users' personal information. Because of this, we give Google Arts and Civilization the lowest possible privacy rating and recommend accessing Google Arts and culture through a common, teacher-owned account, and private browser.

Accessibility

Accessibility is somewhat problematic in Google Arts and Civilisation. While the videos and interactive games take both audio and subtitles, and features that rely on Google's other applications, such as YouTube videos, implement those sites' accessibility features, there are even so some serious accessibility problems. Since this platform relies heavily on visuals, alternate text is a must for users who rely on screen readers and it is non always included on visuals, especially materials owned by third-party organizations. While many of the more popular and more than recognized art installations and exhibits provide alternate text, a bulk of the content on the platform does non. In that location are no filters or features that help color-blind users, either.

Class Size & Collaboration

Google Arts and Civilization is developed for individual employ on a single platform, but has the potential for an unlimited classroom size. In that location are just express collaboration tools or multiplayer options available (for instance, the jigsaw puzzle game). Withal, students can exist assigned to piece of work in groups or collaboratively within the classroom setting. For instance, one student can navigate while the group discusses where to become collectively.

ISTE Standards

Knowledge Constructor: Students tin can curate their ain galleries, connect works of art over fourth dimension or from disparate artists, and write information on artworks. In short, Google Arts and Civilisation empowers learners to act as fine art historians.

Artistic Communicator: Students tin use art to communicate ideas, besides every bit communicate ideas through art. Google Arts and Civilization offers numerous tools for doing and so, such as creating galleries and walkthroughs, as well as tools and apps.

Google Arts and Culture video

Google and the SAMR Model

The SAMR model, adult by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, offers a lens for examining how technology is adopted in a classroom. We recommend using this model as an analytical tool to encourage educational innovation and transformation.

Here's how Google Arts and Culture fits into the SAMR model:

  • Exchange: Students can use Google Arts and Civilization instead of going on a trip to a museum or looking at books well-nigh art.
  • Augmentation: Students can use Google Arts and Civilization tools to enhance their learning. For instance, students tin explore the importation of dyestuffs into Europe in the Age of Exploration past examining the increased apply of sure colors during the time menstruum.
  • Modification: With Google Arts and Culture's database-like functions, students can utilize fundamental search terms to explore historical movements, easily compile portfolios of art from a specific time period, and observe what it says well-nigh the culture and change, and especially change through time. Students can similarly compile portfolios about social course, race, and gender roles.
  • Redefinition: Students can use Google Arts and Civilisation's digital features to explore art and history in means that were not possible before digital technology, like gallery walkthroughs in unlike countries or using art filters in pictures and videos. Students tin also practise a meta-project critiquing Google Arts and Culture'south representation of social grade, race, inability, and gender roles.

Technology is oftentimes used as a substitute for traditional teaching (like a field trip to a museum). While substitution has some benefits, such as allowing students to become more comfortable with working with engineering science, Google Arts and Culture and other avant-garde tech tools has the ability to redefine how students perform educational tasks and interact with their world.

Learning Activities

Math

It is possible to compile statistics and analyze Google Arts and Culture in a information-driven way. How many works depict people of color? How many are by people of color? Does this change past fourth dimension period or historical era? What practice these statistics imply?

Scientific discipline

Art and the history of science are closely related. Students can study ideas such every bit eyes, perspective, anatomy, the electromagnetic spectrum, the science of colour, and the development of the scientific method through artworks.

English/Linguistic communication Arts

Art and writing are a natural fit. Besides having students write about fine art, many artworks are inspired by literature; literary movements also participate in the same zeitgeist as art movements. Students can link Delacroix to Victor Hugo, for instance, while Picasso, Miró, and Man Ray can inform a reading of Hemingway or John Dos Passos.

Other

Google Arts and Culture is, of form, a natural match for history and art classes. Everything from artifacts from the ancient world to nineteenth-century ideas of race are represented and tin can exist used to heighten lessons.

Resources

  • Google Arts and Culture at St. Francis College Library
  • Learn with Google Arts and Culture
  • Google Arts and Civilisation: 3 Tips for Teachers
  • Common Sense Education Review
  • 15 History Lesson Ideas for Google Arts and Culture
  • Applied Digital Skills with Google Arts and Culture
  • EdTech Magazine on Google Arts and Culture
  • An Overview of Google Arts and Culture (From an Educator's Perspective)
  • Google Arts and Culture Turns x (Google blog)

How to Use Google Arts and Civilization

  • Go to https://artsandculture.google.com/.
Imagery depicts typing the url for Google Arts and Culture.
  • From the launch page, you lot have numerous navigation choices — just if y'all desire access to specific features that involve personalization like curating art galleries, you will need to create/sign in to a Google
  • To Sign or Log In, click the bluish button in the height right corner.
Imagery depicts the homepage for Google Arts and Culture. The Blue Sign-In Button in the top right corner is highlighted in red.
  • From at that place, y'all can cull to login with your Google credentials or on the bottom-left of the field, click on the create an account link — this will redirect yous to a form to make a new Google account.
Imagery depicts the sign in page for Google.
  • Fill out the fields indicated, read upwards on Google'southward privacy policy, accept their terms and weather condition, and you are prepare to go!
Imagery depicts scrolling through Google's Privacy Policy.

Research

  • A. L. Blackwood. Curating Inequality: The Link Betwixt Cultural Reproduction and Race in the Visual Arts.
  • M.L. Bothelo, et al. Designing exhibitions at Google Cultural Institute: between pedagogical experiences and the creation of heritage improvidence products
  • R. Wahyuningtyas, Eliminating Boundaries in Learning Culture Through Engineering science: A Review of Google Arts and Civilization.
  • M. Udell, The Museum of the Infinite Curl: Assessing the Effectiveness of Google Arts and Culture as a Virtual Tool for Museum Accessibility

This page was created past Hunter Proulx, Ken Mondschein, and Hostage Thomas.