The aesthetic dimension in the educational unit - UNAE

Abstract

In this article, we talk about a research and innovation project being carried out at the National University of Education (UNAE) in Ecuador, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. We are developing a school for students from 3 to 18 years old, annexed to the University, guided by the parameters of a new pedagogical model promoted at the University. In this work we focus on the role of art in the school and its broader pedagogical system, on our own understanding of the ‘aesthetic dimension’ in this educational project, and of the importance of the ‘aesthetic dimension’ in learning environments. We suggest that art can catalyse human development, community, and divergent thinking in important ways. We also show how an interdisciplinary understanding of the ‘aesthetic dimension’ can be put to work in Ecuadorian schools, and perhaps in many others as well.