Credit photographs: Prof. Dr. C. June Maker, DISCOVER Projects, University of Arizona, Tucson

The University of Arizona has used the ArtGames created by Bernd Terwey for the DISCOVER assessment project - for the spatial artistic activity of a performance-based assessment of children's problem solving in the multiple intelligences.

DISCOVER has projects all over the world and is being used to identify children und youth with gifts and talents in many countries (e.g. Bahrain, England, Taiwan, China, England, USA, to name just a few)

For further information please see: www.discover.arizona.edu

"…Children of all ages love working with the brightly-coloured pieces of the art games created by Bernd Terwey, and they make incredible constructios of all types.

It is versatile and does not suggest any kind of construction, it engages everyone in the creative, artistic process.Éand it is not dependent on coordination or skill in using tools…"

Prof. Dr. C. June Maker,

Discover Projects,

University of Arizona

Credit: Sam Blanco NY

Art Projects – I do introduce this (game) as art rather than a game to most of my students. Because I use it with multiple students, we take pictures of the finished product so the student can have a tangible representation of what he/she created that day. Many of my students are more open to the difficult tasks presented in the game when it is introduced as an art project.

Compare and Contrast – Art Uris provides fantastic materials for higher order compare and contrast tasks. You can have students compare and contrast individual elements or two complete structures. There are a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns offering multiple opportunities to create novel descriptions.

Symmetry – The elements included in this kit lend themselves nicely to creating people and animals. This is great practice for creating symmetry in structures, especially because when the learner is first exploring these materials, using symmetry is more likely to help them make the structure stand up.

Motor Skills – For older learners who are struggling with fine motor tasks such as gripping with thumb and index finger or using two hands to complete a motor task, ArtUris provides fantastic age-appropriate materials to practice the task. Learners need to pick up the elements and use two hands to attach elements to connectors.

Intraverbal Skills – I also use this kit to get kids involved in conversations. Because there are so many aspects of each element and structure to discuss, it allows for novel, multiple exchanges about one topic, a challenging skill for many learners with autism.

Logical Thinking – As mentioned above, one of the challenges presented by these materials is ensuring the structure can stand up. Learners must think about the weight, height, and placement of connectors in order to successfully have the structure stand. These materials are not flimsy, so the learners almost always successfully achieve this goal; and the materials are motivating enough that learners are willing to practice the very important skill of synchronizing multiple pieces of information to complete a task.

Flexibility – One of my favorite things about this set is that there are so many different pieces. Several of my students build the same things over and over when presented with a set of building materials. For example, one of my students builds the letter “T” whenever he is presented with Legos. With this set, I can present just a few pieces, or remove the pieces that are part of my learner’s routine. This allows us to break through the rigidity and create new structures, with the ultimate goal of generalizing that flexible thinking to other materials.

Problem Solving -  I frequently give learners challenges, then allow them to complete the challenge in an open-ended framework. For example, I may say “Build a structure that is only black and white,” or “Create an animal that has a four legs and a tail.” Problem solving skills can also be practiced as the learner addresses challenges that arise naturally in the activity, usually related to making sure pieces and connectors are placed correctly so the structure can stand.

Peer Play/Teamwork – I have used this to engage learners with autism and their siblings in completing a challenge. For example, I may ask them to create a truck. They work together to build the structure and make sure that it stands. I may facilitate this by giving the sibling some of the pieces I anticipate the learner with autism may need or by providing visual or verbal prompts to make sure the learner with autism is communicating with his peer or sibling. Peer play can also be addressed through having both learners build separate items and discuss them during and after, or by having both learners build related items that can then be displayed together.