{"id":4646,"date":"2026-01-12T10:53:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T09:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/2026\/01\/12\/investigadoras-ull-estudian-camara-oscura-ensenanza-arte-ciencia\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T10:53:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T09:53:26","slug":"investigadoras-ull-estudian-camara-oscura-ensenanza-arte-ciencia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/2026\/01\/12\/investigadoras-ull-estudian-camara-oscura-ensenanza-arte-ciencia\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers at the ULL are studying the use of the camera obscura in the teaching of art and science"},"content":{"rendered":"

The researchers from the University of La Laguna Ascension Camero Arranz<\/a>, from the Department of Specific Didactics, and Noem\u00ed Pe\u00f1a S\u00e1nchez<\/a>, From the Department of Fine Arts, they have analyzed the use of the camera obscura as an educational tool low-tech<\/em> for the joint teaching of art, science, and technology in secondary education. The study, published in the journal Artnodes<\/em><\/a>, It concludes that the incorporation of analog resources, combined with inquiry-based methodologies, promotes meaningful, critical, and interdisciplinary learning in an increasingly digitalized educational context.<\/p>\n

The camera obscura is an optical device that allows the direct observation of image formation based on the rectilinear propagation of light. Light, passing through a small hole in a dark box, projects an inverted image onto the opposite wall. This phenomenon, documented since antiquity and perfected during the Renaissance, became a tool used by painters to represent reality and, by the 19th century, also enabled the development of photography and film.<\/p>\n

The work, titled From simplicity to innovation: the camera obscura as a low-tech tool in modern education<\/em><\/a>, This project is based on an educational experience developed with high school students in which the camera obscura becomes the central element of an experiential learning process. Through the direct manipulation of this device, students explore the basic principles of image formation and the fundamental concepts of geometric optics, while simultaneously integrating knowledge from the field of art.<\/p>\n

The project is part of a well-established interdisciplinary research line developed by both researchers over several years. In the words of Noem\u00ed Pe\u00f1a, \u201cit\u2019s not about going back to the past, but about bringing classic tools to new educational territories and exploring their potential through experience.\u201d.<\/p>\n

As Ascensi\u00f3n Camero explains, \u201cthe camera obscura allows students to understand complex physical phenomena through direct experience. They don't memorize content, but rather observe, experiment with, and progressively construct their understanding, following a process very similar to the scientific method.\u201d This approach facilitates a deeper assimilation of curricular content and strengthens student motivation by placing them at the center of the educational process.<\/p>\n

Learning to see in the digital age<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the study's most significant contributions is its critical reflection on the production and consumption of images in the digital age. In contrast to the immediacy and speed that characterize current technologies, the camera obscura introduces an experience based on "slow time," which fosters attentive observation, presence, and conscious perception. In this sense, Camero emphasizes that "the camera obscura forces us to stop, observe, and gradually construct knowledge. It's not about theorizing about light, but about experiencing it, understanding it, and comprehending it from within.".<\/p>\n

From an artistic perspective, Pe\u00f1a adds that working with this device \u201cis about learning to see anew. Analog photography demands time, patience, and attention, and allows one to become aware of how an image is formed, something that digital photography tends to obscure.\u201d This immersive experience contributes to the development of creativity and fosters critical thinking among students, encouraging them to reflect on the use of technology and its impact on their perception of reality.<\/p>\n

The study highlights that the camera obscura, despite its simplicity, is an innovative, accessible, and sustainable educational resource because it is low-cost, easily replicable, and adaptable to different educational levels and sociocultural contexts. \u201cWhat is truly innovative is not the use of the technology itself, but the way it is integrated into the learning process,\u201d Pe\u00f1a points out, advocating for a complementary use of analog and digital methods.<\/p>\n

The experience also had an impact beyond the classroom, by encouraging the involvement of the educational community: the camera obscura sparked the interest of teachers from different areas, families and staff of the center, becoming a shared experience that strengthened educational and social ties.<\/p>\n

The trajectory of this research has also had international projection, with the presentation of the project at congresses and academic meetings held in cities such as Athens, and soon in Zadar (Croatia), where it has aroused interest for its hybrid approach between educational research and artistic practice.<\/p>\n

The study concludes that using a camera obscura facilitates the understanding of scientific content and promotes meaningful learning based on experience, collaboration, and student motivation. This type of approach encourages active participation in the educational process and a deeper understanding of physical and visual phenomena, while also fostering a critical perspective on images within the contemporary digital context.<\/p>\n

Beyond academic results, the study highlights the role of the university as an active agent in educational and social transformation. The recovery and reinterpretation of tools and experiences from the past is presented, in this sense, as a way to rethink contemporary educational models and promote a more critical, conscious, and humane relationship with technology.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers Ascensi\u00f3n Camero Arranz, from the Department of Specific Didactics at the University of La Laguna, and Noem\u00ed Pe\u00f1a S\u00e1nchez,\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":4647,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[818,15,35,6,644,10],"tags":[68,2201,2202,2203,2204,1164],"class_list":["post-4646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bellas-artes","category-cultura","category-departamentos","category-destacado","category-didacticas-especificas","category-portada-ull","tag-articulo","tag-artnodes","tag-ascension-camero","tag-camara-oscura","tag-innovacion-educativa","tag-noemi-pena"],"acf":[],"primary_category":null,"featured_image_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/camara-oscura-300x200.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}