International Journal of Informatics Society, VOL.15, NO.2 (2023) 67-77

67

Regular Paper

Effectiveness and Issues of Self-assessment for Empowerment Arts Therapy
Practitioners
Michi Komura†, Midori Ishihara‡, Hajime Kaneko*, and Akihiro Hayashi**†

Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan‡
ATAS Laboratory, Japan*
Kobe University of Future Health Sciences, Japan**
Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology, Japan{mitikomm347, midorippa2021, kaneko68h, pixysbrain}@gmail.com
Abstract -To improve the reliability of Empowerment Arts
Therapy (EAT) conducted in local communities and toincrease the benefits to its users, there is a need for continuous
improvement in the capabilities of EAT practitioners. The
authors have proposed a self-assessment method that consistsof several assessment tools for this purpose. It is suggested
that these self-assessment tools are effective to deepenpractitioners’ self-recognition of their EAT activities andpromote their motivation toward self-improvement. In thispaper, we discuss and report the effectiveness and issues ofself-assessment for EAT practitioners based on the results ofa trial case using self-assessment tools.
Keywords: Empowerment Arts Therapy, Self-assessment,
Self-improvement, Community Formation, Mental Health.

1 INTRODUCTION
Empowerment Arts Therapy in the community is an activity
that uses artistic techniques such as painting, music, drama,
dance, and poetry to support people’s lives, develop theircapabilities, and improve their quality of life (QOL) in
empowering ways. The main target of EAT includes people
in relatively good health. EAT is distinguished from
Psychopathological Arts Therapy (PAT) which is
psychotherapy for the treatment of mental illness. EAT has awider variety of forms and methods than PAT and is not
subject to established methodologies or public institutionalframeworks.
EAT practitioners have a wide range of backgrounds andskill levels. The practitioners do not necessarily aim attherapeutic activities from the beginning of their careers.
They are engaged in various artistic activities such as paintingclasses, music classes, dance groups, and so on. Many
practitioners independently learned arts therapy during theprocess of seeking solutions to improve the mental problemsof their clients and developed their unique style of activities.
This diversity makes it difficult to uniformly evaluate theskills of EAT practitioners. Evaluation criteria have not yet
been established. It is, however, necessary to clarify anddisseminate the basic requirements guiding EAT practices.
1 In ATAS, two research projects “National Survey on Arts Therapy”(2012-2014) and “Elucidation of the Constitutive Requirements andDevelopment of Evaluation Criteria for Empowerment Arts Therapy”

This is to ensure that the practices are safely conducted andavoid causing unintentional disadvantages because EAT
activities are community-based and involve people’s mental
health issues. Furthermore, it is essential to continuously
improve EAT practitioners’ capabilities based on the basic
requirements.
In this paper, we outline self-assessment tools including the
EAT Assessment Sheet and the EAT Rubric for practitioners
to improve their capabilities as a solution to the lack ofevaluation criteria. We examine a trial case for the selfassessment tools, which have been revised and improved
based on the results of previous surveys. Additionally, weclarify the effectiveness of the self-assessment for EAT
practitioners and highlight future issues. Section 2 presents anoutline of the self-assessment tools and the purpose of thestudy. Section 3 describes the expected effects of the selfassessment. Section 4 reports on the results of a trial case in
an EAT practitioner. This trial case study is showcased as
preliminary research before the full-scale verification study
to be conducted in the future. Section 5 describes theeffectiveness of self-assessment and future issues.

2 OUTLINE OF THE SELF-ASSESSMENTTOOLS AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
2.1 Outline of the Self-Assessment Tools
EAT is the concept defined and proposed by Arts Therapy
Activities Study (ATAS) 1 which we have been engaged insince 2012. PAT is primarily conducted in clinical settings bypsychotherapists and psychiatrists. In recent years, activities
utilizing arts therapy have been expanding beyond the clinicalsettings in Japan. We can find cases of practice such as a trialof the technique “picture drawing play” with an applicationof psychotherapy in homeroom activity in elementary school[1], workshops conducted by a cloth collage artist [2], andmosaic-making session process of a contract office worker in
adult mosaic classes conducted by a mosaic artist [3]. In thetrial case of practice in an elementary school, direct
practitioners were schoolteachers, not psychotherapists,
although the project was conducted in collaboration between(2015-2017) were conducted being funded by the Grant-in-Aid for
Scientific Research by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

ISSN1883-4566 © 2023 - Informatics Society and the authors. All rights reserved.

68

M. Komura et al. / Effectiveness and Issues of Self-assessment for Empowerment Arts Therapy Practitionersa psychologist and schoolteachers. In the cases of cloth
collage and mosaic production, the practitioners were bothartists. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary study conducted at
the Konan Institute of Human Sciences (KIHS) revealed the
expansion of arts therapy activities in everyday life [4]. These
activities utilize arts therapy but are conducted for different
purposes than clinical treatment. These activities can bepositioned in the area of EAT. In line with this trend, thepractitioners involved in these activities is expanding frommedical or clinical professionals to people with a broader
range of background.
Thus, EAT activities are socially expanding in Japan.
However, the capabilities of EAT practitioners have not been
discussed. Specific methods for their assessment andimprovement have not been established.
In the area of PAT, there are some discussions about arts
therapy assessments. Lefèvre et al. [5] discussed the impacts
of arts therapy on palliative cancer patients’ distress reduction
based on self-assessments by the patients. Beard’s systematic
literature review [6] includes analyses regarding assessment
methods and tools for various kinds of arts therapy fordementia patients containing self-assessment by the patients.
Betts [7] broadly examined art therapy assessments and rating
instruments and discussed their applicability, validity, andreliability. These studies target arts therapy for patients inclinical settings with the primary purpose of treating diseases
or relieving symptoms and describe benefits and issues forarts therapy assessments including self-assessment by
patients themselves. On the other hand, EAT is conducted forthe general public in communities outside the clinical settings.
The circumstances and needs of EAT vary from those of PAT.
Assessment methods suitable to EAT circumstances andchallenges will be required. Unlike in PAT, however, there
have been few scales and little discussion about assessment
methods fit for EAT practices and practitioners.
The development of a self-assessment tool for EAT
practitioners was derived from ATAS. In 2012, ATAS
conducted a nationwide survey project 2 on various kinds ofarts therapy activities in non-clinical fields [8], and elucidated
the basic constructive requirements of EAT [9]. Through thisnationwide survey, the necessity of capability evaluation of
EAT practitioners was identified. Self-assessment was
proposed as a solution to this issue. It was because
establishing an objective assessment method at a leap wasconsidered not feasible given the actual environment around
EAT [9] (pp.9-10).
However, the implementable assessment tools had not yet
been created. Therefore, the EAT Assessment Sheet(Appendix I) was created to provide a practical assessment
tool in a user-friendly form [10].
The EAT Assessment Sheet intended to help EAT
practitioners understand their own strengths and weaknesses,
and to make use of their efforts toward self-development.
However, there was a risk that the criteria may be too
2“National Survey on Arts Therapy” (2012-2014) funded by the Grant-inAid for Scientific Research by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS).
3
The numerical value of each item is an ordinal scale, and the calculation of
the average value does not have statistical effectiveness. However, it isimportant for the items to be easy to understand and simple to use by EAT

subjective when the sheet alone was used. In addition, it wasdifficult for EAT practitioners to recognize what kind of state
to aim for in the next stage to improve items with low scores.
To solve this issue, the EAT Rubric was created as acomplementary tool to the EAT Assessment Sheet [11].
A rubric is “a scoring tool that lays out the specificexpectations for an assignment” [12]. It contains scales,
dimensions, and descriptions of the dimensions for a task. In
recent years, rubrics have been applied from elementary tohigher education because interactive and formative
assessment has become more important as Japanese
education has shifted to learner-centered active learning.
Rubrics are used not only for assessment by teachers but also
for self-assessment by students. Hoshi and Koshikawa [13]analyzed the twenty-six papers concerning the use of rubrics
for students’ self-assessment in university education andsuggested the effects of self-assessment with rubrics: students’
understanding objectives, motivation towards learning,
improvement of qualities and abilities, and teachers’
understanding students. Rubrics are considered to containelements that promote learners’ progress as well as
assessment functions. These features of rubrics are expected
to be effective enough for self-assessment in the field ofsocial activities such as EAT.
In addition to the sheet and rubric, a mapping sheet was
prepared for EAT practitioners to check and recognize thepositions of their activities. The mapping sheet is adaptedfrom a conceptual diagram originally created to explain theinterrelationships and positions of concepts and activities
such as arts therapy, art, and empowerment [14] (p.106).
The basic components of the self-assessment tools at thepresent stage are described below, though the development
and revision of each tool are ongoing.
(1) Mapping Sheet (Appendix I)
This is a map for EAT practitioners to grasp the position of
their activities by referring to the Five Types of Arts Therapy
and the difference between EAT and PAT. EAT practitioners
mark the areas where their activities overlap on the diagramof “Positioning of Art/Therapy/Empowerment” in the
mapping sheet. This work promotes reflection on theiractivities and visualizes their positioning. Mapping is
expected to serve as an introduction or preparation for selfassessment.
(2) EAT Assessment Sheet (Appendix II)
This is a checklist-type sheet consisting of 26 items in 8
categories related to the skills and knowledge of EAT
practitioners, their psychological safety, sustainability, andthe basic principles underlying EAT activities. The content ofeach item is based on the constructive requirements for EAT
as elucidated by ATAS [9] (pp.11-18). EAT practitioners rateeach item on a 4-point scale, calculate the average values 3 forpractitioners to grasp their own status and position. Based on thisunderstanding, this study followed the examples of quantification in social
psychological tests such as vocational aptitude and personality tests. In thesetests, the ordinal scale is regarded as an interval scale and was quantified,
which is useful in grasping one’s position in an overview using a ranking
process. However, the appropriateness of using averages in the EAT self-

International Journal of Informatics Society, VOL.15, NO.2 (2023) 67-77

each category, and subsequently draw a radar chart. This
work helps visualize their skill levels and enables EAT
practitioners to recognize the actual conditions andcharacteristics of their activities.
(3) EAT Rubric (Appendix III)The EAT Rubric is based on the rubric format as a criterion
for self-assessment regarding EAT. It has seven perspectives:
Knowledge, Skills, Psychological Safety, Self-exploration/Self-understanding, Cooperation/Collaboration, Management/Sustainability, and Basic Principles. The EAT Rubric
has the following four-level scale for each perspective:

1.
2.
3.
4.

A state that should have been achieved. The items
checked here indicate that there is much room andneed for improvement.
A state that indicates inadequacy, but the practitioner
is on the way to improvement.
A state that generally meets expected standards.
A state that serves as a goal or guideline for each item.

It is, however, difficult to specify objective criteria such as
which level or higher is acceptable and which level or lower
is not because the evaluation criteria for the EAT are still
under research. The EAT Rubric is not intended to be used asa stand-alone tool, but rather as a reference of criteria for selfassessment with the EAT Assessment Sheet. For thesereasons, the rubric does not contain evaluative terms such as
excellent, good, and inadequate that would make EAT
practitioners aware of passing or failing, instead, numbers
from 1 to 4 are used.
The EAT Rubric was created in consideration of thecorrespondence with the items of the EAT Assessment Sheet.
The eight categories on the EAT Assessment Sheet werereorganized into seven assessment dimensions to cover theimportant points concisely although the rubric dimensions on
the EAT Rubric do not completely correspond to thecategories on the EAT Assessment Sheet. The description of
the EAT Rubric is more abstract than that of the EAT
Assessment Sheet which lists specific items. The EAT Rubric
provides a comprehensive bird's-eye view of the requirements
for EAT while the EAT Assessment Sheet provides concrete
checking items. By using the assessment sheet and the rubric
in a complementary manner, it is expected to promote abird's-eye view and specified understanding of the status of
one's own activities and skills. This is why the two kinds oftools are separately prepared to be used together.
On the other hand, there might be a risk that using the twodifferent tools together may complicate the process and theusage and purpose of each tool may not be well understood.
This risk can be avoidable by providing concise and easy-tounderstand instructions and guides, which is one of theupcoming tasks.

assessment remains to be analyzed and needs to be carefully examined in thecourse of future studies [15].

69

2.2 Purpose of the Study
The fundamental issue in EAT is how to ensure thecapabilities of practitioners and the quality of activities fromamong a diverse range for which there are no establishedevaluation criteria. The purpose of this study is to examine
the effectiveness of continuous self-assessment using the selfassessment tools described above.
A previous survey conducted before this study suggested acertain level of effectiveness for self-assessment using the
EAT Assessment Sheet in combination with the EAT Rubric[16]. It is expected that EAT practitioners will deepen theirself-awareness and increase their motivation for autonomous
self-improvement by self-reflection in a fixed-point manner
through regular self-assessment work.
This study examines the effectiveness and issues
concerning self-assessment based on a case study of the trial
use of self-assessment tools by an EAT practitioner.

3 EXPECTED EFFECTIVENESS OF SELFASSESSMENT
3.1 Continuous Self-improvement
The expected effect of self-assessment is the selfimprovement of EAT practitioners through its continuous andregular implementation. The objective of the self-assessment
tools described in Chapter 2 includes supporting andencouraging EAT practitioners in their efforts to increase thequality and reliability of their activities by objectively
viewing their own activities and skill levels. Further, the tools
aim at helping to independently determine whatcharacteristics to develop as strengths and those that require
improvement by regular monitoring.
It should be emphasized that the main actors undergoingassessment and improvement are EAT practitioners
themselves. The self-assessment tools are mechanisms tohelp empower them in their efforts and are not intended to
draw a line between pass/fail or suitable/unsuitable regarding
the quality of activities and skills of EAT practitioners basedon uniform criteria.

3.2 Improvement Process
The following process for improvement of practitioners’
capabilities is envisioned by applying the self-assessment
tools (Fig. 1):
1) Clarify areas of activities using the mapping sheet (Tobe necessarily conducted the first time. Thereafter, it
should be performed as required).
2) Self-assess with the EAT Assessment Sheet alone (Tobe conducted the first time only*).
3) Self-assess with the EAT Assessment Sheet referringto the EAT Rubric**.
4) Identify the area(s) that require improvement and list
the specific item(s) to be improved.

70

M. Komura et al. / Effectiveness and Issues of Self-assessment for Empowerment Arts Therapy Practitioners

as an EAT practitioner. She has established a network withlocal welfare institutions and psychiatric medicine
departments.
The characteristics of Practitioner A’s activities are as
follows.
 Her art classes are conducted as general paintingclasses. They do not target children with special needs
alone.
 Individual EAT activities are conducted with children
who have specific needs, if any, in the painting classactivities.
 The practitioner relates to children in an EAT-likemanner during the usual art class activities.

4.1.2 Method of Investigation
1)
Figure 1: Improvement Process
5)

6)
7)

Formulate an improvement plan. In this process, it isessential to carefully examine the improvement items
listed in light of one’s own activity policy, prioritizethese items, and formulate a concrete and feasible plan.
Implement improvement activities according to theplan.
Reassess as described in point 3 above.

2)*In the first self-assessment session, processes 2) and 3) should be
conducted, and the differences between both results should be
reviewed.
**From the second time onward, the process from 3) to 7) should
be conducted to form a baseline assessment. Process 1 should be
conducted as required, such as when there is a change in areas ofactivities.

3)

4 TRIAL CASE FOR SELF-ASSESSMENT
This chapter presents a case study in which an informant of
an EAT practitioner conducted self-assessments at specificintervals.

4.1 Outline of the Survey
4.1.1 Informant: Practitioner A






Instructor of art classes
Number of students: Approx. 120
Self-employed/Female/Age in the 50s
Approx. 28 years of experience as an art instructor
Approx. 8 years of experience in EAT activities.

Practitioner A conducts various kinds of artistic activities
mainly aimed at youth in her art studio in the local community.
Initially, she worked on a volunteer basis, but as the scale ofher activities expanded, she turned the activities into a private
business. She came to recognize the necessity andeffectiveness of EAT through her painting classes and has
been studying EAT on her own initiative to improve herself
4
It is a sheet for EAT practitioners to write their findings and reflections
through self-assessment.

Trial I: The informant completed the self-assessment
in two ways:
i. Trial I-i:
Self-assessment was conductedusing the EAT activity evaluation sheet alone
without the EAT Rubric (Method A).
ii. Trial I-ii: Self-assessment was conductedusing the EAT Activity Assessment Sheetreferring to the EAT Rubric (Method B).
Trial II: Approximately three months after Trial I, a
second self-assessment trial was conducted. The
Mapping and Review Sheets were newly added basedon the discussion at the time of Trial I. The method of
Trial II was as follows.
i. Mark areas of activities on the Mapping Sheet.
ii. Self-assess using the EAT Assessment Sheetand EAT Rubric.
iii. Fill in a review sheet 4.
The informant was interviewed about her perceptions
and changes after performing Trials I and II.

4.2 Results of the Trial Case
4.2.1 Visualization of Position by Mapping
Practitioner A marked the different activity areas according
to the activity targets (e.g., children, adults) and the form ofeach activity (individual, group) (Fig. 2). Her Mapping Sheet
indicates that she covers the areas that span from EAT to art.
The results suggest that Practitioner A has been expanding
the scope of her activities over the course of her career.

Figure 2: Practitioner A’s Mapping SheetInternational Journal of Informatics Society, VOL.15, NO.2 (2023) 67-77(A) Individual session for children with specific needs(B) Children’s class in a group(C) Illustration circle for youth(D) Adult class(E) Course for citizens (e.g., in a community center)(F) Artwork creation of her own

The Mapping Sheet was added based on discussion andreflection after Trial I. It was ascertained that it would bedesirable to have a process to clarify one’s activity areas
before performing the self-assessment using the EAT
Assessment Sheet and EAT Rubric in Trial I (4.1.2). The
process of mapping provides an opportunity to look at one’s
activities from a bird’s-eye view and is effective forpreparation and introduction to the subsequent selfassessment.

4.2.2 Changes through Self-assessment
Practitioner A’s radar charts based on the results of a seriesof self-assessment trials are shown in Fig. 3 to Fig. 5.

Figure 3: Trial I-i (Aug. 2022)

Figure 4: Trial I-ii (Aug. 2022)

Figure 5: Trial II (Nov. 2022)

71

The difference between Trial I-i (Fig. 3) and Trial I-ii (Fig.
4) can be attributed to the presence or absence of the EAT
Rubric. Trials I-i and I-ii were conducted at the same time.
Trial I-ii was assessed more severely than Trial I-i which was
performed without reference to the EAT Rubric. It can beinferred that the presence of the EAT Rubric let thepractitioner aware of external criteria and cause some change
in her perspective of self-assessment. It might becontroversial whether severe self-assessment directly leads tothe improvement of capability. Practitioner A, however,stated in the interview after Trial I-ii that the EAT Rubric
helped her better understand the criteria and made selfassessment easier.
Comparing the results of Trial I-ii (Fig. 4) and Trial II (Fig.
5), the overall balance of figures has improved in Trial II.
Based on the results of the self-assessment after nearly threemonths, an interview with Practitioner A was conducted to
examine what she noticed, and how her awareness, vision,and actions toward improvement changed after the previous
trials.
The feedback from Practitioner A was as follows.
Feedback from Practitioner A Through working with the EAT Assessment Sheet andthe EAT Rubric, I became aware of things that I had notbeen aware of regarding my activities.
 The Mapping Sheet helped me to organize and get abird’s-eye view of my activities that have expanded over
the years.
 Self-assessment gave me an opportunity to reflect on
myself. Until then, I had been rushing through theprocess using trial and error to meet the needs which I
was asked in the community but had never looked backover my activities objectively.
 I had been thinking of retiring in 10 years because of myage. However, through the self-assessment process, I
have been able to reflect on my past and reperceived theneeds and the social necessity of my activities.
Considering that I am needed in the community, mythoughts about retirement are wavering. I now feel like
continuing to work as long as I have the vigor to do so.
 I have tried to train and develop successors, but I find it
difficult due to financial problems and thecommunication skills required for practitioners. I am
thinking of limiting ourselves to private classes alone 10
years from now. Staff and finances are continuous issues
related to the sustainability of activities.
 I have learned a variety of methods and pursued aunique method for my activities. On the other hand, I
have a sense of regret about the fact that I have been
doing this without much interaction with others. Now I
strongly feel that I need to relearn and brush up.
 The self-assessment tools give me a third-party
perspective. I think it is meaningful to look at ouractivities not only from our own perspective but also
from a social viewpoint to think of the future of ouractivities.
(Based on an interview and review sheets)

72

M. Komura et al. / Effectiveness and Issues of Self-assessment for Empowerment Arts Therapy Practitioners

5 EFFECTIVENESS AND FUTURE ISSUES
5.1 Effectiveness of Self-Assessment
Based on the discussion of Practitioner A’s trial case, thefollowing effects of self-assessment were identified:
1) The process of mapping is useful to look at one’s
activity area from a bird’s-eye view and to grasp thecharacteristics of each activity.
2) Through self-assessment using the EAT Assessment
Sheet and the EAT Rubric, EAT practitioners becomeaware of external criteria and increase awareness. This
will naturally change the perception of the status of theiractivities and future outlook. It can lead to motivation
for learning.
3) The two-step process in the initial self-assessment, i.e.,
checking the EAT Assessment Sheet without referringto the EAT Rubric for the first time and then referring
to it helps EAT practitioners to be aware of external
criteria and leads to shift their perspectives of selfassessment. One of the expected effects of the rubric is
the improvement of metacognitive ability [17] [18].
EAT Rubric is considered to include the potentiality todevelop EAT practitioners' ability for self-assessment.
4) Mapping work and radar charts are useful for
visualizing the current state of EAT practitioners at agiven time and for observing changes over time.
From the above, we concluded the self-assessment tools
could help EAT practitioners recognize their activities andskills by themselves and had the potentiality to promote thedeepening of their self-recognition.

5.2 Future Issues
Firstly, this study is based on trials by one informant over a
period of three months, which is insufficient to generalize theabove effects. The informant in this case study has several
years of experience and is thought to have already reached aconsiderably high level of proficiency regarding the items
indicated in the EAT activity Assessment Sheet and the EAT
Rubric through trial and error. Therefore, it was not possible
to determine to what extent a clear change or improvement inher skill level was observed before and after the selfassessment with this series of tools. Larger-scale and longerterm studies involving a wider variety of practitioners as
informants are needed in order to verify the effectiveness ofthese self-assessment tools.
Secondly, a problem with the EAT self-assessment process
is the absence of perspectives other than EAT practitioners.
In the educational field, the presence and intervention ofteachers is a basic premise. Even self-assessment issupervised by teachers and proper feedback is provided to
students. Uchiyama and Itoh [18] described the importance ofothers’ views to utilize the assessment with rubrics indesigning courses. Nishikata [19] pointed out the importanceof teachers’ feedback in promoting students’ autonomous
motivation. In the field of education, the interaction between
students as self-assessors and teachers as supervisors or

facilitators leads to the development of students’ cognitive
abilities and skills and the improvement of courses andclasses. However, the EAT self-assessment process does notcontain such supervisors or facilitators. It is because EAT
practitioners independently conduct their EAT activities inmany cases, which are commonly grass-root and voluntary.
This is an important issue to ensure the validity of the criteria
and results of the self-assessment.
This study has the significance of having concretely
provided a concrete method for EAT practitioners who had
almost no indicators to refer to despite these limitations. This
study will be a base or a starting point for further future
discussion to improve the capabilities of EAT practitioners
and the quality of activities.
Finally, we would like to mention the relationship between
this research and Information and Communication
Technology (ICT).
EAT activities have so far owed much to the dedicatedefforts of EAT practitioners. Since most of the practitioners
independently conduct EAT activities on a volunteer basis,
they have few appropriate tools to refer to the best practices
required for their activities.
They make efforts to grasp their clients’ needs, recognize
the progress and measure the effectiveness and influence of
their EAT activities in their own way. Nevertheless, it is noteasy for EAT practitioners to record and analyze the processof their activities to reflect the findings in future performance
improvement, partly due to the lack of financial resources tocover such efforts. In addition, EAT practitioners are
sometimes not good at ICT. Therefore, EAT activities havebeen alienated from ICT so far.
In this study, EAT Assessment Sheet and EAT Rubric werecreated in a digitally distributed format. These two tools
enable EAT practitioners to quickly record and accumulate
data. When EAT activity data are accumulated enough in astandardized format, they allow the rational evaluation ofcomparative discussion among plural EAT practitioners.
If EAT practitioners rely solely on their own experience tocarry out EAT activities, it may lead to unfavorable results
such as neglecting necessary basic movements. These twotools can be beneficial for EAT practitioners to make a habitof PDCA in daily activities and to reduce their wasted effort
in PDCA. This study can be positioned as a preparatory
process for the utilization of ICT in EAT activities.
One of the future issues is to create a web-based system that
can accumulate and analyze EAT practitioners but requires as
little cost of development and maintenance as possible.

REFERENCES[1] T. Okada, “Psycho-educational Approach with
Application of Psychotherapy in Elementary School Trial and Results of the Technique: ‘Picture Drawing
Play’”, Japanese Bulletin of Arts Therapy, Vol.40, No.1,
pp.43-51 (2009) (in Japanese).
[2] T. Fujii, “A Postcard Artist's Report on Cloth Collage
Workshops”, Japanese Bulletin of Arts Therapy, Vol.41,
No.1, pp.70-80 (2010) (in Japanese).
[3] N. Okada, “Mosaic, Reflections in Art Therapy”,
Japanese Bulletin of Arts Therapy, Vol.50, No.1, pp.9097 (2019), (in Japanese).

International Journal of Informatics Society, VOL.15, NO.2 (2023) 67-77[4] M. Ishihara, “Nichijo ni yorisou art therapy - Kosodateshien toshite no katsudo-jirei ni art therapy no hattenkei
wo miru -”, K. Tokiko, and K. Nishi (eds.), Art Therapy
Saiko - Geijutsugaku to rinsho no genba kara -,Heibonsha, Tokyo, pp.232-253 (2013) (in Japanese).
[5] C. Lefèvre, M. Ledoux, and M. Filbet, “Art Therapy
among Palliative Cancer Patients - Aesthetic
Dimensions and Impacts on Symptoms -”, Palliative andSupportive Care, Vol.14, No. 4, pp.376-380 (2016).
[6] R. L. Beard, “Art Therapies and Dementia Care - A
Systematic Review -”, Dementia, Vol. 11, No. 5, pp.633656 (2012).
[7] D. J. Betts, “Art Therapy Assessments and Rating
Instruments - Do They Measure Up? -”, The Arts in
Psychotherapy, Vol. 33, No. 5, pp.422-434 (2006).
[8] M. Ishihara, and H. Kaneko, “Empowerment toshite noshisei no art therapy katsudo - Zekoku jittai-chosa kara
mieru sono naihatsusei to jiritusei -”, The Crisis of theMind and Clinical Knowledge, Vol.16, pp.105-130(2015) (in Japanese).
[9] H. Kaneko, and M. Ishihara, “A View of ‘Art Therapy
for Empowerment’”, Journal of the Kobe University of
Welfare, Vol.19, No.1, pp.1-22 (2018) (in Japanese).
[10] M. Komura, and A. Hayashi, “A Method of Assessment
for Empowerment Arts Therapy”, IEICE Technical
Report, Vol.121, No.372, pp. 1-7 (2022) (in Japanese).
[11] M. Komura, M. Ishihara, and A. Hayashi, “Proposal for
Continuous Improvement of Empowerment Arts
Therapy - A Method of Self-Assessment by Applying
Rubric -”, Proc. International Workshop of Informatics(IWIN 2022), pp.121-126, Nachi-Katsuura, Japan(2022).
[12] D. Stevens, and A. Levi, Introduction to Rubrics,
Second Edition, Stylus Publishing, VA, Chapter 1(2013).
[13] Y. Hoshi, and S. Koshikawa, “Effects and Challenges ofUsing Rubrics for Self-Assessment in University
Education”, Japan Bulletin of Educators for Human
Development, Vol.23, No.1, pp.21-30 (2020), (InJapanese).
[14] M. Ishihara, “Nichijo ni nezasu art to art therapy “Empowerment” gainen ni yotte miete kuru kozu -”, a+a
Bigaku Kenkyu (Studies in Aesthetics and Art
Criticism), Vol.10, pp.96-109, p.106 (2017) (inJapanese).
[15] M. Ishihara, M. Komura, A. Hayashi, and H. Kaneko,“Empowerment gata arts therapy no self-assessment nojitsuyoka ni mukete - Empower suru hito wo empowersuru tameni -”, The Crisis of the Mind and ClinicalKnowledge (Bulletin of Konan Institute of Human
Sciences, Konan University), Vol. 24, pp.1-21 (2023)(In Japanese).
[16] M. Komura, M. Ishihara, H. Kaneko, and A. Hayashi,“Effectiveness Applying a Rubric in Self-Assessment of
Empowerment Arts Therapy Practitioners”, IEICE
Technical Report, Vol. 122, No. 282, pp. 33-39 (2022)(in Japanese).
[17] K. Terashima, and T. Hayashi, “Development of
Problem-Based Learning to Promote Self-Evaluation
Using Rubrics”, Kyoto University Researches in Higher
Education, Vol.12, pp.63-71 (2006) (in Japanese).
[18] C. Uchiyama, and M. Itoh, “How Do Science Teachers
Design Lessons Using of Rubrics Effectively for
Assessment? - An Investigation of Junior High and HighSchool Science Education -”, Journal of Science73

Education in Japan, Vol.42 No.1, pp37-47 (2018) (inJapanese).

[19] H. Nishikata, “The Effects of Designing a Rubric and
Self-Evaluation - Focusing on Internalization ofAutonomous Motivation -”, Japan Journal of
Educational Technology, Vol.43, No.3, pp.215-229(2019) (in Japanese).
(Received: March 3, 2023)(Accepted: June 19, 2023)

74

M. Komura et al. / Effectiveness and Issues of Self-assessment for Empowerment Arts Therapy Practitioners

APPENDICES
Appendix I

Mapping Sheet1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4

1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4

Possess knowledge and skills in arts therapy and art to conduct sessions and workshops thatmeet their purposes and aims.

Know the history of arts therapy, techniques, and characteristics of arts therapy outside of yourown area of expertise.

Possess knowledge and skills in psychotherapy and psychological counseling at the level
required in your own activities.

Self-improvement/Self-understanding

Work on improving knowledge and skills required for your expertise and related areas for
activities.

Conduct (periodic) self-assessment.

Understand your nature and propensities, and your own psychological issues have been resolved
to a certain degree.

(2)

(3)

(4)

2

(5)

(6)

(7)

1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4

1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4

Able to set goals, construct, and conduct sessions and workshops that meet the clients'
condition and needs.

Able to conduct sessions and workshops in a flexible manner according to the clients' condition
1・2・3・4(Change or suspend sessions or workshops if necessary).
1・2・3・4The purposes, aims, and targets (clients) of your activities are clear.

Measure the effectiveness of the sessions and provide feedback.

Relationship with Clients

Able to establish an appropriate relationship with a client, taking into account the required
psychological distance between the subject and the company.

Strive to understand clients from multiple perspectives.

Strive to obtain information about the clients' family environment, social environment, andrelevant institutions, organizations and services.

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

4

(12)

(13)

(14)

Average

Sum of(12) to (14)Average

Expenses related to activities are covered by compensation/remuneration for activities and/or
grants, etc., and not rely on out-of-pocket expenses.

Receive compensation or remuneration commensurate with the activities.

Make income and expenditure plans and carry out continous activities, or aim to do so.

Management/Sustainability

1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4
1・2・3・4

Principle
The basic principles, mission and ideals of your activity are clarified and can be explained toothers.
The nature and characteristics of your arts therapy activities are clarified and can be explained
to others.
Have an attitude of pursuing the essence of art and its expression.

(24)

(25)

(26)

1・2・3・4

1・2・3・4

8

IV VALUE

(23)

(22)

(21)

7

1・2・3・4

1・2・3・4

Possess a network to obtain information and knowledge related to arts therapy and your own
activities.

(20)

Practice of Sessions and Workshops

3

III MANAGEMENT STYLE

1・2・3・4

Able to connects clients to an appropriate expert or expertise agencies depending on theclients' condition and the nature of the case.

(19)

II PRACTICE

Sum of(8) to (11)1・2・3・4

Have a supervisor or a mentor to consult with.

Provide necessary individual follow-up depending clients' psychological condition and changes.

(17)

(18)

1・2・3・4

Confirm that participants should maintain confidentiality of each participant's personal
information and words and deeds when conducting group work or sessions.

(16)

Professional Network

1・2・3・4

Maintain confidentiality of clients' personal information and their words and deeds.

(15)

6

Average

Sum of(5) to (7)1・2・3・4

Psychological Safety

5

Average

Sum of(24) to (26)

Average

Sum of(21) to (23)

Average

Sum of(18) to (20)

Average

Sum of(15) to (17)Appendix II

Average

Sum of(1) to (4)1・2・3・4

Understand and able to explain the therapeutic effects and functions of art and expression.

(1)

Average

Scoring

Knowledge and Skills

1

I CAPABILITY OF PRACTITIONERSInternational Journal of Informatics Society, VOL.15, NO.2 (2023) 67-77
75

EAT Assessment SheetPrinciple

Management /Sustainability

Networking/
Cooperation

Self-exploration/
Self-understanding

2

3

4

Able to provide safe and effective EAT withoriginally devised methods as well as themethods mastered.
Able to customize the methods and process
flexibility according to a client's condition.

Have a systematic and comprehensive
knowledge of arts therapy in general as well
as familiarity with various disciplines related
to your expertise.
Able to explain it to others.

Have some degree of self-insightabout yourself.
Aware of your psychological issues
and work on to find ways to solve
them.
Trying to have reliable personalconnections or fellows.
Able to get information when you
need.

Working on or making efforts toraise the sustainability of activities.

The principles and mission areclarified and verbalized to someextent.

Never had any self-insight about
yourself.
Your own psychological issues areuntouched or unrecognized.

Have no personal connections or
fellows to ask or consult in case oftrouble.
Have no way of gathering information
about activities.

Neither think of the sustainability ofactivities nor the managerial side ofyour activities for improving
sustainability.

The principles and mission are notclarified or have never thought ofthem.

The principles and mission areclarified and can be explained.

Working sustainably regardless ofwhether paid or not.

The principles and mission are firmly
established and cleary verbalized.
Able to deliver the purpose and ideals of youractivities to others.

Working sustainably and constantly, and havethe potential to develop activities.

Have sufficient self-understanding of Have sufficient and profound understanding
your internal and essentialof your deep internal and essential
propensities.
propensities.
Your own psychological issues are Your own psychological issues have been
resolved.
overcome. Periodically take training analysis
or supervision.
Have reliable personal connections Have reliable connections to contact
or fellows.
professionals in the area of your expertise
Gathering information continuously. and other related areas.
Belong to academic societies. Regularly
participate or make presentations inconferences.

Readiness to anticipate possible
Aware of the need and importance to Able to secure psychological safety in thetroubes to some extent. Able to see secure psychological safety for
activities and respond to unexpected trouble
if the matter is beyond your skill and clients in the activities and necessary swiftly and properly.
take some measures.
measures are taken.
Able to provide proper alternative solutions
such as to introduce the client to otherrelevant agencies, or experts in case that thematter is beyond your skill.

Able to provide safe and efficient
EAT with the methods mastered.

Have basic level of knowledge of arts Have sufficient knowledge of arts
therapy.
therapy required in your specialized
activity area.
Able to explain it to others.

Have very few or a few experiences of Able to provide EAT based on the
EAT practice.
methods mastered.

Take no measures for psychologicalsafety in the activities.
Do not think of any troubles out of
Psychological Safety your control that may possibly occur.
Have no way to deal with troubles.

Skill

Knowledge

1Knowledge is limited or fragmental.
Have not systematically studied arts
therapy.

76
M. Komura et al. / Effectiveness and Issues of Self-assessment for Empowerment Arts Therapy Practitioners

Appendix III EAT Rubric

International Journal of Informatics Society, VOL.15, NO.2 (2023) 67-77

Michi Komura received her MA from
Osaka University, Osaka, Japan in 1993.
Her professional career includes work
experiences as a teacher of English at
Sakai Municipal Commercial HighSchool, the deputy secretary general at
Osaka NPO Center, a chief producer at
Osaka 21st Century Association, andothers. She has been engaged in art
activities in the community as a board
member of a non-profit organization
since 2002 and joined the study of Empowerment Arts Therapy in2012. She has been engaged in Collaborative Online International
Learning (COIL) and social innovation education at Osaka
Metropolitan University since 2019. She also teaches history of art
at the Osaka Institute of Technology for many years. Her current
research interests include art activities in the community,
empowerment of the non-profit sector, and social innovation.
Midori Ishihara received her Ph.D. fromthe Graduate School of Letters, Osaka
University, Osaka, Japan, in 2002. She
has been engaged in the study ofEmpowerment Arts Therapy since 2008.
She is a member of the ATAS Laboratory
and a visiting researcher at the Konan
Institute of Human Sciences.

Hajime Kaneko received his MA from
Osaka City University (changed to Osaka
Metropolitan University in 2022), Osaka,
Japan, in 1995. He is an Associate
Professor at Kobe University of Future
Health Sciences. His major is sociology.
He was the research representative of the“Arts Therapy Activity Survey in Japan”(2012-2014) and “Requirements and
Evaluation Method for ‘Empowerment
Arts Therapy’” (2015-2018). Bothresearch projects were funded by the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific
Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Akihiro Hayashi received his MBA andPh.D. from the University of Tsukuba,
Tokyo, Japan in 1997 and 2010, and his
Ph.D. in Software Engineering from
Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan, in
2019. His professional career includes
global companies such as Motorola USA,NTT, and IBM Japan. In 2018 he became
a Professor at the Department ofInformation
Design,FacultyofInformatics, Shizuoka Institute of Scienceand Technology. His current research interests include process
improvement, quantitative project management, operating research,and management strategy. He is a member of IEICE and INFSOC.

77