Integrating Technology into Art-University Education in Japan: Insights from Preliminary Surveys within a STEAM Framework

Abstract: This paper examines how digital and technological literacy is positioned across art high schools, art universities, and creative industries in Japan, and considers the implications of these shifting expectations for STEAM-oriented curriculum development in art higher education. Drawing on survey data collected between 2024 and 2026 from art high schools (n=12), art university students (n=225), and creative industry professionals (n=128), the study adopts a comparative three-stage framework that traces the progression from secondary art education to professional practice. The findings reveal a structural pattern: in art high schools, digital skills are introduced but remain secondary to traditional analogue foundations shaped by entrance examination systems; at university level, students express strong demand for deeper digital integration, yet provision remains uneven; within creative industries, digital literacy is treated as a baseline expectation embedded in everyday practice. Across this pathway, digital competence shifts from supplementary to assumed. The paper argues that art universities occupy a transitional position within this progression and suggests a move beyond additive skill training toward integrative STEAM models that connect technological capability with creative judgment, collaboration, and social application.