REIMAGINING DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS: DESCHOOLING 1ST YEAR PRODUCT DESIGN STUDENTS
Year: 2024
Editor: Grierson, Hilary; Bohemia, Erik; Buck, Lyndon
Author: Siena, Francesco Luke; Malcolm, Richard; Kennea, Paul; Forbes, Christopher; Stewart, Joseph
Series: E&PDE
Institution: Product Design Department, School of Architecture Design & The Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University
Page(s): 324 - 329
DOI number: 10.35199/EPDE.2024.55
ISBN: 978-1-912254-200
ISSN: 3005-4753
Abstract
The transition from secondary education to higher education for many students can present several challenges with the UK’s modern day education system. New university students not only have to prepare themselves to delve into the realms of higher education, but most students also must learn and adapt to living independently for the first time. New first year students are not only exploring their identity as young aspiring professionals, but within the product design sector, they are also getting explore for the first time what it means to be a designer. The skills deficiency between secondary education and the expectations of higher education within the product design sector continues to widen every year, and this is particularly evident within the past four years where students have been joining higher education with at least one or two GCSE or A-Level years effected by COVID-19 resulting in distance and virtual learning detracting from practical skills development. Regardless of the route taken before joining higher education, recent observations have also demonstrated that the majority of first year product design students have significant skills deficiencies due to the current structure of design and technology education within secondary education. This is due to a lack of clarity and direction the subject currently faces coupled with significant funding cuts to the creative sectors by the UK government. As such higher education product design courses are facing significant challenges with student recruitment numbers but also the type of student being recruited. Students often now join higher education demonstrating a lack of autonomy, lack of self-directed learning skills and being resistant to change. The transition shock from a highly structured and teacher-centered learning environment compared to a more independent self-driven approach often surprises new students and the move away from a ‘spoon fed education culture’ often panics students. As such this paper seeks to present an approach taken to reimagining design fundamentals for first year product design students by taking a deschooling approach within their first module taught in higher education. This paper will present a narrative of the point of entry considerations for incoming product design students and subsequently the re-design of a module entitled ‘Design Fundamentals’ which seeks to not only deschool students but also help them embrace their chosen course and the identity of their course. An overview of the refreshed ‘Design Fundamentals’ module for BSc Product Design students will showcase the first 10 weeks of the 1st year product design student experience highlighting how providing guidance, mentorship, and support systems help students transition to a more self-directed and independent learning approach. Finally, this paper will provide student testimonials as they reflect on several educational schemes/projects conducted within the ‘Design Fundamentals’ module ranging from debates, team bonding away days, CAD Bash, design sketching, 3D printing sessions, design projects, amongst others.
Keywords: Deschooling, Design Education, Design & Technology, Secondary Education, Upskilling.