Design and Technology Education (LJMU)
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    602 research outputs found

    Constructivist Digital Design Studio with Extended Reality for Effective Design Pedagogy

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    It is evident from previous research that learner preference, cognitive load and effective learning are interconnected. Designers’ individual characteristics and preferred modality of information delivery in the design studio has direct relation to the effective use of the information delivered. This study evaluates and discusses possibilities of using XR (Extended Reality) technology within the framework of constructivist learning approach in the interior design studio by measuring its effectiveness as a pedagogical tool. The nature of the design studio and its pedagogy stayed nearly analogous throughout the past century (Bashier, 2014; Koch, 2006). The exponential advancement of information, communication technologies and generation Z’s assertiveness toward electronic ‘device’ oriented lifestyle are the two major challenges that today’s design studios yet to adopt for effective design education. With an overview of contemporary design pedagogy and the potential use of XR for a constructivist learning environment; this study explores students’ learning styles and identifies how these learning preferences affect their learning outcome in traditional and Extended Reality based learning environment

    Makerspaces for Pedagogical Innovation Processes: How Finnish Comprehensive Schools Create Space for Makers

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    Finland has its own version of a “makerspace”: craft class. Originally, there was one craft class for boys and one for girls. Later, there were classes for different materials, especially for wood and textiles, which are deep-rooted concepts in the Finnish crafts mindset. To reclaim craft class for pupils, or “makers”, we must determine teachers’ and pupils’ mindsets concerning collaboration, differing interests and sharing. Craft is a compulsory learning-by-doing subject for pupils in grades one through seven, with activities based on craft expression, design and technology (CDT). This research is part of a national endeavour to develop innovative CDT as a basic education subject. The paper explores two pilot case studies in which technical and textile work teachers taught together in a shared learning environment, rather than in traditionally separate learning environments. The aim was to develop criteria for a new kind of learning environment that would promote learning to develop innovations and pupil’s innovation competencies. The first study used a mixed methods approach, including systematic observation, inquiry and pair interviews of five co-teaching teams in primary school, to test the new teaching culture. The second study used an experience sampling method in the form of a mobile application to reveal various parts of pupils’ design and making processes in a school setting. The key finding is that collaborative teams can support teachers’ and pupils’ innovative learning activities when the work is supported by shared spaces, practices and new tools. The paper concludes by relating preconditions for implementing makerspaces in the context of formal comprehensive education to learning outcomes, traditional workshops, learner differences and pedagogical innovation processes

    Design for the well-being of domestic animals: implementation of a three-stage user research model

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    This paper presents how we, as design educators, integrated user-centeredness into a design studio course project that is concerned with improving well-being of domestic cats and dogs. Since the primary users of the project were identified as domestic animals, we carried out the project in collaboration with experts from a veterinary medicine school who study animal behavior. We developed a three-stage user research model to enable students to familiarize themselves with the physical and emotional needs of the animals at the beginning, and test their prototypes with the users in both the lab and home contexts during the project. The empirical basis of the paper comes from the interviews we conducted with 12 students who participated in the project, in order to explore their experiences of designing for animals. The paper shows that including animals in a design process as participants, through iterative trials in the real use context, serves as a good strategy to not only overcome the challenges of designing for animals, but also teach students the importance of user-centeredness and building empathy in design in a broader sense

    Book Review Drawing for Science, Invention and Discovery: even if you can’t dra

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    Editorial: Design processes at the heart of the matter

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    Guest Editorial - Cultivating emerging research agendas from the PATT community

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    Beyond Programming and Crafts: Towards Computational Thinking in Basic Education

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    Continually increasing demands are being placed on the educational system to prepare students with technical skills due to the exponential implementation of information, technology and automation in the workforce. Students should work with design, problem-solving and computational methods and tools early on in their school lives in basic education and across diverse areas of learning. It has been argued that a fundamental understanding of technology requires computational thinking. However, teachers have difficulties integrating technology and programming into students’ active learning in crafts. In this systematic literature review, the main aim is to view descriptions of programming through craft science-based concepts of craft labour and, thereafter, to seek examples to enable teaching programming in craft education during basic education. Considering the selection criteria to undertake the analysis, the final data set comprised of 10 articles dealing with programming and craft, and 68 articles describing the possibilities of combining crafting and programming in basic education. According to the results, it seems that contemporary multi-material and design-based holistic craft may encompass different forms of technology and programming such as prototyping, robotics, microcontrollers, 3D modelling, applications for documentation, visualisation, share-out and storytelling via multiple channels. These all help students to learn computational thinking as they start out with design and practical problems and proceed to technology-mediated programming skills. It is hoped that the findings will provide theoretical perspectives for practitioners and policymakers to see the mutual benefit arising from the integration of crafts, technology and computation in basic education

    Examining Estonian Schoolteachers’ Attitudes Towards the Use of Applied Science Knowledge Within Craft Education

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    This article examines the possibility of supporting craft education by incorporating knowledge students have gained via science lessons: such knowledge largely refers to the mathematics and physics taught in Estonian comprehensive schools. Results were gleaned from interviews with craft teachers in Estonia, in order to establish their attitudes to the idea of integrating science with craft. Their ideas are presented here, along with a comparison of their understanding of the pedagogy. The results of the study address the following research questions:1. Do teachers consider the National Curricula supportive, in terms of integrating science knowledge in order to support craft education?2. How do teachers recognise knowledge of science during craft processes?3. Are teachers aware when science is integrated into their teaching? 4. What do teachers consider the benefits of such integration? The research demonstrated the pedagogy of integrating knowledge of science with craft as a novel idea, based on a process of merging the two knowledge models. The result of this process is a development of a new area of knowledge that can both enable students’ understanding and their design and fashioning processes. Moreover, it relates to realworld phenomena and thus helps students with their ideation. Such new knowledge is achievable when knowledge from one of the fields is used in the other field, whether science or craft. The integration of science with general craft education is dependent upon both the National Curricula and a teacher’s method of teaching

    Children’s Responses to Divergent and Convergent Design Feedback

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    In this paper, we explore the divergent and convergent nature of design feedback and the various responses to this feedback from a group of 24 young novice designers (primary school children age 9-11) taking part in a co-design project. Earlier research emphasizes that feedback can encourage a designer to take divergent as well as convergent paths during their design process (Cardoso, Eris, Badke-schaub, & Aurisicchio, 2014; Yilmaz & Daly, 2014, 2016). Yet our previous research shows, that feedback given to primary school children while designing does not always spark creative thinking (Schut, Klapwijk, Gielen, Van Doorn, & De Vries, 2019). We presume that the responses we found might have been influenced by the type of feedback that preceded them. Therefore, we have elaborated on the results we’ve previously uncovered with an additional analysis of the same case study. This additional analysis shows that divergent feedback given by peers or a client will not necessarily promote divergent thinking processes, whereas convergent feedback will not necessarily promote convergent thinking. Furthermore, responses indicating resistance towards the feedback given were widespread. However, we believe that feedback from clients and peers can still be a fruitful strategy in learning to be creative and in promoting divergent thinking (DT) and convergent thinking (CT) and end with suggestions on how this might be achieved

    Considering the relationship between research and practice in technology education: A perspective on future research endeavours

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    Technology subjects are a relatively recent addition to the discipline offerings at postprimary level, and have a short but interesting history in terms of associated educational research. In this paper, an overview of the evolving research agendas that emerged in response to the nature of practice, from the perspectives of the Technology Education Research Unit (TERU) and the Technology Education Research Group (TERG) is presented. A chronological account of their research activities is provided, demonstrating the perspectives, paradigms and foundations of their research endeavours. The purpose of this paper is to provoke reflection on the past, present and future of technology education research and practice, using both TERG and TERU for narrative purposes. Therefore, this paper concludes by sharing the evolution of research in TERU and TERG, so as to help consider and shape the future of relevant, contemporary, and progressive research activity