Looking, Experimenting, Creating, Telling – Testing a Pedagogical Model for Design Learning

This article shares the outcomes of international workshops focused on traditional costume construction and surface embellishment techniques and designs. These workshops were inspired by the findings of the Creative Europe TRACtion (Traditional Costume Innovation) project. The latter motivated students and adult learners in the Republic of Ireland, Finland, and Malta to develop creative, sustainable, and innovative responses to traditional textile artefacts. The Finnish Association of Design Learning (SuoMu) Design Learning Model was applied to support the development of creative thinking in the workshops. Additionally, teaching strategies developed by textile educators and craftspeople in each context complemented the SuoMu Design Learning Model, facilitating interactions between workshop ideas, materials and participants. The workshops aimed to foster design, creative thinking, sustainability, innovation, and a deeper appreciation of textile heritage. Participant feedback was analysed through thematic data analysis, and the visual outcomes were examined for indicators of creative thinking, such as fluidity, flexibility, elaboration, and uniqueness. The SuoMu model played a key role in guiding the design process and developing creative thinking skills. Sketching and brainstorming techniques sparked a wealth of ideas, while group activities and practical and experiential learning supported the ideation process. The workshops led to numerous fluent and flexible responses and ideas, many of which evolved into unique and innovative designs. Participants developed visual literacy skills and textile cultural empathy while achieving sustainability in material usage

Design students’ views on future work at the stage of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0: Dimensions and levels of resilience

This study investigates design students’ perspectives on future work environments shaped by the evolving paradigms of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0, with a focus on their views of work communities, technological advancements and systemic problem-solving. The concept of resilience is used as an analytical lens. The study explores the relevance of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 frameworks in the context of the design profession and examines how design students anticipate and interpret future changes in their professional landscape. The study addresses the following research question: What are the dimensions and levels of resilience according to design students’ views of future work?  Data were collected in 2023 from 92 design students at various stages of their studies. Using principal component analysis, three dimensions of resilience were identified: resilience in work community, in technological development and in systemic problem solving. The findings suggest that students are aware of major shifts in their field and express varying degrees of readiness and adaptability across the identified dimensions. These results offer insights into how design education might better support students in navigating the uncertainties of future work

Fostering Creativity in School Makerspaces: Principles and a Framework for Assessing Creativity-Supportive Design

School-based makerspaces are increasingly recognized as powerful contexts for fostering creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. However, educational research on creativity has often prioritized individual traits or final products, underemphasizing the environmental conditions - physical, social, emotional, and cognitive - that shape creative engagement. This paper argues for re-centering Press, the environmental dimension of Rhodes’ Four Ps model, as a central driver of creativity in educational makerspaces. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature from creativity studies, learning sciences, and educational psychology, the paper identifies six interrelated principles that characterize creativity-supportive learning environments: a supportive socio-emotional atmosphere, learner autonomy, inspirational stimuli, collaborative culture, teacher support and guidance, and equitable access to technology and resources. These principles are synthesized into the Creative Educational Environment Assessment Model, a prospective conceptual framework designed to evaluate and enhance makerspaces in ways that are context-responsive, equitable, and pedagogically robust. The model emphasizes process as well as product, incorporates intellectual resources as a dimension of creative support, and situates teacher capacity as a systemic driver. Intended as both a theoretical scaffold and a practical tool, the framework offers researchers, educators, and policymakers actionable guidance for transforming makerspaces into environments where creativity is structurally supported and democratically accessible

Recurriculation of Engineering, Technology, and Technical Education Programmes for the adoption of Industry 5.0

Industry 5.0 is a new emergent industrial revolution that admits and promotes mutual and coordinated interaction of industrial workers’ cognitive and creative skills, and artificial intelligence machines’ qualities to maximize production in industries. Thus, the advent of Industry 5.0 demands new skills, knowledge, attitude and responsibilities/roles from workers to enable them to fit the positions. Consequently, Industry 5.0 has significant implications for engineering, technology and technical education programs. These programs need to be reshaped for the purpose of producing worthwhile graduates that can easily be absorbed into Industry 5.0. However, this article focuses on the ‘recurriculation’ of engineering, technology and technical education programs for adopting Industry 5.0. The article is anchored on a literature review. Specifically, the article dwells briefly on the pre-industrial revolution, Industry 1.0, Industry 2.0 and Industry 3.0. The article explicates on Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. Similarly, the article identifies problems that emanated during the Industry 4.0 era. It explains the importance of human beings in industries. Also, this article explains the needs for improving the knowledge, skills and attitude of industrial workers during Industry 5.0. Being a program where knowledge, skills and attitude needed in industry 5.0 can be acquired, the article briefly conceptualizes engineering, technology and technical education. Furthermore, the article explains the concept of recurriculation of engineering, technology and technical education programs. Finally, the chapter explains the phases for the recurriculation of engineering, technology and technical education programs

Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Individual and Collaborative Creativity in Design Education

Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the design process is a growing area of research interest. Less than two years after its public launch in 2022, AI has already established itself as the most disruptive tool revolutionizing how designers conceptualize, iterate and innovate. As AI technologies continue to evolve, it is pertinent that design students are acquainted with the potential of the technology and how it can be integrated in their professional practice. The objective of this paper is to explore the role of AI as a conceptualization and research tool in interior design. We aim to examine its effectiveness in enhancing the ideation process and facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing in intercultural design teams. The case study presented is a collaborative online international learning project (COIL) with the participation of interior design students from the University of Monterrey (Mexico) and Wayne State University (USA). Students were involved in experimentation with various AI tools and platforms in the early stage of designing children’s spaces in commercial interiors. Through meticulous documentation and evaluation of all design variations generated were gained valuable insights on the impact of AI on the evolution of the ideas. To collect research data on how students’ creativity, idea exchange and decision-making were affected, surveys and reflection writings were distributed. The findings confirmed that students developed a greater understanding of AI as an essential tool in the design process. They acquired skills in utilizing it to aid the decision-making during the conceptualization phase. Furthermore, AI fostered their self-confidence in communicating within culturally diverse teams. The conclusion discusses the challenges encountered and lessons learned from the integration of AI technologies into the learning process

Assessing Students’ Computer Programming Skills: How Technology Teachers in Sweden Evaluate Learning in Grades 4–6

This study aims to deepen the understanding of how computer programming is taught and assessed in Swedish schools by focusing on teachers’ perspectives. It explores how technology teachers (teaching years 4–6, students aged 10-12) perceive their roles and responsibilities in teaching computer programming, primarily within the technology subject, and examines what computer programming content is taught and assessed. The research is based on a survey and interviews with seven experienced teachers who taught computer programming before it became mandatory. The findings reveal similar views among the teachers but also significant variation in assessment practices, categorized into four distinct personas, ranging from a strong disciplinary content and product focus to a weaker disciplinary content and process orientation. The discussion reflects upon how these variations may be influenced by teachers’ backgrounds, computer programming knowledge, and unclear policy documents. The conclusions suggest that, due to this variety, Swedish students may not be equally equipped with the digital skills needed for participating in a digitalized society. To enhance equity, we argue that teachers need better preparation to effectively integrate computer programming skills across subjects. Additionally, we recommend clearer national guidelines on how to teach computer programming and how to assess this subject content in compulsory education

Using performative objects to foster creativity in an education setting to tackle 26-44 complex challenges

Creativity is often seen as something that occurs primarily during the ideation phase of design processes. However, this article argues that there is significant potential in enhancing creativity in the early stages and that this can contribute to youth learning and tackling complex challenges. Using a Danish educational setting as a starting point, the article illustrates how using performative objects in teaching situations fosters creativity in the early stages of a design process. The article concludes that creativity is not merely an individual skill but a social practice and process, where using performative objects creates a conducive context for creativity

Design Thinking in educational publications: A document analysis of books issued by Turkish Public Institutions and implications for the Technology and Design course

This research aims to investigate how the design thinking (DT) approach in education is defined and implemented in related books published by public institutions in Türkiye. The document analysis method, a qualitative research method, was used for data collection and analysis. Seven books published by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of National Education (MONE) and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) were selected as the data. Findings indicate that DT is perceived as a human-centered and interdisciplinary problem-solving process that requires a set of skills and mindsets and incorporates some values ​​associated with 21st-century skills. In the books, the matter of how to develop a designer’s mindset and skills in non-designers – teachers and students – is generally overlooked or under-emphasized. Therefore, the DT approach in education is not comprehended and practiced as a holistic approach that requires the interaction between relevant processes, mindsets, and tools. Considering the findings, incorporating the human-centered, experimental, and collaborative characteristics of the DT approach into the educational culture or teaching method can help teachers and students to adopt DT as a holistic approach rather than just a problem-solving process. The DT approach can also be employed as a tool to establish a context for technology teaching or integration. In line with this, some strategies are proposed to strengthen the integration of the DT approach within Technology and Design education. This research is considered significant in terms of providing teachers with a perspective on the DT approach and how it is integrated into Technology and Design education

A Serious Game Proposal for Raising Awareness on Sustainable Development in the Built Environment

Interactive serious games enhance science-based communication and promote deeper learning about sustainable development. It is yet undiscovered that how can AI-augmented interactive experiences enhance the engagement and spread awareness. This study proposes an AI-augmented digital serious game in public installation format. First, the study introduces a serious board game centered on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 to test the learning aspects and the engagement of the game. The study hypothesizes that a serious game with a clear message, engaging mechanics, and appealing design can significantly enhance understanding of sustainability’s relevance to everyday life. Using a Research through Design (RtD) approach, the study incorporated iterative feedback from pilot tests. These tests highlighted the effectiveness of problem-solving and group discussions in fostering engagement. The insights directly informed the design of the digital version, which emphasizes streamlined and accessible gameplay