Authentic learning: the gift project

Higher Education is experiencing an increasingly diverse student population. Students bring a range of skills and experiences to their courses; they have different backgrounds and different needs. This fluidity requires an approach to teaching that encompasses the social aspects of learning. It has been suggested that authentic approaches to teaching and learning can assist in offering a perspective on learning which views learning as ‘enabling participation in knowing’. We propose that the authentic learning practices developed in The Gift design project, discussed in this paper, constituted approaches which acknowledged that students’ interests and experience are intrinsically bound up with motivation and engagement and, as such, have a major influence on the ways in which learning is constituted and developed. The Gift project has developed a range of innovative formative strategies which have provided both students and tutors with opportunities to become involved in peer assessment and review, peer feedback and reflection on learning outcomes. This re-conceptualisation of the assessment process has provided valuable insights into the development of learning skills such as problem solving, critical analysis, and the development of creativity and learner autonomy

Mapping coupled open innovation processes from activity theory framework

Organisations have started to adopt open innovation processes to supplement their internal competencies and resources. Adoption of these processes assist them in keeping up with the pace of technology and protecting their competitive advantage in the market. Despite the significance of open innovation processes, there are few studies focusing on them. The purpose of this study is mapping coupled open innovation processes to contribute to the field of open innovation. The case study research was set up to explore how organisations undertake coupled open innovation processes from the perspective of employees working in a smallmedium sized enterprise. The Activity Theory was used as a research framework. The research findings revealed how the importing and exporting mechanisms of coupled processes. The findings are discussed to fill the knowledge gaps in the existing literature and help design management academia and practice identify future work areas

Proceedings of the 3rd international conference for design education researchers: volume 4

Welcome to the volume 4 conference proceedings themed ‘LearnXDesign2015’ a comprehensive engagement of topics across design pedagogy and research. The papers delivered at the 3rd International Conference for Design Education Researchers, co-organized by DRS, CUMULUS, and DESIGN-ED, are the focus of these volumes. The conference was graciously hosted by the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Highlighted at the heart of the conference were varied presentations and workshops. To prepare for the conference, we asked design researchers to submit their work for consideration. Scholars proposed 289 paper abstract, 31 workshop and 2 symposia submissions. The International Scientific Review Committee invited 243 paper abstract submissions to proceed into the next stage to submit as full papers. After double blind full paper review by the International Review Board, a final 106 full papers will be presented at the conference, and be included in the conference proceedings. In addition, 23 workshops and 1 symposia were conducted

Review of creativity factors in final year design projects in China

This paper focuses on investigating a common phenomenon that emerges in the reformative process of China’s design education system from the traditional to ‘creativity-directed’. The investigation is explored through the following aspects: the circumstance of conducting Final Year Design Projects (FYDPs) in China, with a review of relevant pedagogical theories of Project-based learning (PjBL); and a review of cross-cultural understanding of creativity. Through conducting the literature survey, it is proposed that some product design students’ lack creative abilities that could affect their learning performance in FYDPs. It is proposed that this is evident through their difficulty in applying subject specific knowledge in an effective way. Analyses suggest that underpinning the problem might be the educational and social cultures within China’s product design programmes and how the final year projects are implemented. In conclusion it is suggested that design students’ creative abilities are influenced by the adopted problem solving processes that involve knowledge application

Insights on how metacognition influences knowledge application in product design education

Insights on how metacognition influences knowledge application in product design educatio

Cultural context and service design: developing critical and meaning-making capacity

This paper reports on the experimental introduction of a socio-cultural lens to the design process, to aid in mapping symbolic aspects of consumption: i.e. users’ expectations, aspirations and identification needs and the sociocultural rules at play in the context of the innovation. An action research intervention was implemented with design students to investigate how applied semiotics and cultural analysis methods support user research and meaning-making during the design process. Students were provided with theories, activities and templates to facilitate the exploration of global and local socio-cultural trends, positioning of innovation in the cultural category and mapping codes and other contextual socio-symbolic signifiers that influence users’ preferences and choices. Results indicate that cultural context analysis contributes to build critical thinking skills and capacity in designers, and enables a wider awareness of the mediating role of design in the acceptance and diffusion of innovations

Proceedings of DRS 2016 international conference: Design + research + society future–focused thinking. 50th anniversary international conference

Proceedings of DRS 2016 international conference: Design + research + society future–focused thinking. 50th anniversary international conferenc