project-based teaching

Positioning ‘constructivist’ academic research into project-based pedagogical design studies for 4th year Interior Design Degree programmes

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Discipline: 

Interior & Furniture Design

The  purpose  of  this  paper  is  to  discuss  the  benefits  of  embracing  constructivism  as  a conceptual  basis  for  the practice of teaching and learning in interior design degree programmes;  namely Bachelor of Technology,  and BA Honours offered at many of the institutions in South Africa.
 
Deliberation  is  given  to  using  a  constructivist  approach  to  both  teaching  and  learning, and  as  a  research paradigm to better align the research and practical components of these traditionally vocationally-­orientated, project-based design programmes.   
 

Towards An Educational Strategy For Promoting Social, Environmental And Ethical Awareness In Visual Communications

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Discipline: 

Media & Communications Design

Visual Communications at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), incorporating graphic design and photography, aspires to instil social, environmental and ethical sensitivity within students in order to meet a perceived increase in demand for these issues to be addressed at local and global level. To meet this imperative students are required to produce visual communications solutions for charitable organisations and participate in community-linked photographic excursions that expose them to social and environmental issues within real life scenarios.

Successful learning through assessment design

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Design Education Strategy
  • How do we clarify to the student what good performance is?
  • How do we feedback in a way that encourages students to take action to address their individual learning styles?
  • How do we facilitate the development of self assessment and reflection in relation to learning?

Assessment design and feedback are powerful tools in the support of worthwhile learning and in motivating students for future learning.

Academic staff in the School of Design at Northumbria University have some confidence that subject teaching promotes deep approaches to learning, through practice, in a studio culture which encourages frequent, informal feedback between tutor and student.

DEFSA conferences

DEFSA promotes relevant research with the focus on design + education through its biennial conferences, to promote professionalism, accountability and ethics in the education of young designers. Our next conference is a hybrid event. See above for details.

Critical skills endorsement

Professional Members in good standing can receive a certificate of membership, but DEFSA cannot provide confirmation or endorsement of skills whatsoever. DEFSA only confirm membership of DEFSA which is a NPO for Design Education in South Africa (https://www.defsa.org.za/imagine).