Abstract
Many students in the United States have limited exposure to design thinking, formal techniques or creative experimentation. For many, a design education begins in college, as one selects their major. Unfortunately, many high school art programs have been eliminated or dramatically reduced, resulting in students receiving less creative exposure and limiting their design preparation before college. Creative problem solving skills are in demand. Sir Ken Robinson, a recognized leader in the development of creativity and innovation, believes our schools are educating students out of their creativity. He argues that we train students to become good workers instead of creative problem solvers. The status quo stifles our profession, with students ill-prepared to face the daily challenges as they begin their academic journey and professional career.We developed Inspire, a creative camp that educates teenagers about design, creativity and critical thinking. Our goal is to prepare students to enter higher education by building insightful portfolio projects, gaining knowledge about the profession while working with mentors. The camp serves as a teaching laboratory for faculty and graduate students interested in design pedagogy. Graduate students participate in curriculum development, lead projects, write lectures and test teaching techniques in a low-stakes arena.
Keywords
design education, k-12 curriculum, creativity
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/learnxdesign.2013.125
Citation
Rinnert, G.C.,and Coorey, J.(2013) Introducing high school students to design and creative thinking in a teaching lab environment, in Reitan, J.B., Lloyd, P., Bohemia, E., Nielsen, L.M., Digranes, I., & Lutnæs, E. (eds.), DRS // Cumulus: Design Learning for Tomorrow, 14-17 May, Oslo, Norway. https://doi.org/10.21606/learnxdesign.2013.125
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Introducing high school students to design and creative thinking in a teaching lab environment
Many students in the United States have limited exposure to design thinking, formal techniques or creative experimentation. For many, a design education begins in college, as one selects their major. Unfortunately, many high school art programs have been eliminated or dramatically reduced, resulting in students receiving less creative exposure and limiting their design preparation before college. Creative problem solving skills are in demand. Sir Ken Robinson, a recognized leader in the development of creativity and innovation, believes our schools are educating students out of their creativity. He argues that we train students to become good workers instead of creative problem solvers. The status quo stifles our profession, with students ill-prepared to face the daily challenges as they begin their academic journey and professional career.We developed Inspire, a creative camp that educates teenagers about design, creativity and critical thinking. Our goal is to prepare students to enter higher education by building insightful portfolio projects, gaining knowledge about the profession while working with mentors. The camp serves as a teaching laboratory for faculty and graduate students interested in design pedagogy. Graduate students participate in curriculum development, lead projects, write lectures and test teaching techniques in a low-stakes arena.