Abstract
Teaching design to design-illiterate students is usually a common case for every first year class instructor at any design program. In addition to this, a particular combination of extra challenges makes Design Fundamentals at -the University of Alberta- a very special spot to learn and teach design. Most sections of this class are open to students from many other fields and levels, from psychology to engineering, and from first year students to senior students. Masters students, who usually come from various countries, are often appointed as teaching assistants as part of the graduate program experience. Some of them choose to stay and teach upon graduation. Diversity is even more distinct amongst undergraduate student. In 2010-2011 this university received about 5800 international students from more than 140 countries, three times larger than the figures of 2001, and increasing every year. The combination of multidisciplinary and cultural diversity from both sides, teachers and students, is a symbiotic and synergetic phenomenon that offers additional challenges and opportunities. This paper intends to describe the experience of teaching-learning design under this environment and ultimately depict the Design Fundamentals classes as a space of integration.
Keywords
Design education, Design Fundamentals, second language, multidisciplinary teaching, teaching non-designers
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/learnxdesign.2013.045
Citation
Fiorentino, C.A., van der Ree, A.,and Fartushenko, L.(2013) Design as a second language. Design as a multicultural-multidisciplinary space of integration: Challenges and advantages of introducing design to non-design students, in a second language, in a new cultural context, 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.2013.045
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Design as a second language. Design as a multicultural-multidisciplinary space of integration: Challenges and advantages of introducing design to non-design students, in a second language, in a new cultural context
Teaching design to design-illiterate students is usually a common case for every first year class instructor at any design program. In addition to this, a particular combination of extra challenges makes Design Fundamentals at -the University of Alberta- a very special spot to learn and teach design. Most sections of this class are open to students from many other fields and levels, from psychology to engineering, and from first year students to senior students. Masters students, who usually come from various countries, are often appointed as teaching assistants as part of the graduate program experience. Some of them choose to stay and teach upon graduation. Diversity is even more distinct amongst undergraduate student. In 2010-2011 this university received about 5800 international students from more than 140 countries, three times larger than the figures of 2001, and increasing every year. The combination of multidisciplinary and cultural diversity from both sides, teachers and students, is a symbiotic and synergetic phenomenon that offers additional challenges and opportunities. This paper intends to describe the experience of teaching-learning design under this environment and ultimately depict the Design Fundamentals classes as a space of integration.