Abstract
Choice, as an aspect of existence, may be taken for granted or it may not exist at all. Choice may be complex, simple, false, or not apparent. Choices can be quantitatively and qualitatively different. There are ironies of choice in that profusion of choice can mean confusion of choice. Equally, and perversely, those who have choices can also enjoy the privilege of not choosing – itself a choice. Design is a site of choice-making – not only within the nuances of design processes but also for the role it plays in identity formation, social being, politics, and global interactions. This paper aims to address the significance of choice not only for focussed design and technology education but also for the general education of all students in their preparations to become fulfilled and engaged global citizens. The paper: a) explores choice from philosophical, social, political and consumerist perspectives; b) presents the student as both person and player in, and on, the world; c) offers two illustrations of curricula considered supportive of choice education for design and citizenship literacy; and, d) discusses ‘pedagogies of choice’ which can contribute to the growth of ‘altered consciousness’ through design education.
Keywords
Choice, choice education, altered consciousness, design literacy, curriculum, citizenship, design and technology education
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/learnxdesign.2013.076
Citation
Keirl, S.,and McLaren, S.V.(2013) Students as choice-makers: developing altered consciousness as an aspect of design and global citizenship literacy, 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.2013.076
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Students as choice-makers: developing altered consciousness as an aspect of design and global citizenship literacy
Choice, as an aspect of existence, may be taken for granted or it may not exist at all. Choice may be complex, simple, false, or not apparent. Choices can be quantitatively and qualitatively different. There are ironies of choice in that profusion of choice can mean confusion of choice. Equally, and perversely, those who have choices can also enjoy the privilege of not choosing – itself a choice. Design is a site of choice-making – not only within the nuances of design processes but also for the role it plays in identity formation, social being, politics, and global interactions. This paper aims to address the significance of choice not only for focussed design and technology education but also for the general education of all students in their preparations to become fulfilled and engaged global citizens. The paper: a) explores choice from philosophical, social, political and consumerist perspectives; b) presents the student as both person and player in, and on, the world; c) offers two illustrations of curricula considered supportive of choice education for design and citizenship literacy; and, d) discusses ‘pedagogies of choice’ which can contribute to the growth of ‘altered consciousness’ through design education.