Materials Alchemy

31 Pages·2016·3.31 MB·English

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide

 Preparing
 for
 merged
 disciplines
 in
 Design
 and
 Technology
 at
 GCSE

 Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London

 Department
 of
 Design

 HEA

 Arts
 and
 HumaniAes

 Conference:
 March
 3rd
 2016

 -­‐
 Brighton
 :

 Inspire-­‐
 Sharing
 great
 pracAce
 in
 Arts
 and
 HumaniAes
 teaching
 and
 learning

“We were encouraged to experiment with techniques,
processes, materials and ingredients across the spectrum of
D&T, the main aim being to find new things, discoveries and
inventions.”

C.H. (PGCE D&T student, 2015-16)

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
Who
 are
 we?

Rose
 Sinclair:
 TexAles
 specialist

Richard
 Bre::
 Materials
 &
 Making
 specialist

Rose
 &
 Richard:
 Shared
 passion
 for
 Materials,
 Design
 &
 Sustainability

CollaboraEons:

 Both
 teach
 PGCE
 D&T
 subject
 specialisms

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
Who
 are
 we?

 Rose
 Sinclair:

WriAng
 about
 pracAce
 conAnues
 to
 sustain
 the
 approach
 to
 a
 hybrid
 creaAve
 pracAce.

Experimental
 approach
 to
 pracAce
 arAsan
 craU
 combined
 with
 technology

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
Who
 are
 we?

 Richard
 Bre::

PracAce
 has
 shiUed
 from
 creaAng
 furniture
 to
 developing
 student
 workshop
 experiences.

 Encouraging
 understanding
 through
 experimenAng
 with
 materials.

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
SeFng
 the
 scene:

In
 January
 2016
 we
 ran
 a
 ‘Materials
 Alchemy’
 session
 as
 an
 experimental
 session

with
 our
 current
 cohort
 of
 D&T
 PGCE
 students.

‘Materials
 Alchemy’
 was
 our
 response
 to
 the
 recently
 published
 content
 in
 the

D&T
 GCSE
 and
 A
 level
 specificaAon
 that
 will
 be
 taught
 in
 UK
 schools
 from
 2017

Brief
 summary
 of
 changes
 to
 D&T
 GCSE:

• Merged
 disciplines
 (several
 areas)

 to
 become
 one
 discipline

 D&T

• More
 focus
 on
 experimentaAon
 and
 creaAve
 problem
 solving,
 iteraAve
 design

Reasons
 for
 the
 ‘Materials
 Alchemy’
 sessions:

• To
 make
 students
 aware
 of
 the
 upcoming
 changes

• To
 sAmulate
 discussion
 between
 students

• To
 create
 opportuniAes
 for
 a
 cross
 disciplinary
 approach
 to
 D&T

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
Materials
 Alchemy:
 overview
 of
 the
 sessions

Pre
 1990

 1990s

 2000s

 post
 2017

Woodwork
  CDT
  D&T
  D&T

Metalwork
  CraU
  Includes:
  One
 subject

Resistant
 Materials
  Merged
 disciplines

  Design

Technical
  Technology
  Product
 Design

Electronics

Drawing

TexAles

Food

Home
 Economics

Graphics

(
 incl:
 dress/texAles/ CADCAM

needlework/fashion/food)

Do
 changes
 make
 creaAve
 problem
 solving
 more
 likely
 within
 D&T?

Do
 they
 allow
 for
 creaAve
 confidence?
 Or
 Material
 congnisance?

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
Kolb’s

ExperienEal

  concrete

experience

Learning

Circle

experienAal

acAve
  reflecAve

experimentaAon
  learning
  observaAon

abstract

conceptualisaAon

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
Schon’s
 ReflecEve
 PracEEoner

design
 pracAces

reflecAon

about
 acAon

reflecAon
  reflecAon

different
 viewpoints/
drawing
 upon
 own
 previous

in
 acAon
  on
 acAon
  alternaAve
 soluAons

&

 new
 experience
 and
 knowledge

MATERIALS
 ALCHEMY

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
Materials
 Alchemy:
 overview
 of
 the
 sessions

Where
 might
 this
 lead?

• 
 Greater
 engagement

 with
 materials

• 
 Developing
 a
 tacAle
 understanding

• 
 A
 wider
 appreciaAon
 and
 awareness
 of

 materials
 and
 materials
 cognisance

• 
 Recognising
 the
 role

 of

 ‘themselves’
 in
 the
 natural
 world
 is
 more
 likely
 to

lead
 to
 the
 sympatheAc
 use
 of
 material
 at
 an
 acceptable
 scale

 co-­‐opted
 with

a
 sense
 of
 responsibility

• 
 A
 broader
 understanding
 of
 and
 for
 our
 acAons
 and
 their
 consequences
 in

use
 and
 applicaAons
 of
 materials

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15
Materials
 Alchemy:
 overview
 of
 the
 sessions

Looking
 beyond
 Curriculum
 changes,
 other
 quesAons
 were
 raised:

• 

 Why
 D&T
 is
 fundamentally
 important
 to
 mankind
 as
 a
 species?

• 

 Why
 D&T
 is
 fundamentally
 important
 to
 (wo)man
 as
 an
 individual?

• 

 Those
 that
 are
 not
 able
 to
 produce,
 mend
 or
 improve
 arAfacts
 relinquish

 control
 over
 their
 immediate
 environment

• 

 They
 are
 bringing
 to
 an
 end
 a
 3.3
 million
 year
 era
 of
 mastery
 over
 the

 tools
 and
 equipment
 needed
 to
 shape
 mans
 surroundings

 to
 make

 survival
 more
 likely.

•  They
 are
 reliant
 on
 consumpAon
 to
 saAsfy
 their
 every
 need.

Materials
 Alchemy:
 When
 Disciplines
 and
 Materials
 Collide Rose
 Sinclair

 Richard
 Bre:

 Goldsmiths,
 University
 of
 London
 Department
 of
 Design
 02/15