multimedia design & research
:: research-led practice :: practice-led research ::
DR NICOLA WOOD
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The folding knives research demonstrated that well motivated independent learners working in physical isolation but supported by an online community could acquire complex new skills and use them in creative ways.
This project applied our existing methods of eliciting and representing skills to a process used by undergraduate design students in University workshops and resulted in the production of an online resource and a set of proposals for how such resources could be developed in a more widespread manner.
Background
In the creative disciplines, where learning is often based on practical projects, the craft skills of each discipline are both a crucial prerequisite for successful learning, and a learning problem in themselves.
This tends to create a complex situation in which teachers and technicians are supporting both skills learning and intellectual development at the same time. While this can be very productive, pressures on resources can lead to concentration on skills at the expense of advanced thinking.
Vacuum casting
The vacuum casting process was chosen as a pilot project to test the feasibility of producing multimedia learning resources to enable students to work more independently in the workshops. A series of workshop sessions were arranged to enable a technician with expertise in the process to teach an expert learner, one of the design lecturers.
These were observed and video recorded by myself working in collaboration with the expert learner to generate prototype learning materials. These were developed and tested by two further learners who had no prior knowledge of the process and ultimately made into an online resource which would allow students to preview materials supported by selected video then print out worksheets for use in the workshop.
Future research
The other main outcome of the research is a proposal for how a more widespread programme of generating materials to support skills learning could be implemented and embedded into the Universities teaching practice.
This would involve training and supporting teaching staff in the use of Web 2.0 technologies, development of dedicated terminals to access learning materials in the workshops and the use of online networking to encourage online skills exchange and peer support.
February - July 2010: I shall be working again with lecturers and students in the design studios at Sheffield Hallam University looking at skills learning and the of web 2.0 technologies to support independent learning.
