Design schools are no different from nursery schools. Nursery schools have an open curriculum at large and focus on teaching concepts, such as value and behavior, that help a child can apply lifelong. The focus is also on one-to-one learning. We are forgiving to kids when they make mistakes. Evaluation is not a crucial tool used by nursery teachers. Children discover new things among themselves every day. They discuss the most unusual topics at length.
Here is a key summary of my nursery school days and recommendations for redesigning design education in India based on the summary.
01. Community-based learning
When I was in a nursery school the teacher took us out of school to show us how a Kaccha Ghar (mud house) differs from a Pakka Ghar (cement house). During that short trip we could understand the economic divide between the poor and the rich, the materials used in both kinds of houses, and diversity in India. When the teacher introduced us to animals, she took us to a zoo, instead of showing us pictures of animals. Richard Farson, author of the book The Power of Design, writes that designers should bridge the gap between design and the social sciences. Students should interact with a variety of institutions and organizations and not limit themselves to schools. The ideal model of a design school in India is to involve the community as a primary stakeholder.
02. Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
In my nursery school, gardening was considered one of few important subjects in order to teach kids the relationship between ecology and human action. Each Saturday morning we spent hours in the school garden. We then came back to the classroom and illustrated what we did in the garden before the bell rang. The gardener in the nursery school had unconditional love towards the earth, and towards us kids. He never got angry when we walked into the garden and messed it up. Over the next few days he would bring the garden back to its usual self. Any design education model, if devoid of the world we live in, fails to translate a holistic understanding of the role of design.
03. Lifelong experience
One of the teachers at the nursery school used to quote a Chinese proverb by Lao Tzu—give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime—which was quite inspiring for any teacher. Design education should focus on imbibing knowledge that supports students lifelong. Design thinking is one of the ways to enable students to develop indigenous processes to create. Design thinking focuses on the situation of a user rather than focusing on creation. Design thinking is core to design. Design is action and thinking articulates that action. Design only helps students to adapt to creation. Articulation helps students adapt to situations.
04. Non-compulsory curriculum
In nursery, the teacher begins to realize that a child is averse towards a certain subject and tries to design a different methodology to get the child interested. The teachers are usually bound to the curriculum, which could be limiting. The design curriculum should be flexible and accommodate experimentation. Some students who are not keen on following the curriculum should present their argument to a panel. If the argument is in favor of the student then the panel can let those students structure their future in design school. Such students may also choose to disregard evaluation at their will. Such students may read books for next four years or start a business venture or work on farms. These students can then propose their final thesis projects that lets them actualize their learning of four years.
05. Educational goals
When I was in doubt, the nursery teacher used to give me options. She used to ask, “What do you want to do?” When we were in agreement as to what I would do, she would make sure that I am happy doing it. Design education can be alternative education. It doesn’t have to belong to mainstream education. Usually in such situations, design education is in a state of confusion. The word ‘interdisciplinary’ is used loosely even though the system doesn’t allow the students to actually the taste the fruits of interdisciplinary learning. The system should encourage students from any design discipline to take some courses core to their discipline and most courses outside their discipline. Only such a system will foster innovation from students when they start working as designers in the real world.
06. Reverse transmission
Margaret Mead coined this term ‘reverse transmission’. She went on to explain how the younger generation fosters knowledge and wisdom superior to that of older generations. There are instances when my nursery teacher would listen to the stories of kids and was amazed by their understanding of the world, in general. She would then record the stories in a book and would use these stories to create a play during our annual fest. Design education is influenced by information and knowledge accessible to the students. The cumulative knowledge of all students when compared to a professor’s knowledge is very high. Design education should switch to a peer-based learning model from the teacher-based learning model. Technology can be used effectively to store knowledge of both students and faculty members.
07. Relevance to society
In nursery, I was given assignments where I would spend a day with my mother and then record the day in her life with my sketches. I would do the same with my father and sisters. And then map the whole family through a day. Although design education is channeled towards the growth of an individual, its relation with communities such as families, student networks, work groups are discouraged. Design education should focus on a society-based model rather than an industry-based model.
08. De-emphasize evaluation
In nursery, I was never bothered about either grades or marks. Children did not fear coloring the leaves of the trees blue and oceans red. Design education in India is based purely on evaluation, but not on risk-taking or innovation. High risks give higher dividends. The failure rate is more and that is important for students to learn. Today children don’t want to fail in order to learn. The evaluations system is to be blamed. Design education should be devoid of any judgment.
09. Physical readiness (rest, exercise and nutrition)
In nursery, we used to sleep for an hour in the afternoon. When we woke up we would together perform breathing exercises. The teachers even made sure children eat well everyday. The parents were then called for a meeting where they were informed about the do’s and dont's on preparing lunch. The body needs exercise, rest and nutrition. Design education should not be hectic. These aspects may seem not important but they affect a student’s learning eventually.
By Sanjay Basavaraju
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