TENN TLC creative Teaching Grants Program Final Report :: 2010/11 Cary Staples Graphic Design Using gaming models to encourage experimentation and interaction
The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know. -Socrates Hypothesis: By creating a learning experience that approximates a gaming environment I will encourage experimentation and permit failure in the learning environment. I proposed this grant with the idea that I would create a finite series of templates to make this class defined to establish a firm structure to encourage experimentation to teach. The result: I hope I have discovered a new way to teach this class that will make the course material dynamic while remaining current and accessible to students. I have used examples from the TLC discussions to modify the classroom experience, to make the experience more interactive for the students. Next year, I hope to have more directed meetings with the graduate and undergraduate students assisting in the class to maximize their contact with the students. I have re-written the syllabus and the evaluation forms to include a midterm and final rubric to clarify grading expectations. This semester I had two graduate students who assisted with the class. Initially we created a list of goals for the class: to create a bridge between the foundation experience and the 200 level design classes. to teach design thinking to allow the students to experience problem analysis and identification to allow the students to experience the importance of observation and transference students will be able to identify skills that they would like to acquire. to allow the students to understand the importance of failure as a means to success to illustrate the importance of creating drafts and implementing the process of evaluation to direct refinement to create an environment where students value that which they know and are motivated to pursue that which they would like to know
Students participated in a school wide Charette project titled, “Rogue.” Students had the opportunity to work in groups or individually. Students were supplied questions to direct the experience and focus the reflection. This is an annual experience that I plan to continue to incorporate into the course. Graduate and undergraduate mentors were very important to help the students begin working in small groups so quickly.
The overall goal of the class is to create an experience to provide all of the students with the opportunity to observe and participate in all aspects of the design process. To facilitate this goal, each week students had three assignments. First, a research/analysis assignment that related to a specific aspect of the design process. Second, the “everyday assignment”. Students were asked to collect an artifact that attracted their attention and note why they thought the object attracted them, where they were, what time of day and any other aspects about the object that they thought was worth noting. Copies of these items were collected each week as attendance. Finally, once a week we met in the studio to work collaboratively to explore and experiment with some of the principles discussed in presentations. 1. research/analysis
2. everyday collection
3. visual research
These varied experiences, while confusing to students used to very specific, linear, instructions, worked will as students were asked to think in a variety of ways. The different assignments helped them to transition between the parts of the process that they were skilled at and the parts that were new to them. For example, the “everyday assignment� was too difficult for students with poor time management skills. This allowed us to identify this weakness and address possible solutions early in the semester. The research/analysis projects allowed us to catch students who needed help with analysis and writing and the visual research assignments reinforced the importance of the core classes that the students were supposed to be taking concurrently. With input from the graduate and undergraduate mentors, it was decided not to create electronic tutorials; concern was expressed regarding the insular nature of gaming. We decided to create collaborative experiences where the students could work together with mentors in the classroom to solve problems. The outline for these experiments is documented in the process book template posted on www.issuu.com. Online references and resources were collected and organized according to the course outline for reference and review. Part of the goal of using technology to minimize administrative paperwork such as attendance. By collecting assignments from the previous class each week, this simplified the roll process and provided immediate feedback to students. Using gaming theory, if students had so many questions, they were stalled, they were encouraged to take a risk and do the work as they understood the assignment. They would receive a grade the next week with feedback. Questions were addressed quickly and experimentation was rewarded early on. The end result was a much more engadged classroom environment. Students became comfortable with the idea that there was not one right answer and that their concerns and ideas could direct their research.
Projects for 150 Spring 2011
Tuesday Assignments: !
Charette .. Rogue
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Juggling + Practice
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3 Mind Maps
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Everyday collection
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Scavenger Hunt
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Zeugma Analysis .. The Graphic Imperative Analysis
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Designer Research
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Found Alphabet
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History Research / 80ʼs / 70ʼs / 60ʼs / 50ʼs / 40ʼs /
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layouts !
Review of Senior Show
Thursday Assignments: !
AIGA Scavenger Hunt
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Mind Map
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Valentine + analysis
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Poster without words
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Visual Thesaurus spreads
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Postcard
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Phone Wallpaper
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Insect Research
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!
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Insect Box
Typographic / Handgraphic / Photographic
Moving Forward Rubrics for midterm and final process books have been developed and will be included in the new syllabus. Bb site have been improved with learning modules that reflect course organization based on concept, not course timeline. (I hope this will make the reference component useful for other classes.)
Rubric for Midterm Grading: -Completion of all assignments -Organization of all assignments into a process document, chronological -Evidence of the ability to evaluate work -Evidence of the ability to translate evaluation into new exploration -Evidence of the attempt to synthesize research into personal explorations! Rubric for final grading: - Integration of midterm explorations into final projects -Evidence of growth in the ability to define explorations -Evidence of improved ability to evaluate work -Evidence of improved synthesis of research into personal explorations
Examples of Midterm + Final Grading Rubric with comments 150 PROCESS BOOK Spring 2011 . Midterm Student Name Student, you have a good start on your process book. You have completed most of the assignments to date, and your reflection is excellent. Tuesday Assignments: !
Charette .. Rogue!!
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+
!
Juggling + Practice !
!
+
!
3 Mind Maps!
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0 . too linear
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Everyday collection!
!
++
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Scavenger Hunt! !
!
- ? did I miss this
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Zeugma Analysis!!
!
+
!
Designer Research!
!
+
!
Thursday Assignments: !
AIGA Scavenger Hunt !
!
+
!
Mind Map !
!
o
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Valentine + analysis!
!
+
!
Poster without words!
!
+
!
Visual Thesaurus spreads! !
-
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Postcard !
++
!
!
!
I really appreciate your enthusiasm, do not loose this. Good insights, keep this up but try to expand your visual experimentation and do not be afraid of your own observations. I would like you to look at how other designers bring emotion into their work. How will you bring emotion into your work? Writing feel as if you are doing the assignment. See if you can frame the assignment so your words reflect the energy and insight you bring to class. This is a very good beginning.
Your mind maps are too linear with only one link to each word, try finding multiple words to each branch. Have the column a/column b exercises helped you to expand your visuals? Please see me if you have questions about this. Overall, very nice job.
Grade __X___
150 PROCESS BOOK Spring 2011 . Midterm Student Name Student, you have a good start on your process book. You have completed most of the assignments to date, however the level of investigation is uneven. This makes grading difficult. Tuesday Assignments: !
Charette .. Rogue!!
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+
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Juggling + Practice !
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0 . Good attitude
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3 Mind Maps!
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0 . more in depth
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Everyday collection!
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+
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Scavenger Hunt! !
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- . Missing
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Zeugma Analysis!!
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0 . sketch examples / provide visual
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Designer Research!
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+ . Good comments
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Thursday Assignments: !
AIGA Scavenger Hunt !
!
-
!
Mind Map !
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-. Group one from class
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Valentine + analysis!
!
+
!
Poster without words!
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+ . nice critiques
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Visual Thesaurus spreads! !
+
!
Postcard !
+
!
!
!
I really appreciate your enthusiasm, do not loose this. It feels as if you are writing to just answer the assignment. You express an interest in Pixar, however I do not see you attempting to work the same way that they do. While I do like your impressions, I would also like to see you intellectually explore the work you have chosen to review. If you need help with this, you should come to my office hours or you may visit the Writing Center. Good beginning layout. I appreciate that you are reformatting and organizing the material. Keep up this experimentation. Be sure you have all of the materials. This is the biggest factor affecting your grade. Except for the layout of the collections, there is not obvious improvement in your projects between the initial submission and this book. You will need to review your work and make improvements for your final process book. You have not yet engaged in any analysis or tried to find connections between your observations, your sketches and your research. We will be looking for more development, refinement and reflection in your final book. Be sure to develop a system to reflect and create connections between assignments, research and observations.
Grade __X___
150 PROCESS BOOK Spring 2011 Student Name Your final process reflects an improved effort to analyze and reflect on your earlier projects, however you still need further refinement and reflection on your final pieces. Overall, the work is uneven. You have put a lot of time and emphasis on your collection and the historic analysis. Both are very well done. There is, however, little reflection on your history readings and none on any of your bug experiments. It feels as if you ran out of time. For future work you will need to expand your analysis and transference, you seem too focused on the letter of the assignment. You should continue to expand your system of reflecting and creating connections between assignments, research and observations. Do not let the fact that you are unsure of making the “right� choices prevent you from making any choices. Embrace the process of working more quickly on more different kinds of explorations. The development of an understanding of your process is integral in transitioning as a successful designer; there should be adequate time for exploration and idea generation followed by time for thoughtful execution and attention to detail. In the future, be sure to give yourself time to experiment visually. Your process book suggests that you are interested and curious. The generation of the product, or completion of the assignment, is only one step in the design process. Without research and visual exploration the final project will not solve the problem adequately. Please keep this in mind as you continue in 251. Your drawing and hand graphics have an energy and expression to them. It would be interesting to see more of this kind of work in your process. You are very accomplished with the computer, how can you make your computer work more experimental? You need to develop a system to reflect and create connections between assignments, research and observations. This might increase the number of experiments and give you a new way of looking at the content and concept. Integration of midterm explorations into final projects! ! ! ! Evidence of growth in the ability to define explorations!!
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S . good improvement
!
NC
Evidence of improved ability to evaluate work!
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NC
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Evidence of improved synthesis of research into personal explorations! NC Midterm Process Book Grade __X___ Final Process Book Grade __ X__ Midterm Comments: Student, I am really at a loss as to how to comment on your process book. You seem to be very involved in some of your projects and others are just done according to the assignment. Some assignments are missing and you have substituted work from another class. This makes grading difficult. Your research for your designers shows a beginning, but it is missing any analysis or your perspective. Your collections are uneven. You are very behind in some aspects of the class. If you need help understanding the assignments, please come in to see me. You have some interesting emotion in your sketch book that might be more suited to pieces in printmaking or handmade book design. The class assignments are meant to encourage you to explore the world of the project. If you were to really try to solve some of these problems, possibly generate
mind maps with friends to get more perspectives, then they might become problems that you could address in a design venue. You have not yet engaged in any analysis or tried to find connections between your observations, your sketches and your research. We will be looking for more development, refinement and reflection in your final book. Be sure to develop a system to reflect and create connections between assignments, research and observations.