Expanded brief research formulation

Follow-up to A more precise formulation of my research from Inspires Learning - Robert O'Toole

This is an exploration of designerly thinking in the humanities in higher education. It will explore the following hypothesis:

1. A distinctively “designerly” way of thinking supports the production and use of “mode 2” knowledge.
2. Such “designerly” thinking is present to varying degrees in humanities teaching and learning at the University of Warwick;
3. This gives certain students and graduates an advantage when working with “mode 2” knowledge in situations that require such capabilities.

It will include an extensive literature review, covering in detail:

• Designerly thinking.
• “Mode 2” knowledge.
• The relationship between designerly thinking and “mode 2” knowledge.
• Teaching and learning in the humanities.

The literature review will guide the creation of a "field guide" to assist in studying design thinking and knowledge in practice.

The second and third parts of the hypothesis will be explored through survey data, interviews, observations and ethnographic conversations to provide a credible and trustworthy account of:

• The teaching and learning landscape in the humanities at Warwick, and the distribution of opportunities for and instances of designerly thinking amongst learners and teachers.
• A set of cases in which students and teachers employ designerly thinking to support the use of “mode 2” knowledge in the humanities at Warwick (listed below), detailing the context, objectives and rationale (seen from student and  teacher perspectives), methods, facilities (technology and space), resources and impacts.
• Consideration of the constraints that limit such opportunities (including access to appropriate technologies and spaces).
  
• A further set of cases in which Warwick humanities graduates address real-world problems involving “mode 2” knowledge through designerly thinking.

Case studies:

The Warwick Writing Programme - designing the individual voice. During the academic year 2011-2012 I will follow a selection of undergraduate and postgraduate students through their studies as part of the programme (based in the department of English and Comparative Literature). Success in the programme is often described in terms of "finding" an individual voice as a writer, working on a very personal level with academics and professional writers. The undergraduate and postgraduate courses are designed to provide a rich set of challenges, opportunities and contentions. There is much variation in the conditions and practices that lead to success on an individual and group level, many choices to be conceived, decided and implemented individually and collectively.

English and Comparative Literary Studies, creative and academic projects. Undergraduate students in some English Department modules are able to replace an exam or assessed essay with a creative performance. This engages them with tensions between traditional humanities methods and more experimental and non-textual possibilities. Further complications are introduced when the students work in groups. They must identify, understand, and design a response to some very challenging issues. I have been supporting and observing these projects in 2010-2011, and will be undertaking a more in-depth case study in the next academic year.

History of Medicine, film making and the design of postgraduate research. This case study provides an opportunity to observe students from a mode "traditional" academic discipline (history) designing media productions to engage with researchers and others in medicine and other related disciplines.

Living Arts, a collaborative academic-cultural project. This brings together undergraduate students from a wider range of humanities and social studies disciplines. They will use "design thinking" methods to design a production process and production teams, to discover topics and creative ideas, and to produce a web site and a series of videos.

MA International Design and Communications Management. Adding an international dimension to the study.

Robert O'Toole : 10 Mar 2011 13:03 |  Tags: Implementation |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem