Education guide 'Eindhoven designs' - Technische Universiteit ...

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Competence of designing perspective
Competency areas
The development of the different competency
areas is attained by the whole set of learning
activities during the consecutive semesters
and blocks. This means that the breadth of
the competency area is the sum of all aspects
developed during all learning activities. Depth
is gained by repetition of aspects in different
contexts. It relates to the complexity one can
deal with in a new setting. Thus competency
development is not a checklist; if someone
has done it once, it doesn’t automatically
mean that that aspect is in the bag and can be
ignored thereafter. The essence lies in gaining
insight in their competency development.
Especially the Self-Directed and Continuous
Learning aspects are crucial for this
perspective. It forms the core for growth. This
also requires reflection on and for growth.
Therefore, this perspective shows a reflection
line around all other elements. The IDentity
weeks focus in particular on this kind of
reflection on and for action. These weeks
occur three times per semester. At the start the
students reflect on what they have achieved
in the previous semester in terms of overall
competence of designing and their vision as
a designer, and use this information for their
Personal Development Plan (PDP). Halfway
the semester, students start adapting their
showcase for that semester. They reflect on
what they have achieved in their learning
activities so far, as related to the goals they
set in their PDP. Towards the end of the
semester, students make a second round in
adapting their showcase for that semester and
preparing it for the assessment. They reflect
on what they have achieved in their learning
activities so far, as related to the goals they
set in their PDP. They do not only look at the
past semester but also at their history and
their plans for the future.
Processes
The design process remains important in
this perspective, and performing learning
activities several times in a different context
reveals patterns of approach. Some students
are more inclined to start from a making
strategy, whereas others prefer to have a
strong analytical strategy. As often, the truth
is somewhere in the middle. Both strategies
are equally valuable and should frequently
alternate throughout the entire process. This
strongly relates to becoming a designer and
the kind of designer one becomes.
In this perspective of the competence of
designing and growth, the upper circle
containing envisioning and transforming
society now refers to the student’s vision on
designing. And the lower circle gives a societal
reference for one’s actions and development.
Looking at John Helmes’ processes over the
year, one can see a clear emphasis on making
through tangibility. He is currently teaching his
colleagues at Microsoft Research Cambridge
the benefits of this strategy and the actual
know-how to use this strategy, and by doing
so he is developing his own competence of
designing.