Hi Terry
Thanks for Nellie notes.
I followed the architectural model out of Greenwich Uni way back in 90s as mentioned by Ranulph, and while I think the principle bore some merit, the quality of experience varied hugely for each student. Those who went into Gov departments for their post Hons 'year-out' were given greater responsibility, more time being nurtured by Nellie and paid twice as much (not that this should contribute to the issue of quality, but it certainly mean't the students were expected to take part in a more active way that just 'sitting' with N). Those who went into private practice that I know of were either reduced to menial tasks as senior staff were too busy to mentor them, or they were seen as cheap labour and again given laborious tasks (I can remember many a site visit on a winter day in UK to check site maintenance).
Obviously the experiences varied greatly BUT we all learnt about the office practices - more from our own initiatives and keeping ears open than from any training structure, especially in private practice. Apprenticeships varied in level of active or passive learning, but they did offer something academia couldn't, even with visiting consultants. The final 2 years out after the post-grad diploma followed by professional exams were a little more structured, basically completing a log book, but this still did not guarantee depth and breadth of experience if the practice simply could not offer the work.
To be honest, those spells with Nellie, combined with 'live' projects at uni with Nellie coming in to check if we were producing specifications and design documentation to office standard were probably as good as it gets, but still not ideal. One of the key issues I later discovered was less to do with specifically learned steps and procedures in the design process, but with 'lived experience'. Even now, with environmental or health oriented design work, we are asking students to design for a world they haven't yet lived in, especially in Australia when many students still live at home (yes, the closeted Entitlement Generation). It is this lack of experiential maturity that I notice in many undergraduate design students, also most simply do not have the communication skills to actively engage with a client or consultant. Vocational design skills can be learned, more abstract cognitive skills, active listening and articulation of issues, and developing design integrity takes time, many mistakes and years of working relationships with Nellie and others.
Finally on this, both myself and another experienced and practicing designer were tutoring on a planning design unit recently (Nellie comes to the students as it were) and were criticised by students for marking them on professional standards... When we asked them: This is a vocational course, we are preparing you for the standards of design and production expected by your future employers, what standard would you rather we mark you on? They replied - university standard... Wah? It seems we are not supposed to be training them to work in a design office, a real profession, but just to pass a set of unit requirements; they were only intent on getting the pass in return for their unit fee, not an applicable education, indeed or even a career...?
So - are purely vocational streamed courses still valid at all if many students are simply completing them as general qualifications without any intention of continuing through on a single career trajectory?
Where will future professionals come from? Will return to academies run by professional institutes not universities, some of whom perhaps are concentrating more on education as a commodity than a career...?
Lastly, I am sure some of you may have read the entry on Entitlement Generation on 'The Conversation' website (http://theconversation.edu.au/gen-y-cant-i-have-everything-i-want-and-now-3440), here's an extract:
"Would you employ a Gen Y graduate?
Professors might want to try a simple personal test to assess the relative accomplishments
and abilities of the Entitlement Generation. Assume you are using your own money to start
a company. How many of the students in front of you would you hire?
If the response from many North American professors is a guide, the number is very small."
Regards
Nicola
________________________________________
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Terence Love [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 04 February 2012 08:00
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Apprenticeships
Dear David,
Reading Amanda's post jogged my memory.
Wondering if you've found the extensive body of research from the 80s and
90s highly critical of apprenticeship in design education and
characterised by the phrase 'sitting with Nellie'?
Cal Swann, Michael Tovey and others produced detailed criticisms of the
failure of Design curricula that use this approach.
Similar criticisms are also found in a variety of other professional fields.
Google scholar searches on "sitting with nellie design" pick up many of
those papers in the first 300 items.
Best wishes,
Terry
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bill,
Amanda
Sent: Saturday, 4 February 2012 6:57 AM
To: Dr Terence Love
Subject: Re: Apprenticeships
Dear David,
I found this paper useful in researching creative education.
Guile, D., & Okumoto, K. (2007). 'We are trying to reproduce a crafts
apprenticeship': from Government Blueprint to workplace-generated
apprenticeship in the knowledge economy. Journal of Vocational Education &
Training, 59(4), 551 - 574.
It's about the future development of apprenticeship in the creative sector
in the UK and internationally, and supports the idea that design is best
learnt as a situated form of practice.
Best wishes
Dr Amanda Bill
Institute of Design for Industry and Environment College of Creative Arts
Massey University, Wellington New Zealand
+64 4 8015799 ex 62555
email: [log in to unmask]
On 2/02/12 3:55 AM, "David Balkwill" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear all,
This is a rather pragmatic question, some way away from most of the
discussions on this list, but I'm sure you'll forgive me.
What does anyone know about the use of apprentice schemes in design
education?
I'm primarily interested in product design, but other areas may have
interesting examples.
I know about the French set up based initially on their BTS exams, but who
else is working on this?
I suppose that a secondary question might look at what anyone thinks about
these schemes?
Looking forward to your input.
Regards
David
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