Dear Amanda,
Thanks for this interesting response. I tend to forget that there are
in fact institutions like yours that began as schools of design, and
that do (or did) offer a large range of courses in design history and
theory (etc.). I can see why offering ten different
discipline-specific courses might be deemed "a very inefficient use of
resources," though I think it would be lovely for students to have the
option to take such courses (even if they were not offered every
year). I'm particularly intrigued to hear that you have (or had)
classes in theory for each discipline. Are any of the syllabuses or
reading lists posted publicly online?
I do not envy you the task of trying to reconfigure your curriculum.
How many different courses do you think will be taught in future to
replace the current ten?
As far as what students should be learning, well, I suspect the answer
varies from institution to institution. I'll try to write more about
that when I return...I'm interested in that question as well, and
would love to exchange lists of learning objectives with other
people...I write some on all of my syllabuses, but never feel quite
content with them, as I never feel that they really capture what it is
I'm aiming for (which I think is something very nebulous, like "making
students smarter and better human beings," which I wouldn't care to
write on a syllabus).
To get things rolling, I will post here the learning objectives from
my two design history classes. As I say, I'm not proud of them--I
don't think they really do the job--but they're what I have. Maybe
they'll be helpful to someone. And maybe some of you out there will be
willing to post yours, which I hope might be useful to me!
Learning objectives from my current History, Theory, and Criticism of
Graphic Design syllabus:
This course aims to develop students’ historical knowledge,
vocabulary, critical thinking ability,
and skills of written expression. In AD339/557A, students will:
1. gain familiarity with the works of selected designers and be able
to recognize the time period and
location in which different graphic styles and letterforms were
produced, as well as become aware of
the historical relationships between graphic design and the fine arts,
architecture, product design, and
advertising
2. be able to articulate the ways in which technological limits and
developments (e.g., in papermaking,
printing, photography, software, etc.) have shaped the possibilities
for graphic expression
3. acquire skill at analyzing and critiquing works of graphic design
using multiple critical approaches
4. acquire skill at analyzing and critiquing historical, theoretical,
and critical texts pertinent to the study of
Western graphic design.
(As I re-read these, I like them even less, so really, I'd be
interested to see what other people say their objectives are.)
Learning objectives from my History of Industrial Design syllabus:
AD337/AD557B aims to develop students' historical knowledge, critical thinking
ability, research skills, and skills of written expression. In this
course, students will:
1. Gain familiarity with major developments, figures, and ideas in the
history of
Western industrial design by completing the assigned readings and participating
in class discussions (see degree objectives 2, 3).
2. Develop their analytical and critical reading skills by reading,
discussing, and
writing about historical and theoretical texts pertinent to the study
of Western
industrial design (d.o. 2, 3)
3. Improve their research skills by using discipline-specific online and paper
research indexes to locate books, web sites, and articles relevant to their
research topic (d.o. 1)
4. Refine their rhetorical skills by writing a problem-based research
paper and by
taking essay exams and quizzes (d.o. 1, 2, 3)
I keep saying I'll be on the road, and yet I keep checking email when
I should be packing instead. Now I'm really and truly signing off for
a few days, though!
Carma R. Gorman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, School of Art and Design
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Associate Editor/Lead Reviews Editor, Design and Culture
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