visual:design:scholarship
: Research Journal of the Australian Graphic Design Association
Special Issue Call for Papers, 2007
Guest Editor:
Dr Laurene Vaughan
[log in to unmask]
School of Applied Communication
RMIT University
Topic: Graduate Education and the Design Industries
Background
Once upon a time we learnt on the job, through situated practice, then came
diplomas, certificates and then degrees and higher degrees. Design education
is an ever evolving beast that through every stage of development has
brought with it concerns about the separation between the theory, the
practice and the every day application of knowledge.
Graduate education within the design fields is a relatively young domain of
educational practice and development. Although some institutions have
offered Master and Doctoral programs in the design fields for a few decades,
it is still an emerging area of development. Discussions about the role, the
form and the methodology of such qualifications are the focus of
international conferences, symposia and discussion lists. The outcome of
which is an emerging and sometimes heated discourse about pedagogy, practice
and discipline domains. Underpinning much of this discussion is the
potential tension between the expectations of the academy and the needs and
interests of industry.
This Special Issue of visual:design:scholarship : Research Journal of the
Australian Graphic Design Association, invites your contribution to the
exploration and evaluation of the potential relationships between graduate
design education, design research and the design professions.
Themes
For this edition of visual:design:scholarship contributions are sought from
design educators and practitioners who are engaged in this field knowledge
creation in theory and practice. Although the focus of the journal is on
Graphic Design, contributions from other fields of design practice will be
accepted if they explore and/or contribute to broader understandings of
design education and practice.
Themes to be explored may included:
ˇ The role of graduate education in the broader development of the
design professions
ˇ The role of the doctorate (PhD or Professional) to the everyday
practice of design
ˇ Who is graduate education for the academy or the industry and can
we differentiate?
ˇ Mastery is a Masteršs qualification enough and what does mastery
through research and education mean?
ˇ A research degree or a coursework degree: differences, similarities,
relevance and opportunities
ˇ The language and the form: the thesis, the project, the theory and
the practice
Contributions in the form of case studies of the experiences of educators or
students are also encouraged. In particular we invite practitioners who have
completed graduate programs of study to reflect on and critique how this
experience has informed their professional practice. Has your graduate
education experience had an ongoing influence on professional practice?
Equally, the perspective of industry on postgraduate education would add a
rich dimension to the discussion. Such case study submissions must be more
than historical narratives; they need to include reflections and critique of
the challenges, successes, theoretical frameworks and/or influences that
have informed the authoršs experiences.
The Guest Editor is particularly interested in contributions that explore
this important and dynamic area of education and practice. As
visual:design:scholarship Research Journal is a publication within the
visual design domain, contributors are encouraged to consider the form of
their submission and are encouraged to make use of visual communication
tools and methods in their submission. All submissions will be peer
reviewed. It is the authoršs responsibility to ensure that their submission
meets the guidelines as listed below, and that submissions have author
details removed from file names etc. The main discussion equivalent file
must also be submitted as a single file that can be distributed
electronically.
Procedure
The normal conditions and guidelines of the journal apply for this Special
Issue. Full submissions should be sent directly to the Special Issue Guest
Editor: Laurene Vaughan ([log in to unmask]), to arrive no later
than midnight, Friday, 21st of September 2007. As the journal is electronic,
all articles accepted on recommendation of the peer reviewers will be
published.
For submission guidelines go to
http://www.agda.asn.au/education/designresearchjournal/index.html
<http://www.agda.asn.au/education/designresearchjournal/index.html>
visual:design:scholarship is an internationally refereed, online journal
that aims to stimulate, support and disseminate design research with a focus
on visual communication design in the Australasian context.
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