Thursday, July 27, 2006,
The way to survive in block teachingIf u guys din know, my school is currently in a system called block teaching, where u have to take 1 or 2 module each block (each month), every day from tuesday to friday, at the same time slot.
So what is good and what is not?
It is a system where most universities adopt. It is a system that is compatitble, or rather a splitting image from the real working world, where submissions deadlines are tight. In a way, BT forces you to work, and if you want to pass, you must work.
So what is not good about it being applied into our school? According to Mead's theory of the 3 stages of learning, which is imitate, play and game stage, we designers-in-training are in the stage we call the play stage. Maybe even imitation stage?
In this stage, we learn the basics and develop a design sense to equip us for the game stage which is the industry basically. To throw us right into BT, is unreasonable, for most of us.
Why? In design, a probable success method is stated below ;
Talent is the + factor in design. If you have talent, you are likely to be at an advantageous position than the rest.
Especially in BT, people with talent, takes less time to think of the design process which generates ideas.
However, people without talent, needs to refine that very design sense, by having more time to brainstorm, and conceptualise.
BT takes away that very essence of time from the strugglers.
Hard work seperates the passers away from the failers.
Though hard work in the industry may not mean too much now, if you at least put in the effort to fulfil the basic requirements for a project, though your idea not too brilliant, you are likely to pass.
In the old system, Hardwork would probably get you further. perhaps a B, or even an A. However, time constraint forces you to rush and probably miss a crucial step in the design process.
So far in BT, in the case of IAD, remarks from the lecturers about the people who fail, are that they produce their final work, without much process. This essentially breaks the link that holds up concepts and product together. If you have product (which u rushed to get it done), but your concept process shows nothing of it, you would probably fail.
PID, a course similar to IAD, is said to be facing the same dillema of IAD. Lets take another example. A friend of mine, quoted that this subject called Environment Technology has had its work cut.
What do i mean? ENTEC is basically a technical subject that teaches you how a building functions (electricity,fire..etc) However, as i have personally took the subject early this year, i felt that i have not learnt much. It is due to the fact that we could not cope with the submission deadlines, and the lecturers have to sacrifice valuable lessons and assignments to let us proceed on.
This is short changing us. Instead of teaching us everything we need to know before venturing out in the industry, we instead learn half of it, and when we emerge into the industry, we would have to learn by ourselves when the company expects us to do something.
This block which started on Monday, felt like the last week of the block instead of the first.
It is just thursday, and everyone is just burned out, trying to juggle 2 cores at one go.
Example. Professional Communication for Designers and Project 2B for IAD.
PCOMD requires you to come up with a portfolio by 2 days, which is not impossible, if you don mind the quality. Add that equation to P2B which requires us to come out with the form and shape by a week. This time given is a great change from last time, where you are given weeks to develop concept models, sketches, before your form.
With BT, all these design processes are sacrificed and many people could only come up with , say 1 or 2 models, and thats it, thats my final design. BT in short, has limited quality work from us.
BT is not entirely unworkable, but it needs to be refined before its too late. Perhaps the core could be spread over 15 weeks, while subjects that could be rushed can be blocked up. This is one of the solutions we could have.
BUT, without a voice to speak out, we will continue to suffer under the effects of Block teaching.
Remember, we come to school, to learn, not to immediately jump ship into the big world.
You throw a baby straight into the swimming pool, which is what BT is doing.
We need to be equipped with the skills and mindset before we can plunge in.
Quek Yong Hock
8:29 PM
