Overview

Instructor: Marilyn Moedinger

Schedule: Mondays, 4-7pm

Location: 320 Newbury Street, Room 301

Description

In design school and throughout the profession, we talk about collaboration all the time, and agree that all design projects are collaborative efforts. But when and how do we actually learn how to collaborate? This Gateway Lab, which is serving as a pilot for a large-scale lecture course to be offered in Spring 2014, will be an introduction to contemporary professional design practice through the twin lenses of Collaboration and Community. This lab will involve hands-on learning, lectures, role-playing exercises, interaction with local professionals and the community, introduction to the concept and principles of community engagement, and a group design/build project. Though CP will use a design project as the catalyst and lab for teaching those lessons and concepts, the focus in CP will be on acquiring and practicing the skills required to practice design professionally, not just to design professionally.

This Lab is appropriate for students who are interested in learning more about community engagement, professional practice, and skills that are necessary to be successful in both.

Course Understanding Goals

There are two primary learning goals in this course: Community Engagement and Collaboration.

1. Community Engagement. 

•  Students will understand the implications and challenges of working with multiple communities and constituencies: their team, their instructor, and the community, and will develop methods and strategies for working within those communities. 
• Students will become aware of, and engaged with, the BAC community – faculty, staff, and students – through the group projects. 

2.  Collaboration. 

• Students will understand how to work collaboratively in their teams, and with their community. Students will develop methods and strategies for group work through reflection, engagement with digital work flow, and how to work constructively in a group, both supporting the goals of the group and being an advocate for their own learning.

Within these two goals, the following themes will be emphasized:

•  Reflection and Double-Loop Learnin
• Practice Readiness
• Communication [verbal + visual]