In Workshop 1 we were given articles to read on a selection of subjects related to pedagogy. I was tasked with reading a case study by Jason K.McDonald and Esther Michela from Brigham Young University, USA. The paper is titled ‘The Design Critique and the moral goods of studio pedagogy’.
The paper explores the moral goods significant for design studio instructors by examining their perspectives on critiques within the studio as a social practice. The study, conducted through in-depth interviews with six studio instructors, identifies three types of moral goods pursued through critiques: student development, self-cultivation of instructors, and benefits for other stakeholders.
What are Moral Goods?
- Moral goods refer to desirable and positive outcomes or values within a particular moral or ethical framework. These goods are associated with actions, practices, or behaviours that are considered morally right within a specific context or community. Moral goods guide individuals or communities in making ethical judgments and decisions.
- In the context of the discussed paper on design studio pedagogy, moral goods include values and outcomes that are considered beneficial within the practice of design education. The study identifies three types of moral goods pursued through critiques in design studios:
- Student Development: The improvement and growth of students in terms of their skills, knowledge, and overall development as designers.
- Self-Cultivation of Instructors: The enhancement and refinement of instructors’ own skills, teaching methods, and personal growth through engagement with critiques.
- Benefits for Other Stakeholders: Positive outcomes that extend beyond students and instructors, potentially benefiting the broader community, industry, or any other stakeholders involved in the design studio environment.
Instructors express a sense of well-being as they develop meaningful relationships with their students.
SUMMARY:
- Critiques help keep instructors actively engaged and aware of the studio culture and goings on.
- Moral goods are desirable/positive outcomes that add to an existing ethical framework/studio ecology/environment/culture.
- Critiques help students develop by increasing their knowledge and skills as designers.
- They help instructors/educators develop their own skills with self-cultivation.
- They in hand help the stakeholders in the wider community e.g. industry and/or fellow peers.
Relevance to own teaching:
- With each student, I ask what they think of their outcome, whether was it what they expected/imagined, and what they could do differently.
- Sometimes this involves showing them examples of other designers/projects to help broaden their knowledge.
- It can be done by showing them new techniques and skills in software/ tools in the workshop that can enhance their projects further.
- Critiques aren’t done in the formal sense as a technician but the principles as laid out in this article still apply.
- Negative case analysis applies to my everyday teaching when asking the students what’s gone wrong. Their projects may run smoothly until one thing changes and throws them off. – this could be to do with the material they are using, the tool, their inspiration, or their technique.
McDonald, J. K., & Michela, E. (2019). The Design Critique and the moral goods of studio pedagogy. Brigham Young University, USA.