VIRTUAL New Schools of Thought

Abstract

Creative disciplines often rely on learning longitudinal critical thinking through the reflection of contextualised tacit knowledge – an approach under pressure in an HE context of constructive alignment and an accelerating cultural ‘pursuit of increased immediacy’ (Kornbluh, 2023, p.41). This changing context problematises the value of and potential approaches to critical thinking in the rapidly transforming curricula of art and design education. Questions to structure critical thinking in written assignments, drawing on (Prichard, 2012), were combined with a roleplay workshop adapting key insights from Chatfield’s (2017) critical thinking framework for an undergraduate design theory and context module. Reflective roleplay exercises built on the textual exercise, allowing students to experience the practical (immediate) decisions (and sometimes mistakes) which occur when applying this model in the real world. This paper reflects on the application of this model alongside critical speculation on current sector developments to highlight the cross-over of theory, practice, and professional relevance in art and design education. The synthesising of these two approaches to critical thinking tackles the problem of how to teach in a manner relevant to both theory and practice: as a movement between longitudinal learning and the application of insights to quick thinking tasks. Balance between the immediate and the longitudinal in critical thinking is not found in a simple middle ground but found in recognising necessary changes in the rhythm of teaching to match the increasingly rapid demands of professional contexts.