Teaching Beyond the Curriculum

Abstract

Creativity, by definition, prompts us to question the norm and develop novel practices or outcomes. However, within the professional practices of design, creative expansion is at risk. Educators that develop curriculum for accredited programs must carefully negotiate the foundational needs to prepare students for the profession, while also teaching them expansive tools for creative thinking. It can be quite difficult to lead with both, however, not impossible. While design educators have expertise aligned with their discipline, it is not uncommon to insert interdisciplinary practices within their courses, however, they will likely do so from their own framing, limiting opportunities for innovation. One approach to expanding creativity is through learning other practices outside of our own, leading us to become multilingual designers. This can only occur through developing fluency in other creative practices. Through exploring making, as a modality for learning new languages of creativity, we in fact can learn quicker, and with more innovation, as there is strength in the relationship between the hand and critical language development. The greater the expertise within a particular discipline, the more challenging it becomes to learn something new without being influenced by what we already know. As such, design students should be exposed to other creative disciplines, while they are still learning foundational theory and praxis of the design practice that they are pursuing. The presentation will focus on one such approach that prompts interior design students to develop fluency in another creative practice, through an elective course on shoemaking.