VIRTUAL: Learning. Life. Work.

Abstract

In July 2023, the British government, led by PM Rishi Sunak, announced plans to crack down on undergraduate degree programmes which do not necessarily offer a direct vocational path. The notion of ‘play’ within higher education, particularly the design school experience, places importance on critical thinking, encourages experimentation and innovation without necessarily needing to be concluded by summative assessment. Whilst Sunak’s stance does not directly target design education, it does raise a question as to how we ensure design studies are of significant value to the learner and their future career prospects, whilst retaining the crucial element of ‘play’ or freedom of exploration. Should undergraduate study within design education place the same prominence on student experience and personal development as that of academic achievement? Is this even something that the student body considers when undertaking an undergraduate degree? As educators, should we be focused on ways to encourage students to concentrate on outputs or skills-based assessment, or is it more important to be curious as to how the notion of ‘play’ can contribute to retaining value of experience? This study proposes to select a single week of timetabled study within a module on the Interior Design BA programme, asking level 5 students to engage with a series of ‘play’ based activities which do not contribute directly to their assessment grade, instead placing value on experience and experimentation for personal development. Finally, we will host a series of open discussions culminating in an anonymous feedback submission to establish the student perspective.