Contemporary Design Education in Australia

Lisa Scharoun is currently the Head of School - School of Design at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. She is a multi-award-winning teacher, researcher and designer with expertise in visual communications, transdisciplinary design, design for health and cross-cultural design.  Deanna Meth is a Senior Lecturer, Curriculum and Learning Design at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia, and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her recent research focuses on learning and teaching critique and analysis and curriculum development on a range of scales.  Philip Crowther is an architect and Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology. His research interests are in higher education and the factors that affect academic success. He has expertise in first year transition and learning design. Dean Brough is a senior lecturer at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). His applied research explores the intersection of health and design, with a focus on performance and protective apparel for sub-tropical climates and skin cancer prevention.  Lindy Osborne Burton is an associate professor and  architecture and the design for health program co-leader at Queensland University of Technology.  Müge Belek Fialho Teixeira is a creative maker and transdisciplinary designer, specialised in advanced manufacturing, digital fabrication, and parametric design. She is a design lead at the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Hub), and a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering, Interior Architecture at Queensland University of Technology. 

List of Figures

List of Tables

Foreword – Dr Brandon Gien

Acknowledgements



Introduction: Design and the Changing Educational Landscape – Lisa Scharoun, Deanna Meth, Renata Lemos Morais, and Philip Crowther

- Exploring transdisciplinarity

- Introducing our Australian design education context and collective learnings

- Overview of chapters



PART 1: DESIGNING EFFECTIVE CURRICULA: TOWARDS TRANSDISCIPLINARITY



1. Curriculum Design and Development to Enhance Transdisciplinary Skills Development – Sheona Thomson, Andrew Scott, and Philip Crowther

- The changing role of universities

- Building a new faculty framework

- Transdisciplinary units

- Transdisciplinary elected studies

- Discussion

- Conclusion



2. Developing Twenty-First-Century Design Professionals through Impactful Curricula – Deanna Meth and Dean Brough

- Background and context

- The Bachelor of Design Program, 2019 Onwards

- Concluding thoughts



3. Making Things Online: Transforming an Interdisciplinary Design Fabrication Unit for Online Delivery – Levi Swann

- Introducing Design Fabrication

- Shifting online, shifting perspective

- Discussion

- Conclusion 



PART 2: TRANSFORMING PROFESSIONAL IDENTITIES THROUGH TRANSDISCIPLINARY AND AUTHENTIC LEARNING



4. Identifying Opportunities and Barriers for Transdisciplinary Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Experiences for Future Design Professionals – Sarah Briant, Philip Crowther, and Lindy Osborne Burton

- What is WIL? 

- Study context

- Research methods 

- Discussion



5. Transforming Engagement through Authentic Collaboration: Transdisciplinary Learning for Design Students and Preservice Teachers – Lindy Osborne Burton and Lyndal O’Gorman

- Contextual background

- Transdisciplinarity and teamwork

- Transformational pedagogy, authentic learning, and WIL

- Professional identity and interactions

- Method

- Findings 

- Implications for practice



6. I Am Not the Expert: Indigenous Perspectives and ‘Transdisciplinary Education’ – Alayna Renata, Scott Parlett, Jackie Kauli, Verena Thomas, Owen Cafe, and Melanie Finger

- Case Study 1: Design for social good: Aboriginal perspectives in an intensive Impact Lab context – First-year unit

- Case Study 2: People and Place: Positionality, constraints, and opportunities in design education

- Case Study 3: Transdisciplinarity in social research with Indigenous communities

- Discussion and conclusion 



PART 3: STRATEGIES FOR INCORPORATING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN DESIGN PROGRAMS



7. The Travelling Professional in New York: A Study of an Experiential Transdisciplinary Study Tour – Dean Brough, Sarah Briant, and Melanie Finger

- Benefits and challenges of short-term international study tours 

- Australian international short-term study tours 

- QUT Creative Industries New York short-term study tour 

- Future opportunities 

- Conclusion 



8. Transforming Perspectives: Fostering Cross-Cultural and Transdisciplinary Competencies through Industry Engagement in a Short-Term Study Tour – Lisa Scharoun, Rafael Gomez, and Tim Williams

- Towards an understanding of design and the role of a designer

- The importance of cross-cultural experiences in design education

- Towards an understanding of differences in workplace cultures in Asia and Australia

- Overview of the Immersive Asia Study Tour program

- Vision and aims (industry, cultural, institutions) 

- Overview of workshops

- Reflections and evaluation 

- Conclusion



9. Authentic Project-Based Learning: Designing a Pavilion for the Botanica Festival – Kirsty Volz and Sarah Briant

- Background: Pavilions in Australia

- Transdisciplinary design approaches 

- Comprehending an iterative design process through authentic project-based learning

- Conclusion



PART 4: GLOBAL TRANSDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION



10. Understanding Design Culture from East to West: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Teaching – Lisa Scharoun, Müge Belek Fialho Teixeira, Danny Hills, Frederico Fialho Teixeira, Daphne Flynn, and Raghavendra Gudur

- Transdisciplinary mindset 

- Context: Experiential learning and transvergence 

- Reflection on teaching and learning practices 

- Cross-cultural collaboration

- Application of teaching and learning practices to a global learning experience

- Case studies

- Conclusion



11. Approaching Global and Local Issues through Design: Examples of Transdisciplinary Projects in the United States, Indonesia, China, and Australia – Gjoko Muratovski, Lisa Scharoun, Nina Hansopaheluwakan,

Mengyu Chen, and Camilo Potocnjak-Oxman

- Exploratory learning through a furniture design project in the United States

- Understanding the evolution of creative industries in China through project-based learning

- Informing sustainable design solutions in Indonesia through PBL 

- An approach to designing healthy futures in Australia through problem-oriented project-based learning

- Conclusions and reflections 



12. Transdisciplinarity in Design Education: A Review of Design Programs with a Focus on Australia and the United Arab Emirates – Carlos Montana, Lisa Scharoun, Hani Asfour, and Renata Lemos Morais

- Preparing design students for unknown future challenges and jobs

- Comparative review and discussion of DIDI and QUT

- School of Design

- Comparative review and conclusion



CONCLUSION 



13. Working towards Transdisciplinary Futures: Complexities and Concepts in Education – Deanna Meth, Lisa Scharoun, Philip Crowther, Müge Belek Fialho Teixeira, Dean Brough, and Lindy Osborne Burton

- Complexities in aiming for transdisciplinary education

- Conceptual frameworks for transdisciplinary education 

- Concluding points



Notes on Editors 

Notes on Other Contributors 

Index