Comments on: Eddie Mack - Driving the software is a start but where to next? http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/ Technological Education, it's an adventure! Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:18:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: stuart http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/#comment-85317 stuart Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:00:15 +0000 http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/#comment-85317 Finding the right approach for each person is true of almost everything, I agree what is important is to get the ideas coming (from wherever) and to make sure that whatever presentation method isn't going to be a barrier to that. I wasn't aware of the DIVA programme, I had a good time this morning reading through some of the reports. The only one I had heard of was the Microsoft PC passport, I've always been a bit dubious of it (without having looked into details admittedly) based on my experience years ago with the european PC driving licence and the IT competency test everyone at Glasgow Uni has to sit before they can progress to second year. Both of these seemed like certification for the sake of certification - akin to getting an award for being able to tie your shoelaces. In the case of the test at uni, the process of applying to sit the test was harder than the test itself. The DIVA scheme sounds much more worthwhile. Finding out about it though just made me feel again like I'm pretty unprepared for starting out in August, there seems like there is so much I don't know yet. Just a case of cold feet I hope! Finding the right approach for each person is true of almost everything, I agree what is important is to get the ideas coming (from wherever) and to make sure that whatever presentation method isn’t going to be a barrier to that.

I wasn’t aware of the DIVA programme, I had a good time this morning reading through some of the reports. The only one I had heard of was the Microsoft PC passport, I’ve always been a bit dubious of it (without having looked into details admittedly) based on my experience years ago with the european PC driving licence and the IT competency test everyone at Glasgow Uni has to sit before they can progress to second year.

Both of these seemed like certification for the sake of certification - akin to getting an award for being able to tie your shoelaces. In the case of the test at uni, the process of applying to sit the test was harder than the test itself.
The DIVA scheme sounds much more worthwhile.

Finding out about it though just made me feel again like I’m pretty unprepared for starting out in August, there seems like there is so much I don’t know yet. Just a case of cold feet I hope!

]]> By: Ian Stuart http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/#comment-85176 Ian Stuart Sat, 16 Jun 2007 18:08:24 +0000 http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/#comment-85176 Its an old argument. Teach the skills and then the creativity comes from the confident skills or allow the creativity to develop then the required skills are learned from that. Each work with different individuals. As usual the answer for most comes somewhere in between. A little bit of 'Do this to see what is possible' followed by 'what do you think you could with this' works well but we have to be careful that we don't start assessing the individual skills instead of the outcome of the course. My arguement is that the design part IS a skill which can be taught but also it HAS to be taught. Then the skills of what is possible with each of the methods of idea presentation (Manual or Virtual) move those idea's on to a new level. The idea must come first. From images, morhological analysis, organic design, evolutionary design, iteritive design, it makes no difference. The design process is about designing the product or item for its purpose. Then presenting those solutions via whichever method is best. Pencil and paper initially, followed by modelling. Have a look at David Kelley http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/122 As for skills qualifications. If your going to teach skills why not get skills qualifications? Thats what the DIVA programme from the SQA is all about. If your using autodesk then the Autodesk introductory CAD qualification could be taught. Thats what PC Passport is. Pupils pass that and they can get a Microsoft qualification on the IC3 programme. We have to be clear what we want the pupils to be able to do at the end of the courses we teach them. I think I have to write a much larger article for my own Blog about this but I don't see that happening much before the end of term Its an old argument.
Teach the skills and then the creativity comes from the confident skills or allow the creativity to develop then the required skills are learned from that.
Each work with different individuals. As usual the answer for most comes somewhere in between.
A little bit of ‘Do this to see what is possible’ followed by ‘what do you think you could with this’ works well but we have to be careful that we don’t start assessing the individual skills instead of the outcome of the course.
My arguement is that the design part IS a skill which can be taught but also it HAS to be taught. Then the skills of what is possible with each of the methods of idea presentation (Manual or Virtual) move those idea’s on to a new level.
The idea must come first. From images, morhological analysis, organic design, evolutionary design, iteritive design, it makes no difference. The design process is about designing the product or item for its purpose. Then presenting those solutions via whichever method is best. Pencil and paper initially, followed by modelling.
Have a look at David Kelley http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/122

As for skills qualifications. If your going to teach skills why not get skills qualifications? Thats what the DIVA programme from the SQA is all about.
If your using autodesk then the Autodesk introductory CAD qualification could be taught.
Thats what PC Passport is. Pupils pass that and they can get a Microsoft qualification on the IC3 programme.
We have to be clear what we want the pupils to be able to do at the end of the courses we teach them.
I think I have to write a much larger article for my own Blog about this but I don’t see that happening much before the end of term

]]> By: stuart http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/#comment-85167 stuart Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:43:34 +0000 http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/#comment-85167 Led tasks do create a limit on creativity, but the argument was that it is probably better to limit creativity for a while while you try to give them the knowledge of what the software can do, instead of let people try to model something first but hit a brick wall because they don't know how to do it. The idea being that by spending a short time restricting them you will be giving them greater freedom in the long run. But yes, it means that people will often keep in mind their modelling skills when dreaming up the design. I probably should have said that Eddie wasn't talking about spending a long time on these - the heavily led part would be a quick demo and an exercise in the same way you'd spend time showing how to use a tenon saw, or showing how to expand quadratic equations. The aim is to give them skills that they can then use however they might need. Ideally to remove any creative restrictions these skills would be transferable across apps, and the apps would all be very intuitive but unfortunately this is rarely the case and we spend time teaching how to use specific software instead of transferable skills. What sort of qualifications are there for industry standards that would be appropriate to school level? Or any level for that matter? I'm pretty ignorant on that sort of thing. Led tasks do create a limit on creativity, but the argument was that it is probably better to limit creativity for a while while you try to give them the knowledge of what the software can do, instead of let people try to model something first but hit a brick wall because they don’t know how to do it.

The idea being that by spending a short time restricting them you will be giving them greater freedom in the long run. But yes, it means that people will often keep in mind their modelling skills when dreaming up the design.

I probably should have said that Eddie wasn’t talking about spending a long time on these - the heavily led part would be a quick demo and an exercise in the same way you’d spend time showing how to use a tenon saw, or showing how to expand quadratic equations. The aim is to give them skills that they can then use however they might need.

Ideally to remove any creative restrictions these skills would be transferable across apps, and the apps would all be very intuitive but unfortunately this is rarely the case and we spend time teaching how to use specific software instead of transferable skills.

What sort of qualifications are there for industry standards that would be appropriate to school level? Or any level for that matter? I’m pretty ignorant on that sort of thing.

]]> By: Ian Stuart http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/#comment-85163 Ian Stuart Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:43:19 +0000 http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/2007/06/16/eddie-mack-driving-the-software-is-a-start-but-where-to-next/#comment-85163 Led tasks do create a structure but they also create a limit to creativity. The first piece of technology that should be used is a pencil and paper. That is the foundation to creativity and then move onto other presentation medium's either on the computer or plastacine or card or whatever. To teach the skills heavily and expect creativity to grow from that means they do design to whichever app they are using. Also, if you are going to teach the skills heavily and too a high standard, then why not get the pupils qualified tothe industry standard? Led tasks do create a structure but they also create a limit to creativity.
The first piece of technology that should be used is a pencil and paper.
That is the foundation to creativity and then move onto other presentation medium’s either on the computer or plastacine or card or whatever.
To teach the skills heavily and expect creativity to grow from that means they do design to whichever app they are using.
Also, if you are going to teach the skills heavily and too a high standard, then why not get the pupils qualified tothe industry standard?

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