Co-Designing a Syllabus

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As we face increasingly complex structural issues as a society: from socio-economic stratification, climate change and the rise of AI in creative industries, intentional design will become more important than ever. As will having design practitioners who are unafraid of tackling complex problems and the systems they’re a part of. This starts in the classroom, in fostering an environment where students feel safe and empowered to question their curriculum and take an active role in shaping their learning.
Presenting a case study examining taking a co-design approach to designing a course. In the first week of term the students participated in a workshop aimed at assessing their interests, learning goals and building consensus across the group for where they wanted the course to go over the term and what topics they would like to cover week to week. By including students in the process of designing a course, they get first hand experience with primary research - it takes hypothetical concepts and turns them into a tangible experience, helping learners understand how these methods are used in practice as well as meaningfully engaging them with the structure of their own learning.
Each student brings their own experience and knowledge to the classroom. Can we design courses that meet students where they are at and encourage them to become courageous practitioners who are unafraid of trying something new? Can the classroom be a place where we can “take chances, make mistakes and get messy”?

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• Education