Fourteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

“Does this building make the world a better place?” Student debates during history class. Reflections from the instructor. For the past three years I have been conducting debates during my history class (Industrial Revolution -Present) taught to sophomore and junior year students. Choosing from a list of buildings through time, students debate whether their building helped shape a better quality of life for its city’s citizens. Students consider the circumstances of time and place, covering five themes: 1) Social 2) Economic 3) Environmental 4) Technological 5) Political. This study summarizes my thoughts on the pros and cons of conducting these debates. It discusses the ways in which students were able to reflect on situations present in much of design research and practice, such as the engagement of design with differing cultural patterns of use; design as a physical modification of the natural world; and design as a technological innovation. It also addresses certain pedagogical obstacles faced, such as an inherent need for many students to be ‘examed’ or ‘quizzed’ rather than debate, in order to acknowledge educational gains.