My thoughts on studying Object Based Learning are fascinating with the bonus of reading a key recommended paper from a former institute colleague, Dr Kirsten Harding. I have always in practice used OBL in my delivery to an extent to which I deemed appropriate to bring ‘fashion products’ into the studio space to enrich students experience and understanding of product knowledge in 3D. An opportunity to engage with a level of tactility, exploring interior + exterior design components. However, last week after engaging in a seminar, group discussions and sharing an object from my own specialist practice, I have a newfound respect for this experiential learning, which transforms my understanding of this pedagogy.
With deep learning I can see how this albeit seemingly simple act of investigating an ‘object’ in a student group environment, is like having a guest VIP pass to a member’s club at a specialist museum. VIP, because you can touch + feel an ‘object’, with your own hands that creates a powerful memory beyond the immersive experience. The opportunity to perhaps touch a piece of history that pre-dates your life, when today so much technology is transient.
Then, the innovative creative in me explored further the notion, that could I utilise OBL as a tool to teach ‘design’ in a way that could transform my own specialist area of focus in Fashion. My constant search for integrity in my discipline resonates with OBL, in that now that I have a deeper understanding of its ‘power’, I’m excited + interested in how I may incorporate this into my pedagogy.
As a potential ‘threshold concept’ I envisage studio practice where a ‘fashion product’ is introduced to a group of students. They thoroughly investigate said product for a set time. Exploring interior + exterior with a 360-degree analysis with discussion. Then each student in the group searches in silence for an area of focus, until they can verbalise a ‘wow’ (Dr. Kirsten Harding) to be inspired to develop only one area/detail. The key is then to use a pre-determined space. This can be low-tech, for example a circle cut out of an A4 piece of paper, working as a viewfinder, given to each student for this portion of the exercise. This then becomes a progressive + potentially innovative localised space, to create from primary and/or secondary inspired research. A development, disrupting the entire design of the product, to create a fashion forward fresh perspective.