Abstract
This pedagogical theory is framed by play, employing embodied cognition as a medium to teach the principles of design. In this paper, I am proposing that the activity of bouldering can be a tool that develops a deeper understanding of a variety of design principles. Play is often thought as frivolous, its pedagogical potential often relegated to early childhood education. This study argues that it can be a transformative force for accommodating existing knowledge through novel experiences for students to realise their creative potential. By integrating design practice with bouldering, the body is instrumentalised, translating the movements of the eye on a page into the movements of the body on the wall. Students merge thoughts with actions, externalising thinking by spatialising information in order to cultivate new modes of conceptualisation. This study employs a hybrid of Participatory Action Research and Design Thinking to first gather information from both design and bouldering communities, which were synthesised to develop an intervention, qualitative data was collected and analysed to gain insights into the experiences of the participants. This transdisciplinary approach to design education seeks to liberate students from their stationary desk/screen bound environment, allowing for a critical review and examination on how they can access new forms of knowledge/ways of learning. Thus, transforming their understanding of themselves and their perspectives in order to reclaim the human value within design practice.
Presenters
Timothy WeeStudent, MA Arts Pedagogy and Practice, LASALLE College of the Arts, Central Singapore, Singapore
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Play, Embodied Cognition, Design Principles, Bouldering, Movement
