When discussing the theme for this month�s e-magazine, the designindustry team, not surprisingly, came up with a very broad array of themes reflecting our diverse range of interests and perspectives. Again, not surprisingly, we take a very wide view of design and, as such, we feel justified in viewing the design of our education system as a similar process to that behind any successful service, system or product.
Design is a process, a way of thinking that generates and evaluates ideas. Successful design is a balancing act between future customer needs and desires and your organisation capabilities, resources, strategy and vision. In education�s case this is a drawing together of perspectives, including past, present and future; parents, governments and businesses. How do we then decide between these needs, satisfy the greater number of stakeholders and connect with the present to forge a future oriented path? We feel strongly that a guiding set of principles (View our design principles) would help establish the bedrock on which to base something as vital to our future as the education of our people. These principles are foundational and allow a high degree of flexibility, evolvement and a very necessary degree of continuity.
The purpose of this discussion then is to invite diverse responses to the challenge of making education relevant. This reflects what we consider to be one of the first steps in a successful design process that is to open up to points of view beyond our specialist realms. To this end we approached a number of individuals, with wide ranging educational experience as employers, teachers and business people and asked them for their views on a number of questions. Their responses follow in a subsequent section of this edition of Inform and two more postings before Christmas.
From our point of view there exists a very real disconnect between New Zealand�s education system and the real world. Clearly we live in rapidly changing times, where sources of information are numerous and volumes of information are huge. Our students have at their disposal an ever expanding variety of resources. The very subjects we are teaching are dynamic and as such are changing rapidly (OK � 18th century English Literature is a fairly static subject but bear with us here).
In this modern age, education needs not to be based around teaching �stuff� and more around empowering students to find, analyse and synthesise information. And herein lies the challenge for educationalists. Clearly in a rapidly changing environment, those imparting knowledge to our students need to themselves be immersed in the world. They need to be utilising the tools, viewing the same broad horizons and experiencing a similar diverse range of situations, as those under their tutelage. They can�t be seen to be sitting in ivory towers, delivering the same content year by year as if automatons. Perhaps we should be placing more value on the skill of understanding context rather than only on specific and narrow expertise.
Another challenge for education systems, especially in these times when creativity, innovation and knowledge industries are coming to the fore, is to create a lingua franca that all can understand. All too often we hear of �creative types� who haven�t the language or ability to execute their ideas. Similarly there are the analytical types who, although very much able to execute ideas and process information, haven�t the ability to come up with truly unique ideas.
Herein lies another opportunity for education, it can build bridges between different skill sets � it can develop creativity and execution in equal parts in our students, such that they will gain the ability to both ideate and execute.
So.... education design... (and here we must acknowledge the great advances being made in the recently launched new curriculum) it�s both a challenge and an exciting opportunity. It is also the key to unlocking our nations potential and creating products, services but above all societies that establish and further our common goals and create happy and fulfilled individuals.
With those thoughts in mind we pass over to our contributors to gain their insights into these issues....
