Design Education

Imagination is also essential in order to understand and evaluate design proposals. It is a common experience to find that potential users of a product or environment cannot extrapolate from drawings, models or computer programs to imagine what the finished result will be like in reality.

Designing calls for the use of many different skills and many different types of knowledge. Imagination is indispensable. Imagination is essential because design is only called for if the future is unknown. If we already know what we need to know, there is no necessity for design activity though many crafts, cooking for example, involve ‘designerly’ thinking to organise and plan the work.

nation is the use of questions, as questions can promote thinking. However in terms of the questions to ask it is important that they are not questions that only have a right or wrong answer as this can suppress imagination that requires space for the unexpected, novel or divergent thought.
As well as providing positive ways forward to encourage imagination there are a number of ‘do not’ statements that if avoided will remove some of the imagination inhibitors. In terms of evaluating imagination, care should be taken not to tell learners whether imagined solutions are good or bad, or why an idea will or will not work, instead ask them to explain their ideas. This will help the teacher access the mindset of the pupils. In the same vein one should not overly reward imagination, as there is a tendency for that to cause a loss in the desire to improve an idea. In terms of questioning, encourage the use of open/thinking questions. Stimulate pupils with replies that ask them for further insight, questions such as ‘what would happen if’; ‘What do you think?’, ‘Is there a better way?’ and ‘try it and see’. Questioning of this nature will push the child’s imagination and allows ownership of the idea/thought to remain with the pupil. Teachers should be careful how they give praise. To tell a pupil that an idea is excellent can make the child think that only this one answer is required. Instead use praise in terms of ‘I like the way you used your imagination to answer that’.
CONCLUSION
Imagination, as the basis of creative activity, is an important component of all aspects of cultural life, enabling artistic, scientific, and technical creation. It is therefore vital that imagination is encouraged at every stage of a child’s education. Being able to use one’s imagination depends upon the acquisition of a broad knowledge base and as rich a variety of experiences as possible, ones that can be utilized in new ways and combinations. Young children naturally use their imagination in their games and pretend play to great effect. However, once children are faced with the formal structuring of school they seem to loose that ability and most never regain it as they progress through the educational system. It would appear that there are two main reasons for this. Firstly it is considered a natural consequence of children maturing and becoming constrained by social convention. Secondly there is considerable evidence to suggest that the way in which children are educated impinges greatly upon this aspect of their development. In order to alleviate these problems teachers need to take every opportunity to achieve a balance between developing pupils’ sound knowledge base and at the same time allowing imagination and curiosity to flourish throughout the educational system and not just when children are very young. The difficulties identified with assessment regimes imposed upon older children can be alleviated if teachers change their habits of work; develop their own skills in coping with shared uncertainty; allow children to be in the position of decision maker and develop teaching strategies and questioning strategies that will support and encourage imagination.

In explaining imitating and imagining Bartel (2009) makes reference to ‘Mirror Neurons’ and ‘Imagination Neurons’ to be found in the brain. ‘Mirror Neurons’ cause us to imitate without the need to think. Although this is acceptable for some dexterity skills, and one must remember that not every task calls for innovation, we do not learn how to learn to think by using our ‘Mirror Neurons’. It is our ‘Imagination Neurons’ that allow us to be imaginative and these neurons only grow if they are used.
As changes in the world accelerate, society requires fewer imitators and more innovators to survive and succeed; therefore it is important that our educational system provides the opportunities for pupils to ‘grow’ their ‘Imagination Neurons’. Innovations require critical thinking about aesthetics, philosophy and ethics. The prerequisite to this is the cultivation of divergent thinking during childhood. Thinking that can imagine what has not yet existed, and this is in no way through imitation of what already exists.

Children are hard wired to be imaginative. Imagination is innate, it cannot be lost but it does require nurturing. During a child’s early development, research has demonstrated that parents who talk to their children regularly explaining such features as, nature and social issues, or those who read or tell stories at bedtime, seem to be most likely to foster pretend play and therefore imagination in their children (Singer & Singer 2005).

Assessment regimes that are used in educational settings tend to support this requirement for ‘the’ correct answer.

Children naturally wish to please those in authority. In a school situation they therefore want to provide correct answers to problems they are set in order to receive the praise that such answers will accrue. At a certain stage in their development children will begin to avoid presenting new, untried solutions which they are unsure of, as these they believe may not meet with their teacher’s approval and therefore make them feel stupid or childish.

There has been much concern raised over the fact that as children grow up they become less able to use their imagination (Craft, 2002). This is considered a natural consequence of children maturing and becoming constrained by social convention. There is considerable evidence to suggest that the way in which children are educated impinges greatly upon this aspect of their development. The role of the teacher is vital. Teachers must take every opportunity to foster imagination and promote curiosity.

However, the majority are concerned with identifying the problems and very few on how to overcome them.