elButlletí

A quarterly publication of AQU Catalunya

97

April 2020

The Barcelona School of Design and Engineering/ELISAVA was host to a seminar on Challenges in higher education in the field of Design on 19 February. The event formed part of AQU Catalunya's Employers series of seminars, which included the participation of academics, employers and experts in the field of quality assurance in higher education.

The workshop was divided into three main sections.

The seminar began with a keynote presentation by Luisa Collina, dean of the School of Design at Politecnico di Milano and honorary president of the Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media. In her assessment of the situation of degree courses in Design, Collina talked about the four areas of specialisation in Design (communication design, product design, interior design and fashion) and the fact that they are not all in the same situation as regards the labour market. She also talked about the challenges of higher education (sustainability, globalisation, technology and social trends) and ways of dealing with these new developments, mainly through new teaching methods and new content in courses being delivered.

In the second section, Sandra Nieto, coordinator of the Employers survey, presented the findings of the Employers Design survey carried out by the Agency relative to the educational level and skills of graduates employed in the sector. Of particular note among these was the overall satisfaction of employers with the skills and competences of Design graduates and the favourable growth prospects in the sector.

The third section consisted of a round table discussion between representatives of employers and academics who, as stakeholders, discussed improvements to programmes of study in Design.

The main conclusions and proposals for improvement from the seminar were drawn up in the document Conclusions and proposals for improvement from the seminar "Challenges in higher education in the field of Design".

A summary of the proposals for improvement is as follows:

 

• Commitment to the change to active student-centred methodologies.
• Support for teacher competence development.
• Ensure that intended learning outcomes in Design are endowed with creative guidance.
• Enhance student capability in problem solving and decision-making capacity.
• Integrate leadership and project management into curricula.
• Improve practical/hands-on learning in courses.
• Provide training in administrative and economic management.
• Increase the absorption of Design graduates by and among SMEs.
• Set up a hub of training entities in the field of Design.