Symposium: Embodied Making and Design Learning, LearnXDesign2015
We are proud to announce that EMAL will be co-hosting a symposium at the LearnXDesign2015-conference in Chicago 28.-30 of June. The symposium takes place Sunday the 28th. If you have the opportunity, please join us!
Facilitators:
Marte S. GULLIKSEN
Professor, Telemark University College,
Norway
Norway
Pirita SEITAMAA-HAKKARAINEN
Professor,
University of Helsinki, Finland
University of Helsinki, Finland
Maarit MÄKELÄ
Associate
Professor, Aalto University, Finland
Professor, Aalto University, Finland
Catharine DISHKE-HONDZEL
PhD, Western
University, Canada
University, Canada
Joel LOPATA
PhD,
Western University, Canada
Western University, Canada
Camilla GROTH
Research
Fellow, Aalto University, Finland
Fellow, Aalto University, Finland
Tellervo HÄRKKI
Research
Fellow, University of Helsinki, Finland
Fellow, University of Helsinki, Finland
Aim
The aim of the symposium is to discuss the
role of embodied making in design learning. Embodied making is a term
used to describe the united mind/body and its experience while making
artifacts or engaging in other creative activities with materials. One
main aim within this topic is to explore the basic conditions and
consequences of being a body in the world, experiencing and learning
through working in materials. The theme is approached through an
interdisciplinary approach using a variety of methods, like video
recordings, neuro-scientific methods, and stimulated recall just to
mention a few examples. The facilitators of the symposium come from a
variety of backgrounds, like humanities and social sciences – in
particular art and design, design education and craft science,
educational neuroscience and phenomenology.
role of embodied making in design learning. Embodied making is a term
used to describe the united mind/body and its experience while making
artifacts or engaging in other creative activities with materials. One
main aim within this topic is to explore the basic conditions and
consequences of being a body in the world, experiencing and learning
through working in materials. The theme is approached through an
interdisciplinary approach using a variety of methods, like video
recordings, neuro-scientific methods, and stimulated recall just to
mention a few examples. The facilitators of the symposium come from a
variety of backgrounds, like humanities and social sciences – in
particular art and design, design education and craft science,
educational neuroscience and phenomenology.
Participants
The facilitators are all presenting papers and
contribute in the discussions. They are all leaders of or members in
research groups within the topic: The Embodied Making and Learning
research group, Telemark University College, Norway; the Handling Mind
research consortium, Aalto University, Finland; and the Human Ingenuity
Research Group, Western, Ontario, Canada. Also participating are
PhD-students from each group, some attending the conference, others
participating online from their home institutions.
contribute in the discussions. They are all leaders of or members in
research groups within the topic: The Embodied Making and Learning
research group, Telemark University College, Norway; the Handling Mind
research consortium, Aalto University, Finland; and the Human Ingenuity
Research Group, Western, Ontario, Canada. Also participating are
PhD-students from each group, some attending the conference, others
participating online from their home institutions.
The symposium aims at bringing these central
researchers and research leaders together to discuss both the selected
topics of embodied cognition in making and design learning and future
possibilities for uniting the human capital of each group in a global,
co-owned research project.
researchers and research leaders together to discuss both the selected
topics of embodied cognition in making and design learning and future
possibilities for uniting the human capital of each group in a global,
co-owned research project.
The symposium is open to other researchers at
the LearnxDesign conference as audience to the presentations and
participants in the plenary discussions.
the LearnxDesign conference as audience to the presentations and
participants in the plenary discussions.
Organization
The symposium has a duration of four hours and is organized in the four sessions available on the first day of the learnxdesign2015-conference: Sunday 28th June
. The first three sessions will be streamed online and members of the
three research groups are especially invited to attend from their home
institutions.
. The first three sessions will be streamed online and members of the
three research groups are especially invited to attend from their home
institutions.
SESSION 1: MAKING, CREATIVITY AND COGNITION (OPEN SESSION)
9:45am – 10:45am
Creative cognition and embodied making Marte S. Gulliksen, Professor, Telemark University College, Norway
This paper revisit previous research on the
maker’s experience when working in materials and discusses this in light
of new research on creative cognition and the neurological basis of
making.
maker’s experience when working in materials and discusses this in light
of new research on creative cognition and the neurological basis of
making.
Creating the space/conditions for creativity Joel Lopata, PhD, Western University, Canada
Recent research shows that increased frontal
brain activity is related to internal focus of attention (Buzsaki &
Draguhn, 2004; Klimesch et al., 2007; Ward, 2003), creative thinking
(Fink et al., 2009), and creative products (Lopata, 2014). These
processes are reminiscent of improvising artists’ descriptions of the
creative process (Berkowitz, 2007). In this talk Dr. Joel Lopata
presents neuroscientific research, contending that internal focus of
attention is the key condition for creative flow.
brain activity is related to internal focus of attention (Buzsaki &
Draguhn, 2004; Klimesch et al., 2007; Ward, 2003), creative thinking
(Fink et al., 2009), and creative products (Lopata, 2014). These
processes are reminiscent of improvising artists’ descriptions of the
creative process (Berkowitz, 2007). In this talk Dr. Joel Lopata
presents neuroscientific research, contending that internal focus of
attention is the key condition for creative flow.
Embodied making and creative practice Maarit Mäkelä, Associate Professor, Aalto University
Recently, artists and designers have taken an
active role in contextualising the creative process as it relates to
their practice. Thus, understanding how the creative mind proceeds has
been supplemented with knowledge attained inside the creative process.
This presentation is based on documentation of my creative practice in
contemporary ceramic art that occurred at the beginning of 2015
active role in contextualising the creative process as it relates to
their practice. Thus, understanding how the creative mind proceeds has
been supplemented with knowledge attained inside the creative process.
This presentation is based on documentation of my creative practice in
contemporary ceramic art that occurred at the beginning of 2015
SESSION 2: LEARNING AND EMBODIED MAKING (OPEN SESSION)
11:00am – 12:00pm
What neuroscience can tell us about skill learning in craft: The promise of cognitive neuroscience in making Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, Professor, University of Helsinki, Finland
Handling Mind; Embodiment, Creativity and
Design project aimed at using novel neuroscientific methods for studying
creative, embodied processes and skill learning. We discuss the
challenges and opportunities that use of brain imaging methods,
especially, provides for understanding design activities.
Design project aimed at using novel neuroscientific methods for studying
creative, embodied processes and skill learning. We discuss the
challenges and opportunities that use of brain imaging methods,
especially, provides for understanding design activities.
Engaging users in the design of post-secondary teaching and learning spaces Catharine Dishke-Hondzel, PhD, Western University, Canada
University teaching and learning spaces have a
variety of users with diverse needs. Simultaneously physical,
technological, and psychological, space influences learning
opportunities, including pedagogy and access to information. This paper
discusses a year-long investigation of teaching and learning spaces
designed to better identify constraints and opportunities for growth and
programming.
variety of users with diverse needs. Simultaneously physical,
technological, and psychological, space influences learning
opportunities, including pedagogy and access to information. This paper
discusses a year-long investigation of teaching and learning spaces
designed to better identify constraints and opportunities for growth and
programming.
Round-table discussion
SESSION 3: THE BODY SEEN IN DESIGN PRACTICE (OPEN SESSION)
2:45pm – 3:45pm
Design and craft thinking analyzed as a form of embodied cognition Camilla Groth, Research Fellow, Aalto University, Finland
This session presents three cases where craft-
and design practices are analyzed as forms of embodied cognition. The
first case involves ceramic workshops with deafblind makers. The second
case involves a Practice-Led study on tactile augmentation in ceramic
craft practice. The third case is examining the role of the knowing
body, in design students’ material exploration process.
and design practices are analyzed as forms of embodied cognition. The
first case involves ceramic workshops with deafblind makers. The second
case involves a Practice-Led study on tactile augmentation in ceramic
craft practice. The third case is examining the role of the knowing
body, in design students’ material exploration process.
Approaching embodied experience of materials and materiality Härkki Tellervo, Research Fellow, University of Helsinki, Finland
We studied students’ relationship with
materials and materiality, especially focusing on embodied experience.
These experiences manifest themselves in multimodal expressions:
gestures, body postures and speech acts. A qualitative video analysis
method was developed to identify these expressions and their linkages
with inherent or associative qualities, materials and materiality.
materials and materiality, especially focusing on embodied experience.
These experiences manifest themselves in multimodal expressions:
gestures, body postures and speech acts. A qualitative video analysis
method was developed to identify these expressions and their linkages
with inherent or associative qualities, materials and materiality.
Round-table discussion
SESSION 4: WORKSHOP (1H – CLOSED SESSION for convenors only)
4:15pm – 5:15pm
61 Comments
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Great to see embodied approaches getting this kind of forum at a design conference — hands-on learning still doesn’t get enough attention in academic settings. I wish I could have been in Chicago for it. Will the papers from the symposium be published afterwards?
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Interesting to see the symposium framing embodied making as a mind/body experience in material work — especially the session on internal focus of attention as a condition for creative flow. It makes me wonder how digital tools fit into that equation: when designing with AI, the maker’s hands-on material engagement changes, yet the ideation process still relies on that same internal focus. For anyone exploring how AI can support the early visual exploration phase before committing to a physical design, an AI tattoo generator is a useful example of turning conceptual ideas into concrete visual references.
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Situar el encuentro dentro de LearnXDesign2015 y precisar que se celebra el domingo 28 ayuda a convertir el anuncio en una invitación concreta. La idea de embodied making merece este tipo de espacios: no solo presenta proyectos, también permite discutir cómo el trabajo material, el cuerpo y el aprendizaje se influyen mutuamente. Para quien asista, llegar con una pregunta específica sobre su propia práctica puede hacer que las conversaciones del symposium sean más aprovechables.
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