Ecodesign and Sustainable Design Education in Wales Where is our starting point? Sponsored by Huw Lewis AM

Background & Context

Policy drivers Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Higher Education Strategy promotes the STEM subjects for innovation Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (2009) Welsh Government Higher Education Higher Education Higher Education Higher Education Welsh Government Higher Education Higher Education Innovation Welsh Innovation Strategy does recognise the importance of ecodesign and eco-innovation for Welsh industry. Design community defends that is incomplete picture and design should be included as it is a bridging subject to achieve innovations in industry. High priority to develop skilled technicians with understanding of innovation, whole product and process lifecycles and skills to improve efficiency in terms of energy and resource consumption. Higher Education Strategy Skills for Wales Innovation Design Well-being for Future Generations (Wales) Bill

Sustainability and Ecodesign in HE Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Universities are autonomous entities, free to independently determine strategies, direction, curricula, skills, partnerships, work placements. Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (2009) Higher Education Higher Education Innovation Report states: Public interest in and global concern for Sustainability - related issues Increasing demand from employers for graduates with skills to address sustainability issues Students seeking to develop their sustainability skillset Higher Education Higher Education Framework for Sustainable Development in HE UK Skills for Wales Welsh Government Higher Educati on Stategy Higher Educati on Stategy Innovat ion Design Welsh context Welsh Government Higher Education Skills for Wales Innovation Design Universities

EDC Research

Research Aim Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (2009) Design Aim Review the integration of sustainability and ecodesign in design higher education in Wales. Key objectives 1.Map the integration of sustainability and ecodesign in design curricula in higher education in Wales and the UK 2.Identify the current approach to work placement and student exchange programs in Wales. 3.Benchmark international best practice for sustainability and ecodesign higher education including curricula, work placement programs, student exchange programs and governmental design policy. 4.Identify recommendations for improvements to design higher education in Wales

Research Scope Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (2009) Design These six course types are chosen because they are: 1.The most prevalent design courses (thus offering substantial opportunity to integrate sustainability and ecodesign in design education in Wales) 2.Perceived as those courses with most activity to-date in terms of sustainability and ecodesign education.

Welsh Findings

Mapping Wales Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (2009) Design Courses with ‘sustainability’ and ‘ecodesign’ in the programme + Cardiff Metropolitan University University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Swansea campus) Glyndwr University Swansea University Bangor University 13 Welsh Universities

Welsh design courses Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (2009) Design University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Swansea campus) BA Product Design with Marketing University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Swansea campus) BA Glass with PD BA PD with Computer Visualisation BA PD with Enterprise BA PD BA PD with Digital Media MSc Industrial Design Cardiff Metropolitan University BA Graphic Communication University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Swansea campus) MA Product Design and Innovation All 15 courses seems to have modular approach towards sustainability and ecodesign Glyndwr University BA Design: Applied Arts Bangor University BSc PD Swansea University BEng PD Engineering MEng PD Engineering Cardiff Metropolitan University BA Product Design MSc Advanced PD

Mapping Wales Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan ( 2009) Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (2009) Design Courses with ‘sustainability’ and ‘ecodesign’ in the programme + 13 Welsh Universities Cardiff Metropolitan University University of Wales Trinity St David (Swansea campus and Carmarthen campus) Glyndwr University Swansea University Bangor University

BA/BSc/BEng Product Design

Use of one method: desk-based research Data collection: – data gaps due to a lack of information on university websites and within prospectuses (e.g. module content). – lack of alignment between the stated aim of some courses and its set curricula – one source of data (i.e. website and prospectuses) meaning only that conclusions where collected form one perspective, the Universities perspective. Validation: – Barriers to validate information collected with the welsh design educators Limitations of the research

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