The Making Is Thinking pilot will carry out a much-needed investigation into the development of skills connecting body and mind . The target assignments range from full-scale building to 'hands-on' experiences and artistic methods. Central to Pilot 1 is ‘lateral thinking’, which challenges students to overcome learning thresholds by breaking free from ‘design fixations’. The traditional design studio cannot mimic the embodied experience that is achieved through by the comparatively real experience of making. The students will gain a knowledge that not only covers professional and academic skills, but also contextualises tacit knowledge.

The methods of Pilot 1 involve being temporarily liberated from critical or inhibiting perspectives. These can be made generic so as to be relevant outside our Faculties, since lateral and creative thinking is relevant for all higher education. As such, it will be paramount to expand the knowledge base in cooperation with other disciplines, for example, psychology and neuroscience.

This pilot will naturally work very closely with Pilot 4 "Emerging Pedagogical Practice". The presumed insight will be used in the redesign and development of the current courses. The theoretical framework developed will  also help to identify where WP1 can be useful to apply as a ‘plug-in’ for other courses in other disciplines, not yet involved in TRANSark.

The Making Is Thinking masters course for architecture students, applies the methods of Pilot 1 and reinforce understanding through reflection exercises. The course is supported by Johanna Gullberg’s  Ph.D. work based on Action Research. Furthermore, Pilot 1 has initiated the Form Lab, which is now being strengthen by Design Thinking at IPD. The Form Lab is being developed in collaboration with students, as an accessible learning lab for all, to encourage lateral thinking. It will be a learning tool for all the TRANSark pilots, enabling their pedagogies to be tested ‘live’, equipped with digital and analogue tools that encourage experimentation.

See the Making Is Thinking website for more details, photos and videos.