All of our blog posts
Series Part 5: The role of the teacher
When using the PBL method, the role of a teacher changes from being a lecturer to facilitating the learning process. Producing learning is not dependent on teachers’ ability to transfer knowledge to students. Rather, it depends on their ability to actively participate in their own learning process.
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The Design Factory team recently received the Aalto High 5 award for building a sense of community at our university. “The attitude of the people at Design Factory and their hands-on way to operate have been key factors in creating a unique, student-centred environment. The Design Factory staff have the ability to listen to user needs and encourage them to get things done and take action. Design Factory is also considered to be a source of inspiration for development work done at schools and institutions.”
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Series Part 4: PBL actitivities
PBL activities apply theory to practice through real-life problems that can be accomplished only with support of a master in the field. In this situated learning, rather than separating theoretical knowledge learned in class from the practical application, students search for the knowledge needed to carry out a particular situated task, giving context to the knowledge, which is created or presented through participation, concrete doing, active thinking, and problem-solving. This way students focus on the how instead of the what.
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What would be a better way to start a working day than by having a breakfast while listening to inspiring speeches by your colleagues? The Researchers’ Breakfast is organized jointly by the Aalto Factories, with the next breakfast being organized on Tuesday the 8th of December, starting at 8.30AM in the Engine Room. Come listen to what our researchers are up to, this time Kevin Otto and Miko Laakso will present their work. Sign up here.
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The students from four European design schools, the TU Dresden, Scuola
Politecnica di Design Milano, Politecnico di Milano and Aalto University
Helsinki have worked out their visions for the automobile of the future.
Audi Design UNIverse exhibition and seminar was showcasing the results in Ingolstadt on 19th November 2015, attracting a full house of Audi designers and developers as audience.
Series Part 3: Group work
Participation in group work results in the interaction with other students, for example through the discussion and debating of topics, resolution of conflicts or disagreement, as well as peer- and self-assessment. This is an example of social learning. In social learning, social experiences and interactions support the understanding of content. The students educate themselves and each other, and provide support for continuous learning and for the on-going creation of new ideas and skills.
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Part 2: The Environment
Immersing the student in an environment that favours activity and experience, and fosters immediate engagement, promotes knowledge and the development of soft skills. By feeling part of a supportive community, the student moves from completion of tasks to a more central role. A supportive environment provides a safe space for failure and promotes taking risks. It facilitates the mixing of study time and free time to support informal learning, which, like social learning, is about learning from others through active learning, social interaction, and belonging.
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Series Part 1: Introduction to ADF ways of working
This series explores different topics surrounding pedagogical development. Aalto Design Factory uses the principles of Design-based learning to provide a physical platform for passion-based learning, or problem-based learning (PBL).
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Interdisciplinary networking and collaborating
Design Factory Global Network and this year’s International Design Factory Week
Design Factory Global Network (DFGN) is a collaboration of people from different backgrounds and cultures. It provides platforms to develop innovations with similar-minded people – people who want to make their ideas into reality.
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What happens when Mathematics meets Art and Architecture? This is what Senior Lecturer Kirsi Peltonen set out to find out when creating this course at Design Factory, and it is an example of what happens when experimental teaching meets the DF teaching platform.
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Aalto DF