Art and Design professors Sharon Massey and Sean Derry were invited to give a presentation about Local X Change, a new curriculum they have developed that combines digital fabrication instruction with civic engagement, at STEAM and the Future of Education: Interdisciplinary Innovation and the Integration of the 4 Cultures Domain in Porto, Portugal, in September 2022.
Their presentation focused on the new learning modules they have developed for ART 113 3D Design, a course that introduces digital fabrication technology such as laser cutting, 3D scanning, 3D printing, and computer aided design using Rhino 3D software. Student projects in this course are presented in a variety of public formats, from a pop-up store that raises money for a local cause, to a mock reality-TV show where students are the participants and present their work to a panel of guest judges.
Students in this course each develop original solutions to project prompts that provide scaffolded instruction on digital processes, so all students gain experience with ideation, design, prototyping, and evaluation as well as the public presentation of their research. The learning modules have been deliberately developed to address the technological divide separating more technologically savvy learners from students that simply have not been exposed to technological resources or have previously had negative experiences with technology.
This course is open to all majors at IUP.