Ecodesign and Sustainable Design Education in Wales Where is
our starting point? Sponsored by Huw Lewis AM
Slide 2
Background & Context
Slide 3
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
Slide 4
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
Slide 5
EDC Research
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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
Slide 7
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.
Slide 8
Welsh Findings
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2014 - 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
Slide 10
2014 - 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
Slide 11
2015 - 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
Slide 12
BA/BSc/BEng Product Design
Slide 13
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