Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. This research project examines a case study of work-integrated learning at a South African University of Technology to develop an industry-responsive model of professional practice in industrial design education.
INTRODUCTION
I NTRODUCTION
R ESEARCH STUDY
R OLE OF THE RESEARCHER
S TATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
The current global recession and lack of design jobs has led to a decline in demand for design services (Elliott, 2014).
D ESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
This study will investigate whether Industrial Design graduates are being prepared professionally enough for this reality. This study aims to assess whether the R5K project is helping to make the transition from university to industry more effective and whether it contributes to graduate employability.
R ESEARCH Q UESTIONS
C URRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH AREA . I S THERE A PROBLEM ?
- Graduate unemployment
- Graduate attributes in context
- New developments in graduate attributes
- Work-integrated learning
- Situated learning
That the world is changing and what are defined as past graduate attributes need constant review. Communities of practice will be explored, as well as how students embed knowledge of the design industry and how that influences their graduation abilities.
O BJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH
Lave (1991) comments that social interaction is critical when it comes to situated learning, where students are involved in a community of practice where they can embody the activity in the local, social context. The final characteristic that constitutes a community of practice is practice, the act of doing within the domain and within the community (Wenger, 2007).
R ESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
This approach lies at the heart of the R5K project and its effect on the students' industry readiness or as Griesel and Parker put it, 'looking for what makes a student employable instead of preparing them for employment' ( 2009). Hein reiterates that there is no such thing as knowledge independent of the expert, but that there is rather the knowledge that is constructed during the learning process.
D ATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES
- The Case Study strategy
- Participant observation
- Interviews
- Statistics
Case studies allow the collection and presentation of data from multiple methods, including all data collection methods that will be used in this study. In addition, the researcher had the privileged position of course coordinator, which provided him with an inside perspective that helps contextualize data from other methods.
E PISTEMOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS
D ELINEATION OF RESEARCH
S IGNIFICANCE AND CONTRIBUTION OF RESEARCH
O UTLINE OF CHAPTERS
In chapter five, the findings are analyzed and discussed, and the skills gap between what the university offers and what industry expects is discussed. The final chapter proposes a model for greater employability of industrial design students and discusses study limitations, contributions and suggestions for further research.
E THICAL CONSIDERATIONS
This chapter then revisits the research problem identified in the first chapter and reconciles the responses to the initial problem statement, objectives and questions to confirm the findings and recommend areas for further study.
E XPECTED OUTCOMES
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LITERATURE REVIEW
I NTRODUCTION
A CADEMIC CONTEXT
- Introduction to the Industrial Design course at CPUT
- Employability
- Graduate Attributes
- Situated learning
- Work Integrated learning (WIL)
- Design Education
This restructuring resulted in the merger of institutions and the birth of comprehensive universities and universities of technology. This aspect is an essential component of this study and is at the heart of the R5K project.
I NDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT CONTEXT
- Western Cape Design Strategy
This model, although more specific and structured, includes many of the characteristics of the R5K project. The Western Cape Government (WCG) has adopted the approach of the National Skills Development Strategy in the province, placing value on local skills development in response to the demands of the economy. The Western Cape Strategic Framework for Design specifically identifies design as an economic driver and a key factor in improving the quality of life in the Western Cape (Western Cape Government, 2013, p.4).
As part of the WC Strategic Framework an analysis of the design industry situation in the Western Cape was undertaken to find the main gaps within the design system at all levels of design, summarized in Table 4. Small, very small and micros account for 88% of design businesses in the Western Cape (See Figure 8).
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RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
I NTRODUCTION
R ESEARCH D ESIGN AS LAYERS OF AN ONION
- Research philosophy: epistemology and ontology
- Methodological choice
- Research Strategy
- Time horizons
- Data collection and data analysis
- Population and sampling
The visualization forms the basis for an exploration of the research design in the following sections. Probability sampling ensures that the range of settings selected is representative of the wider sample. Within the qualitative methodological choice made, the next layer of the onion leads us to the research strategy to be used, which in this project is a case study.
According to Baxter and Jack (2008, p. 555), data analysis can occur concurrently with data collection. In the R5K project case study research, the two units of analysis are the project as a whole and individual student-led projects within.
E XECUTING THE R ESEARCH D ESIGN
List stakeholders to be interviewed or interviewed and determine sample Ensure that research will follow ethical research standards. The instructions followed to ensure consistency across interviews/surveys, thereby increasing the reliability of the findings. Develop an interview guide/survey that lists the questions or issues to be explored and includes an informed consent form.
E THICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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DATA COLLECTION AND PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
I NTRODUCTION
- Past R5K projects
5 There are rules governing the project to keep it fair and within the scope of the project. Jasper's company is now one of the leading Industrial Design start-ups in Cape Town. The group sourced their wood from ethical sources and made a point of following the wood's story all the way back to its origins.
Lettuce designed, manufactured and sold an ergonomically proven monitor stand made from recycled wood (see Figure 15). The Braai Tool group, or as it is now known – TBT, designed, manufactured and sold a pair of braai tongs (see Figure 16).
S URVEY RESULTS
- Survey question 1: Which year did you complete the R5K project?
- Survey Question 2: Are your R5K groups still active?
- Survey Question 3: How much did your group make after expenses?
- Survey question 4: Would you recommend the R5K project to the 3 rd years that will do the
- Survey question 5: Did the R5K project give you enough experience to start a company? 88
- Survey question 7: How much did 3 rd year develop you for industry? (a rating of 1 didn’t
- Survey question 8: How much did 4 th year develop you for industry?
- Survey question 9: Which company type do you work for?
- Survey question 10: How many personnel in the company?
- Survey question 11: How long did it take to get design work after graduation?
- Survey question 12: Which of these dimensions of employability do you think Industrial
Would you recommend the R5K project for the 3rd year that the project will do next year. Question four probed the extent to which alumni of the project would recommend the R5K project to BTech students for the following year. A high rate of 91% of respondents found the R5K project beneficial for the following year's BTechs.
32 Which can be seen in Appendix I. 3.3.6 Survey question 6: How much has the R5K project developed you in the following areas. a rating of 1 did not develop much and 5 indicates significant development). The sixth question was asked to determine how students perceived the contribution of the R5K project to their development.
I NTERVIEWS
- Overview of alumni interviews
- Overview of industry expert interviews
After graduation Brad took a job with IDESO, one of the leading industrial design companies in South Africa. SB R5K was one of the highlights of my studies 2: Do you have an R5K story you'd like to tell. 1 Marc Ruviel (MR) is the owner of the well known IDESO 2 Byron Qually (BQ) based in Cape Town, trading under his own name and known as one of them.
Below is a table which contains an overview of the semi-structured interview questions from the industry experts. BQ It's a great challenge and gives a glimpse of the real world of work RM Fantastic project.
P ARTICIPATORY THEMATIC ANALYSIS WORKSHOP
The numbers in the columns represent the ranking they received from the participants in the head row. As the participants had just completed their R5K project, they were newly aware of the intricacies and the nuances of the project. Discuss the data and whether the participants can find a theme within the data and codify that data.
The researcher's role was to provide the necessary information, but not to influence the flow of the participant process. It was decided by the participants of the thematic analysis workshop to categorize the graduate characteristics within a framework of these three areas (Figure 31) as this was found to capture the 'essence' of the surveys and interviews.
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DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
I NTRODUCTION
This "relevant and usable information for the labor market" in question can be obtained through practical exposure to industry through Work Integrated Learning that occurs during the R5K project process. It also speaks to the validity of the R5K project as the survey and interviews say that the R5K project gave many students the motivation and skills needed to succeed in the industry. 5 “I have grown a lot from BTech and I believe that the BTech Industrial Design year is the most important year out of the course”.
I felt more supported” as well as “I grew up a lot from BTech and I believe the R5K BTech Industrial Design project is the most important from the course as it makes things real”. 90% of respondents confirmed that the R5K project gave them enough confidence to start their own company after graduation.
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CONCLUSION
P ROPOSED MODEL OF GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY DEVELOPMENT
This addition was made through interviews with alumni, interviews with industry experts, and survey commentary. The linear structure of Harvey's model has been changed to a more circular feel to indicate the flexibility and adaptability of the proposed model. The effectiveness of this new graduate employability model will be tested by this researcher in the course of 2016 and a paper will be written on its success.
This study did not include data or research in the current year 2016, but the model has subsequently been initiated within the R5K project. The response was overwhelming, there is a waiting list for the next three years for mentors who wish to interact with the R5K project pro bono.
D ISCUSSION OF L IMITATIONS
S UGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
Assess whether the R5K project responds to the Cape Higher Education Consortium Study (2013) on South African HEIs, which looks at the essential 'critical cross-field outcomes' required for employability. There is a clear need for an industrial design council in Cape Town if not South Africa. Future studies are needed on how such a board can be a feedback loop for the proposed model to the government.
There is a rich source of collected data that describes the need for further action research around group work and group dynamics. This researcher will implement a number of proposals in the 2016 R5K project and build on these in the future.
S TUDY ’ S CONTRIBUTIONS
The proof of the success of this project can serve as a stepping stone for further research and projects in different fields of design. These future R5K or similar projects are effective ways to introduce students to the world of work and improved employability by graduates.
C LOSING
I would not allow self-production as it is covered (almost too much) in the first 3 years of study. Other than that, a group of industries or categories can be used in the 5K project to capture ideas, energy, etc. streamline. To better succeed in the 5K project, business studies should continually play a much larger role in ID.
I also feel that the 5k project allows students to round out the design process a bit in hopes of getting better grades on the project itself. It would allow students to work in industry for at least half a year and then start a 5K project.
