From Education to Learning

Abstract

This paper points out that design education in Japan is too much technology-oriented and in addition, all courses are the same, because the Ministry of Education forces us to follow their principle. This principle is to pursue How, or Problem solving, and the reproducibility, quantitativeness and ojectivity are emphasided. But design is an activity to explore the new frontiers, i.e., to pursue What and Why. It is Goal-Finding. To achieve the real objective of design, design courses in Japan should be changed from education to learning. In this learning course, students are trained to find how new combinations can be produced or new market can be created with their current resources, just as past US Presidnet Theodore Roosevelt, who is famous as explores, too, told us “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”. Thus, students are trained to explore the new frontiers. Such training is very effective in the days of rapidly, extensively and unpredictably changing world.