Locating critical design literacy

Review of lower secondary pupils’ submissions for an ecovillage

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7577/formakademisk.5761

Keywords:

critical reflection, design for sustainability, architectural education, lower secondary school

Abstract

This paper addresses one of the challenges presented in the call for the October 2022 symposium prior to this special issue: How would we expect design literacy (knowledge) to be demonstrated by non-designers? The study focuses on Norwegian pupils aged 15–16 years who were tasked with designing shared-living spaces for an ecovillage, aiming to encourage mixed use, inclusive social interaction, and a reduction in the carbon footprint. The study explores the level of critical design literacy demonstrated in 55 digital submissions from the pupils. The results indicate that the pupils are more proficient in expressing and discussing aspects of social sustainability than they are at addressing environmental sustainability. The paper concludes by discussing how teachers might structure projects to encourage pupils to engage more deeply in transformative design practices.

Author Biography

Eva Lutnæs, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University

Professor (PhD)

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MINECRAFT Model made in Minecraft

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Published

2024-06-17

How to Cite

Lutnæs, E. (2024). Locating critical design literacy: Review of lower secondary pupils’ submissions for an ecovillage. FormAkademisk, 16(5). https://doi.org/10.7577/formakademisk.5761

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