Constructing Courses to Enhance Learning

Design Overview

Certificate in Fashion Studies

Machine Knitting Course

Level
4
Credit
5
Total Hours
50
Instructional Hours
25
Self Directed Hours
25



Aims:

To provide an opportunity for students to learn the basics of machine knitting and produce a simple knitted item.

Learning Outcomes:

At the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

- Understand how to operate and maintain a domestic knitting machine.
- Through exploration become familiar with the techniques and processes involved in the construction of knitted garments/accessories.
- Apply those skills in an exploratory manner to a simple machine-knitted item.

Content:

- Maintenance and use of domestic knitting machine
- Experimentation in the use of different stitches and techniques used in machine knitting.
- Exploration and development of design ideas for a knitted item.
- Simple knitted fashion item.




Learning/Teaching Methods

- Demonstrations:

This method will be achieved with an eight series DVD instruction lessons, showing information in sequence easy to follow and rerun. A Manual will be sent by post for additional teaching.

- Group Work:

Students will have the facility of communicating on line with each other and with the tutor. This access will be by Blackboard/email.

- Practical Classes:

Students will follow the lesson plan in a sequence that will make it easy to understand and achieve their goal. Practical work at home will be necessary to learn new skills and complete portfolios.

- Presentations:

At the end of the course work will be sent to tutor by post to be accessed and presentations will be achieved by having all required information as per Portfolio list.


Assessment:

Students will receive details of the assessment criteria and a marking schedule at the beginning of this course.

Students will learn practical techniques and will be required to submit a portfolio of their samples together with their Final Project as per (a simple knitted fashion garment) as per brief.

Assessment Criteria are marked of 100% and divided in sections:

Conceptual Development - Visual Diary 10%
Practical Application – Sample Folio 40%
Project – Simple Knitted Garment 40%
Commitment – Effort/Presentation 10%
Total 100%


Student Requirement:

There is an expectation that students will need to attempt or complete all exercises to obtain a higher skill level for future development.

Completion Requirements:

To achieve a pass for this course, students must achieve an overall grade of C- or higher.


Planning linking learning outcomes to learning activities.

Learning Activities:

Introduction to machine parts, assembling, maintenance, machine repack, equipment needed and threading and how to cast on and plain knitting (Stockinet).

Learning how to cast off, tension, stitch size, increase/decrease techniques, experimenting with difference of yarn and introducing (Slip stitch).

How to knit a double hem, waste knitting, punch cards and introduction to (Tuck stitch).

Introduction to (Fair Isles stitch) using two colour way yarn.

Experimentation of all stitches and techniques on how to knit a garment. Developing your own design and choosing stitches for own project.

Final project will allow students to confirm all skills and techniques learnt, bringing them together to present their unique three dimensional simple knitted fashion garment.





Teaching Strategies:

A set of eight DVD’s will be part of resources for learning. Notes and handout with instruction and directions will be part of the kit to be sent to students.
A Visual Diary or (journal) will be required to be kept. This is a way of collating images, thoughts, sketches and own designs, research is encouraged for idea development.
A portfolio of knitted samples will need to be handed in.

The use of Blackboard will be a forum for group discussions. Email @tekotago access will be provided to communicate with student and tutor, telephone facilities for support will be available for students. Face-to-face scheduled time can be organised on campus.

Weekly assessment will be set to encourage completion of tasks. Feedback will be forward to student to gauge their progress.


Theoretical Perspective:

The term theoretical is sometimes used to describe a result which is predicted by theory but has not yet been adequately tested by observation or experiment. It is not uncommon for a theory to produce predictions which are later confirmed or proven incorrect by experiment. http://en.wikiperia.org/wiki/Theory
To my understanding all people learn in a cognitive way. Cognitive: cognition is the process of obtaining knowledge through thought, experience and the senses (Oxford English Dictionary).

A good supply of new information will keep people interested. They key is to be able to stimulate ideas (or the mind) into that person to obtain new results. The process of giving information is to be able to teach students and making sure they understand such information.

As a much applied school, our main objective is learning by giving notes of information, researching and by demonstrating the outcomes. The visual process is an important factor in our environment, it is very practical as students learn by lectures showing how is done. It is a productive way of learning a new skill and inspiring ideas for creating and innovating new ones.

Students learn in a practical manner by experimenting and experience. Using their senses to entice their imagination and stir the passion within them to be able to create. This leads us to “Constructivism as a description of human cognition is often associated with pedagogic approaches that promote learning by doing. It is important to note that constructivism itself does not suggest one particular pedagogy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/constructivism.

Creativity theory, this is also a very interesting theory and it relates to Design and Fashion. Students work with old ideas and refresh them into new one or by researching, experimenting and extending ideas to come up with a more original and unique approach. “Creativity is part of how fundamentally new ideas emerge”
http://mlab.uiah.fi/polut/luovuus/teoria creativity.html

People in a designing world need time to research, experiment and process a number of ideas to create new ones.

Creativity theory has the concept of bringing an idea and developing it into a new concept or simply transforming an old idea and converting it to a new form. This theory very much relates to our designing areas. Creativity is manipulating ideas and putting them into practice. People evolve their creative side by trying new and old ways of making and learning a craft.

Research is encouraged to promote and extend ideas to bring a broader knowledge to expose us to the bigger picture. The mind is teased to enhance our creative senses and this is how people learn by experimentation and gaining new knowledge by exposing them to a new creative activity.

Adult learners make good students because they are searching to obtain further study, gaining a qualification and achieving personal development. Adults have anxieties about study and preconceived ideas of study reflecting on previous experiences, school will be what their need to overcome.


There is a need for adults to take a charge of their own learning, have to consider their learning environment, how to manage time and becoming a strategic learner. By choosing an interesting course obtaining a well designed study plan, an approachable tutor and family to support you, the learner will become an effective learner.

Learners need to have a clear idea of their aims together with an outline of how they are going to be assessed to have a perspective of how they will achieve their goals and put their attributes to practice.

There are areas in learning such as, grasping new concepts, analysis and evaluation of different theories and solving problems. Usually people learn by watching other people and by making mistakes to figure out the process.

Adult learners have previous experiences in learning and they need to re-adjust to become successful learners. Most of the learning will be critical thinking and understanding.

There are two learning views such as “quantitative” which focus on memorizing information and “qualitative” to understand ideas by arranging new learning and making connections between new ideas and what you already know. (Radloff, A, 1999 p30).

The best way of learning is to think of it as problem solving activity:
Identify what you need to do.
Plan how to tackle the task.
Be active as you learn by asking questions, making notes, teach another person.
Check on your progress and your strategies if they are working.
Evaluate the outcomes. Do you understand the concept? Have you answered the question? Read the material critically?
Reflect on your learning abilities.


Learning theories are complex as we don’t have the one answer to the one way of learning or teaching. Having an open mind to cognitive, constructivist and creativity theories will give us the opportunity to guide students and help them to motivate their enthusiasm and skills to properly understand and direct them to learn the appropriate method.

Reference:

Radloff, A., Hermann, A., & Fox, R. (1999). Successful Learning skills, your guide to tertiary studies through open and distance learning. Victoria: McPherson’s Printing Group.


Evaluation Plan : http://blackboard7.tekotago.ac.nz

Bibiana

Reference I've used

Collis, B. & Moonen, J. (2005). Flexible Learning in a digital world. London: Kogan Page Ltd.

Wade, W., Hodgkinson, K., Smith, A., & Arfield, J. (1994). Flexible Learning in Higher Education. London: Kogan Page Ltd.

Race, P., & Brown, S. (1993). 500 Tips for Tutors. London: Kogan Page ltd.

New Ideas for Flexible Learning Demonstration.

My ideas for Flexible Learning demonstration has changed.I will be demonstrating how to thread a Singer domestinc knitting machine and how to knit stokinet.

This will consist of a DVD showing steps by step showing all parts of the knitting machine and how you can cast on stitches and finally knit.

The development can be a process of lessons on DVD and this would capture every step for a person to follow and replay.

It is a useful tool for learning a new skill in a practical way. Additional information will be provided for students learning in a "flexible environment". A very useful way of learning.

My understanding "Flexible learning"

Flexible learning has a new meaning. Flexibility is learning and adjusting to diverse situations.
It reaches a variety of people giving them the opportunity to engage in various types of learning and prioritising their needs.

Flexible learning offers opportunities focusing different areas such as :- technology, pedagogy, execution and institutional structure. It is more than distance education; involves resources, tutotials, communication and students learning ability.

Technology is an innovative way to learn and most learners take well to this system. We are not forget that some learners need the visual and the doing to make connections. Learners need options.

Pedagogy demonstrates how an individual can learn by having an organized content not necessarily facilitated face to face. Students can be more actively engaged and have focused outcomes by flexible learning. Their learning is based on higher level thinking, placing their evergy in analysis, evaluation and experimentation.

Execution of flexible learning is about awareness of how the learners can process information and retain it. Also, how an institution can reach more people and educate them successfully.

The focal point is the student and how an institution can reach a vast mass of people. It is about reaching the student and making sure they are learning. Finding out, what does the student need to achieve their goal?.

Flexible learning is discovering the students learning capabilities and response to different techniques. This will determine how to design a course with the interest to cater for a majority of learners.

Flexibility occurs within a perimeter. Although students will set their own schedules, they will need to provide the institution certain assessment criteria to be a participant and attend sessions or days to discuss their progress. Students will need to be monitor and make sure they comply with set course structures and complete all assessments.

Flexibility will have to be adjusted to make sure tutors have the appropriate time to deal with different expectations, resources, delivery, diversity and learning backgrounds. Good communication with students is vital.

An institution would want to make sure that these courses are feasible and successful not only for the organization but most definitely for the students learning capabilities and for their future.

Flexible learning is to be taken seriously as it is a step to a more discipline behaviour. It will be more self motivation involved and the responsibility for a more self directed system. Students will need to identify how much additional learning they are prepare to contribute to find new resources and enhance their learning and techniques.

Flexible learning is a new way of thinking. A responsible self estimulated, self motivated, self pace and achievable way with the freedom to apply creatively and successfully what has been learned.

Bibiana

meeting with Leigh & bronwyn

Discussion about DFLP and how I can achieve obtaining it. I would like to extend it for the rest of the year but I would consider finishing it sooner.

Need to set a tutorial to understand blogging and delicious.

Would need to read and research as well as summarise and post it to my blog twice a week.

Talk to my colleague Tania and coordinate a meeting time to look into videos for our course and if possible attending tutorial together and researching collaboratively.

Leigh will try to set up a tutorial and a meeting time with cookery.

to do list

1. Read Flexible learning: it's not just about distance and respond on my blog.
2. read through course blog AND wiki
3. Set up a del.icio.us account and save some bookmarks
4. Research video blogging
5. Post to my blog at least once a week.

testing video blogging