Electronics for designers course: a critique and students voices on their learning experiences

Abstract

Electronics for Designers course is done by all Industrial Design and Technology students in year 3 of the five-year Bachelor of Design programmes. For those pre-service teachers holding a Diploma in Secondary Education (DSE) and Diploma in Technology Studies, the teaching and learning experience in Electronics for Designers course can be a daunting experience. Trainee students have to adjust to a new learning environment and experience complicated pedagogical theories and design philosophy, and this can be stressful. As a result, the failure rate in the course has previously been high. If this was not a core course some students would drop it as they lacked coping strategies and displayed lack of resilience. This study attempts to gain a deeper understanding of students learning experiences in undertaking the Electronics for Designers course and critiques the two Design and Technology ‘O’ Level syllabuses offered in Botswana and Swaziland. The study also maps graduate attributes that students gain through the course. The study used both qualitative and quantitative research approaches and is part of comprehensive action research to be conducted afterwards.Keywords: design, problem-based learning, social constructivism, learner-centred, pedagogies, deeper learning