Author: agmcdani

On Transformation: Student to Educator to Learner

By Liz Chen In July 2023, I learned I would be teaching a special topics course in the spring at NCSU, meaning I could construct a class on whatever I wanted, as long as it related in some way to graphic and experience design. As a recent NCSU graduate student interested in social justice, I carried an urgency to conduct impactful design research, examining educator systemic bias and its impact on underrepresented students in design education. In academia, where curriculum tends to be censored by Board of Trustee ideology and anti-DEI legislation threatens classroom sovereignty, it is increasingly vital to provoke change and advocate for equity and social justice. As a non-tenure track faculty member, I had a unique positionality as I did not feel pressure to please an institution through political neutrality. To me, this was an opportunity to develop a course aimed to strengthen the next generation of designers in their critical thinking skills. Specifically, “Design Ethics and Justice” encouraged students to challenge the status quo and embrace cultural humility. The course, which …

The Search Generation

By Isabel Bo-Linn The Search Generation This term I am teaching a special topics course, AI and Design, where we explore topics related to the implementation, impact, ethics, and collaborative opportunities of AI. A common theme throughout the course is “times are a changin”. As a design educator who emphasizes research and academic curiosity, I implore my students to take agency in their own education. Technology has and will continue to transform how we find and interpret information. It’s imperative students not only embrace the tidal wave of transformation AI and other technology will bring about, but also strive to hone and utilize vital literacy skills to pave the way for equitable futures. References Greenwood, P., Patston, T., Slouch, A., (2019). The digital-ready worker: digital agency and the pursuit of productivity. Deloitte Insights. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/technology-and-the-future-ofwork/ learned-helplessness-workforce.html/#endnote-sup-3 Huang, Kelley (2022, September 16). For Gen-Z, TikTok is the New Search Engine. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/technology/gen-z-tiktok-search-engine.ht ml Lynch, Michael Patrick (2016, April 24). Teaching in the Time of Google. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/teaching-in-the-time-of-google/ Nicoletti, L., Bass, D., (2023, June 9). …