Green Models in Classroom

Design teachers must spread pedagogical processes for a green world to reduce the impact of our academic exercises on the local environment.

Camilo A. Angulo, author AuthorCamilo A. Angulo Followers: 218

Main illustration of the article Green Models in Classroom

In the past 20 years, Schools of Arts, Design and Architecture used indiscriminately «new» materials to construct models to socialize ideas of students in class, which have a particularly very short shelf life. After students obtain feedback and an evaluation grade, the models just overflow garbage cans in the universities, contributing to 80% of non-recycled garbage that accumulates in most Latin American cities.1

Because of that, the urgent need to reduce the consumption patterns in the academy arises, enriching environments with alternative teaching design on new learning facilitators,2 which incorporates the traditional methodologies of design,3 but in this case including an additional feature in the project design stage that corresponds to the research of materials that can be reused, and a new final stage which suggests the possible scenarios of recycling the materials after they are used for the academics process. Here are some tips to structure a green design proposal:

  • Information Phase: to find the need.
  • Analytical Phase: determine what exists, identify sub-problems, and then prioritize.
  • Project phase: to create different types of solutions, make decisions and identify potential benefits and look for materials that can be reused.
  • Resolution Phase: in order to checks, applications, costs.
  • Recycling Phase: to think about the future of the materials used in the project.

As you can see, the above proposal favors projects with materials that were classified as waste, giving a new meaning to them, and helping not to compromise them on the future demand for these inputs,4 because models for academic purpose should be only a part of life-cycle of materials, not their end.

During the practice of education, physical models are a teaching tool to represent ideas that show some assumptions expressed by the students in their speeches,5 but to achieve this goal it is unnecessary to waste such a quantity of natural resources and energy. That’s one of the main reasons why it is recommended that the exercises formulated by teachers in class must have the concept of «green models». Those kinds of exercises are a great opportunity to develop a special kind of thinking in the students when they face a restricted scenario and they need to take some innovative decisions in order to reach a higher level of cognitive skills.6 And, consequently, the students design new eco-friendly processes for the production of their models in classroom.

Under the formative nature of higher education, the exploration of these possibilities, and the development of alternative work in small groups for a short time in the right context, can sensitize students about the potential of an idea that relates with the invention above having the resources to do it and the difference that makes a creative mind seeking new opportunities in order for these ones can be replicated in the future, while still working.

Students of the course Theory of Design. Photo: Faculty Juan José Arango, UJTL, 2012.

Eco models

​Based on this environmental awareness, material academic exercises must be built ​​with reusable materials. That is the case of a workshop conducted by the Industrial Design Program for the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University of Colombia.7 The models were constructed with plastic bottle caps and some types of cardboard to work three concepts: object, context and interaction. After reaching the goals, people involved in this project such as students, faculty and staff of the university themselves separated most of the material, to donate it to a foundation to use these resources to help children affected by cancer.

At the end of the exercise there is, first of all a reflection on the role that we play from the academy as consumers in the life cycle of some non-renewable resources, and secondly, the responsibility of future generations of students, depending on how long we delay in implementing these determinations, they will be able to have or not the opportunity to experience a learning process with those basic materials that remain after previous uses.

Theoretical and practical workshop exercises. Photo: Faculty Catalina Quijano, Camilo Angulo, UJTL, 2012.

Finally, the appropriation of concepts like «green models» would be an important step towards sustainable academic processes, but without forget that in the end, such proposals are a great excuse to gather common goals inside an academic community, and to accomplish, this way, a conscious effort to fulfill the social and environmental commitments with future generations of artists, designers and architects.

What do you think? Share your comments right now!


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  1. Mexican site Biodegradable (2012).
  2. FORERO, S.; Angulo, C.; Parga, H. (2010). IV Encuentro internacional de investigación en diseño: «Interacciones significativas de aula para propiciar el desarrollo de las estructuras mentales que favorecen la invención en diseño industrial». [IV International design research: Significant interactions in classroom to foster the development of mental structures that favor industrial design invention]. P. 45-47. ICESI University, Colombia.
  3. BÚRDEK, B, (1994). «​Diseño. Historia, teoría y práctica del diseño industrial». [Design, History, Theory and Practice of Industrial Design], G. Gili.
  4. CAPUZ, S.; Gómez, T. & otros. (2004). Ecodesign: «Ingeniería del ciclo de vida para el desarrollo de productos sostenibles». [Life Cycle Engineering for Sustainable Product Development]. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Alfaomega, S. A. de C. V. México.
  5. VÁSQUEZ, F. (2000). «Oficio de Maestro». [Teacher duties]. Javeriana University, Education Faculty, Colombia.
  6. FINKE, A.; Ward, Thomas B.; Smith, Steven M. (1995). «Creativity and the Mind: discovering the genius within». New York: Plenum Press.
  7. WORKSHOP (2012). «​Tapalandia zona de juegos: componentes de objeto, interacción y contexto. Asignatura Teoría de Diseño​​». [Tapalandia: playground object, interaction and context. Design Theory, Industrial Design Program]. Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, Colombia.

Other Sources:

  • EL TIEMPO (2012). «Río + 20 por un mundo verde, limpio y próspero». [Río + 20 for a world green, clean and prosperous]. Sunday, june 17. Colombia.​
  • RODRÍGUEZ, N. (2011). «​Re-utilizar con imaginación: modelo de acción participativo que permite a población vulnerable la creación de su cultura material a partir de la reutilización». [Re-use of imagination: participatory action model that enables the creation of vulnerable material culture from the reuse]. Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, Colombia.
  • Illustration Picture: Tapalandia. Photo: Faculty Juan José Arango. Model Alejandro Pacheco, UJTL, 2012.
  • Youtube Tapalandia (2012)
  • Read in Spanish (2012)
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Portrait of Jeronimo Sanchez
3
Aug 2013

Hi,

I´m very glad to see this need recognized, i´m totaly agree. But something that have the same, even more importance is to change our ways to think, to produce and to consume, because we still using plastic as the only solution for bottles, no recycling will help if we continue making more, hope i make myself clear not trying to say that recycling is no good, but is not enough. no se trata solo de usarlas para otra cosa, sino de que si no sirven para otra cosa que no las usen para nada. Y perdón pero tal parece que «green» es nuevo yo voltearía a ver a las culturas precolombinas. Saludos

0
Portrait of Camilo A. Angulo
218
Aug 2013

Dear Jeronimo, some of my students are also interested in working the problem looking at the issue of production, my expectations are that in the future this kind of academic exercises can multiply with greater coverage. Thank you.

0
Portrait of Jeronimo Sanchez
3
Aug 2013

Hola Camilo,

En vista de que quedo claro que hablamos ingles, aplaudo lo que creo un genuino interés, pero no estoy de acuerdo con el enfoque practico, tengo que preguntar, ¿donde están esas tapas ahora? en algún recipiente para futuro (ha de estar lleno) o en algún basurero? dicen los especialistas que la sustentabilidad (no solo ecología) empieza por el espíritu, sigue con la familia, la escuela, la comunidad, el país, el planeta sucesivamente. tapalandia, modelo walt disney, no resuelve nada, no me parece divertido para ejercitar la creatividad el problema esta en los ríos contaminados Thx!

0
Reply
Portrait of Agustín Cabanillas
0
Aug 2013

Avisame cuando subas una versión en castellano :)

0
Portrait of Camilo A. Angulo
218
Aug 2013

Enlace

0
Portrait of Agustín Cabanillas
0
Aug 2013

¡Gracias!

0
Reply
Portrait of Karen Sarahi
0
Aug 2013

Grandes cosas pueden hacerse con este tipo de materiales y su utilización se hace agradable para el mundo debido a la gran contribución contra la contaminación y en este caso ayudar a otras personas.

Es importante que siga creciendo este tipo de proyectos.

0
Portrait of Camilo A. Angulo
218
Aug 2013

Dear Karen, the interesting thing is to understand that no matter where we live we can do something to improve the situation. Thank you.

0
Reply
Portrait of Victor Gerardo Martinez
16
Aug 2013

Thanks for opening the theme, highly relevant. I have worked also in this matter and I'm inviting people to use this tool that I developed, it is free, I hope you find it useful:

Gracias por abrir el tema, es muy importante sin duda. Yo he trabajado en este rubro y ahora estoy invitando a la gente a usar esta herramienta que yo desarrollé, es gratis, espero que te sea de utilidad:

http://www.trophec.com

1
Portrait of Camilo A. Angulo
218
Aug 2013

Dear Victor, I think that any new resource about learning is welcome and it seems interesting to apply from the web. Thank you.

0
Reply
Portrait of Carolina Vizcaya
0
Feb 2015

Today it’s not a surprise to anyone that the world is dying. In the past 3 decades one third of the natural resource has been consumed and there is nothing we can do to fix it. However we could and we SHOULD do something to take care of what we have left, we canʼt make it better but it is mandatory to donʼt make it worst.

In my opinion this idea is great, because it is a reality the way students, including me, waste material without thinking just because we can buy more, and we need more activities that help us take conscience of the importance of "Green models". Although we donʼt only need to take conscience, we need something more important and it is take the habit, because we may know what we should do but still not doing it.

0
Portrait of Daniela Guerrero
0
Feb 2015

Dear professor Camilo, the idea is start changing those educational and practical models that we have in the academy, makes us realize about the way we do things, the idea of reducing, reusing and recycling, is a first step, with these, we can make slowly the environmental impact, however we must work till the point of no affect the environment, that is to say, we propose new ways of interpreting environmentalism considering that if we begin to implement this from academia, would reach the point of creating a system that actually complete a cycle. In fact, I’m totally agree about start to change our way of learning.

0
Portrait of Angie Daniela Leon Castellanos
0
Feb 2015

This is a very interesting idea, isn´t just make innovator works they look help the ecological and social part, but is necessary that the use of this elements have a good ending and are considered like quality products. It´s a good project to implement in all the universities and in differents careers, others professionals should apply this way to recycle.

0
Portrait of Laura Daniela Ríos Farfán
0
Laura Daniela Ríos Farfán
Feb 2015

Teacher, I agree with you. Your proposal is very interesting, and should be applied in our classes in a deeper way. We were born in the recycling age, and we have to learn how we can help with the environment for our future. However, Iʼd agree that at the university the teachers should learn us more about recycling process, because that can serve us to create proposals in our future workplaces to contribute with te enviornment and create "green products".

0
Portrait of Natalia Echeverry Díaz
1
Feb 2015

Now a days, recycling is one goal for the "Future" generations, but this is just because of the need for the world to continue existing; ¿What would happen if we make everyone, kids, grandparents, dads, and everyone take some conscience about it?, we have to make everyone makes something for the world that we owned, let’s make other people, not just us as Industrial Design students, everyone in the communities, notice about the problem that we are facing and have a change for our place.

0

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