Exploring Materiality and Empowering Students
As an associate lecturer on the first-year BA Textiles course, I teach a 2.5-week module focused on introducing students to domestic knitting machines. While the module is essential for familiarising students with the medium, the challenge lies in the short timeframe, limiting opportunities for in-depth exploration of materiality and student decision-making. Technicians are responsible for teaching the technical aspects, while my role is to encourage creativity and provide broader context. However, constraints such as time, material costs and accessibility impact students’ creative exploration.
The module is primarily technical, teaching students the foundational skills to operate domestic knitting machines, such as casting on, threading, and creating basic stitches. Due to the limited time, the students’ engagement with materiality is often restricted. They are not given much opportunity to experiment with different yarns or materials. Additionally, yarns and knitting equipment can be expensive, making it difficult for students to explore different textures or experiment freely, which stifles their creative expression.
My role is to empower students in their decision-making, helping them choose materials that fit their project’s aesthetic within the constraints of the module. I work with students to ensure they make informed decisions about their materials, design concepts, processes, and visualizations. As bell hooks (1994) states, “Empowering students means providing them with the tools, resources, and opportunities to take control of their own learning, fostering an environment where they can make informed decisions and grow both academically and personally.” However, with limited time, students often have to make quick decisions, which can sometimes prevent deep material exploration.
This experience underscores the importance of fostering creativity and knowledge, providing a foundation for future exploration. It also mirrors challenges students may face in the textiles industry, where access to abundant materials and ample budgets are often available. Empowering students to creatively solve problems, make informed decisions, even within these constraints, is a valuable skill that helps them navigate the industry with confidence and innovation. Jorge Luis Borges once said, “I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library,” underscoring the importance of access to resources and knowledge.
As Boud, Keogh, and Walker (1985) argue, “Reflection is a process of reviewing experience in order to learn from it,” highlighting that reflection on material choices can help students understand the impact of their decisions. Reflecting on material constraints fosters critical thinking and prepares students to adapt creatively to challenges.
To better support students, I plan to introduce discussions around material access and decision-making early in the module. By prompting students to reflect on their material choices, I can help them understand how to adapt creatively within limited resources. I will encourage them to repurpose and look for ‘sustainable’ options, such as exploring charity shops, yarn sales or dyeing their own yarn, exploring alternatives without compromising their creative goals. By integrating these discussions into the module, students can develop a more holistic understanding of the impact of material choices on their work.
To further support this approach, I recommend “Designing for the Real World” by Victor Papanek (1992), which explores accessibility in design, and “Material Matters: New Materials in Design” by Emily S. Giffin (2013), which offers insight into sustainable material choices. These resources will help students navigate the challenges of materiality in design and empower them in making thoughtful creative decisions.
References
Borges, J. L. (1962). Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings. New York: New Directions.
Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (1985). “Reflection: Turning experience into learning”. Routledge.
Giffin, E. S. (2013). “Material Matters: New Materials in Design”. Thames & Hudson.
Hooks, B. (1994). “Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom”. Routledge.
Papanek, V. (1992). “Designing for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change”. Pantheon Books.