By Kristie Kellahan
EDUCATION
Students aspiring to work in the knowledge economy live in a time of "unprecedented possibilities", according to one lecturer.
Interior design teacher Todd Packer will visit Europe on a study tour.
Todd Packer, head teacher of interior design at TAFE Design Centre Enmore, says technological change has created many new opportunities in vocational areas such as design, media, fashion technology and broader services sectors.
Many careers, such as some related to 3D printing, advanced manufacturing and sustainability, have emerged only in the past couple of decades.
Professionals who will thrive in this new economy are the ones who can solve practical problems with innovation and applied knowledge.
Packer, who recently won a NSW Premier's TAFE NSW Scholarship, is championing best practice in "applied research" learning.
Applied research is research that sets out to solve a specific practical problem and is different from pure academic research, which is designed to contribute to the furthering of knowledge.
"An applied research project will generally have a specific and often client-driven purpose and will result in a clear outcome, such as a new process, product, design or technique," Packer says. "A key feature of applied research in vocational education and training is the opportunity for collaborations between students and an industry partner as a teaching and learning tool.
"It offers unprecedented opportunity for innovation, enhancing the relevance and currency of teaching and assisting students to deal with complexity through developing real-world skills."
Packer says this way of learning is important because it is student-centred, it's practical, and it aims to help students build their knowledge and skills through "experience, collaboration and practical application".
"By its nature, it enhances employability skills and provides clear workforce transferability of a learning experience through practical application and 'hands-on' course work," he says.
Packer says this kind of hands-on learning is relatively common and well established in northern Europe, particularly in Germany and Scandinavian countries, while less common in Australia.
In March 2017, Packer will visit a range of colleges in Europe, where he will examine many case studies of applied research.
"I'll be meeting with industry partners to understand how these relationships are managed, as well as reviewing the scope and outcomes of projects," Packer says.
In addition to blogging throughout the study tour, Packer will upload a series of vlogs and written reports on his return to TAFE Design Centre. Other TAFE educators and students can learn more about the tour through Packer's presentations at TAFE forums, at Design Professional Association events and in the DIA magazine, Artichoke.