Education - Draft Proposal

[Jon Seattle]

(This is number two of three draft proposals.)

Second Life's economy is centered on buying and selling design work. We propose to found a design curriculum and program to provide each citizen with continuing project-oriented design education.

• By improving the design skills of Neualtenberg's citizens we will better enable them to develop successful products and businesses. If we can gain a reputation for quality products this will help develop the cooperative’s economic prospects.

• By becoming a place known for its design school, Nuefreistadt will attract citizens who want to develop their skills.

• We would be establishing a lively center of learning that would discuss the philosophy and technique of design as these apply to people’s lives in SL.

• We could make better use of the school facilities that are the product of a community / private partnership.

• Our design education would be available to non-citizens by charging tuition. This, and an endowment would help make the project self-supporting.

[b:1fm7h4ak]The Program[/b:1fm7h4ak]

The program would provide continuing project-oriented curriculum for design. Learners would join the program to learn design principles and skills that go beyond the basics. That is not just how to apply textures, but topics such as color theory, typography, object design, story-boarding, and architectural history.

Each project description would come in a box, perhaps with some pre-built parts and plans but other aspects that would be up to the learner to complete. (the pre-built parts are actually known as "scaffolding" in learning theory.)

The learner would execute the project, and then bring the result to workshop meetings for suggestions and constructive critique by students and experienced design teachers.  Also available would be critiques by design experts who would charge a consulting fee.

In addition to workshops, there would be ongoing study / reading groups. The members of a reading group would read selected books and papers on aspects of design and the philosophy of design and meet to discuss their studies. 

The school would issue certificates in particular aspects of design, Earning a certificate would require an exam consisting of the student submitting some number of works for expert critique.

[Diderot Mirabeau]

I find this to be a very interesting proposal in part because it draws on resources and competencies that we have already in place and suggests to organise these in a constellation that could benefit further to our positioning within the SL community.

May I propose a few mechanisms through which this endeavour could possibly be implemented?

As you know there is currently a Neufreistadt School in the city. It is as I believe you point out a private entity operating with the benefit of not having had to pay for the purchase of its land I believe but otherwise free of any government intervention or subsidies. The focus of this institution is primarily to offer virtual education on RL relevant curricula. As of present there is no agreement in place between the school and the city to offer education to citizens free of charge.

I propose that the goal of offering design education to citizens for free and to non-citizens at a tuition fee be realised by setting up a general fund that is to review proposals for non-governmental projects and initiatitives worthy of support. Subsequently, a proposal is written on the basis of your text in the above in cooperation with the Neufreistadt School and submitted to the general fund, which if they assess that the proposal is good enough to merit support may then decide to approve of it and subsidise it for a defined period with clear goals. I think you'll find a slightly more thorough description of my proposed mechanism for disbursing funds to well-defined, non-governmental projects in a limited timeframe with clear goals in the mock manifesto for the party of unity and justice.

I look forward to reading your next proposal