Thinking With Card - About the Project  

This project is a learning resource for students, teachers and parents.

It is designed to encourage and integrate making in the curriculum.

What?

This website contains a series of resources that can be downloaded by students, teachers and parents in order to promote active learning through making. These models can help with study, aid with the comprehension of complex ideas and explore topics in a means other than textbooks or screens. The activities are generally aimed at Middle School students (China) or Key Stage 2 and Key stage 3 (UK). That is, students aged between 7-14. Please check out our video introduction for more info.    

 

Why?

Recent decades have seen the erosion of art and design activities in schools in favour of traditional subjects. In Chinese schools, it is rare to find any creative activities delivered as part of the standard curriculum. This kind of 'enrichment activity' is the respsonsibility of parents and is only available to the most priviledged. It is the belief of the organisers that making activity is, in itself, a vital part of education and can be a significant part of active learning.

 

Why Paper and Card?

Modelling in paper and card is a key skill for designers of all ages. Paradoxically it is often overlooked in favour of more high status modes of representation, particularly computer modelling on screen. This is a serious problem in the development of engineering, design and spatial skills in young students. Paper and card are cheap and sometimes even free. The tools needed are simple - a cutting mat, sharp modelling knife, metal non-slip ruler and stick-type glue. With these materials it is possible to model almost anything one can imagine.

 

Who?

This project was developed by a team from the International Design Centre at Beijing Institute of Technology. It was launched in July 2020.

 

 

Thinking with Card was recognised in the 2021 Core77 Design Awards

 

Thinking with Card is proud partner of Dyversity Lab

 ‘We support Thinking with Card because we know that children naturally posses fertile imaginations. By learning to make, children become able to extend their thinking range from inside their minds to include thinking with their hands. Enabling making also provides a method to communicate ideas. When learning becomes a physical activity, ideas are absorbed in a multisensory way and understanding is enhanced by being ‘lived’ in this way. This is why we are so proud to be associated with this groundbreaking work and it is our pleasure to do all we can to help move children’s learning methods forward in this way.’

https://www.dyversitylab.com

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