At Jan Jam 2025, the CoLab kicked off the Designing Forward grant with a design challenge activity. In small groups, faculty were provided a bag of LEGOS and the name of a hypothetical (and, in many cases, sort of ridiculous) course title. Their job was to use the LEGOS to build a learning environment that complements that class and to explain their design considerations. Below are the group submissions.
We invite the Plymouth community to peruse the exhibit below and vote on their favorite design by filling out the form at the bottom of the page.
Click any of the images to see a larger version.
Topics in Past Lives
Sarah Parsons, Bryn Neenos, Melissa Paiva-Salisbury
An entry point – open door – into a dynamic, expansive Space. The ladder and rock wall represent varied pathways into further depth. As students explore, identify, question their past lives, they have space to use various mediums. There’s tech, art, literature, and Chairs for sitting, reflecting, talking. Spaces to come together and to get deeply involved in a task.
The exit point sends them off, but not empty handed! The heart represents the knowledge and skills they
take with them.
Botany for the Exhausted
Jennifer Anderson, Diana Jolles, Jennifer DeMoras
Initial Thoughts: creating a space that enables the senses (sight, smell, touch, etc.) to experience the benefit of what plants offer us for respite: i.e. calming nature, imagery, smell, color – very soothing.
Potential use could be for an exhausting environment, such as a hospital. The course is designed for overworked & stressed staff in nursing, social work, finance, admin departments.
The “classroom” could incorporate the sights, smell, textiles of botany, but also incorporate the “healthcare” component by introducing how to safely consume plants (i.e. eating – fruits (antioxidants) and building knowledge base, but in the soothing environment).
Illness, Wellness, and Stealing
Maria Sanders, Michael Davidson, Aimee Pascale, Dana Griffith
This Course explores individual and community well-being in the context of property ownership. The learning environment includes 2 physical/metaphorical spaces: (1) Order and (2) Anarchy.
- The natural environment with white picket fence symbolizes order and wellness
- Anarchy: The guns and prison-like space symbolizes chaos and consequences for stealing.
Free Fallin': The Intersection of Tom Petty and Skydiving
Sarah P, Brad M, Nick S, Laura D, Allison M, Kim L
Free Falling” is meant to represent the metaphor for cluster learning. Students do not know where you will land. We designed our design with different cluster elements aligned with different learning outcomes. Students can jump off a platform/cluster to access a plethora of tools they can utilize in their alternative perfect. It has multiple points of recess & landing to scaffold the experience and accommodate different learning styles. Tree serves as a metaphor for faculty peer support.
A learning outcome is “designing for risks & uncertainty” that will help students in planning situations. Other learning outcomes are mastering Tom Petty’s self-expression for understanding the role of self & society.
The History of Bubblegum!
Hannah Huckins, Matt Cheney, Jane Weber, Alissa Helms, Hannah Mallon
- Outdoor Classroom for maximum blowing freedom
- Repurposed a car for field trips (candy stores, private collections)
- Interdisciplinary connections to sciences with lab for testing bubblegum across the eras
- Display Wall for old gum ads
- Alt uses for gum testing center (drafts under doors) etc.
- Classroom as bubblegum playground – various stations allow students to explore bubblegum in interdisciplinary ways
- Team teaching – historian + scientist
- Gum Garden – exploring organic & sustainable gums that are also beautiful
The Philosophy of You
John Krueckeberg, Becky Noel, Meghan Doherty, Brigid O’Donnell, Elisabeth Johnston, Heather Doherty, Scott Coykendall
- Windows – Look outward
- Mirror – Look inward
- Treasure chest w/ jewels & spider – Learning/Discoveries
- Horse – prior journey/experience
- Snake – way-surprise/surprise/surprises
- U.F.O – unexpected/unpredictable elements
- Web – interconnection of members
- Dog/Cow hybrid – complex/ambiguous entity
Marketing the Visual Rhetoric of Instagram Scams
Kelly Legacy, Eydie Kendall, Barb Crane, Kenneth Logan, Janine DeBaets
We have a Scamming Victim with a variety of manipulators behind them; representing the hidden dangers lurking in IG.
We have 1/2 a wall of a “false sense” of security being breached by via our ladder by the menaces. 1 security officer outnumbered by the multitude of menaces.
The classroom will allow each student to role play each role in this design activity followed by an opportunity to reflect upon their role play.
Forensic Dance
Abby, Jonathan, Amanda
What does it mean to combine these ideas/topics/studies
Focus on awareness–of body, ideas
Disposition of curiosity over expertise
How the fields bump/intersect with each other
Opentime/lab/improv/independent research — exploration
Philosophical — resists former experience
Lab
- Investigage
- Practice
- Mindfulness
Interiority
Investigating the Body FOUNDATION
Concep. structure of openness to identify and understand self
Zombie Neuroscience
Barbara, Molly, Amy, Sarah
This course considers the various way a phenomenon such as ZOMBIE can be studied. The concept of “ZOMBIE Neuroscience” is especially provocative because ZOMBIES are “the undead.” Our design includes
- indoor and outdoor research spaces
- lab opportunities for observation and dissection
- group conference areas to for gathering and analyzing data amongst students.
Vote for the People's Choice Award!
Let us know which design is your favorite. The CoLab will award some kind of not-so-valuable but still thoughtful prize.