Pedagogy and Professional Development

(r)EVOLUTION RETOLD - An experiential collection created collaboratively between merchandising and design students

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Abstract

This project provides experiential learning to students through a collaborative, real-world opportunity to design, develop, merchandise and market a small collection for a retail setting. It is becoming more important than ever for high education to integrate these types of learning environments that encourage teamwork, communication, critical thinking and creative problem solving. Students were broken into teams of 3-4 to lead certain portions of the process which included buying and planning, communications and outreach, store planning design, and product design management. Each student took on an industry role that empowered them to engage in scenarios that required high-level problem solving, critical thinking, compromise and clear communication. It was discovered in student reflections that the students were able to strengthen their weaknesses, compromise and adapt to different ideas, and practice clear communication through this experiential learning adventure. 

Keywords: Experimental, Collaborative teaching, Experiential learning

How to Cite:

Lapolla, K. & Copeland, L., (2020) “(r)EVOLUTION RETOLD - An experiential collection created collaboratively between merchandising and design students”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12237