Tangible Ideation: Developing material study approaches and toolkits with children to enhance design education for children

In the past few years, the concept and practice of collaborative approaches have stretched from adults to younger age groups. Therefore, it has been increasingly acknowledged that children also should be encouraged to participate in and their contributions valued. A tactile learning approach, which is one of the most effective learning methods of maximising children’s learning ability, has been applied to children’s education for many decades. However, there are few studies that emphasise material study for children and youth. Therefore, this study proposed a teaching and learning approach with children’s participation, which evolved through a designerly and architectural educational project. The main objects of this study were to collaborate with children to develop material study toolkits for children and youth; and to propose a multidisciplinary teaching and learning approach to the primary school curriculum. It demonstrated with the 5th grade of pupils in Töölö Primary School, Helsinki, Finland, in 2013. An analysis of the process and results of the study revealed that material study toolkits were of great benefit to children in recognising material, enjoying a tactile experience, and developing ideas. In addition, there was evidence of children’s participation being connected to a satisfactory academic achievement.