The document outlines a draft flexible learning plan to integrate sustainable fashion practices into the existing design curriculum at Otago Polytechnic. It emphasizes the need for a teaching resource that can be accessed by students and industry to enhance awareness of sustainability in fashion design. The plan includes both short-term and long-term goals for developing and delivering flexible educational content that supports sustainable business practices.

1. Draft Flexible Learning Plan Sustaining Fashion Course requirement DFLP February 2009 Fashion @ The School of Design Otago Polytechnic Tracy Kennedy: tracyk@tekotago.ac.nz

2. Executive summary Enabling sustainable fashion design graduates Student awareness of issues Integration of sustainable practice into an existing course – FDS4 Production Block A flexible approach to teaching and learning A flexible teaching and learning tool/resource could be developed to enable this process A tool that enhances learning across several contexts and is readily available to both students and industry

3. Project Background A requirement to integrate sustainability into the design curriculum A need to inform and educate future design graduates about sustainability Sustainable business options as the future Existing course with potential to more fully integrate sustainable practice initiatives Potential for industry involvement “buy in” Need for a flexible delivery of information that can be widely accessed by students and industry alike

4. Existing course – future potential FDS4 Level 7 Professional Practice course currently delivered at year 2 of the Bachelor of Design (Fashion) A group industry project that requires the design, marketing and manufacturing of a range of garments (fit for purpose) for a local retailer Initial lecture series on small business practice, sustainable fashion design, marketing and retail. Flexible teaching and learning focus: The lecture series could be accessed by a wider audience and utilised by both students within the programme, graduates and industry.

5. Aims/Goals 1. Short term: develop a more flexible teaching and learning plan that incorporates and adds to current design sustainability teaching and learning within the School of Fashion. 2. Long term/ongoing : create a flexible teaching and learning tool/resource that will enable design sustainability to be taught within a variety of contexts.

6. Objectives Short term : Re-look at an existing professional practice course and consider how it could be more flexible in delivery Make the theory component of FDS4 widely accessible Long Term : Develop a flexible teaching and learning tool to enable students and practitioners to engage more fully with sustainable design possibilities

7. Performance indicators (outcomes) Short term : students, graduates and industry being able to access and utilise existing teaching and learning of fashion design and sustainable practice. Long term : a resource/tool available (easily accessed) by a variety of learners through open access and flexible delivery.

8. Flexible learning analysis Current students and future students outside the polytechnic (graduates, industry) require access to information beyond the classroom: delivery off campus online access to information access to information in both hardcopy and digital format available flexible hours timely feedback from lecturers quick access to current information

9. Provision of services Both digital and paper copies of lecture notes, resources and information Digital access blended learning via an online teaching and learning site such as ‘moodle’ http://moodle.org/about/ Discussion board/lecturer feedback available via moodle or perhaps a social networking site

10. Current services available Open access education: ‘Moodle’, wikieducator, various websites devoted to small business and sustainable practice Successful industry examples of sustainable fashion and business practices Highlight and utilize links to complimentary sites as part of the course

11. Addressing the issues

12. Sustainability Social : enabling onsite and offsite students/graduates and industry to access relevant information and network with each other (promotion of a community of learning from all levels of the fashion industry) Ecological : better use of resources Economics : institutional savings in resources; wider more diverse use of lecturer time; marketing of the fashion course and polytechnic

13. Access & equity Provide access to computer network through community learning centres Both online and hardcopy resources and information made available

14. Cultural diversity Insuring resources and links available to relevant sites e.g. Maori business networks: http://www.mwdi.co.nz/main.asp http://www.poutama.co.nz/ Insuring inclusiveness

15. Institutional strategic direction Otago Polytechnic Alignment with the sustainable strategic planning of Otago Polytechnic Referencing and adhering to Otago Polytechnics commitment to providing flexible and blended teaching and learning models http://www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/fileadmin/Corporate/PDFs/About/Otago_Polytechnic_Charter_2006-2010_.pdf

16. Budget Development of blended and online learning is part of the ongoing development of courses Administration and lecturer training may be required e.g.moodle; could be done in-house Costs related to later development of a teaching and learning resource would require funding: within the Polytechnic or outside agencies such as an Ako Aotearoa grant.

17. Time line for development Dept approval early 2009 Development & testing of course content 2009 Online by Term 4 2010 (maybe 2009) Resource: ongoing development – funding application end 2009 for 2010 (Beeby fund Ako Aotearoa)

18. Feedback Feedback is appreciated and can be placed on the writers blog: http://sustainfashion.blogspot.com/2008/12/planning-for-educational-resource.html Thankyou