Transforming Textile Design Education

A Block Teaching Model.

Abstract

The Undergraduate Textile Design and Fashion Textile Design programmes at De Montfort University will implement a transformative block teaching model from August 2025, strategically addressing contemporary design education challenges. This forward-looking initiative aims to create an integrated, collaborative curriculum framework across related design disciplines.

The proposed model will build on the restructured block delivery (2022) course delivery by developing shared learning blocks that facilitate cross-disciplinary engagement. By designing a curriculum that allows students from both programmes to participate in common intensive learning experiences, the approach seeks to enhance interdisciplinary skill development and resource optimization. Both Textile Design and Fashion Textile Design programmes involve working with materials and contemporary practices utilising similar skills such as print, knit, weave, and mixed media. However, the Fashion Textile Design course focuses on creating fabrics solely for a fashion outcome, while Textile Design course emphasizes material development, innovation, and textile testing for viable fabric creation across fashion, interiors, and technical textiles. Research methodology will employ prospective mixed-methods analysis, including planned tracking of student performance metrics, comparative assessments, and qualitative feedback mechanisms. Data collection strategies will focus on evaluating potential collaborative learning outcomes and interdisciplinary skill development.

Anticipated outcomes include enhanced student engagement, improved cross-disciplinary understanding, and more efficient curriculum design. The shared blocks are expected to facilitate knowledge transfer between textile design domains, enabling students to develop broader, more holistic design perspectives.

The case study will contribute to educational scholarship by presenting a forward-looking model of interdisciplinary curriculum design. By proactively breaking down traditional course boundaries, the block teaching approach offers a potentially replicable framework for integrated design education. Scheduled for implementation in August 2025, this collaborative approach represents a strategic response to evolving design education needs, emphasizing flexibility, interdisciplinary learning, and innovative pedagogical methodologies.