"Design problems are open ended and designing is generally considered to be a complex and iterative problem solving process; i.e., design solutions emerge gradually as a process of structuring and restructuring the problem, defining and redefining constraints of designing, and generating and testing design solutions" (Lahti)

Although my education was completed in a traditional classroom environment, and I taught in a traditional classroom environment, I have been struck by the possibilities that emerge when intrinsic motivation is combined with collaborative intelligence (or skills) in a learning community.

As I read the video transcripts, I started thinking about my daughter who has recently become a rather prolific seamstress. How did she do it? Certainly she didn't go sit in a classroom, do a task and receive a grade. She did engage in both individual activities, such as watching videos, listening to podcasts, looking at photos, and reading. She also has engaged in several collaborative spaces; she follows various bloggers, finds sewing tips of instagram and posts questions on online sewing communities. More experienced sewers create their own patterns and either sell them or share them with the sewing community. While her projects are completed individually, she has tapped into the collective knowledge of the community to produce her 'artifacts'.

Collaborative Sewing

I think there is more to this story. This same person, who is learning to sew as part of a sewing community, is very much what Susan Cain would describe as an introvert. When she was in school, she preferred to work alone and in high school told me she detested group work because she felt that othe students didn't work to her standards and she would rather complete the work herself. I've seen this in my classroom as well; some students need to work in affinity groups, others prefer to work alone. A definite plus of the e-learning ecology is that learners can do both, gain knowledge from the community, but also complete tasks as individuals.

Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking. New York : Crown Publishers, 2012

https://susanyoungsewing.wordpress.com/tag/sewing-blog/

https://www.pearsoned.com/building-community-online-classroom-affinity-groups/

Learning sewing techniques through an inquiry Henna Lahtia,* a Department of Teacher Education, P.O. Box 8, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, PROCEDIA Journal

Southwest Sewing Collaborative