Background to CEPAD
In 2005 Coventry University was one of only a handful of UK universities awarded over £9.5million worth of funding for three prestigious Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE):
Coventry School of Art and Design (CSAD) was selected for the award as a result of its innovative work and international reputation in transport and product design. The School has offered students an excellent design learning experience and helped them to develop a close empathy with the global industrial design community and experts in the design industries. Our students' experience is underpinned by an approach to teaching and learning that is industry informed and supported by design academics who have significant industrial and professional experience.
The additional funding received in 2005 provided opportunity for CEPAD to reinforce and enhance success, primarily through a research-based approach closely aligned with their teaching and learning strategy.
During 2008 CEPAD’s role has expanded to encompass a wider range of design –related activities. CEPAD has been developed to include:
- The CETL
- Commercial Design
- Design and Ergonomics Applied Research Group
- AR alignment for all CSAD staff for whom design and closely related subjects are their core disciplines.
- Activities currently visible as separate strands in the 4 streams will be brought together wherever there is appropriate synergy and benefit in so doing.
The four streams are as follows:
1. The Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning
- International links and collaboration
- Industry links and collaboration
- Pedagogic Research (Threshold concepts, Spatial Intelligence, Communities of Practice,
- Internationalisation, and the use of new technologies)
- Teaching and Learning focussing on supporting and facilitating the CSAD T & L strategy
- New course development
2. Commercial Design
- The further development of the range of projects and clients
- Contribution to student programme through projects and internships
- Contribution to restoring staff currency through AR
- Possible contribution to proposed Niche Vehicles project and Mircocab
- Project liaison with Design Hub
3. Design and Ergonomics Applied Research Group
Development of its established research themes:
- Transport
- Design for Health and Wellbeing
- Design Pedagogy and Educational Ergonomics
- Integration of Ergonomics and Design
- Health Information
- Boat Design
- Development of cross-University collaborative links (e.g. HDTI, E+C, HLS, CUE and others).
- Submission of proposals for funding to research councils, EU, govt and others
4. AR for Design Staff
The intention will be to contribute to the staff development of all staff who are employed to teach design and closely related disciplines through organising and supervising their individual Applied Research programmes, and aligning them with activities in the other three streams.