CoDesigning Resources to Help Kids Learn about Well-Being

IADT first year students collaborated with 4th class students from Monkstown Education Together NS. The children and students worked in teams to create board games, books, artwork and computer games based on what the children learned from the Weaving Well-Being ‘Tools of Resilience’ programme. The aim was to help the children deepen their learning experiences using creative activities.

Teaming Up

Every year, IADT first years sign up for modules to collaborate and encounter new areas of study. This year Dr John Greaney initiated a codesign project with help from Philip Penny (Researcher), Conor Cronin (Applied Psychology Graduate) and Jay Amusan (Applied Psychology Placement Student). Students from Animation, Applied Psychology, Art, Creative Computing, Creative Music Production, Design for Film, and Graphic Design joined in teams and prepared to work with children who had been studying Weaving Well-Being programme authored by Fiona Forman.

Weaving Well-Being

Weaving Well-Being is an Irish designed positive mental health programme designed to equip children with practical tools for coping with everyday challenges and disappointments. The programme introduces children their own strengths, and concepts like flow and mindfulness. Children learn how shifting attention can help to recover from set back and build resilience. Fiona Forman drew on 30 years teaching experience to translate psychology research into usable tools. Could children and college students work together to bring these ideas to life through creative activities?

Codesign in Practice

In three visits, the teams brainstormed ideas, drew paper prototypes, sketched storyboards and scenarios, and finalised the design based on feedback. “In these sessions, we used paper based drawings to make it easy for children to contribute their ideas” John explains “these stage of prototyping helps them not become fixated on one idea. This helps them to learn skills the college students are more familiar with, like creative thinking and idea development.” Interestingly, these types of skills have been highlighted as essential for the future by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Ripple Effects

As the children arrived back at the school with resources to share, Principal AnnMarie Kenrick pronounced the collaboration important “on so many levels”. Parent Naoise added that her daughter had thoroughly enjoyed the experience: “for her ideas and thoughts to be valued and included in a project working with older youngsters was really positive…and helped her build confidence and demystify the world of college”. Other parents noticed a renewed interest in creative activities at home: “The minute they started creating ..everything calms down”.

Stronger Connections

For Dr Andrew Errity, Head of Department of Technology and Psychology, witnessing the successful showcase Is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through collaboration and co-design: “It beautifully highlights the value of true interdisciplinary work, with contributions spanning computer gaming, psychology, digital fabrication, and graphic design. The students produced some truly inspiring work on the theme of well-being—creating thoughtful, engaging experiences reflecting the young collaborators’ perspectives. I hope that this is just the start of this type of collaboration and that we can build stronger connections across our disciplines, and with METNS.”

Plans are already underway to see if the college students and school children can link up next year. With one more year of education behind them, who knows what will be possible?