In the spring of 2021, students of the Design & Technology Futures program studied the impact and limitations of cultural changes in academic life and proposed their visions for a new study culture at TalTech.

Professor Martin Pärn, the head of the program, explained the background of the solutions: "Numerous studies show that current transformations of studies occur at different levels and ways and influence its infrastructure, process, outcome, and culture. Several issues have emerged to boost these changes: global pandemic with the push to virtuality and the need to balance contact and distance learning; new technologies with emerging possibilities for personalisation and hybridity in studying; blending studies with hobbies and personal life direct towards new study culture; etc. Although we are aware of these changes, we do not know yet, where these transformations are leading us, and this has opened up an opportunity for us designers to explore how to support a new study culture in these changes."

The goals to reshape the university, to achieve climate neutrality, to master digitalisation and flip to circularity, are not just goals in technological innovation (that can be just executed) but these aims also need an abrupt mind shift to achieve change in people's behaviour and thinking, in our everyday actions. If we want to make changes we need to understand where we are going as well as how we would like to live and participate in this future. The students' main task was to explore and vision the possibilities of this exciting field for discoveries. In short: how to design a suitable and supportive frame for the new study culture?

Through these illustrations at the exhibition, six student teams discuss the impact and limits of the ongoing cultural change in academic life in TalTech.

Tutors: Ruth Helene Melioranski, Ionel Lehari, Martin Pärn
The project is supported by Distributed Design.

Schedule:
12:00 Introduction

12:10 Sumin
Exploring the physical space of TalTech to reinforce the community culture, which would support interactive relationships on the campus
Evelin Ebruk, Helet Loodus, Olga Tihhonova, Tiina Ree

12:20 Digital TalTech
We strive towards personalised education where the students are able to create their own curriculum and the university would empower it
Aire Aasmäe, Nikole Bukrejeva, Janno Dreger

12:30 Lighthouse
Casting light on hidden potential in the hallways of TalTech
Regina Tagger, Uku Püttsepp

12:40 Haven Student Network
Rethinking the Student Union in order to empower students and increase belongingness
Cätlyn Tamm, Francesca Keaveney, Lisett Mitendorf

12:50 Kicksmarter
A portal that supports interdisciplinary interaction by making student projects accessible for those who want to be more engaged directly or indirectly
Larissa Maria Pelke, Markus Lukk, Ekaterina Goncharova

13:00 The Place
Reflection spaces - screen-free areas in TalTech in an abundance of overwhelmed options of digitalization
Riina Degtjarenko

13:10 Conclusion