Master classes in design: capability building or charismatic learning experiences?

A recent master class commercial highlighted a master's charisma, which got me thinking about the learning goals and consequences of master classes, especially in design. We were exposed to a sufficient number of master class learning experiences through COVID-19, ranging from fine arts and cookery to tennis and aircraft.

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The term "master class" first appears in written form in the 1860s. And thousands of others have signed up for it both online and offline today, attracted by the alluring value of "learning from the best." Aspects of today's business model include learning flexibility, community development, lifelong learning, and so on, particularly in master class methods.

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Master-apprenticeships have their roots in the ancient world, when craftsmen, artisans, and tradespeople mentored and trained the following generation to pass on their knowledge and skills.

However, we now see a connotative mismatch between the term "master" and our daily existence.

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Even if many businesses have abandoned the formal apprenticeship system, the idea of mentoring and learning from seasoned professionals is still highly valued in the modern world.

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Remarkably, the core ideas of the master-apprentice relationship—mentorship, guidance, and knowledge transfer—remain relevant in today's learning and skill-building environments, despite the rapid advancements in technology and education.

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Returning to the practice of guilds, the core of a master-apprentice tradition is the sharing of information.

The master-apprentice relationship was codified in medieval Europe through guilds, which were unions of merchants or artisans who oversaw the practice of their trade in a specific town or city. A master would sign a contract with aspiring artisans, referred to as apprentices, and train them in the trade's techniques over a number of years. The apprentice would live and work with the master throughout this apprenticeship, picking up skills via practical experience, imitation, and observation. In addition to teaching the apprentice technical abilities, the master's job was to instill in him or her qualities like discipline, ethics, and craftsmanship. In return, the apprentice was expected to demonstrate commitment, deference, and allegiance to the master and the guild, as well as to finally become knowledgeable or, to put it another way, create "masterpieces" that would be acknowledged formally.

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The master-apprentice system underwent substantial modifications throughout the Industrial Revolution as factory-based manufacturing and mass output became popularity. But, like many other fields, design remained historically to rely heavily on apprenticeship as a means of developing specific abilities.

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The fundamental idea of capability building through design education is called into question in the context of an evolved model if the years of experience and expertise of a design teacher do not align with a practical master class format of five minutes-modules. Similarly, can we say that a master class is a miss if it lacks a capability building component, which is more crucial than a charismatic component?