Ola-Oluwa Olaosebikan

4.37 Unlocking the Power of Aesthetic Education: An Overview of Nigerian Creative Art and Design Curricula (Paper) – virtual

Ola-Oluwa Olaosebikan – Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria – virtual

Abstract:

Aesthetic understanding is crucial to well-rounded learning, not just in creative art and design disciplines, but also in many facets of today’s communication and experience. Given its importance as vital to individual growth, social inclusion, interaction and cultural expression, aesthetic education need to be deliberate rather than left to intuition. The current policy thrust of the Nigerian tertiary education curricula aim at holistic production of skilled manpower, driven by innovation and equipped to be more responsive to emerging socio-economic challenges. Within the 30% curriculum flexibility offered by the new national curriculum, various institutions offering creative arts and industrial design programmes incorporate their own local needs, content and specialisation as extensions of the main curriculum. This paper appraises the aesthetics aspect of the current creative design curricula across state-owned and private tertiary institutions from aesthetic standpoint; examining themes within learning objectives and analysis of expected outcomes. The paper also identifies gaps needing to be filled to achieve entrepreneurial and employability objectives.