Training of Textile Creatives in the Field of Etextiles Design Software

Abstract

Textile technologies are rapidly developing and coping with the modern software applications of etextile design means a substantial benefit for textile creatives. The target group of textile creatives is considered to include both young professionals in the textile industry as well as students of Higher Education in technical fields. A partnership of six prestigious research and educational providers in Europe, coordinated by INCDTP – Bucharest have joined their expertise to offer educational modules related to this need, within the Erasmus+ project “OptimTex- Software tools for textiles creatives”. The project has duration of two years (2020-2022) and has already implemented the educational modules in e-learning format on the project’s website (www.optimtex.eu). The five educational modules follow the main textile technologies and describe in a Problem-Based-Learning (PBL) approach software applications for: weaving, knitting, virtual prototyping of clothing, embroidery of e-textiles (electronic textiles) and experimental design. The PBL approach consists in learning by examples, followed by the theory, the corresponding software applications and a quiz for selfassessment. The e-learning instrument was programmed in HTML5 and JavaScript and offers quick access the educational modules. INCDTP has conceived the fifth module on experimental design, by tackling plasma treatments of textiles for various functionalities: hydrophobic, hydrophilic and electrical conductivity. Full factorial, Central Composite Design and Fractional factorial experimental design plans were described. This topic is of interest for the envisaged target group, for it represents alternative and useful knowledge to the official curricula of Higher Education engineering studies. Intensive Study Programs and Multiplier events will be organized in the second project’s year for students of Higher Education and textile professionals.