Yarn Graffiti in The Handicraft Experiential Learning to Improve Students’ Soft Skills and Attain Sustainability

Abstract

This study investigates the role of experiential learning of handmade crochet for higher education students of the Home Economics Department, Faculty of Women, Ain Shams University, Cairo, EGYPT. Learning through experience is built on increasing expertise to improve learning output, unlike traditional learning, where students are passive listeners and lecturers oversee the process. The crochet experiential learning curriculum concluded with the "Handicrafts Festival," where talented students used their learning outcomes and developed their soft skills by concentrating on their talents and creative thinking techniques. The festival lasted for three days, including practicing the art of yarn graffiti in the faculty's yard and exhibiting students' handicraft products. The crochet experiential learning curriculum was evaluated through three questionnaires: for students that accomplished studying the whole curriculum, for students who participated in the handicraft festival, and for the audience. Experiential learning changes students' cognitive structure, attitudes, and skills since it is based on students' intense ambition to succeed. The study showed that including yarn graffiti in the crochet experiential learning curriculum improved their communication and collaboration skills. Utilizing yarn leftovers, samples, and incomplete crochet projects in yarn graffiti configurations achieves sustainability. The study found that the students who participated in yarn graffiti got the most out of the crochet experiential learning curriculum. At the same time, it should focus more on studying the market requirements to meet consumers' needs. Finally, the audience agreed that yarn graffiti brought joy to the faculty yard and inspired them to learn handicrafts.