Design process and authentic assignment as teaching-learning methodology in distributed learning environment in design studies. Dr Aija Freimane, Lecturer at TU Dublin School of Art and Design Reference: Freimane, Aija, “How do you feel? Emotional wellbeing in distributed learning environment in design studies.”, 2023, 25th International Conference in Engineering and Product Design Education, 2023.   The best practice of design studies reflects an international collaboration within distributed learning environment (DLE) over time, place, and cultures: learners were separated by geography, technology, experience, time, and people. Learning-teaching paradigm of DLE was linked with situated cognition and design process where learning a subject was a process of becoming a member of that subject's community and participating in real-world situated contexts. 5 ECTS. 

 

Aim of the module:  The aim is to develop skills and gain experience that will enable students to work with various organisational members cross-culturally and geographically in the distributed product development process.  Project Description: The best practice was an authentic assignment of a specific example, event, or situation within a cultural and social context, requiring the student to apply theoretical concepts, critical thinking and collaborative, participatory and co-operative competencies. A teamwork studio project is a peer and group work assessment of the student's ability to work effectively within a group, focusing on communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.   

 

Learning-teaching methods: lecture, workshop, studio, group critique, case study, projects, distributed environment, learning synchronous / asynchronous, online forum and discussion boards, video conferencing and real-time collaboration.  Competencies that students developed during the module: co-designing, teamwork, responsibility.  Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a knowledge of co-designing principles of working effectively and productively with others.  Be able to collaborate, produce results, and take a leadership role if needed in client-led settings. Organise tasks/activities to achieve a result independently or as part of a team in a collaborative and/or client-led contexts; ability to take responsibility for team allocated design tasks. Assessment types: Written portfolio assessment of case study analysis. Oral presentation. Peer and group work assessment.  

 

Assessment criteria were based on the Rubric in 7 principles: Research 15%; Analysis 15%; Subject Knowledge 15%; Experimentation 15%; Technical Competence 10%; Communication & Presentation 20%; Collaborative working 10%. Each study week as learning phase corresponded to a particular stage in the design process such as: Introduction, Exploration (1), Design Brief (2), Design Brief Evaluation (3), Concept Design (4), Concept Evaluation (5), Design Concepts Refinement (6), Detail Design (7), Prototyping (8), Testing (9), Design Evaluation (10), Delivery and Reflection, and outcomes from each of the phases inform the subsequent design phase of the projects over one semester’s 12-week learning-teaching process. Moreover, students had to act from two different ‘personas’ – the client and the designer - to address given assignment.  

 

Uncertainty is an inherent part of the design process, and it can be both exciting and tough for designers to navigate a range of different challenges and obstacles to arrive at a successful outcome. International collaboration initially asked not to instruct students in which phase they had to act as clients (phases 1; 2; 5; 9; 10) and when as designers (3; 4; 6; 7; 8). Phases 1 and 9 asked students to become a member of subject's community and become involved an authentic experience as a critical reflection of context and culture. Students were divided into teams (three students per team) and paired with international student teams to work across diverse cultures and time zones. If one team were not performing on time and not delivering output weekly, the partner team could not progress.  

 

Current students are representing Generation Z (Gen Z) and they prefer intrapersonal or solitary learning as a backup to using technology; they are accustomed to learning independently. Hence Gen Z’s need time for individual learning and reflection before group work or Think-Pair-Share processes. Gen Z value peers and instructors as learning resources only after thinking through a concept, problem, or project on their own, and the content they are learning needs to be applicable beyond just a single practice.  

 

The core skills and competencies that students learned was communication (100%), indicating that design studies through DLE is more about communication than creativity, which was mentioned only by 50% students. 70% students identified critical thinking, teamwork, conflict resolution and collaboration whereas no one recognized that media and information literacy should be taught in design process trough DLE.  It is essential to provide clear guidelines, communication channels, and feedback opportunities to help students navigate the uncertainty of the design and learning process effectively. It is even more important for Gen Z students as they need to know what and why are they studying and where can they apply their acquired knowledge and skillsets. Teamwork, collaboration, and people are crucial aspects in the design process and distributed learning environment. It can be challenging to sustain the emotional connections between lecturer and students, to perform independent learning, to build trust and establish strong working relationships when working with colleagues who are geographically distant over time and place. Building trust in distributed teams requires an elevated level of communication, transparency, and shared understanding of goals and expectations, empathy, and responsibility towards peers. To decrease ambiguities by providing communication channels, and feedback opportunities in person would help students navigate the uncertainty of the design and learning process, something that is centrally important for Gen Z students. Lectures and administrative staff should be aware that technologies and digital communication platforms are supportive and user-friendly. DLE should facilitate the learning process with all involved parties explicitly visible. Lecturers should consider that Gen Z need time for intrapersonal or solitary learning and reflection before group work or Think-Pair-Share activities.