Abstract
This paper presents a case study of the ‘Rural Fieldwork and Design Practice’ course at the School of Fine Arts, Minzu University of China, examining how situated learning in ethnic regions of Western Sichuan cultivates public design sensibilities. By engaging students in deep cultural immersion – from intangible cultural heritage documentation to community-based design interventions – the curriculum transforms local ethnic knowledge into plural pedagogical resources. The study analyses how students develop relational competencies through ethnographic fieldwork, collaborative design exhibitions, and cultural creative markets. Findings demonstrate that this situated approach fosters political sensitivity toward ethnic cultures, nurtures cross-cultural collaborative reflexes, and strengthens systemic awareness of design’s role in cultural sustainability. The paper argues for embedding plural epistemologies and localized practices within public design education, offering an innovative model for training designers capable of navigating complex socio-cultural contexts while advancing global conversations on culturally grounded design pedagogy.
Keywords
Situated Learning, Pluriversal design, Ethnic Cultural Resources, Design Pedagogy
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2839
Citation
Tian, Y., Liu, X., Su, X., ZENG, Z., and Zhou, T. (2026) Weaving Local Knowledge into Design Education: Situated Learning in Ethnic Regions of Western Sichuan, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2839
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Weaving Local Knowledge into Design Education: Situated Learning in Ethnic Regions of Western Sichuan
This paper presents a case study of the ‘Rural Fieldwork and Design Practice’ course at the School of Fine Arts, Minzu University of China, examining how situated learning in ethnic regions of Western Sichuan cultivates public design sensibilities. By engaging students in deep cultural immersion – from intangible cultural heritage documentation to community-based design interventions – the curriculum transforms local ethnic knowledge into plural pedagogical resources. The study analyses how students develop relational competencies through ethnographic fieldwork, collaborative design exhibitions, and cultural creative markets. Findings demonstrate that this situated approach fosters political sensitivity toward ethnic cultures, nurtures cross-cultural collaborative reflexes, and strengthens systemic awareness of design’s role in cultural sustainability. The paper argues for embedding plural epistemologies and localized practices within public design education, offering an innovative model for training designers capable of navigating complex socio-cultural contexts while advancing global conversations on culturally grounded design pedagogy.