Abstract
In recent years, adjustments in higher education policies have led universities to face challenges in reducing the total number of course credits, necessitating a restructuring of curriculum frameworks. Additionally, emerging industry trends, digital tool applications, and interdisciplinary learning have become critical directions for the development of design education. This has prompted schools to reassess existing industrial design curricula to ensure that they cultivate professionals who meet market demands. However, current curriculum planning lacks systematic academic analysis, leaving institutions without clear reference points when making adjustments. Therefore, the primary goal of this study is to explore the core courses in industrial design education, analyze which courses are most crucial for developing students' professional competencies, and provide theoretical guidance for curriculum adjustments. This study aims to clarify which courses should be prioritized and strengthened in industrial design education through academic methodologies, assisting institutions in adapting to credit reductions while integrating teaching content that aligns with industry transformations to enhance students' competitiveness in the job market. To achieve these research objectives, this study invited seven scholars and experts with over ten years of experience in industrial design education, employing semi-structured interviews to collect their perspectives on curriculum planning. The qualitative data was analyzed using NVivo software. Additionally, to establish causal relationships and hierarchical learning structures among courses, this study further applies the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to analyze the key factors influencing curriculum planning, and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to construct a hierarchical structure for courses, thereby determining their interdependencies and development sequences. The contribution of this study lies in providing academia and industry with a systematic framework for analyzing industrial design education curricula and proposing curriculum recommendations suitable for the future development of design education. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for institutions adjusting curricula, helping decision-makers maintain curriculum integrity and cultivate students' core competitiveness despite credit reductions. Furthermore, this study compares curriculum planning with leading international institutions, offering insights into the reform directions for Taiwan’s industrial design education within the context of globalization.
Keywords
Design Education; Education-Practice Gap; Curriculum Development; Industry Trends
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.142
Citation
Wu, C., Wu, Y., Lu, Y., Lu, Y.,and Peng, H.(2025) A Study on the Correspondence between Industrial Design Education and Professional Competencies in Taiwan, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.142
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 12 - Design Education
A Study on the Correspondence between Industrial Design Education and Professional Competencies in Taiwan
In recent years, adjustments in higher education policies have led universities to face challenges in reducing the total number of course credits, necessitating a restructuring of curriculum frameworks. Additionally, emerging industry trends, digital tool applications, and interdisciplinary learning have become critical directions for the development of design education. This has prompted schools to reassess existing industrial design curricula to ensure that they cultivate professionals who meet market demands. However, current curriculum planning lacks systematic academic analysis, leaving institutions without clear reference points when making adjustments. Therefore, the primary goal of this study is to explore the core courses in industrial design education, analyze which courses are most crucial for developing students' professional competencies, and provide theoretical guidance for curriculum adjustments. This study aims to clarify which courses should be prioritized and strengthened in industrial design education through academic methodologies, assisting institutions in adapting to credit reductions while integrating teaching content that aligns with industry transformations to enhance students' competitiveness in the job market. To achieve these research objectives, this study invited seven scholars and experts with over ten years of experience in industrial design education, employing semi-structured interviews to collect their perspectives on curriculum planning. The qualitative data was analyzed using NVivo software. Additionally, to establish causal relationships and hierarchical learning structures among courses, this study further applies the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to analyze the key factors influencing curriculum planning, and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to construct a hierarchical structure for courses, thereby determining their interdependencies and development sequences. The contribution of this study lies in providing academia and industry with a systematic framework for analyzing industrial design education curricula and proposing curriculum recommendations suitable for the future development of design education. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for institutions adjusting curricula, helping decision-makers maintain curriculum integrity and cultivate students' core competitiveness despite credit reductions. Furthermore, this study compares curriculum planning with leading international institutions, offering insights into the reform directions for Taiwan’s industrial design education within the context of globalization.