Abstract
This study focuses on challenges students face in learning through problem-based activities, in UK higher education in design for sustainability. Social theories of learning indicate the highly significant but possibly problematic nature of such social contexts for learning, a view underlined by psychological perspectives on potentially significant aspects of the learning process. In particular, the relevant development of identity is considered to play a centrally important role in learning, including in building expertise in tackling complex design problems. A key aspect of identity theory concerns the properties of self-evaluation during meaningful activities, and this suggests an important emphasis in examining the ability of specific educational programmes to enable successful independent learning. Investigating the role of identity, in relation to success in learning through design project work, is potentially of central importance in increasing the relevance and effectiveness of design education programmes. This paper presents the results of a study focusing on problem-based learning during the final project component of an undergraduate taught design module. Working with small tutorial groups during classroom-based activities, their developing responses to externally set design briefs were investigated primarily through the analysis of tutorial discussions relating to the production of project work.
Keywords
Design for sustainability, self-evaluation, problem-based learning
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/learnxdesign.2013.052
Citation
Garrett, D.W.,and Bhamra, T.(2013) The role of identity development in design problem-based learning: essential challenges in sustainable design learning, in Reitan, J.B., Lloyd, P., Bohemia, E., Nielsen, L.M., Digranes, I., & Lutnæs, E. (eds.), DRS // Cumulus: Design Learning for Tomorrow, 14-17 May, Oslo, Norway. https://doi.org/10.21606/learnxdesign.2013.052
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
The role of identity development in design problem-based learning: essential challenges in sustainable design learning
This study focuses on challenges students face in learning through problem-based activities, in UK higher education in design for sustainability. Social theories of learning indicate the highly significant but possibly problematic nature of such social contexts for learning, a view underlined by psychological perspectives on potentially significant aspects of the learning process. In particular, the relevant development of identity is considered to play a centrally important role in learning, including in building expertise in tackling complex design problems. A key aspect of identity theory concerns the properties of self-evaluation during meaningful activities, and this suggests an important emphasis in examining the ability of specific educational programmes to enable successful independent learning. Investigating the role of identity, in relation to success in learning through design project work, is potentially of central importance in increasing the relevance and effectiveness of design education programmes. This paper presents the results of a study focusing on problem-based learning during the final project component of an undergraduate taught design module. Working with small tutorial groups during classroom-based activities, their developing responses to externally set design briefs were investigated primarily through the analysis of tutorial discussions relating to the production of project work.