ERIC Number: EJ1119538
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-1431
EISSN: N/A
Bombs Away: Visual Thinking and Students' Engagement in Design Studios Contexts
Chamorro-Koc, Marianella; Scott, Andrew; Coombs, Gretchen
Design and Technology Education, v20 n1 p18-28 2015
In design studio, sketching or visual thinking is part of processes that assist students to achieve final design solutions. At Queensland University of Technology's (QUT's) First and Third Year industrial design studio classes we engage in a variety of teaching pedagogies from which we identify "Concept Bombs" as instrumental in the development of students' visual thinking and reflective design process, and also as a vehicle to foster positive student engagement. In First year studios our Concept Bombs' consist of 20 minute individual design tasks focusing on rapid development of initial concept designs and free-hand sketching. In Third Year studios we adopt a variety of formats and different timing, combining individual and team-based tasks. Our experience and surveys tell us that students value intensive studio activities especially when combined with timely assessment and feedback. While conventional longer-duration design projects are essential for allowing students to engage with the full depth and complexity of the design process, short and intensive design activities introduce variety to the learning experience and enhance student engagement. This paper presents a comparative analysis of First and Third Year students' Concept Bomb sketches to describe the types of design knowledge embedded in them, a discussion of limitations and opportunities of this pedagogical technique, as well as considerations for future development of studio based tasks of this kind as design pedagogies in the midst of current university education trends.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Design, Visualization, Freehand Drawing, Teaching Methods, Concept Formation, Thinking Skills, Reflection, Learner Engagement, College Students, Surveys, Feedback (Response), Learning Activities, Comparative Analysis, Instructional Program Divisions, Instructional Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A