LEARNING-BY-WATCHING AS CONCEPT AND AS A REASON TO CHOOSE PROFESSIONAL HIGHER DESIGN EDUCATION
Year: 2015
Editor: Guy Bingham, Darren Southee, John McCardle, Ahmed Kovacevic, Erik Bohemia, Brian Parkinson
Author: Reitan, Janne Beate
Series: E&PDE
Institution: Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design
Section: Problem Based Learning
Page(s): 512-517
ISBN: 978-1-904670-62-9
Abstract
This paper discusses the concept of learning-by-watching, defined as learning through visual
observation and critically connected to Dewey’s concept of learning-by-doing. It then presents and
discusses learning-by-watching as a reason for choosing professional higher design education based on
a questionnaire given to novice university students in their first year at three different Norwegian
institutions of design education. The research concludes that watching family and professional
designers seems important, but none of the students mention observing design teachers at previous
schools as a reason for their choice to pursue professional higher design education. This finding could
indicate that design teachers in Norway continue to follow the Forming doctrine, where showing
students how to design was nearly forbidden
Keywords: Learning-by-watching, learning-by-doing, John Dewey, professional higher design education.