TEACHING PRODUCT DESIGN MORPHOLOGY: MATCHING EDUCATIONAL GOALS WITH AFFORDANCES OF DIGITAL TOOLS
Year: 2023
Editor: Buck, Lyndon; Grierson, Hilary; Bohemia, Erik
Author: Barros, Mario
Series: E&PDE
Institution: Aalborg University, Denmark
Section: Established, alternative and emerging educational paradigms to equip engineers and designers for future challenges
DOI number: 10.35199/EPDE.2023.12
ISBN: 978-1-912254-19-4
Abstract
Industrial designers use several kinds of representations to support reflection-in-action while developing design proposals. The affordances provided by digital tools impact the flow of shifting between different representations, thus influencing the ability for reflection and discussion. This fact challenges learning designers who need to plan industrial design courses in digital learning environments. This paper addresses planning a product design morphology course delivered in a digital learning environment in the context of problem-based learning. The study reflects upon the externalisation of knowledge and how it impacts the matching between educational goals and the affordances of digital tools. The study reflects on the planning process, in particular on the relationship between designing active learning experiences with conscious considerations of specific affordances provided by digital tools. A reflection following the course delivery revisits the planning process. By examining the robustness of the course in relation to the initial goals and in regard to enabling self-directed learning, it proposes steps to improve the planning process by considering the affordances of digital tools in online learning environments.
Keywords: Technology, form, online teaching, industrial design, information visualisation