The School of Architecture and the Building Construction Science Program at Mississippi State University are developing a replicable, cross-discipline pedagogy for teaching appreciation of disciplinary expertise and effective... more
The School of Architecture and the Building Construction Science Program at Mississippi State University are developing a replicable, cross-discipline pedagogy for teaching appreciation of disciplinary expertise and effective communication between architects and constructors. This paper describes these efforts for a cross-disciplinary Design-Build studio that was completed in the fall of 2013. The goal of this paper is to first, document the learning objectives and teaching/instructional methods that were planned and second, to provide feedback on student response to the curriculum so that the outcomes may be used to help advance the program and similar efforts at other institutions.
The presentation presents a case for major changes in the field of education with more cross-disciplinary applications and more emphasis on creativity-innovation and entrepreneurship----a paradigm shift.
Peer reviews became commonplace in most sciences only after the Second World War. For example, Albert Einstein's revolutionary papers in 1905, Annalen der Physik, were never peer-reviewed by anyone else than the journal's editor and... more
Peer reviews became commonplace in most sciences only after the Second World War. For example, Albert Einstein's revolutionary papers in 1905, Annalen der Physik, were never peer-reviewed by anyone else than the journal's editor and co-editor: "in journals in those days, the burden of proof was generally on the opponents rather than the proponents of new ideas. The peer reviews usually side with the proponents of the old ideas and it is the responsibility for the new ideas to prove themselves right.
The peer review of eclectic research that newly fuses two distant research disciplines is the most demanding and contentious of all types of peer reviews: one discipline may face a strong resistance from another especially if it requires an alteration to its long-cherished paradigms, long seen as fundamental idea in the other discipline. A genuine interbreeding of work into another research discipline increases a probability that the weaknesses in the original major paradigms are identified, exposed and improved. Many Nobel prizes have come this way.
This two-year project was intended to start a discussion about soil science higher education at the national level with all relevant stakeholders. The long-term aim was to involve all institutions that teach soil science, and for the... more
This two-year project was intended to start a discussion about soil science higher education at the national level with all relevant stakeholders. The long-term aim was to involve all institutions that teach soil science, and for the project consortium to do the initial groundwork. This consortium (comprising The Universities of Adelaide, Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney (lead institution) and Western Australia) represents five states and the issues and challenges facing soil science higher education across a diverse educational and geographic landscape.
Stakeholders (academia, students, industry, graduates and professional bodies) were consulted through surveys and forums to develop a national approach to a curriculum that will produce work-ready graduates with the interdisciplinary knowledge, skills and capabilities relevant to the needs of Australia.
A national curriculum is here defined as: a curriculum that includes stakeholder considerations and is applicable at any higher education institution teaching soil science. This is an inclusive approach that aspires to synthesise the broad range of perspectives internal and external to academia.
The surveys of current students, employers and graduates concerned with soil science were the primary means of academia receiving feedback on the curriculum. Forums including students and representatives from the professional bodies (Australian Society of Soil Science Incorporated, and the accrediting body Certified Professional Soil Scientist) were held to discuss the survey findings and responsive actions required.
It was recognised that the soil science teaching context was strongly influenced by local staff expertise and local environmental factors, and that students had limited opportunity to engage with the circumstances elsewhere in Australia. As far as possible in the short timeframe, an intention was to develop joint units of study whereby the students could participate in investigating soil science issues away from their own location. Realistically this endeavour requires a long-term approach and the engagement of a wider range of institutions teaching soil science.
This paper is part of a PhD research aiming to develop knowledge and know-how improving the creation and communication of design strategies related to user experiences during the early design phases. In this paper the authors will... more
This paper is part of a PhD research aiming to develop knowledge and know-how improving the creation and communication of design strategies related to user experiences during the early design phases.
In this paper the authors will investigate early user experience representation possibilities available using a kansei experience design approach. The inference, procedures that take designers from data to conclusions, of this approach combines inspiration-centred (design thinking) and explanation-centred (analytical thinking) ways of thinking. 21 past industrial design projects were investigated through interviews with former project team members as well as final report analysis. They all involved the Toyota Motor Europe – Kansei Design division. This analysis permit to identify three type of context for these early representations of user experience: “exploratory concept”, “product lining strategy” and “pre-development direction”. They will all three be detailed in term of purposes, activities, conveyed design information and stakeholders. This will enable comparison and a discussion about their specific role in the industrial design process. The discussion will finally lead to future evolution and improvements of early representation of user experience and of the kansei experience design approach.
This article describes the pedagogy, conceptual framework, outcomes and experiences of an annual Interdisciplinary Cluster Competition (ICC) organized at the beginning of every spring semester for junior students in the disciplines of... more
This article describes the pedagogy, conceptual framework, outcomes and experiences of an annual Interdisciplinary Cluster Competition (ICC) organized at the beginning of every spring semester for junior students in the disciplines of Architecture, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture and Visual Communication at a major University in the United States southwest. It is descriptive a study. Students’ teams applied Studio Based Learning pedagogy applied to a real world problem. This combination enhanced the competition learning outcomes because of the impact of intraprofessional experience on student learning and their ability to generate holistic and resourceful solutions (Shraiky J. & Lamb 2012). The result was a win-win experience that empowered students to become social changers, and exposed them to an understanding of interdisciplinary collaborative practice. Students’ motivation to win the competition increased in comparison with previous years with the im...
The Bachelor Architecture, Building and Planning in Eindhoven is quite broad since it prepares students for six Master specializations: Architecture, Urban Design & Planning, Structural Design, Building Physics & Services, Real Estate... more
The Bachelor Architecture, Building and Planning in Eindhoven is quite broad since it prepares students for six Master specializations: Architecture, Urban Design & Planning, Structural Design, Building Physics & Services, Real Estate Management & Development, and Construction Management & Engineering.
The Bachelor offers an exceptional multidisciplinary project, aimed to train students with knowledge and experiences in integral design. Developing this project has been a long route that took place over many years. This paper presents issues, as programme and time scheme, required products, assessment method, learning goals, as well as underlying principles. Major changes in the last 10 projects (2007–2013) can be explored because students were frequently asked to fill in enquiries.
Over the years, the multidisciplinary project is developed to be successful in preparing students towards the complexity of today’s practice. Here, the real strength of a broad Department stands out well, enabling students to work in multidisciplinary design teams on complex actual themes
Most studies on design fixation have been conducted in experimental setups, with individuals ideating or sketching in response to relatively simple tasks. Fixation resulting from exposure to ideas and perceptions of others in a group... more
Most studies on design fixation have been conducted in experimental setups, with individuals ideating or sketching in response to relatively simple tasks. Fixation resulting from exposure to ideas and perceptions of others in a group situation has been less explored. This study investigated how an early exploration and ideation workshop in complex, interdisciplinary student design projects influenced both the problem representations and the solution ideas of team members. The results reveal that when a perspective dominated the initial representations of the team, it was further emphasized after the workshop. Teams having more equal initial distributions in perspectives remained more balanced. However, technological considerations tended to increase even then. The proportion of generic statements decreased with nearly all teams becoming more focused on the particulars of their project. The results suggest that the possibility of early commitment to initially dominant perspectives should be acknowledged and possibly mitigated for.
In recent years, our society has seen a proliferation of online courses, virtual universities, and open course initiatives. However, not everything done in the name of online education is necessarily an improvement, and in many cases the... more
In recent years, our society has seen a proliferation of online courses, virtual universities, and open course initiatives. However, not everything done in the name of online education is necessarily an improvement, and in many cases the quality of education received online is inferior to traditional classroom-based instruction.
This presentation’s authors, a technology maven and an innovative instructor, contend that applying the University General Education (UGE) program’s core criteria – active learning, experiential context, and cross-disciplinary connection – to online courses would dramatically improve the learning received, whereas a proliferation of online courses which lack these essentials diminishes the quality of online education and weakens the College’s image.
Further, contemporary research suggests that this problem bears a direct correlation to retention in online courses and programs. As more of our departments and faculty strive to develop online courses, and particularly as the UGE system evolves toward a whole-university mandate, it is vital that online course offerings that faculty prepare are not merely convenience-driven but actually enhance the quality of instruction we offer.
This presentation will discuss the pedagogical challenges inherent in moving courses to an online format in light of the three UGE core criteria; highlight relevant educational psychology research from Richard E. Mayer and Ruth Colvin Clark regarding applications of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, which demonstrates that online instruction can enhance these vital UGE core components if done correctly and intentionally; and survey some best practices currently being utilized by Kansas State University instructors which make effective use of these components in online courses.
BACKGROUND While research indicates that self-efficacy is related to learning on discrete tasks, less is known about self-efficacy for learning in complex, ill-structured learning environments. A measure of self-efficacy for design teams... more
BACKGROUND While research indicates that self-efficacy is related to learning on discrete tasks, less is known about self-efficacy for learning in complex, ill-structured learning environments. A measure of self-efficacy for design teams provides grounding for the design of learning support.
PURPOSE (HYPOTHESIS) This study aims to determine the usefulness of a measure of self-efficacy for cross-disciplinary team learning (CDTL) within a multi-disciplinary, project based setting. Research questions include: (1) Does student efficacy for CDTL change over the course of the semester? (2) What is the effect of (a) task complexity; (b) prior learner experience; (c) team composition; and (d) personal factors on efficacy for CDTL?
DESIGN/METHOD Efficacy for CDTL while working on multi-disciplinary team projects was assessed using a 16-item Selfefficacy for CDTL scale. A total of 112 undergraduates from 34 teams in a service learning program completed both pre and post project questionnaires.
RESULTS A statistically significant increase in pre-post semester self-efficacy was found across three team learning factors: identification, recognition, and integration. Individual GPA and year in college were related to higher levels of improvement in the identification factor, while the completion of multiple design phases in team tasks was related to lower levels of improvement in the identification factor.
CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to our knowledge of individual self-efficacy and the design of learning environments involving multi-disciplinary teams. It is an important step toward the development of theory and evidence that can help higher educational institutions to better understand if and how students learn to collaborate while working on team design projects.
KEYWORDS cross-disciplinary learning, self-efficacy, project-based teams
Schaffer, S., Chen, X., Zhu, X & Oakes, W. (2012). Self-efficacy for cross-disciplinary learning in project-based team. Journal of Engineering Education, 101 (1), 82-94.
When the development of design research is examined, the disciplines interact with each other. These interactions lead to concepts such as cross-discipline, multidiscipline, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. Industrial design... more
When the development of design research is examined, the disciplines interact with each other. These interactions lead to concepts such as cross-discipline, multidiscipline, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. Industrial design education has also been rapidly affected by these interdisciplinary working methods in recent years. While developing creative problem-solving techniques in this study process, aim to increase the usability of future technologies in products and services. Design Labs, which is the development area of developing new technologies, is carrying out many innovations in design researches and practices. This research project has been investigated by examining the current state of affairs on design laboratories in international academic settings and the effects on design education. The main goal of the project is to identify the importance and priority of interdisciplinary studies through the design discipline, and to specify data on design education and design research of innovative and future technologies.
