DesignEd

Analysing the changing character of graduate design education

Overview

Aims

The main aims were:
- to initiate the study of master’s level education in interaction design and the processes involved in learning to design with digital tools, to generate digital artfacts and knowledge building about them

Sub-aims included:
- developing a case study of specific uses of ICTs by master’s level interaction design students
- building institutional links with AHO in design research and related teaching at graduate level
- building capacity for research into learning and interaction design leading towards a future doctoral level study.

Concepts

Activity Theory provided the main theoretical frame for the project, with intermediary artifacts being one of concepts applied.

Methods

Participant and video-based observation of interaction design master’s students.

Analysis

Activity Theory provided a solid theoretical frame for the study of relationships to learning interaction design and new tools in the making of digital artifacts and interaction. Studying artifact-designer-use relations in terms of emergent, developmental learning provides potentially novel research into graduate level interaction design education.

Outcomes

• co-development of STORPROSJEKT application to NFR called Re-PUBLICS with IFI and AHO, led by InterMedia
• linkages between InterMedia and AHO, leading to IxD proposal
• attendance by AHO masters students, course lader and teachers in interacton design at different thematic parts of the Designing Design Seminar series at InterMedia
• doctoral funding secured for the study Annett Hillsetad (PFI & IFI a t UiO)
• attendance at Nordic Design Research Conference (all 3 sub-project members)
  
• teaching of MULTIMO project findings as part of the Design Researh and The Making Professions PhD course led by Judith Gregory at AHO (A. Morrison)

Publications & presentations