In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported a 1600% increase in the number of individuals between the ages of 6 and 22 years with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Knowledge about educational interventions for children with ASD is substantial; however, less is known about the design of supportive classroom environments where they learn. ASD experts believe that the early years in school, namely preschool through 6th grade, are critical in reaching children and establishing a foundation for their life-long learning and general wellbeing. In context of the human ecosystem theory that models the interaction between people and the natural, social and designed environments, this literature review of refereed sources (2000-2012) documented findings about interventions, that is, design criteria (DC) for incorporation into the physical classroom environment used by children with ASD. The majority of the studies was exploratory and presented DC that subsequently were not tested. Due to research method and/or sampling design, efficacy, reliability and validity of findings varied. Limited research (19 articles, 1 conference proceeding) addressing classroom DC leaves designers, teachers and school administrators substantially reliant on anecdotal information in terms of creating optimal learning environments to support inclusion of children with ASD. Additional research is needed to examine this critical design/ human behaviour relationship via identification of evidence-based DC to guide classroom design solutions that support learning by children with ASD.

Understanding how and when nurses communicate with each other could help designers of healthcare spaces create more effective environments that support nurses' work and personal health and welfare. The findings of this study suggest that further exploration is needed to confirm this theory's application to healthcare environments.

Service‐learning has long been essential to university education. With the literature focusing on extolling its benefits to student learning, little direction is offered to educators interested in approaching a service‐learning project. Applying this knowledge to a studio‐based field like interior design requires additional adjustments, and questions still abound: What must be considered when integrating service‐learning in an interior design curriculum? What are the challenges and opportunities that must be recognized? And, how best can the field take advantage of this teaching pedagogy? As universities are increasing the emphasis on service‐learning in their missions, it is appropriate for interior design to start a dialogue around ways to strengthen its associations with service‐learning. Drawing from a literature review and three case studies from the interior design program of the University of Minnesota, this paper responds to the above questions and posits that only by deconstructing service‐learning projects can educators determine their suitability. The paper proposes a framework, a tool that can guide programs’ decision making of how and if to integrate a service‐learning project in their curriculum. The framework consists of four criteria and sets of considerations relevant to each and sheds light on what service‐learning projects entail. The authors conclude that educators cognizant of the multiple decisions embedded within each of the criteria (relate to course objectives, apply course knowledge, connect to the community, and reflect on learning) enhance their chances for successful service‐learning experiences on all levels: the university, program, students, client, practitioners, and the community at large.

The purpose of this study was to define and document the interior design profession's body of knowledge at a single point in time. This was done using a career cycle approach and a health, safety, and welfare framework. The method and framework used to define the body of knowledge are presented in the article. The body of knowledge was defined from a career cycle approach using the four stages of a professional interior designer's career cycle: education, experience, examination, and legal regulation (NCIDQa, 2003). A content analysis was conducted of the written documents of the organizations that represent each stage in the cycle. Eighty‐one knowledge areas were identified from this content analysis and placed into one of seven categories: Codes; Communication; Design; Furnishings, Fixtures, and Equipment; Human Needs; Interior Building Construction; and Professional Practice. These categories and knowledge areas are what defined the interior design profession's body of knowledge based on this approach. Next, each knowledge area was analyzed using a health, safety, and welfare framework to determine its benefit to the public. Finally, a review of literature was conducted to document that the knowledge areas comprise the specialized knowledge necessary for the professional interior designer to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare. The method used to define the interior design profession's body of knowledge assessed several limited bodies of knowledge that had been developed for a specific purpose, such as education or examination. While this comprehensive body of knowledge reflects a single point in time, it provides a venue for dialogue from which revision can occur and updating can continue, leading to further development of the profession.

No abstract