The effect of alternative approaches to design instruction (structural or functional) on students’ mental models of technological design processes

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the relationship between alternative approaches towards problem solving/design teaching (structural or functional), students' mental modeling of the design process, and the quality of their solutions to design tasks. The structural approach emphasizes the need for an ordered and systematic learning of the design process stages, while the functional approach emphasizes the teaching and study of design functions (rather than stages). Participants were 80 seventh graders, divided into two groups, who were taught a unit on technological problem solving by either approach in the course of 14 classes (21 h) during a semester. Before, during and after the design process of a technological solution the students represented their perception of the design process. The results for both groups were analyzed in terms of: (a) types of models generated; (b) changes in type of models along the learning/design process; (c) defining characteristics of the design process models. Significant differences between the groups' models were found for most variables examined. The functional approach was more effective than the traditional structural approach for supporting the construction of holistic, flexible, and effective mental models of the design process of technological solutions.

Thumbnail sketches on idea development: The drawing board vs computer generation

“…Divergent functions are the ones by which different options and alternatives are opened, expanding the space within which the design process proceeds. Functions related to the generation of alternative solutions, or searching for new information, pertain to this category (Mioduser and Dagan 2007). The design process can also be said to be made up of a series of phases, in each of which certain procedures predominate, and by means of which the designer makes progressively more clearly defined conjectures about appropriate solutions while rejecting inappropriate ones (Schenk 1991).…”

Product lifecycle management in design and engineering education: International perspectives

“…This study demonstrated the effectiveness of such approach and also illustrated the need for further exploration. Mioduser and Dagan (Mioduser and Dagan, 2007), on the other hand, compared the effectiveness of teaching design processes through functional and structural approaches. The functional approach to the design process included analysis, decision-making, exploration and investigation, while the structural approach concentrated on the key stages of the design process such as concept generation and prototyping.…”

Exploring Information and Communication Theory in Graphic Design Education with Activity Theory

“…This cyclical process has to meet the requirements of products-production processes, which are to be structured, to proceed in stages, to meet schedules and to be clearly product-oriented [27]. The purpose of graphic design education is to prepare students for professional practice [28].…”