The Evolution of the Design Studio: Hybrid Learning Spaces

Abstract

This paper discusses an innovative pedagogical initiative that is currently the subject of ongoing development at Coventry University in the School of Art & Design-the Hybrid Learning Space (HLS) project. The HLS delivery paradigm originated in response to recent shifts in the tertiary education landscape: The need to meet the challenges of growth in student numbers; and the growing emphasis on international recruitment and the development of internationalised curricula. Fundamental questions need to be asked that challenge entrenched notions of what constitutes a learning space, and, the future role for the traditional design studio in internationalised design course frameworks. The imperative is to design integrated mechanisms of design course delivery that can meet these challenges without compromising the academic integrity and quality of the student learning experience. Methodologically, the paper draws upon thematic analyses of student survey and interview responses to uncover common pedagogically-relevant themes in the context of student participation and attainment. These analyses are correlated with direct observations of student behaviour within conventional and disrupted learning spaces. A case study review illustrates the HLS model in action. It draws upon active research initiatives, interventions and delivery practices from several institutions in the UK and in China. The objective is to explore the effects of learning space topologies on design student participation and to propose a conceptually alternative notion of the design studio as praxis-based learning environment. The paper concludes by summarising the potential benefits of the case study while pointing the way forward to the ongoing evolutionary development of the HLS experiment.