Co-Learning Scenarios with the Community: Democratic Practices In and Out of the Design Studio
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Design education is characterised by its experiential and practice-oriented approach, emphasising active engagement with projects. The pedagogical focus is on developing individual styles, professional stances, and a receptive attitude towards novel experiences, aligning with the evolving landscape of the design profession. This study explores community engagement in student projects as a means to establish a co-deciding and co-learning infrastructure in the design studio. This participative and democratic approach challenges traditional hierarchies in higher education, transforms the student-instructor relationship, and aligns educational practices with the evolving requirements of the design profession. The study investigates students' insights into co-learning with the community through scenario-building. A workshop conducted with twelve fourth-year undergraduate industrial design students and the thematic analysis of the findings revealed that educational community engagement projects employing inclusionary methods motivate students and foster a positive attitude towards shifting power relations within a democratic design studio structure. The findings also highlight the need for a clear focus, a set of principles for successful engagement, and conflict resolution in the co-learning process, as well as the generative potential of scenario-building as a method for inclusive practices.
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(c) 2024
Sevi Merter, Department of Industrial Design, Yaşar University
After completing her undergraduate studies at the Department of Industrial Design / Faculty of Architecture / Middle East Technical University, she received her Master’s in Design (MDes) and PhD in Design Studies from the Izmir University of Economics. She continues her academic duties in the Department of Industrial Design at Yaşar University, where she started as a Research Assistant in 2012 and became a lecturer in 2017. In 2022, she was appointed to the full-time Assistant Professor (PhD) position at Yaşar University. Her academic research interests are participatory design, student participation in pedagogical planning, experiential learning, and learning styles.
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