Learning as an interactive process is an important issue in architectural design education. This study aims to focus on architectural design process through learning styles that are 'accommodating', 'diverging', 'assimilating' and 'converging' as stated in the Experiential Learning Theory of Kolb. A research was conducted to evaluate the effects of learning style preferences on the performance of design students in a design process. It was found that there were statistically significant differences between the performance scores of students having diverse learning styles at various stages of design process. Also, it was found that performance scores of all students having different learning styles had increased at the end of the design process where the progress of assimilating learners were the highest and accommodating learners the lowest. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

The think aloud method: a practical guide to modelling cognitive processes Academic Press, London (1994) 2 Newell, A and Simon, H A Human Problem Solving Prentice Hall, NJ (1972) 3 Ericsson, K A and Simon, H A Protocol Analysis: Verbal reports as data MIT Press, Cambridge, MA (1993) 4 Eastman, C M 'On the analysis of intuitive design processes' in G T Moore (ed.) Emerging Methods in Environmental Design and Planning, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA (1970) pp 21-37

The study focuses on design education using Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and explores the effects of learning styles and gender on the performance scores of freshman design students in three successive academic years. Findings indicate that the distribution of design students through learning style type preference was more concentrated in assimilating and converging groups. Further study indicates that the first and third groups were found to be more balancing while the second group being mostly a southerner. The learning style preferences did not significantly differ by gender in all three groups. Although there is no consistency in all three groups, results indicate that the performance scores of males were higher in technology-based courses, whereas scores of females were higher in artistic and fundamental courses and in the semester academic performance scores (GPA). Also, it was found that the performance scores of converging and diverging students differed significantly in favor of converging students only in design courses. In design education, instructors should provide a strategy that is relevant to the style of each learner in design studio process.

The aim of this study is to explore creativity in design education and identify the creativity assessment indicators in the first-year design studio. A measurement tool of 41 items that consists of the artifact creativity, design elements and assembly of design elements were utilised for the assessment of 210 artifacts. Results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicated three main design creativity factors. The primary factor consists of the novelty and affective characteristics of artifact that are associated with its shape. The second factor has the elaboration characteristics that are integrated with its geometric and figure-ground relations and harmony of design elements. The third factor consists of rhythm, repetition, unity, order and number of design elements. Copyright © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Based on the concept of 'aging in place,' design of houses in the past years are explored. Design features in the built environment become barriers for aging people with functional limitations. Initially, houses were designed according to the required needs of the user with the physical limitations. Later, adaptable house design was introduced that allows the house to meet the specific needs of the user, while maintaining the appearance of the house until more obvious accessibility features are needed. Today, 'design for all' is recognised as a tool for ensuring physical accessibility for aging people. The holistic perspective embedded in the universal design theory should be systematically and consistently developed during the design process.