Embracing student experience in inclusive design education through learner-centred instruction

Abstract

This paper explores the process and outcome of using learner-centred methods to develop students' empathic design abilities during an educational workshop on inclusive design. In the first section of the paper, we suggest the significance of incorporating inclusive design within the education of design disciplines. Then, we introduce a workshop on inclusive design awareness that architecture and interior design students participated, which applied various learner-centred methods. We discuss the process that incorporated project-based learning, role-playing/simulation and students' reflections and feedback on their experience. The workshop process, the student project experience and students' reflections on their learning indicate how multiple methods of learning engage students and enhance their empathic understanding so they can embrace differences and adopt a user-centred design approach. Based on the findings, we provide suggestions for similar educational events that can be applied in other disciplinary contexts.

Multisensory Inclusive Design Education: A 3D Experience

“…Build-to-learn was effective since students could apply theoretical knowledge to actual practice in full scale. In that respect, this study supports earlier research that encourages physical model-making in education (Altay et al 2016;Charlesworth 2007;Konkel 2014). Students often incorpo-rated aspects of surprise and play, which also increased their motivation and positive views.…”

“…Moreover, independent from the course but as an integral part of an inclusive design conference/ workshop at another university, the workshop 'A 3D Experience' was carried out with the participation of architecture and interior design students. The process, student works, and feedback yielded very positive results (Altay et al 2016). The success of this workshop thus led to the incorporation of a similar assignment to the syllabus of the HFE course.…”

“…Despite the difficulty in applicability, real models that connect the users to space in full scale rather than representational models of smaller scales are more beneficial (Konkel 2014). While they enhance engagement with the materials and construction, students also gain insight about the spatial experience by all the senses (Altay et al 2016). Thus, build-to-learn models not only embody the advantage of simulation methods, but also go beyond that, since their objective is to place one's own self at the centre of the experience.…”

An Experiential Study on Empathic Design in Interior Architecture Education

“…Also, way in enhancing empathy, as Dökmen (1988) stated, a person makes an effort to take the role of another person, and looks the events/actions from other's point of view and while sharing the feelings of another. It is widely used in empathic design education in integrating related course works or workshops with visual, mobility and hearing tasks (Altay, et al, 2016;Altay and Demirkan, 2014;Bernardi and Kowaltowski, 2010;McDonagh and Thomas, 2010;Nicolle & Maguire, 2003;Torrens, 2000). In addition, daily living activities are simulated using scenarios.…”

“…In that study, students worked in a group and tried to take a role of users, by using either wheelchair, crutch or blindfolds. Besides, Altay et al (2016) focused on enhancing students' empathic understanding and abilities by using the roleplaying technique in a two day eventeducational symposium and workshop. Students both from interior architecture and architecture departments simulated people with no visions' and pregnant women's abilities in the campus environment.…”