Creating a Multidisciplinary Collaboration Service-Learning Experience in Design Education

DS 116: Proceedings of the DESIGN2022 17th International Design Conference

Year: 2022
Editor: Mario Štorga, Stanko Škec, Tomislav Martinec, Dorian Marjanović
Author: Sacha Joseph-Mathews (1), Marie Anna Lee (1), Nicole Kreidler (2)
Series: DESIGN
Institution: 1: University of the Pacific, United States of America; 2: Western Virginia University, United States of America
Section: Design Education
Page(s): 2293-2302
DOI number: https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2022.232
ISSN: 2732-527X (Online)

Abstract

The design process in most organizations is often collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature. Yet most institutions of higher learning do not offer students the opportunity to work in multidisciplinary teams. This study follows an experiential service-learning project over 3 years to explore the role of multidisciplinary project teams on design education outcomes. Findings suggest that the quality of designs improved over time and students consider experiential learning in multidisciplinary teams to be a valuable component in their education, increasing their job readiness upon graduation.

Keywords: design education, design teams, service-oriented design, design process, design learning