Transformative Teaching

Abstract

The delivery of Hybrid teaching and remote learning within design education has required lecturers to rapidly adapt the methods through which they engage with learners. The following case study will describe the emerging practice of using Hybrid delivery within the studio environment in the context of the Digital Interaction Design programme at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, UK. We will discuss some of advantages of pivoting towards Hybrid delivery including increased availability of AV technology, asynchronous catch-up on learning activity and engagement with external guests. This will highlight elements of Hybrid delivery during two design sprints where this format was able to offer additional value. The design sprints helped students develop their skillset as designers (Gibbs, 2009) by providing them with a short, intense project brief to respond to. A design sprint is where students are challenged over two to five intensive days to go through an entire design process from setting the brief, engaging in research, generating insights and ideas, creating concepts, prototyping and testing them through to presenting the final outputs. The first design sprint was held in partnership with a third sector organisation and the second with a strategic design consultancy. The Hybrid delivery format enabled students to expand their design dialogue beyond the confines of the studio environment and draw from the expertise of people situated elsewhere. The involvement of these external people gave students a more realistic experience of design within a professional context which was hugely beneficial for their studies as designers.