The Transformative Potential of the Ongoing Digital Revolution for the Studio Model of Design Education

Introduction

The studio model is the traditional format for design education and has developed from historical roots in the medieval guilds and the academies of the Renaissance. It became formalised in L'École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the 19th Century and underwent further changes with the establishment of design schools and universities of the 20th Century, especially in influential institutions such as the Bauhaus. In the contemporary period the digital revolution has already been contributing to a paradigm shift in the studio model for several decades, however it is not the only factor. Developments in design practice, theory, and its outcomes are all contributing factors in this change, along with financial and organisational pressures in the institutions themselves. The objective of this chapter is to discuss the role of the digital revolution in this ongoing paradigm shift and to speculate on how the acceleration in digital transformation that was caused by COVID-19 presents both threats and opportunities for the development of the studio model.

Practice-based learning environments such as the studio do not directly correlate with tools such as video streaming from one to many and require a significant modification or even redefinition of teaching and learning practice online (Cochrane, et al. 2020). The move to remote teaching methods as a way to keep design courses running during the obligatory confinements of the pandemic caused frustration for many design students, who are well aware of the value of studio learning, and the opportunities for collaboration and peer-learning that are made possible by the immersive learning experience of being in an art or design school, (Siham, 2020, September 29) and this change was stressful for both students and staff (Cairns, 2021). The shift online revealed digital (and other) inequalities (Yorgancıoğlu, 2020) in some cases, especially for students living in rural areas. General living conditions and home life could of course make a significant difference to the experience of remote learning for both students and teachers. A survey of architecture studio teaching in the UK run by researchers at Bath University found that overall satisfaction with learning fell by 58% following the move to remote teaching (Grover & Wright, 2020). All aspects of studio life surveyed were significantly negatively impacted, but it was the students’ sense of being part of a community and interacting with other year groups that was most lacking. Although 53% of students of bachelor and master design courses at Queensland College of Art (QCA) who were surveyed by Fleischmann (2020) reported that they 'liked' the experience of the virtual classroom, the results highlighted further issues with with remote learning, including: privacy concerns; distractions at home; and difficulties collaborating in group projects and with time management. Worse than these however, was the effect that the experience had on mental health and well-being; lack of motivation and social isolation being the most frequently cited problems. The results of these surveys highlight the essentially social nature of the studio model and make a strong argument that this is the aspect of design education that requires the most attention as digital alternatives are sought.

A shift to a blended model of design education has been underway for some time and has many advocates, who point out that it can allow for more accuracy and consistency in teaching and provide much appreciated flexibility for students (Bender & Vredevoogd, 2006); noting the possibilities it has for removing geographical constraints (Silva, 2018); and arguing that a learning experience enriched by multimedia technology will be a way to contest the over reliance on verbal dialogue with teachers that is characteristic of the studio model (Crowther, 2013). There are undoubtably economical motivations for universities to move to online modes of teaching too, due to the opportunities they provide for lecturing to much larger numbers of students simultaneously. However, in the rapid transition to remote learning methods it is crucial that existing inherent problems of the studio model are addressed and if possible resolved, while positive aspects should be highlighted and preserved. The benefits of many aspects of this education model may prove relevant to other disciplines, in the same way that design thinking methodologies have many applications beyond design.