The College of Design at NC State University is engaged in research related to design thinking and issues of learning and education.
The goals of this work are to:
- improve the quality of teaching and learning in formal and non-formal education settings through design-based strategies
- improve the effectiveness of learning materials and environments through research into the relationship between design and students’ learning preferences, abilities, and healthy development
- inform citizens of the role design plays in shaping learning communities and cultures
- empower educators and students to make informed decisions about environments, products, and communication
Early childhood environments
Research objective: To conduct research that helps
communities create stimulating, healthy early childhood environments
for play, learning, and environmental education. To develop an understanding
of how the design of these environments relates to early cognitive development.
Design thinking in education
Research objective: To develop research that helps educators
use the analytical and synthetic processes of design and the active learning
strategies of design education to reform teaching, learning, learning environments,
and learning products.
School and community learning environments
Research objective: To explore alternative design, technology,
and assessment strategies for environments that support learning and
innovation in preK-12 schools, while meeting the social and economic
needs of communities.
Participating Faculty:
Professors Meredith Davis, Robin Moore, Wayne Place, and Art
Rice.
Natural Learning Initiative:
College of Design research and extension
center promoting the importance of the natural environment in the daily
experience of all children.
Faculty Reference:
Professor Meredith Davis, Making a Case for Design-based Learning (article)
Professor Meredith Davis, Design’s Inherent Interdisciplinarity: The Arts in Integrated Curricula (article)
Professor Meredith Davis, Design as a Catalyst for Learning (abstract)
Professor Robin Moore, Childhood’s Domain: Play and Place in Child Development (article)
Professor Robin Moore, Power of Nature (article)
Doctoral dissertations available through DH Hill Library:
Celen Pasalar, The Effects of Spatial Layouts on Students’ Interactions in Middle Schools: Multiple Case Analysis
Eyyad Ahmad Al-Khalaileh, Understanding Children’s Environments: The Effect of Outdoor Physical Environments on Children’s Activities and Quality of Life with Al-Wihdat Palestinean Refugee Camps and Environs in Amman Jordan
Content Expertise | Learning Experiences | Learning Environment
© 2007 NC State College of Design