Interest in Design Studios: A Theoretical Framework of Teaching Creativity for Millennials and Generation Z

Abstract

Millennials and Generation Z make up the new wave of students in design studios. These generations, while being tech-savvy, are undermined in creativity due to risk-aversion and collaboration-avoidance. Design educators need to consider these characteristics and create pedagogical approaches that can engage the students in learning creativity. The author proposes a theoretical framework to tackle the challenges Millennials and Generation Z bring to design studios by bridging the literature of design education and educational psychology. Scholars from both fields have highlighted the positive link between students’ interest and their performance in academic and creative tasks. Hence, it is plausible to hypothesize that task interest plays an important role in helping Millennials and Generation Z improve in learning creativity. This paper will discuss prominent studies that support the proposed theoretical framework and suggest pedagogical approaches for design studios with new-wave students.