The distant studio: a survey of design students’ experience with distance educational formats

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a survey (n = 279) conducted with the students of an undergraduate design course. The questionnaire inquired design students’ preferences regarding educational formats (distance, in-person, or combination of both); the questionnaire further explored the issue by comparing between four types of classes (project, drawing, theoretical-practical, and theoretical) and by establishing comparisons between the students’ enrolment year. The main results reveal that design students prefer in-person formats, and preference for in-person educational formats increases regarding project-based or drawing type of classes; what is more, preference for in-person educational formats is appears to be higher in second and third-year students than in first-year ones. These results have implications for design education: a direct transfer of the typical design educational format to a distance setting may be misguided and design education may require specific formats (distance or otherwise) to offer a satisfactory pedagogical experience to its students.