Internationalization and transdisciplinary education in design: Success factors and pitfalls

Abstract

The efficacy of project-based learning in design education has gained broad acceptance. Some innovative design curricula also recognize the significance of trans-disciplinary practice, and organize student teams such that different functions associated with key disciplines of design projects are represented. Project Oriented Learning Environment (POLE) is an educational paradigm (Holliger and Kündig, 2003; Eris et al., 2005). The publication describes the POLE platform and presents key success factors as well as the pitfalls experienced in distributed trans-disciplinary project-based design education. POLE is a learning system developed by a network of 16 international universities, it operates within a reflexive context, taking into account the various cultures involved. Since 2001, twenty one-semester projects, all originated from and funded by industry, have been completed using the platform. This publication includes details of process design and project outcomes through the description of a case study. It also presents the findings with regard to how this trans-disciplinary and multicultural learning environment challenges students and professors as well in the development of new and promising collaborative academic structures.

Key words: design education, project based learning, transdisciplinary co-operation.