Phases of Design: Following Idea Development and Patterns of Collaborative Discussion in a Learning By Design Project

Abstract

Learning by design (LBD) has a long association with learning about complex environmental systems. This investigation traces the development of ideas within a group of five students engaged in a collaborative design process. Tasked with the design of an online educational resource, about a waterway of local significance, this group was one of three for which multiple streams of data (audio and video) were collected. Ideas central to the progression of their design were identified and represented visually over time, showing the impact of each group member and the facilitator, and discourse was coded according to the content code of the CPACS scheme. Four phases of design were identified and Markov-transition diagrams of the content were interrogated. This paper makes a contribution to our knowledge of the phases of design evident during LBD tasks, which could have implications for the design and management of such projects in the future.