Making tacit knowledge explicit: the case for online peer feedback in the studio critique

Abstract

Design education traditionally centers around the critique as a pivotal assessment process, fostering the development of both explicit and tacit knowledge within the physical studio environment. Ideally, the critique encourages students to develop their creativity, sharpen their thought processes and refine their technique. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on technology-enhanced teaching in practice-based design studios by examining the effectiveness of online peer critique as a strategy to capture tacit knowledge and make it explicit in the design learning environment. Drawing on the experiences of 90 undergraduate visual communication design students, findings show the critique process was a collaborative experience which afforded the fluid exchange of both tacit and explicit knowledge. Technology played a key role in this knowledge exchange, giving students a confidence in their creative abilities as observers and participants. The online process facilitated anonymity, enabling open and honest communication, while digital records supported post-critique reflection. Despite challenges, this systematic approach to online peer critique proves beneficial in fully online courses and warrants exploration in physical design studios given that more programs transitioning to blended learning. This research contributes to the discourse on leveraging technology for tacit knowledge construction and learning in design education.