Dialogic Interactions in Foundation Design Studio: An Unsolicited Diary Research

Abstract

This study aims to identify the first steps towards integrating verbal content and its outcomes into the written curriculum of the foundation design studio by delving into dialogue-based interaction and learning, which are largely neglected in design education. Within the scope of this research, design studio experiences of the foundation studio at the Faculty of Architecture of Istanbul Technical University were investigated with dialogic pedagogy in mind. The reflective diary that was systematically filled out based on the field notes taken by one of the authors, who worked as a research and teaching assistant throughout the studio hours of two semesters in the 2021–2022 academic year, was used as the central resource for the study. Diary entries, an ethnomethodological approach, have been made to obtain ‘thick descriptions’ of dialogic interactions between the studio stakeholders. In line with this method and aim, and after analysing the discourses of first-year design students revealing their approaches to design learning and action by creating two themes, their shortcut modes and endeavours to use design terminology, we embodied their one academic year learning journey from self-criticism and peer criticism to critical thinking embedded in their daily lives through the final theme.