Abstract
Due to the intertwined nature of design-related fields such as architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design, it isn’t easy to draw firm boundaries between them. Based on this idea, the educational structure of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design (FFAD) at Izmir University of Economics is designed in such a way that students from all five departments of the faculty start their design education together and take core courses such as Art and Design Studio, Drawing and Representation, and History of Art and Design together in the first year. As the departments continue their curricula separately after the first year, this multidisciplinary approach continues with certain common compulsory and elective courses. The common courses in the curricula and the collaborative projects enable students to study, work, and learn together in this faculty. This paper discusses the role of multidisciplinary education in design-related fields with some examples of courses and projects where students from different departments work together. Through the multidisciplinary structure of the faculty, the paper highlights two important discussions. Firstly, including students from different disciplines in the same course and the opportunity to work on group projects with peers from different disciplines help broaden students’ perspectives on problem-solving skills and increase students’ success rate through cross-learning experiences. Secondly, while projects that require group work increase students’ peer learning experiences, factors such as different knowledge backgrounds and different course schedules can create obstacles that need to be overcome for a successful outcome.
Presenters
Ipek Kastas-UzunAssistant Professor, Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Izmir University of Economics, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Izmir, Turkey
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Multidisciplinary Curriculum, Design Education, Peer Learning, Collaborative Design
