Design Pedagogy for Enhancing Peer Learning and Creative Thinking

Abstract

This reflective statement of practice presents pedagogy and experiences for cultivating creativity for first-year students in design education. My emphasis is on improving classroom engagement and open communication, especially helping introverted or less-engaged students embrace ideation practices more confidently and actively via teamwork and peer learning. Based on continual observations and adjustments, I suggest that diverse team compositions, visual presentation, and immediate feedback are vital for students’ exchange of different perspectives and for spurring creative thinking. While my students are Taiwanese, the results might benefit different learning cultures to increase classroom dynamics and build a creativity training climate.

Keywords:

• design education
• creativity
• teamwork
• open communication
• student engagement
• curriculum design

Acknowledgments

I extend my heartfelt thanks to the students at Yuan Ze University, whose ideation processes, showcased in my courses, enriched this article. My appreciation also goes to the anonymous reviewers, whose insightful and constructive feedback significantly enhanced the clarity and depth of this article’s arguments. Special acknowledgment is due to Dori Griffin, the former Associate Editor, whose valuable suggestions and feedback were instrumental in improving both the quality and presentation of this article. I am indebted to Macushla Robinson, the former Managing Editor, Caroline Dionne, the current Managing Editor, and Barbara Adams, Co-Editor-in-Chief, for their generous guidance and support throughout the submission process of my article.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

Part of this work received support from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, under Grant MOST 109-2410-H-155-006 and the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, under Grant NSTC 110-2410-H-992-046.

Notes on contributors

Chong-Wen Chen

Chong-Wen Chen is a scholar, educator, and graphic/product designer. He is passionate about applying design thinking to promote innovation, education, and sustainable development. With over a decade of experience in interdisciplinary studies, his research papers and visual works have been published in reputable and top-ranking journals, such as Visual Studies, Design and Culture, The Design Journal, Sustainable Development, and Sustainable Cities and Society. [email protected]; [email protected]