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Enhancing the Interdisciplinary Growth of Knowledge Within a Co-learning Resource Center for Design Students in College and University

Author: 
Klahre, Nicola
Year: 
2020
Abstract: 
The purpose of this study was to examine educational, workshop and tutoring interior spaces in order to help facilitate the design of a co-learning resource center for college and university design students. This study focuses on the importance of collaboration between students in different design programs within an educational setting to develop interdisciplinary growth of knowledge. Theoretical and conceptual frameworks were developed to highlight the main ideas and purpose of this study, which is to create a non-structured and flexible educational environment for design students in programs such as Interior Design, Architecture, Industrial Design, Landscape Design, Graphic Design and Web Design. Within this study, survey research as well as grounded theory was used to administer data collection. Interviews were held with six industry professionals and a survey was completed by sixty-nine design students at different colleges and universities within Toronto, Canada. Due to Provincial and Municipal restrictions during the COVID-19 virus pandemic, all interviews and in person data collection methods were not conducted. This study also recommends and implements design solutions based on the data collected. A proposed site was selected for a new co-learning resource center, located at 3120 Lakeshore Blvd., Toronto, Canada. In the end, the researcher can see that the data collected supports the hypothesis which states a co-learning resource center for college and university design students would enhance the interdisciplinary growth of knowledge between students within different design programs. Overall, the outcomes of this study will result in the implementation of these ideas in a co-learning resource center for design students in college and university to be located at 3120 Lakeshore Blvd. in Toronto, Canada.
Faculty: Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology
Program: Interior Design (Bachelor degree)
Faculty Advisor: 
Teitelbaum, Marilyn
Stranks, Anna
Type of Work: Thesis