Undergraduate design students' experience of risk-taking in an open-ended design project. Issue 1 (1st April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Giloi, Susan; Barry, Christine Gail; Burger, Yolandi; Harrison, Peter Hugh; Krueger, Leigh; Scheffer, Leana; Walton, Carsten P.
• Is Part Of: Art, design & communication in higher education. Volume 18:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 35
• Page End: 50
• Publication Date: 2019-04-01
• Subjects: Art -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Periodicals; Design -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Periodicals; Creative teaching -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 707.11
• DOI: 10.1386/adch.18.1.35_1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1474-273X

Abstract

In this article we investigate the student experience of risk-taking in an open-ended design project that appeared to be ideally suited to encourage risk-taking. The article is informed by a phenomenological case study documenting student experience of risk-taking during a concentrated, week-long design project. The data revealed multiple instances where students had taken risks and how they had experienced risk-taking. Three significant aspects of risk-taking in design education were identified in the data and explored. The first aspect considers how the students' experience correlated with a theoretical educational approach that encourages risk-taking. The second provides a broad overview of the students' experience of risk-taking during the project. The third draws out common student experiences that highlight that risk-taking is often prompted by the undefined and unexpected elements of a project and gaps in student knowledge, experience and skills.