Design Education via Web-based Virtual Environments

The concept of a "virtual" environment has emerged from advances in computer networking, image processing, modeling, simulation and multimedia data representation. During the past few years the concept has been intensively employed in Virtual Design Studios (VDSs) for teaching students both design and Internet technology issues. This paper presents the Web-based VDS as an environment for computer mediated and supported design education. The discussion of the principles, the current state, the advantages and the drawbacks of VDSs is based on our experience in organising four studios. The paper concludes with future trends in the development of VDSs. Educational Technologies and Design Education We are witnesses of fundamental changes in the methods and techniques employed to educate and train design students. These changes are the result of an invasion of computer mediated information technologies which meet the evolving needs of our increasingly technological society. The developments in communications, computing and information delivery services decrease the gap between the conventional and distance learning methods. Both methods include two major components: (i) course materials to be delivered to the students; and (ii) communication between students and instructors. Lecturers create multimedia course content and post it on the Internet where it is accessible, for instance, via the World Wide Web (WWW). Students communicate with instructors via e-mail or through a video conference session. These techniques are referred as computer mediated and supported instruction (CMSI) and are being integrated both in basic and distance educational methodology. Russell (1996) has analysed more than 200 works, published between 1928 and 1996, related to both the university classroom and distance education. The results show that generally there are no significant differences in achievement between: (i) students in traditional classes and students in distance-delivered classes; and (ii) distance students at remote sites and distance students within organisational sites where the instructor is present. These results support the development of unified CMSI methods for both types of education. The research done by Verduin and Clark (1991) supports this idea and specifies some criteria when unified methods will work effectively. Comparing distance education to traditional face-to-face instruction, they indicate that teaching and 1Key Centre of Design Computing, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia, email: {simeon, mary}@arch.usyd.edu.au