2024
Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L
Themes, Lenses, and Materials: Three Perspectives on HCI Program Development Proceedings Article
In: EduCHI 2024: 6th Annual Symposium on HCI Education, 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, HCI Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Gray2024-lq,
title = {Themes, Lenses, and Materials: Three Perspectives on HCI Program Development},
author = {Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3658619.3658622
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024_GrayToombs_EduCHI_ThemesLensesMaterials.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3658619.3658622},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-06-01},
urldate = {2024-06-01},
booktitle = {EduCHI 2024: 6th Annual Symposium on HCI Education},
series = {EduCHI '24},
abstract = {As an inter-discipline or trans-discipline, HCI includes or
references many different sources of knowledge in which students
are expected to be conversant. The education of HCI
practitioners requires exposure to an increasingly large number
of these perspectives. However, how should this exposure be
structured, with what level of depth, and through what
metaphors? In this unsolved challenge, we outline the complex
range of perspectives required and the limitations of typical
curriculum and program design techniques. We then illustrate how
HCI educators might use three different perspectives to consider
and communicate program complexity to students: 1) content
themes; 2) transdisciplinary lenses; and 3) design materials. We
conclude with opportunities for HCI educators to leverage these
insights to build courses, projects, and other program
structures.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, HCI Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
As an inter-discipline or trans-discipline, HCI includes or
references many different sources of knowledge in which students
are expected to be conversant. The education of HCI
practitioners requires exposure to an increasingly large number
of these perspectives. However, how should this exposure be
structured, with what level of depth, and through what
metaphors? In this unsolved challenge, we outline the complex
range of perspectives required and the limitations of typical
curriculum and program design techniques. We then illustrate how
HCI educators might use three different perspectives to consider
and communicate program complexity to students: 1) content
themes; 2) transdisciplinary lenses; and 3) design materials. We
conclude with opportunities for HCI educators to leverage these
insights to build courses, projects, and other program
structures.
references many different sources of knowledge in which students
are expected to be conversant. The education of HCI
practitioners requires exposure to an increasingly large number
of these perspectives. However, how should this exposure be
structured, with what level of depth, and through what
metaphors? In this unsolved challenge, we outline the complex
range of perspectives required and the limitations of typical
curriculum and program design techniques. We then illustrate how
HCI educators might use three different perspectives to consider
and communicate program complexity to students: 1) content
themes; 2) transdisciplinary lenses; and 3) design materials. We
conclude with opportunities for HCI educators to leverage these
insights to build courses, projects, and other program
structures.
Boling, Elizabeth; Gray, Colin M
Anthony Cerise Book Section
In: Ertmer, Peggy A; Glazewski, Krista D; Koehler, Adrie A; Stefaniak, Jill E (Ed.): The ID CaseBook: Case Studies in Instructional Design, pp. 127–138, Routledge, New York, 2024, ISBN: 9781003354468.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Instructional Design, Learning Experience (LX) Design, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education
@incollection{Boling2024-co,
title = {Anthony Cerise},
author = {Elizabeth Boling and Colin M Gray},
editor = {Peggy A Ertmer and Krista D Glazewski and Adrie A Koehler and Jill E Stefaniak},
url = {https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781003354468/chapters/10.4324/9781003354468-12},
doi = {10.4324/9781003354468-12},
isbn = {9781003354468},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-04-01},
urldate = {2024-04-01},
booktitle = {The ID CaseBook: Case Studies in Instructional Design},
pages = {127–138},
publisher = {Routledge},
address = {New York},
abstract = {Hustling across campus at Mid-State University, Anthony Cerise,
an associate professor in the College of Education, juggles his
backpack, his morning coffee in a paper cup, and the agenda he
just printed for a meeting to which he hopes he will not be
late. His scarf is flapping across his face thanks to a stiff
fall breeze, blinding him off and on, but in a stroke of luck he
spots the campus bus in time to flag it down, only spilling a
little coffee as he does so. He sprints up the bus steps and
flops down on a worn vinyl seat just behind the driver, who sees
him on this route between the education and engineering
buildings often enough not to require his campus ID when he
boards. Good thing, too; he doesn't have a hand free to fish his
wallet out of his pocket. It was also fortunate that he caught
the bus, he thinks; it's important to arrive on time today
without having to sprint. This meeting is being held to discuss
issues with the IDP (or, as the dean always states in full, the
Integrated Design Program). Showing up disheveled, let alone
late, would not put him on the right foot. Sure, the program is
a big success—that's the problem, in fact; it has grown so
large and so quickly that he and his colleagues desperately need
to confer on where it is coming apart at the seams. But Anthony
is keenly aware of the tensions which have existed in the
program since the beginning, not to mention those between the
program and the administration right now. As the leader of the
faculty team which designs and implements the program, he works
to keep an even keel and to exude confidence on behalf of them
all. He'd like to maintain that presence. More than that, he
doesn't want to give Roger Went, head of the administrative
steering committee, any reason to carry back to the other deans
an impression that their current growing pains are any worse
than they really are. Despite the ballooning enrollments in IDP,
or perhaps because of them, Anthony knows there are those on
campus who wouldn't mind seeing this program shut down. It is
drawing enrollments away from other majors, including those
currently contributing to the multidisciplinary effort as
partners. Others, he suspects, are eyeing the program as a
candidate for moving online with outsourcing for recruitment and
program management, the idea being that if it is growing as a
campus program, it will surely be a moneymaker online. If he and
his fellow colleagues cannot handle their current growing pains,
he worries that the institutional support they need will be
withdrawn or that the program might be effectively taken out of
their hands.},
keywords = {Design Education, Instructional Design, Learning Experience (LX) Design, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Hustling across campus at Mid-State University, Anthony Cerise,
an associate professor in the College of Education, juggles his
backpack, his morning coffee in a paper cup, and the agenda he
just printed for a meeting to which he hopes he will not be
late. His scarf is flapping across his face thanks to a stiff
fall breeze, blinding him off and on, but in a stroke of luck he
spots the campus bus in time to flag it down, only spilling a
little coffee as he does so. He sprints up the bus steps and
flops down on a worn vinyl seat just behind the driver, who sees
him on this route between the education and engineering
buildings often enough not to require his campus ID when he
boards. Good thing, too; he doesn't have a hand free to fish his
wallet out of his pocket. It was also fortunate that he caught
the bus, he thinks; it's important to arrive on time today
without having to sprint. This meeting is being held to discuss
issues with the IDP (or, as the dean always states in full, the
Integrated Design Program). Showing up disheveled, let alone
late, would not put him on the right foot. Sure, the program is
a big success—that's the problem, in fact; it has grown so
large and so quickly that he and his colleagues desperately need
to confer on where it is coming apart at the seams. But Anthony
is keenly aware of the tensions which have existed in the
program since the beginning, not to mention those between the
program and the administration right now. As the leader of the
faculty team which designs and implements the program, he works
to keep an even keel and to exude confidence on behalf of them
all. He'd like to maintain that presence. More than that, he
doesn't want to give Roger Went, head of the administrative
steering committee, any reason to carry back to the other deans
an impression that their current growing pains are any worse
than they really are. Despite the ballooning enrollments in IDP,
or perhaps because of them, Anthony knows there are those on
campus who wouldn't mind seeing this program shut down. It is
drawing enrollments away from other majors, including those
currently contributing to the multidisciplinary effort as
partners. Others, he suspects, are eyeing the program as a
candidate for moving online with outsourcing for recruitment and
program management, the idea being that if it is growing as a
campus program, it will surely be a moneymaker online. If he and
his fellow colleagues cannot handle their current growing pains,
he worries that the institutional support they need will be
withdrawn or that the program might be effectively taken out of
their hands.
an associate professor in the College of Education, juggles his
backpack, his morning coffee in a paper cup, and the agenda he
just printed for a meeting to which he hopes he will not be
late. His scarf is flapping across his face thanks to a stiff
fall breeze, blinding him off and on, but in a stroke of luck he
spots the campus bus in time to flag it down, only spilling a
little coffee as he does so. He sprints up the bus steps and
flops down on a worn vinyl seat just behind the driver, who sees
him on this route between the education and engineering
buildings often enough not to require his campus ID when he
boards. Good thing, too; he doesn't have a hand free to fish his
wallet out of his pocket. It was also fortunate that he caught
the bus, he thinks; it's important to arrive on time today
without having to sprint. This meeting is being held to discuss
issues with the IDP (or, as the dean always states in full, the
Integrated Design Program). Showing up disheveled, let alone
late, would not put him on the right foot. Sure, the program is
a big success—that's the problem, in fact; it has grown so
large and so quickly that he and his colleagues desperately need
to confer on where it is coming apart at the seams. But Anthony
is keenly aware of the tensions which have existed in the
program since the beginning, not to mention those between the
program and the administration right now. As the leader of the
faculty team which designs and implements the program, he works
to keep an even keel and to exude confidence on behalf of them
all. He'd like to maintain that presence. More than that, he
doesn't want to give Roger Went, head of the administrative
steering committee, any reason to carry back to the other deans
an impression that their current growing pains are any worse
than they really are. Despite the ballooning enrollments in IDP,
or perhaps because of them, Anthony knows there are those on
campus who wouldn't mind seeing this program shut down. It is
drawing enrollments away from other majors, including those
currently contributing to the multidisciplinary effort as
partners. Others, he suspects, are eyeing the program as a
candidate for moving online with outsourcing for recruitment and
program management, the idea being that if it is growing as a
campus program, it will surely be a moneymaker online. If he and
his fellow colleagues cannot handle their current growing pains,
he worries that the institutional support they need will be
withdrawn or that the program might be effectively taken out of
their hands.
Pivonka, Anne C; Makary, Laura; Gray, Colin M
Organizing metaphors for design methods Journal Article
In: International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2024, ISSN: 1573-1804.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Ethics and Values, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy
@article{Pivonka2024-st,
title = {Organizing metaphors for design methods},
author = {Anne C Pivonka and Laura Makary and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-024-09880-y},
doi = {10.1007/s10798-024-09880-y},
issn = {1573-1804},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-02-01},
urldate = {2024-02-01},
journal = {International Journal of Technology and Design Education},
abstract = {Design students must develop competence in a wide range of areas
in order to be successful in their future practice. Increasingly,
knowledge of design methods is used to frame both a designer's
repertoire and their overall facility as a designer. However,
there is little research on how students build cognitive schema
in relation to design methods or how these schema relate to
specific patterns of engagement as developing designers. In this
paper, we report a multiple case study, capturing the experiences
of four advanced undergraduate students enrolled in a User
Experience (UX) design program at a large research-intensive
institution. Through reflexive thematic analysis on our interview
study outcomes, we describe the wide variety of metaphors that
these students used to organize and frame their understanding of
design methods, including both principles they used to consider
methods as knowledge, and the ways in which they felt these
organizing principles impacted their practice of design. We
conclude with recommendations for further research on the uptake
of methods-focused competence in design education and practice.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Ethics and Values, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Design students must develop competence in a wide range of areas
in order to be successful in their future practice. Increasingly,
knowledge of design methods is used to frame both a designer's
repertoire and their overall facility as a designer. However,
there is little research on how students build cognitive schema
in relation to design methods or how these schema relate to
specific patterns of engagement as developing designers. In this
paper, we report a multiple case study, capturing the experiences
of four advanced undergraduate students enrolled in a User
Experience (UX) design program at a large research-intensive
institution. Through reflexive thematic analysis on our interview
study outcomes, we describe the wide variety of metaphors that
these students used to organize and frame their understanding of
design methods, including both principles they used to consider
methods as knowledge, and the ways in which they felt these
organizing principles impacted their practice of design. We
conclude with recommendations for further research on the uptake
of methods-focused competence in design education and practice.
in order to be successful in their future practice. Increasingly,
knowledge of design methods is used to frame both a designer's
repertoire and their overall facility as a designer. However,
there is little research on how students build cognitive schema
in relation to design methods or how these schema relate to
specific patterns of engagement as developing designers. In this
paper, we report a multiple case study, capturing the experiences
of four advanced undergraduate students enrolled in a User
Experience (UX) design program at a large research-intensive
institution. Through reflexive thematic analysis on our interview
study outcomes, we describe the wide variety of metaphors that
these students used to organize and frame their understanding of
design methods, including both principles they used to consider
methods as knowledge, and the ways in which they felt these
organizing principles impacted their practice of design. We
conclude with recommendations for further research on the uptake
of methods-focused competence in design education and practice.
2023
Parsons, Paul C; Shukla, Prakash; Baigelenov, Ali; Gray, Colin M
Developing Framing Judgment Ability: Student Perceptions from a Graduate UX Design Program Proceedings Article
In: EduCHI 2023: 5th Annual Symposium on HCI Education (EduCHI '23), Hamburg, Germany, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Judgment, Design Theory, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy
@inproceedings{Parsons2023-op,
title = {Developing Framing Judgment Ability: Student Perceptions from a Graduate UX Design Program},
author = {Paul C Parsons and Prakash Shukla and Ali Baigelenov and Colin M Gray},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3587399.3587401
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_Parsonsetal_EduCHI_FramingJudgmentAbility.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3587399.3587401},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-04-28},
urldate = {2023-04-28},
booktitle = {EduCHI 2023: 5th Annual Symposium on HCI Education (EduCHI
'23)},
address = {Hamburg, Germany},
abstract = {Making framing judgments is at the heart of design. When faced
with complex, open-ended situations, designers need to exercise
good judgment to identify the core of the problem at hand and
set the boundaries of the conceptual space through which the
design process will unfold. While framing ability is broadly
recognized as important, the factors that contribute to its
development in educational settings are not well understood,
particularly in the context of HCI education. In this study, we
collected data from master's students in a UX design program at
several points in time across their program journey. We
interviewed 11 of these students in their final semester, having
them reflect on how their ability to make framing judgments has
evolved over time. We highlight pedagogical factors relevant for
the development of their framing ability as indicated by the
students. Our findings also highlight the impact of framing
ability on other design activities and personal design
philosophy.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Judgment, Design Theory, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Making framing judgments is at the heart of design. When faced
with complex, open-ended situations, designers need to exercise
good judgment to identify the core of the problem at hand and
set the boundaries of the conceptual space through which the
design process will unfold. While framing ability is broadly
recognized as important, the factors that contribute to its
development in educational settings are not well understood,
particularly in the context of HCI education. In this study, we
collected data from master's students in a UX design program at
several points in time across their program journey. We
interviewed 11 of these students in their final semester, having
them reflect on how their ability to make framing judgments has
evolved over time. We highlight pedagogical factors relevant for
the development of their framing ability as indicated by the
students. Our findings also highlight the impact of framing
ability on other design activities and personal design
philosophy.
with complex, open-ended situations, designers need to exercise
good judgment to identify the core of the problem at hand and
set the boundaries of the conceptual space through which the
design process will unfold. While framing ability is broadly
recognized as important, the factors that contribute to its
development in educational settings are not well understood,
particularly in the context of HCI education. In this study, we
collected data from master's students in a UX design program at
several points in time across their program journey. We
interviewed 11 of these students in their final semester, having
them reflect on how their ability to make framing judgments has
evolved over time. We highlight pedagogical factors relevant for
the development of their framing ability as indicated by the
students. Our findings also highlight the impact of framing
ability on other design activities and personal design
philosophy.
Gray, Colin M; Parsons, Paul C
Building Student Capacity to Engage with Design Methods Proceedings Article
In: EduCHI 2023: 5th Annual Symposium on HCI Education (EduCHI '23), Hamburg, Germany, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy
@inproceedings{Gray_undated-nk,
title = {Building Student Capacity to Engage with Design Methods},
author = {Colin M Gray and Paul C Parsons},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3587399.3587415
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_GrayParsons_EduCHI_MasterclassDesignMethods.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3587399.3587415},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-04-28},
urldate = {2023-04-28},
booktitle = {EduCHI 2023: 5th Annual Symposium on HCI Education
(EduCHI '23)},
address = {Hamburg, Germany},
abstract = {Knowledge of design methods is critical for careers in
User Experience (UX) design and other fields commonly
served by HCI programs. In this masterclass, we will seek
to bring together the knowledge contained in key texts
commonly used in HCI education and the evident pedagogical
challenges that underlie codified methods knowledge. Such
fundamental questions at this intersection include: What
kind of knowledge do methods contain? How do students
learn about methods? and How do we know when students have
sufficient knowledge of methods to continue engaging in
adaptation, use, and creation in the future? We will
collaboratively address these questions, laying the
groundwork for participants to consider the following
issues in their own curriculum.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Knowledge of design methods is critical for careers in
User Experience (UX) design and other fields commonly
served by HCI programs. In this masterclass, we will seek
to bring together the knowledge contained in key texts
commonly used in HCI education and the evident pedagogical
challenges that underlie codified methods knowledge. Such
fundamental questions at this intersection include: What
kind of knowledge do methods contain? How do students
learn about methods? and How do we know when students have
sufficient knowledge of methods to continue engaging in
adaptation, use, and creation in the future? We will
collaboratively address these questions, laying the
groundwork for participants to consider the following
issues in their own curriculum.
User Experience (UX) design and other fields commonly
served by HCI programs. In this masterclass, we will seek
to bring together the knowledge contained in key texts
commonly used in HCI education and the evident pedagogical
challenges that underlie codified methods knowledge. Such
fundamental questions at this intersection include: What
kind of knowledge do methods contain? How do students
learn about methods? and How do we know when students have
sufficient knowledge of methods to continue engaging in
adaptation, use, and creation in the future? We will
collaboratively address these questions, laying the
groundwork for participants to consider the following
issues in their own curriculum.
Gray, Colin M; MacDonald, Craig M; Lallemand, Carine; Oleson, Alannah; Carter, Anna R L; St-Cyr, Olivier; Pitt, Caroline
EduCHI 2023: 5th Annual Symposium on HCI Education Proceedings Article
In: Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23), 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education
@inproceedings{Gray2023-cm,
title = {EduCHI 2023: 5th Annual Symposium on HCI Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Craig M MacDonald and Carine Lallemand and Alannah Oleson and Anna R L Carter and Olivier St-Cyr and Caroline Pitt},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023_Grayetal_CHI_EduCHI.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3573790},
doi = {10.1145/3544549.3573790},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-04-01},
urldate = {2023-04-01},
booktitle = {Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors
in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23)},
abstract = {EduCHI 2023 will bring together an international community of
scholars, practitioners, and researchers to shape the future of
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) education. Held as part of the
CHI 2023 conference, the one-day symposium will feature
interactive discussions about HCI educational research,
pedagogical innovations, teaching practices, and current and
future challenges facing HCI educators. In addition to providing
a platform to share pedagogical strategies and continue to build
a scholarly knowledge base for HCI education, EduCHI 2023 will
also provide opportunities for HCI educators to learn new
instructional strategies and deepen their pedagogical knowledge.},
keywords = {Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
EduCHI 2023 will bring together an international community of
scholars, practitioners, and researchers to shape the future of
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) education. Held as part of the
CHI 2023 conference, the one-day symposium will feature
interactive discussions about HCI educational research,
pedagogical innovations, teaching practices, and current and
future challenges facing HCI educators. In addition to providing
a platform to share pedagogical strategies and continue to build
a scholarly knowledge base for HCI education, EduCHI 2023 will
also provide opportunities for HCI educators to learn new
instructional strategies and deepen their pedagogical knowledge.
scholars, practitioners, and researchers to shape the future of
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) education. Held as part of the
CHI 2023 conference, the one-day symposium will feature
interactive discussions about HCI educational research,
pedagogical innovations, teaching practices, and current and
future challenges facing HCI educators. In addition to providing
a platform to share pedagogical strategies and continue to build
a scholarly knowledge base for HCI education, EduCHI 2023 will
also provide opportunities for HCI educators to learn new
instructional strategies and deepen their pedagogical knowledge.
Gray, Colin M; Exter, Marisa E
A Design Sprint Towards a Four-Year Curriculum in Transdisciplinary Studies Journal Article
In: International Journal of Designs for Learning, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 70–87, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Case, Design Education, Instructional Design, Learning Experience (LX) Design, Transdisciplinarity, UX Knowledge
@article{Gray2023-ns,
title = {A Design Sprint Towards a Four-Year Curriculum in Transdisciplinary Studies},
author = {Colin M Gray and Marisa E Exter},
url = {https://doi.org/10.14434/ijdl.v14i1.35194
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_GrayExter_IJDL_DesignSprintTransdisciplinary.pdf},
doi = {10.14434/ijdl.v14i1.35194},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Designs for Learning},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {70--87},
abstract = {In this design case, we describe our design process that resulted
in recommendations for a four-year undergraduate curriculum in
transdisciplinary studies. The case is centered on a fast-paced,
two-week design ``sprint'' undertaken by the two authors, which
involved consolidating and synthesizing program evaluation data
and course designs from the three previous years of a novel
undergraduate transdisciplinary degree program, creating design
blueprints that outlined program-level objectives, and
identifying recommendations for future course-level design. In
the process of completing these hand-off materials for the
incoming team of instruc- tors, we had to work through
substantial ambiguity, balanc- ing the needs of identified
learner personas, the capabilities of existing instructional team
members, and the end goal of producing students that had a
flexible, personal transdis- ciplinary identity. This case
describes the design activities we used, the instances of failure
that precipitated our design sprint, the instructional and
institutional constraints we faced, the blueprints for future
instructional design we created on the course and program level,
and the ultimate failure of the degree program we sought to
support.},
keywords = {Design Case, Design Education, Instructional Design, Learning Experience (LX) Design, Transdisciplinarity, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this design case, we describe our design process that resulted
in recommendations for a four-year undergraduate curriculum in
transdisciplinary studies. The case is centered on a fast-paced,
two-week design ``sprint'' undertaken by the two authors, which
involved consolidating and synthesizing program evaluation data
and course designs from the three previous years of a novel
undergraduate transdisciplinary degree program, creating design
blueprints that outlined program-level objectives, and
identifying recommendations for future course-level design. In
the process of completing these hand-off materials for the
incoming team of instruc- tors, we had to work through
substantial ambiguity, balanc- ing the needs of identified
learner personas, the capabilities of existing instructional team
members, and the end goal of producing students that had a
flexible, personal transdis- ciplinary identity. This case
describes the design activities we used, the instances of failure
that precipitated our design sprint, the instructional and
institutional constraints we faced, the blueprints for future
instructional design we created on the course and program level,
and the ultimate failure of the degree program we sought to
support.
in recommendations for a four-year undergraduate curriculum in
transdisciplinary studies. The case is centered on a fast-paced,
two-week design ``sprint'' undertaken by the two authors, which
involved consolidating and synthesizing program evaluation data
and course designs from the three previous years of a novel
undergraduate transdisciplinary degree program, creating design
blueprints that outlined program-level objectives, and
identifying recommendations for future course-level design. In
the process of completing these hand-off materials for the
incoming team of instruc- tors, we had to work through
substantial ambiguity, balanc- ing the needs of identified
learner personas, the capabilities of existing instructional team
members, and the end goal of producing students that had a
flexible, personal transdis- ciplinary identity. This case
describes the design activities we used, the instances of failure
that precipitated our design sprint, the instructional and
institutional constraints we faced, the blueprints for future
instructional design we created on the course and program level,
and the ultimate failure of the degree program we sought to
support.
Gray, Colin M; Williams, Rua M; Parsons, Paul C; Toombs, Austin L; Westbrook, Abbee
Trajectories of Student Engagement with Social Justice-Informed Design Work Book Section
In: Hokanson, Brad; Exter, Marisa; Schmidt, Matthew M; Tawfik, Andrew A (Ed.): Toward Inclusive Learning Design: Social Justice, Equity, and Community, pp. 289–301, Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, 2023, ISSN: 2625-0012.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Theory, Design Education, Digital Civics, Ethics and Values, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy, UX Practice
@incollection{Gray2023-sf,
title = {Trajectories of Student Engagement with Social Justice-Informed Design Work},
author = {Colin M Gray and Rua M Williams and Paul C Parsons and Austin L Toombs and Abbee Westbrook},
editor = {Brad Hokanson and Marisa Exter and Matthew M Schmidt and Andrew A Tawfik},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37697-9_22},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-37697-9_22},
issn = {2625-0012},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Toward Inclusive Learning Design: Social Justice, Equity, and
Community},
pages = {289–301},
publisher = {Springer Nature Switzerland},
address = {Cham},
abstract = {Designers are increasingly interested in using methodologies
that foreground the politics of design, moving beyond
product-centered notions of work that are common even within
human-centered design traditions. In this paper, we document the
experiences of undergraduate UX design students as they used a
digital civics approach to support local community needs. We
highlight how students sought to frame their design work and
outcomes, describing successful and unsuccessful trajectories of
engagement with social justice principles.},
keywords = {Critical Theory, Design Education, Digital Civics, Ethics and Values, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Designers are increasingly interested in using methodologies
that foreground the politics of design, moving beyond
product-centered notions of work that are common even within
human-centered design traditions. In this paper, we document the
experiences of undergraduate UX design students as they used a
digital civics approach to support local community needs. We
highlight how students sought to frame their design work and
outcomes, describing successful and unsuccessful trajectories of
engagement with social justice principles.
that foreground the politics of design, moving beyond
product-centered notions of work that are common even within
human-centered design traditions. In this paper, we document the
experiences of undergraduate UX design students as they used a
digital civics approach to support local community needs. We
highlight how students sought to frame their design work and
outcomes, describing successful and unsuccessful trajectories of
engagement with social justice principles.
2022
Gray, Colin M
Critical Pedagogy and the Pluriversal Design Studio Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Design Research Society, Design Research Society, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Gray2022-kn,
title = {Critical Pedagogy and the Pluriversal Design Studio},
author = {Colin M Gray},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.238
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022_Gray_DRS_CriticalPedagogyPluriversalDesignStudio.pdf},
doi = {10.21606/drs.2022.238},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-06-01},
urldate = {2022-06-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Design Research Society},
publisher = {Design Research Society},
abstract = {Studio learning is central to the teaching of design. However,
the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside emerging and
historic critiques of studio pedagogy, creates a space for
critical engagement with the present and potential futures of
design education in studio. In this paper, I outline historic
critiques of studio pedagogy, drawing primarily from critical
pedagogy literature to frame issues relating to disempowerment,
student agency, and monolithic representations of the student
role and student development. I build upon this critical
foundation to re-imagine studio practices as pluriversal,
recognizing the challenges and opportunities of bridging
epistemological and ontological differences and facilitating the
potential for pluralism in design curricula, our student
experiences, and the future of design professions.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Studio learning is central to the teaching of design. However,
the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside emerging and
historic critiques of studio pedagogy, creates a space for
critical engagement with the present and potential futures of
design education in studio. In this paper, I outline historic
critiques of studio pedagogy, drawing primarily from critical
pedagogy literature to frame issues relating to disempowerment,
student agency, and monolithic representations of the student
role and student development. I build upon this critical
foundation to re-imagine studio practices as pluriversal,
recognizing the challenges and opportunities of bridging
epistemological and ontological differences and facilitating the
potential for pluralism in design curricula, our student
experiences, and the future of design professions.
the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside emerging and
historic critiques of studio pedagogy, creates a space for
critical engagement with the present and potential futures of
design education in studio. In this paper, I outline historic
critiques of studio pedagogy, drawing primarily from critical
pedagogy literature to frame issues relating to disempowerment,
student agency, and monolithic representations of the student
role and student development. I build upon this critical
foundation to re-imagine studio practices as pluriversal,
recognizing the challenges and opportunities of bridging
epistemological and ontological differences and facilitating the
potential for pluralism in design curricula, our student
experiences, and the future of design professions.
Gray, Colin M; Liu, Wei; Xin, Xin; Chin, Daniel; Marks, Jacqueline; Bunting, Sadie; Anglin, Jerry; Hutzel, Becky; Kokate, Samruddhi; Yang, Yushu
Defamiliarization and Intercultural Learning in Cross-Cultural HCI Education Proceedings Article
In: EduCHI'22: 4th Annual Symposium on HCI Education, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Design Theory, HCI Education, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Gray2022-es,
title = {Defamiliarization and Intercultural Learning in Cross-Cultural HCI Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Wei Liu and Xin Xin and Daniel Chin and Jacqueline Marks and Sadie Bunting and Jerry Anglin and Becky Hutzel and Samruddhi Kokate and Yushu Yang},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022_Grayetal_EduCHI_DefamiliarizationInterculturalLearning.pdf},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-04-01},
urldate = {2022-04-01},
booktitle = {EduCHI'22: 4th Annual Symposium on HCI Education},
abstract = {HCI and UX work is increasingly global, and students have the
potential to benefit from building their globalization
competence. However, little research has described the unique
opportunities and challenges of intercultural project work in
the context of HCI education, including the ways in which design
knowledge is leveraged in a cross-cultural setting. In this
research paper, we describe the experiences of a Collaborative
Online International Learning (COIL) project team with
participants from China and the United States as they worked to
identify design opportunities to create ``charmful''
semi-autonomous driving experiences for the Chinese market.
Through our analysis of focus groups, synchronous group
meetings, and artifacts created over one academic semester, we
describe how students engaged design knowledge through the lens
of culture and identify strategies that the teams used to
constructively defamiliarize their understanding of the design
context and potential outcomes. We conclude with opportunities
and challenges in coordinating cross-cultural design work and
describe new ways in which defamiliarization might be a
productive lens to acknowledge and build upon cultural
knowledge.},
keywords = {Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Design Theory, HCI Education, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
HCI and UX work is increasingly global, and students have the
potential to benefit from building their globalization
competence. However, little research has described the unique
opportunities and challenges of intercultural project work in
the context of HCI education, including the ways in which design
knowledge is leveraged in a cross-cultural setting. In this
research paper, we describe the experiences of a Collaborative
Online International Learning (COIL) project team with
participants from China and the United States as they worked to
identify design opportunities to create ``charmful''
semi-autonomous driving experiences for the Chinese market.
Through our analysis of focus groups, synchronous group
meetings, and artifacts created over one academic semester, we
describe how students engaged design knowledge through the lens
of culture and identify strategies that the teams used to
constructively defamiliarize their understanding of the design
context and potential outcomes. We conclude with opportunities
and challenges in coordinating cross-cultural design work and
describe new ways in which defamiliarization might be a
productive lens to acknowledge and build upon cultural
knowledge.
potential to benefit from building their globalization
competence. However, little research has described the unique
opportunities and challenges of intercultural project work in
the context of HCI education, including the ways in which design
knowledge is leveraged in a cross-cultural setting. In this
research paper, we describe the experiences of a Collaborative
Online International Learning (COIL) project team with
participants from China and the United States as they worked to
identify design opportunities to create ``charmful''
semi-autonomous driving experiences for the Chinese market.
Through our analysis of focus groups, synchronous group
meetings, and artifacts created over one academic semester, we
describe how students engaged design knowledge through the lens
of culture and identify strategies that the teams used to
constructively defamiliarize their understanding of the design
context and potential outcomes. We conclude with opportunities
and challenges in coordinating cross-cultural design work and
describe new ways in which defamiliarization might be a
productive lens to acknowledge and build upon cultural
knowledge.
Pivonka, Anne; Makary, Laura; Gray, Colin M
Organizing Metaphors for Design Methods in Intermediate HCI Education Proceedings Article
In: EduCHI'22: 4th Annual Symposium on HCI Education, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Pivonka2022-nm,
title = {Organizing Metaphors for Design Methods in Intermediate HCI Education},
author = {Anne Pivonka and Laura Makary and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022_PivonkaMakaryGray_EduCHI_OrganizingMetaphorsDesignMethods.pdf},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-04-01},
urldate = {2022-04-01},
booktitle = {EduCHI'22: 4th Annual Symposium on HCI Education},
abstract = {Design students must develop competence in a wide range of areas
in order to be successful in their future practice.
Increasingly, knowledge of design methods is used to frame both
a designer's repertoire and their overall facility as a
designer. However, there is little research on how students
build cognitive schema in relation to design methods or how
these schema relate to specific epistemological patterns of
engagement. In this research paper, we report a multiple case
study, capturing the experiences of four advanced undergraduate
UX design students at a large research-intensive institution.
Through an interview study and subsequent analysis, we describe
the wide variety of organizing metaphors that these students
used to frame their understanding and performance of design
methods, including both principles they used to consider methods
as knowledge, and the ways in which these organizing principles
impacted their practice of design. We conclude with
recommendations for further research on the uptake of
methods-focused competence in HCI education and practice.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Design students must develop competence in a wide range of areas
in order to be successful in their future practice.
Increasingly, knowledge of design methods is used to frame both
a designer's repertoire and their overall facility as a
designer. However, there is little research on how students
build cognitive schema in relation to design methods or how
these schema relate to specific epistemological patterns of
engagement. In this research paper, we report a multiple case
study, capturing the experiences of four advanced undergraduate
UX design students at a large research-intensive institution.
Through an interview study and subsequent analysis, we describe
the wide variety of organizing metaphors that these students
used to frame their understanding and performance of design
methods, including both principles they used to consider methods
as knowledge, and the ways in which these organizing principles
impacted their practice of design. We conclude with
recommendations for further research on the uptake of
methods-focused competence in HCI education and practice.
in order to be successful in their future practice.
Increasingly, knowledge of design methods is used to frame both
a designer's repertoire and their overall facility as a
designer. However, there is little research on how students
build cognitive schema in relation to design methods or how
these schema relate to specific epistemological patterns of
engagement. In this research paper, we report a multiple case
study, capturing the experiences of four advanced undergraduate
UX design students at a large research-intensive institution.
Through an interview study and subsequent analysis, we describe
the wide variety of organizing metaphors that these students
used to frame their understanding and performance of design
methods, including both principles they used to consider methods
as knowledge, and the ways in which these organizing principles
impacted their practice of design. We conclude with
recommendations for further research on the uptake of
methods-focused competence in HCI education and practice.
Parsons, Paul C; Gray, Colin M
Separating Grading and Feedback in UX Design Studios Proceedings Article
In: EduCHI'22: 4th Annual Symposium on HCI Education, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Theory, HCI Education, Instructional Design, Reflection, Studio Pedagogy, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Parsons2022-ow,
title = {Separating Grading and Feedback in UX Design Studios},
author = {Paul C Parsons and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022_ParsonsGray_EduCHI_SeparatingGradingandFeedback.pdf},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-04-01},
urldate = {2022-04-01},
booktitle = {EduCHI'22: 4th Annual Symposium on HCI Education},
abstract = {Assessment and feedback are central tasks in most instructional
settings, and the reception of feedback by students is generally
regarded as an essential part of the learning process [18, 22].
Despite the centrality and importance of feedback, there is
increasing evidence that traditional feedback practices are not
effective [6, 37]. Among several known challenges to
implementing effective feedback is the entanglement of feedback
with assessment (i.e., grading), which has become so strong in
many instances that they are effectively conjoined [37]. This
integration is routine and often assumed uncritically, and it
can lead to several problems for the student experience. While
both assessment and feedback have important functions, they are
distinct, and their conflation can obscure the important role
that each has for the teacher and student. In this `teachable
moment' paper, we describe some known problems with assessment
and feedback, the value of disentangling them, and several
strategies we have taken to improve the feedback process across
a series of UX design courses at a large research university."},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Theory, HCI Education, Instructional Design, Reflection, Studio Pedagogy, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Assessment and feedback are central tasks in most instructional
settings, and the reception of feedback by students is generally
regarded as an essential part of the learning process [18, 22].
Despite the centrality and importance of feedback, there is
increasing evidence that traditional feedback practices are not
effective [6, 37]. Among several known challenges to
implementing effective feedback is the entanglement of feedback
with assessment (i.e., grading), which has become so strong in
many instances that they are effectively conjoined [37]. This
integration is routine and often assumed uncritically, and it
can lead to several problems for the student experience. While
both assessment and feedback have important functions, they are
distinct, and their conflation can obscure the important role
that each has for the teacher and student. In this `teachable
moment' paper, we describe some known problems with assessment
and feedback, the value of disentangling them, and several
strategies we have taken to improve the feedback process across
a series of UX design courses at a large research university."
settings, and the reception of feedback by students is generally
regarded as an essential part of the learning process [18, 22].
Despite the centrality and importance of feedback, there is
increasing evidence that traditional feedback practices are not
effective [6, 37]. Among several known challenges to
implementing effective feedback is the entanglement of feedback
with assessment (i.e., grading), which has become so strong in
many instances that they are effectively conjoined [37]. This
integration is routine and often assumed uncritically, and it
can lead to several problems for the student experience. While
both assessment and feedback have important functions, they are
distinct, and their conflation can obscure the important role
that each has for the teacher and student. In this `teachable
moment' paper, we describe some known problems with assessment
and feedback, the value of disentangling them, and several
strategies we have taken to improve the feedback process across
a series of UX design courses at a large research university."
Boling, Elizabeth; Gray, Colin M; Lachheb, Ahmed
Inscribing a Designer Mindset to Instructional Design Students Book Section
In: The Instructional Design Trainer's Guide, pp. 18–28, Routledge, 2022, ISBN: 9781003109938, 9781003109938.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Instructional Design
@incollection{Boling2022-kg,
title = {Inscribing a Designer Mindset to Instructional Design Students},
author = {Elizabeth Boling and Colin M Gray and Ahmed Lachheb},
url = {https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003109938-3/inscribing-designer-mindset-instructional-design-students-elizabeth-boling-colin-gray-ahmed-lachheb},
doi = {10.4324/9781003109938-3},
isbn = {9781003109938, 9781003109938},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-01},
urldate = {2022-03-01},
booktitle = {The Instructional Design Trainer's Guide},
pages = {18--28},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {In this chapter, we focus on building a designer's mindset among
instructional design (ID) students by using frame experiments as
an instructional method. We provide the theoretical foundation
of frame experiments with a sample scenario of their use and
conclude by sharing specific instructional activities that
instructors may use to build design judgment.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Instructional Design},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
In this chapter, we focus on building a designer's mindset among
instructional design (ID) students by using frame experiments as
an instructional method. We provide the theoretical foundation
of frame experiments with a sample scenario of their use and
conclude by sharing specific instructional activities that
instructors may use to build design judgment.
instructional design (ID) students by using frame experiments as
an instructional method. We provide the theoretical foundation
of frame experiments with a sample scenario of their use and
conclude by sharing specific instructional activities that
instructors may use to build design judgment.
Debs, Luciana; Gray, Colin M; Asunda, Paul A
Students' perceptions and reasoning patterns about the ethics of emerging technology Journal Article
In: International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2022, ISSN: 1573-1804.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Ethics and Values
@article{Debs2022-mt,
title = {Students' perceptions and reasoning patterns about the ethics of emerging technology},
author = {Luciana Debs and Colin M Gray and Paul A Asunda},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09719-w},
doi = {10.1007/s10798-021-09719-w},
issn = {1573-1804},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Technology and Design Education},
abstract = {Discussions around the unethical use of emerging technology have
become increasingly common in our society. Despite previous
research acknowledging the importance of including societal-level
discussions in engineering and technology undergraduate
curricula, there is a lack of research around college students'
understanding of and engagement with the ethics of new and
emerging technology. In this qualitative study, we present the
results from 17 interviews with students from a range of
engineering and technology fields, describing how they reason as
both designers and consumers of new technology. Our goal is to
characterize students' patterns of reasoning about the ethics of
new technology, and, in this paper, we describe how this
reasoning is argued from multiple stakeholder perspectives
(corporations, government, professionals, users and society). Our
findings indicate privacy, security and balance of power as the
most relevant ethical issues to respondents, and that
participants consider several stakeholders in their reasoning,
often shifting among multiple perspectives. Furthermore,
interviewed students often concluded their reasoning by either
resigning themselves to the pervasiveness of technology or by
pushing the liability concerns to one stakeholder while
diminishing the responsibility of others. In each case,
respondents frequently avoided entering societal-level
discussions related to ethical issues of emerging technology. Our
results offer relevant insights that can facilitate further work
related to the research and teaching of ethics to college
students, as well as suggest areas for future research
particularly building upon participants' feelings of resignation
in relation to unethical use of new technology.},
keywords = {Design Education, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Discussions around the unethical use of emerging technology have
become increasingly common in our society. Despite previous
research acknowledging the importance of including societal-level
discussions in engineering and technology undergraduate
curricula, there is a lack of research around college students'
understanding of and engagement with the ethics of new and
emerging technology. In this qualitative study, we present the
results from 17 interviews with students from a range of
engineering and technology fields, describing how they reason as
both designers and consumers of new technology. Our goal is to
characterize students' patterns of reasoning about the ethics of
new technology, and, in this paper, we describe how this
reasoning is argued from multiple stakeholder perspectives
(corporations, government, professionals, users and society). Our
findings indicate privacy, security and balance of power as the
most relevant ethical issues to respondents, and that
participants consider several stakeholders in their reasoning,
often shifting among multiple perspectives. Furthermore,
interviewed students often concluded their reasoning by either
resigning themselves to the pervasiveness of technology or by
pushing the liability concerns to one stakeholder while
diminishing the responsibility of others. In each case,
respondents frequently avoided entering societal-level
discussions related to ethical issues of emerging technology. Our
results offer relevant insights that can facilitate further work
related to the research and teaching of ethics to college
students, as well as suggest areas for future research
particularly building upon participants' feelings of resignation
in relation to unethical use of new technology.
become increasingly common in our society. Despite previous
research acknowledging the importance of including societal-level
discussions in engineering and technology undergraduate
curricula, there is a lack of research around college students'
understanding of and engagement with the ethics of new and
emerging technology. In this qualitative study, we present the
results from 17 interviews with students from a range of
engineering and technology fields, describing how they reason as
both designers and consumers of new technology. Our goal is to
characterize students' patterns of reasoning about the ethics of
new technology, and, in this paper, we describe how this
reasoning is argued from multiple stakeholder perspectives
(corporations, government, professionals, users and society). Our
findings indicate privacy, security and balance of power as the
most relevant ethical issues to respondents, and that
participants consider several stakeholders in their reasoning,
often shifting among multiple perspectives. Furthermore,
interviewed students often concluded their reasoning by either
resigning themselves to the pervasiveness of technology or by
pushing the liability concerns to one stakeholder while
diminishing the responsibility of others. In each case,
respondents frequently avoided entering societal-level
discussions related to ethical issues of emerging technology. Our
results offer relevant insights that can facilitate further work
related to the research and teaching of ethics to college
students, as well as suggest areas for future research
particularly building upon participants' feelings of resignation
in relation to unethical use of new technology.
Gray, Colin M
Building an Ethnographic Toolbox: Engaging Analog and Digital Tools in Virtual and Physical Spaces Journal Article
In: TechTrends, vol. 66, no. 1, pp. 56–67, 2022, ISSN: 1559-7075.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Theory, Design Education, Instructional Design, Research Methods
@article{Gray2022-bj,
title = {Building an Ethnographic Toolbox: Engaging Analog and Digital Tools in Virtual and Physical Spaces},
author = {Colin M Gray},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-021-00680-y},
doi = {10.1007/s11528-021-00680-y},
issn = {1559-7075},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
journal = {TechTrends},
volume = {66},
number = {1},
pages = {56--67},
abstract = {Studio pedagogy has been used as a comprehensive approach to
prepare students to practice within their chosen discipline of
design. However, little is known about how students experience
these learning environments, including the interplay of social
and educational experiences that support the development of
expertise and identity. To explore and evaluate this complexity,
I used a critical ethnographic approach to immerse myself for one
year in a physical studio and set of Facebook groups, which in
parallel supported students' learning experience. I describe the
``ethnographic toolbox'' that I built and utilized to inform
interpretations of the physical and virtual learning
environments. This toolbox included analog and digital tools,
along with many forms of sensemaking, archiving, and engagement
with metadata that both structured and enabled my role as an
ethnographer. I describe the set of tools, and use vignettes to
illustrate how these tools were used in physical and virtual
environments.},
keywords = {Critical Theory, Design Education, Instructional Design, Research Methods},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Studio pedagogy has been used as a comprehensive approach to
prepare students to practice within their chosen discipline of
design. However, little is known about how students experience
these learning environments, including the interplay of social
and educational experiences that support the development of
expertise and identity. To explore and evaluate this complexity,
I used a critical ethnographic approach to immerse myself for one
year in a physical studio and set of Facebook groups, which in
parallel supported students' learning experience. I describe the
``ethnographic toolbox'' that I built and utilized to inform
interpretations of the physical and virtual learning
environments. This toolbox included analog and digital tools,
along with many forms of sensemaking, archiving, and engagement
with metadata that both structured and enabled my role as an
ethnographer. I describe the set of tools, and use vignettes to
illustrate how these tools were used in physical and virtual
environments.
prepare students to practice within their chosen discipline of
design. However, little is known about how students experience
these learning environments, including the interplay of social
and educational experiences that support the development of
expertise and identity. To explore and evaluate this complexity,
I used a critical ethnographic approach to immerse myself for one
year in a physical studio and set of Facebook groups, which in
parallel supported students' learning experience. I describe the
``ethnographic toolbox'' that I built and utilized to inform
interpretations of the physical and virtual learning
environments. This toolbox included analog and digital tools,
along with many forms of sensemaking, archiving, and engagement
with metadata that both structured and enabled my role as an
ethnographer. I describe the set of tools, and use vignettes to
illustrate how these tools were used in physical and virtual
environments.
2021
Di, Zhu; Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; Liu, Wei
Building a Cross-Cultural UX Design Dual Degree Proceedings Article
In: IASDR 2021: The Ninth Congress of the International Association of Societies of Design Research, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Di2021-wv,
title = {Building a Cross-Cultural UX Design Dual Degree},
author = {Zhu Di and Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Wei Liu},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021_Dietal_IASDR_CrossCulturalUXDesignDualDegree.pdf},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-12-01},
urldate = {2021-12-01},
booktitle = {IASDR 2021: The Ninth Congress of the International
Association of Societies of Design Research},
abstract = {User Experience (UX) design has expanded rapidly across a range of industry and educational contexts in the last decade. While the core knowledge and “center” of UX is still emergent and contested, new educational programs to train the next generation of UX designers have begun to outline pedagogical practices and concepts that have relevance to the present and future of UX as a discipline. In this paper, we take a broad view of UX preparation, building on a case study of a global dual degree partnership between programs in the United States and China. We recount our individual experiences of building new programs in UX at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and the process of mapping our curricula to offer a bidirectional dual degree program that launched in 2019.},
keywords = {Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
User Experience (UX) design has expanded rapidly across a range of industry and educational contexts in the last decade. While the core knowledge and “center” of UX is still emergent and contested, new educational programs to train the next generation of UX designers have begun to outline pedagogical practices and concepts that have relevance to the present and future of UX as a discipline. In this paper, we take a broad view of UX preparation, building on a case study of a global dual degree partnership between programs in the United States and China. We recount our individual experiences of building new programs in UX at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and the process of mapping our curricula to offer a bidirectional dual degree program that launched in 2019.
Gray, Colin M
"Scaling Up" and Adapting to Crisis: Shifting a Residential UX Studio Program Online Journal Article
In: Design and Technology Education, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy
@article{Gray2021-oq,
title = {"Scaling Up" and Adapting to Crisis: Shifting a Residential UX Studio Program Online},
author = {Colin M Gray},
url = {https://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/DATE/article/view/2969},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-11-01},
urldate = {2021-11-01},
journal = {Design and Technology Education},
abstract = {Our undergraduate UX program at Purdue University launched in 2016 as one of the first UX-focused undergraduate degree programs in the United States, intentionally designed to support the unique characteristics of a residential, research-intensive, land-grant institution. We designed multiple overlapping studio experiences that formed multiple connections among cohorts, supporting mentorship, cognitive apprenticeship, the construction of social bonds, and reflection on one’s own development as a designer. Our program was experiencing quick growth, with our cohort size growing from 20 students in 2016 to 50 students in 2021. With the onset of pandemic restrictions, the challenges of “scaling up” and the challenges of building a virtual studio pedagogy thus met. Our “hidden curriculum” of peer feedback and tacit learning, critique as a means of socialization and feedback, emancipation of the self, and allowance for identity formation pointed towards studio properties that were central to our pedagogy and needed to be reformulated or rethought. I describe the resulting “dimensions of crisis” that impacted our pedagogy and practice, the new supports for studio learning practices that we designed, and how these changes may lead to lasting changes to our residential program once the restrictions of the pandemic subside.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Our undergraduate UX program at Purdue University launched in 2016 as one of the first UX-focused undergraduate degree programs in the United States, intentionally designed to support the unique characteristics of a residential, research-intensive, land-grant institution. We designed multiple overlapping studio experiences that formed multiple connections among cohorts, supporting mentorship, cognitive apprenticeship, the construction of social bonds, and reflection on one’s own development as a designer. Our program was experiencing quick growth, with our cohort size growing from 20 students in 2016 to 50 students in 2021. With the onset of pandemic restrictions, the challenges of “scaling up” and the challenges of building a virtual studio pedagogy thus met. Our “hidden curriculum” of peer feedback and tacit learning, critique as a means of socialization and feedback, emancipation of the self, and allowance for identity formation pointed towards studio properties that were central to our pedagogy and needed to be reformulated or rethought. I describe the resulting “dimensions of crisis” that impacted our pedagogy and practice, the new supports for studio learning practices that we designed, and how these changes may lead to lasting changes to our residential program once the restrictions of the pandemic subside.
Liu, Wei; Lee, Kun-Pyo; Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; Chen, Kuo-Hsiang; Leifer, Larry
Transdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in UX Design: A Program Review and AR Case Studies Journal Article
In: Applied Sciences, vol. 11, no. 22, pp. 10648, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, HCI Education, Transdisciplinary Education
@article{Liu2021-sz,
title = {Transdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in UX Design: A Program Review and AR Case Studies},
author = {Wei Liu and Kun-Pyo Lee and Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Kuo-Hsiang Chen and Larry Leifer},
doi = {10.3390/app112210648},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-11-01},
urldate = {2021-11-01},
journal = {Applied Sciences},
volume = {11},
number = {22},
pages = {10648},
abstract = {Today's user experience (UX) educators and designers can no
longer just focus on creat- ing more usable systems, but must
also rise to the level of strategists, using design thinking and
human--computer interaction (HCI) solutions to improve academic
and business outcomes. Both psychological, designer, and
engineering approaches are adopted in this study. An invited
program review committee met to review progress of the UX program
at the Beijing Normal University (BNUX). They considered issues
and challenges facing the program today, and the steps that it
could make to develop further. During a recent augmented reality
(AR) project on designing future life experience on smart home
and wearables, several experiential concepts and prototypes were
generated to demonstrate HCI and UX research directions. The
committee was impressed by BNUX with its energy, enthusiasm, and
a sense of purpose on practicing transdisciplinary teaching and
learning activities. Recommendations on the current organization
of education, the relation between project-based learning and
research, and opportunities for exposure and visibility are
provided.},
keywords = {Design Education, HCI Education, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Today's user experience (UX) educators and designers can no
longer just focus on creat- ing more usable systems, but must
also rise to the level of strategists, using design thinking and
human--computer interaction (HCI) solutions to improve academic
and business outcomes. Both psychological, designer, and
engineering approaches are adopted in this study. An invited
program review committee met to review progress of the UX program
at the Beijing Normal University (BNUX). They considered issues
and challenges facing the program today, and the steps that it
could make to develop further. During a recent augmented reality
(AR) project on designing future life experience on smart home
and wearables, several experiential concepts and prototypes were
generated to demonstrate HCI and UX research directions. The
committee was impressed by BNUX with its energy, enthusiasm, and
a sense of purpose on practicing transdisciplinary teaching and
learning activities. Recommendations on the current organization
of education, the relation between project-based learning and
research, and opportunities for exposure and visibility are
provided.
longer just focus on creat- ing more usable systems, but must
also rise to the level of strategists, using design thinking and
human--computer interaction (HCI) solutions to improve academic
and business outcomes. Both psychological, designer, and
engineering approaches are adopted in this study. An invited
program review committee met to review progress of the UX program
at the Beijing Normal University (BNUX). They considered issues
and challenges facing the program today, and the steps that it
could make to develop further. During a recent augmented reality
(AR) project on designing future life experience on smart home
and wearables, several experiential concepts and prototypes were
generated to demonstrate HCI and UX research directions. The
committee was impressed by BNUX with its energy, enthusiasm, and
a sense of purpose on practicing transdisciplinary teaching and
learning activities. Recommendations on the current organization
of education, the relation between project-based learning and
research, and opportunities for exposure and visibility are
provided.
Liu, Wei; Lee, Kun-Pyo; Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; Chen, Kuo-Hsiang; Leifer, Larry
Transdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in UX Design: A Program Review and AR Case Studies Journal Article
In: Äpplied Sciences, vol. 11, no. 22, pp. 10648, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, UX Knowledge
@article{Liu2021-szb,
title = {Transdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in UX Design: A Program Review and AR Case Studies},
author = {Wei Liu and Kun-Pyo Lee and Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Kuo-Hsiang Chen and Larry Leifer},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci},
doi = {10.3390/app112210648},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-11-01},
urldate = {2021-11-01},
journal = {Äpplied Sciences},
volume = {11},
number = {22},
pages = {10648},
abstract = {Today's user experience (UX) educators and designers can no
longer just focus on creat- ing more usable systems, but must
also rise to the level of strategists, using design thinking and
human--computer interaction (HCI) solutions to improve academic
and business outcomes. Both psychological, designer, and
engineering approaches are adopted in this study. An invited
program review committee met to review progress of the UX program
at the Beijing Normal University (BNUX). They considered issues
and challenges facing the program today, and the steps that it
could make to develop further. During a recent augmented reality
(AR) project on designing future life experience on smart home
and wearables, several experiential concepts and prototypes were
generated to demonstrate HCI and UX research directions. The
committee was impressed by BNUX with its energy, enthusiasm, and
a sense of purpose on practicing transdisciplinary teaching and
learning activities. Recommendations on the current organization
of education, the relation between project-based learning and
research, and opportunities for exposure and visibility are
provided.},
keywords = {Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Today's user experience (UX) educators and designers can no
longer just focus on creat- ing more usable systems, but must
also rise to the level of strategists, using design thinking and
human--computer interaction (HCI) solutions to improve academic
and business outcomes. Both psychological, designer, and
engineering approaches are adopted in this study. An invited
program review committee met to review progress of the UX program
at the Beijing Normal University (BNUX). They considered issues
and challenges facing the program today, and the steps that it
could make to develop further. During a recent augmented reality
(AR) project on designing future life experience on smart home
and wearables, several experiential concepts and prototypes were
generated to demonstrate HCI and UX research directions. The
committee was impressed by BNUX with its energy, enthusiasm, and
a sense of purpose on practicing transdisciplinary teaching and
learning activities. Recommendations on the current organization
of education, the relation between project-based learning and
research, and opportunities for exposure and visibility are
provided.
longer just focus on creat- ing more usable systems, but must
also rise to the level of strategists, using design thinking and
human--computer interaction (HCI) solutions to improve academic
and business outcomes. Both psychological, designer, and
engineering approaches are adopted in this study. An invited
program review committee met to review progress of the UX program
at the Beijing Normal University (BNUX). They considered issues
and challenges facing the program today, and the steps that it
could make to develop further. During a recent augmented reality
(AR) project on designing future life experience on smart home
and wearables, several experiential concepts and prototypes were
generated to demonstrate HCI and UX research directions. The
committee was impressed by BNUX with its energy, enthusiasm, and
a sense of purpose on practicing transdisciplinary teaching and
learning activities. Recommendations on the current organization
of education, the relation between project-based learning and
research, and opportunities for exposure and visibility are
provided.
Li, Ziqing; Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; McDonald, Kevin; Marinovic, Lukas; Liu, Wei
Cross-Cultural UX Pedagogy: A China–US Case Study Proceedings Article
In: LearnxDesign: The 6th International Conference for Design Education Researchers, Jinan, China, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, Instructional Design, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Li2021-pm,
title = {Cross-Cultural UX Pedagogy: A China–US Case Study},
author = {Ziqing Li and Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Kevin McDonald and Lukas Marinovic and Wei Liu},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2021_Lietal_LxD_CrossCulturalUXPedagogy.pdf},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-09-01},
urldate = {2021-09-01},
booktitle = {LearnxDesign: The 6th International Conference for Design
Education Researchers},
address = {Jinan, China},
institution = {Shandong University of Art and Design},
abstract = {The recent emergence of new undergraduate and graduate design
programs with a focus specific to User Experience (UX) offers
new opportunities to engage with the complexity of these
educational practices. In this paper, we report on a series of
ten interviews with students and faculty to describe
cross-cultural connections between two UX-focused programs,
one in China and one in the United States. Our study includes
the perspectives of students who engaged in intercultural UX
experiences, as well as the perspectives of the faculty who
designed those student experiences through an intercultural
partnership. We report on how each program was created,
developed, and iterated upon, describing program goals and
student experiences across both pro-grams from student and
instructor perspectives. We demonstrate the complexity of UX
educational experiences on an international scale, concluding
with opportunities for intercultural engagement and the
potential for links among education, profession, culture, and
pedagogy.},
keywords = {Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, Instructional Design, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The recent emergence of new undergraduate and graduate design
programs with a focus specific to User Experience (UX) offers
new opportunities to engage with the complexity of these
educational practices. In this paper, we report on a series of
ten interviews with students and faculty to describe
cross-cultural connections between two UX-focused programs,
one in China and one in the United States. Our study includes
the perspectives of students who engaged in intercultural UX
experiences, as well as the perspectives of the faculty who
designed those student experiences through an intercultural
partnership. We report on how each program was created,
developed, and iterated upon, describing program goals and
student experiences across both pro-grams from student and
instructor perspectives. We demonstrate the complexity of UX
educational experiences on an international scale, concluding
with opportunities for intercultural engagement and the
potential for links among education, profession, culture, and
pedagogy.
programs with a focus specific to User Experience (UX) offers
new opportunities to engage with the complexity of these
educational practices. In this paper, we report on a series of
ten interviews with students and faculty to describe
cross-cultural connections between two UX-focused programs,
one in China and one in the United States. Our study includes
the perspectives of students who engaged in intercultural UX
experiences, as well as the perspectives of the faculty who
designed those student experiences through an intercultural
partnership. We report on how each program was created,
developed, and iterated upon, describing program goals and
student experiences across both pro-grams from student and
instructor perspectives. We demonstrate the complexity of UX
educational experiences on an international scale, concluding
with opportunities for intercultural engagement and the
potential for links among education, profession, culture, and
pedagogy.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Melkey, Kassandra; Manocha, Rhea
Understanding “Dark” Design Roles in Computing Education Proceedings Article
In: ICER'21: Proceedings of the 14th ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Design Education, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Gray2021b,
title = {Understanding “Dark” Design Roles in Computing Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Kassandra Melkey and Rhea Manocha},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3446871.3469754},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-08-19},
urldate = {2021-08-19},
booktitle = {ICER'21: Proceedings of the 14th ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research},
abstract = {In conjunction with the increasing ubiquity of technology,
computing educators have identified the need for pedagogical
engagement with ethical awareness and moral reasoning. Typical
approaches to incorporating ethics in computing curricula have
focused primarily on abstract methods, principles, or paradigms
of ethical reasoning, with relatively little focus on examining
and developing students' pragmatic awareness of ethics as
grounded in their everyday work practices. In this paper, we
identify and describe computing students' negotiation of values
as they engage in authentic design problems through a lab
protocol study. We collected data from four groups of three
students each, with each group including participants from
either undergraduate User Experience Design students, Industrial
Engineering students, or a mix of both. We used a thematic
analysis approach to identify the roles that students took on to
address the design prompt. Through our analysis, we found that
the students took on a variety of ``dark'' roles that resulted
in manipulation of the user and prioritization of stakeholder
needs over user needs, with a focus either on building solutions
or building rationale for design decisions. We found these roles
to actively propagate through design discourses, impacting other
designers in ways that frequently reinforced unethical decision
making. Even when students were aware of ethical concerns based
on their educational training, this awareness did not
consistently result in ethically-sound decisions. These findings
indicate the need for additional ethical supports to inform
everyday computing practice, including means of actively
identifying and balancing negative societal impacts of design
decisions. The roles we have identified may productively support
the development of pragmatically-focused ethical training in
computing education, while adding more precision to future
analysis of computing student discourses and outputs.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Design Education, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In conjunction with the increasing ubiquity of technology,
computing educators have identified the need for pedagogical
engagement with ethical awareness and moral reasoning. Typical
approaches to incorporating ethics in computing curricula have
focused primarily on abstract methods, principles, or paradigms
of ethical reasoning, with relatively little focus on examining
and developing students' pragmatic awareness of ethics as
grounded in their everyday work practices. In this paper, we
identify and describe computing students' negotiation of values
as they engage in authentic design problems through a lab
protocol study. We collected data from four groups of three
students each, with each group including participants from
either undergraduate User Experience Design students, Industrial
Engineering students, or a mix of both. We used a thematic
analysis approach to identify the roles that students took on to
address the design prompt. Through our analysis, we found that
the students took on a variety of ``dark'' roles that resulted
in manipulation of the user and prioritization of stakeholder
needs over user needs, with a focus either on building solutions
or building rationale for design decisions. We found these roles
to actively propagate through design discourses, impacting other
designers in ways that frequently reinforced unethical decision
making. Even when students were aware of ethical concerns based
on their educational training, this awareness did not
consistently result in ethically-sound decisions. These findings
indicate the need for additional ethical supports to inform
everyday computing practice, including means of actively
identifying and balancing negative societal impacts of design
decisions. The roles we have identified may productively support
the development of pragmatically-focused ethical training in
computing education, while adding more precision to future
analysis of computing student discourses and outputs.
computing educators have identified the need for pedagogical
engagement with ethical awareness and moral reasoning. Typical
approaches to incorporating ethics in computing curricula have
focused primarily on abstract methods, principles, or paradigms
of ethical reasoning, with relatively little focus on examining
and developing students' pragmatic awareness of ethics as
grounded in their everyday work practices. In this paper, we
identify and describe computing students' negotiation of values
as they engage in authentic design problems through a lab
protocol study. We collected data from four groups of three
students each, with each group including participants from
either undergraduate User Experience Design students, Industrial
Engineering students, or a mix of both. We used a thematic
analysis approach to identify the roles that students took on to
address the design prompt. Through our analysis, we found that
the students took on a variety of ``dark'' roles that resulted
in manipulation of the user and prioritization of stakeholder
needs over user needs, with a focus either on building solutions
or building rationale for design decisions. We found these roles
to actively propagate through design discourses, impacting other
designers in ways that frequently reinforced unethical decision
making. Even when students were aware of ethical concerns based
on their educational training, this awareness did not
consistently result in ethically-sound decisions. These findings
indicate the need for additional ethical supports to inform
everyday computing practice, including means of actively
identifying and balancing negative societal impacts of design
decisions. The roles we have identified may productively support
the development of pragmatically-focused ethical training in
computing education, while adding more precision to future
analysis of computing student discourses and outputs.
Gray, Colin M; Wolford, Christopher; Huston, Davin
Iterating Overnight: Using Cardboard to Teach Audio During a Pandemic Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Mudd Design Workshop XII: Designing Through Making: 2-D and 3-D Representations of Designs In Campus Facilities and Remotely, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA, 2021.
Abstract | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Methods, Design Theory, Prototyping
@inproceedings{Gray2021-so,
title = {Iterating Overnight: Using Cardboard to Teach Audio During a Pandemic},
author = {Colin M Gray and Christopher Wolford and Davin Huston},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Mudd Design Workshop XII: Designing Through Making: 2-D and 3-D Representations of Designs In Campus Facilities and Remotely},
publisher = {Harvey Mudd College},
address = {Claremont, CA},
abstract = {Prototyping is a key competency in engineering and technology
disciplines, bridging abstract and often-technical design
requirements and the realization of these requirements in the
physical world. While many approaches have historically been
used to encourage the development of prototyping competence in
engineering education, rapid fabrication techniques are
increasingly available both to students and the general public
as part of the ``maker movement.`` However, the development of
prototyping competence has been considered to be understudied,
particularly with regard to the appropriate levels of fidelity
through which a prototype might be most beneficial to
problematize the design situation, allow exploration of the
problem space, and facilitate iteration. In this paper, we
describe the tensions among technologically and pragmatically
different approaches to prototyping. We focus our inquiry on a
traditionally in-person multidisciplinary engineering/technology
lab course which was confronted with two difficulties: a
building construction project that caused the lab to be
relocated off of the main campus with limited fabrication
equipment availability and a mid-semester shift to online-only
instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of
these two instructional tensions, we describe the outcomes of a
student project to design and fabricate a functioning
loudspeaker in cardboard, providing a detailed account of the
design outcomes and process moves that resulted from this shift
in fabrication approach.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Methods, Design Theory, Prototyping},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Prototyping is a key competency in engineering and technology
disciplines, bridging abstract and often-technical design
requirements and the realization of these requirements in the
physical world. While many approaches have historically been
used to encourage the development of prototyping competence in
engineering education, rapid fabrication techniques are
increasingly available both to students and the general public
as part of the ``maker movement.`` However, the development of
prototyping competence has been considered to be understudied,
particularly with regard to the appropriate levels of fidelity
through which a prototype might be most beneficial to
problematize the design situation, allow exploration of the
problem space, and facilitate iteration. In this paper, we
describe the tensions among technologically and pragmatically
different approaches to prototyping. We focus our inquiry on a
traditionally in-person multidisciplinary engineering/technology
lab course which was confronted with two difficulties: a
building construction project that caused the lab to be
relocated off of the main campus with limited fabrication
equipment availability and a mid-semester shift to online-only
instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of
these two instructional tensions, we describe the outcomes of a
student project to design and fabricate a functioning
loudspeaker in cardboard, providing a detailed account of the
design outcomes and process moves that resulted from this shift
in fabrication approach.
disciplines, bridging abstract and often-technical design
requirements and the realization of these requirements in the
physical world. While many approaches have historically been
used to encourage the development of prototyping competence in
engineering education, rapid fabrication techniques are
increasingly available both to students and the general public
as part of the ``maker movement.`` However, the development of
prototyping competence has been considered to be understudied,
particularly with regard to the appropriate levels of fidelity
through which a prototype might be most beneficial to
problematize the design situation, allow exploration of the
problem space, and facilitate iteration. In this paper, we
describe the tensions among technologically and pragmatically
different approaches to prototyping. We focus our inquiry on a
traditionally in-person multidisciplinary engineering/technology
lab course which was confronted with two difficulties: a
building construction project that caused the lab to be
relocated off of the main campus with limited fabrication
equipment availability and a mid-semester shift to online-only
instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of
these two instructional tensions, we describe the outcomes of a
student project to design and fabricate a functioning
loudspeaker in cardboard, providing a detailed account of the
design outcomes and process moves that resulted from this shift
in fabrication approach.
2020
Watkins, Chris Rhys; Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; Parsons, Paul
Tensions in Enacting a Design Philosophy in UX Practice Proceedings Article
In: DIS'20: Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2020, ACM Press, New York, NY, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge, UX Practice
@inproceedings{Watkins2020-zr,
title = {Tensions in Enacting a Design Philosophy in UX Practice},
author = {Chris Rhys Watkins and Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Paul Parsons},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020_Watkinsetal_DIS_TensionsDesignPhilosophy.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3357236.3395505},
doi = {10.1145/3357236.3395505},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-07-01},
booktitle = {DIS'20: Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems
Conference 2020},
publisher = {ACM Press},
address = {New York, NY},
series = {DIS'20},
abstract = {Design culture is increasingly present within organizations,
especially with the rise of UX as a profession. Yet there are
often disconnects between the development of a design philosophy
and its translation in practice. Students preparing for UX
careers are positioned in a liminal space between their
educational experience and future practice, and are actively
working to build a bridge between their developing philosophy of
design and the translation of that philosophy when faced with
the complexity of design practice. In this study, we interviewed
ten students and practitioners educated within design-oriented
HCI programs, focusing on their design philosophy and evaluating
how their philosophical beliefs were shaped in practice.
Building on prior work on flows of competence, we thematically
analyzed these interviews, identifying the philosophical beliefs
of these designers and their trajectories of development,
adoption, or suppression in industry. We identify opportunities
for enhancements to UX educational practices and future research
on design complexity in industry contexts.},
keywords = {Design Education, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Design culture is increasingly present within organizations,
especially with the rise of UX as a profession. Yet there are
often disconnects between the development of a design philosophy
and its translation in practice. Students preparing for UX
careers are positioned in a liminal space between their
educational experience and future practice, and are actively
working to build a bridge between their developing philosophy of
design and the translation of that philosophy when faced with
the complexity of design practice. In this study, we interviewed
ten students and practitioners educated within design-oriented
HCI programs, focusing on their design philosophy and evaluating
how their philosophical beliefs were shaped in practice.
Building on prior work on flows of competence, we thematically
analyzed these interviews, identifying the philosophical beliefs
of these designers and their trajectories of development,
adoption, or suppression in industry. We identify opportunities
for enhancements to UX educational practices and future research
on design complexity in industry contexts.
especially with the rise of UX as a profession. Yet there are
often disconnects between the development of a design philosophy
and its translation in practice. Students preparing for UX
careers are positioned in a liminal space between their
educational experience and future practice, and are actively
working to build a bridge between their developing philosophy of
design and the translation of that philosophy when faced with
the complexity of design practice. In this study, we interviewed
ten students and practitioners educated within design-oriented
HCI programs, focusing on their design philosophy and evaluating
how their philosophical beliefs were shaped in practice.
Building on prior work on flows of competence, we thematically
analyzed these interviews, identifying the philosophical beliefs
of these designers and their trajectories of development,
adoption, or suppression in industry. We identify opportunities
for enhancements to UX educational practices and future research
on design complexity in industry contexts.
Gray, Colin M; Parsons, Paul; Toombs, Austin L
Building a Holistic Design Identity Through Integrated Studio Education Book Chapter
In: Hokanson, Brad; Clinton, Gregory; Tawfik, Andrew; Grincewicz, Amy; Schmidt, Matthew (Ed.): Educational Technology Beyond Content - A New Focus for Learning, pp. 43-55, Springer, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, HCI Education, Instructional Design, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education
@inbook{Gray2020e,
title = {Building a Holistic Design Identity Through Integrated Studio Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Paul Parsons and Austin L Toombs},
editor = {Brad Hokanson and Gregory Clinton and Andrew Tawfik and Amy Grincewicz and Matthew Schmidt},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37254-5_4},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-37254-5_4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-01},
urldate = {2020-04-01},
booktitle = {Educational Technology Beyond Content - A New Focus for Learning},
pages = {43-55},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {Design education has quickly evolved from product- to interaction-focused outcomes. As the technical skills needed for success become increasingly unstable, a holistic means of instruction is needed to prepare students for the realities of practice. In this chapter, we describe the creation of a novel undergraduate user experience (UX) design program that focuses on learning strands that weave throughout a studio-based program. Instead of relying upon content-delineated coursework, where strands of competence necessary for practice are often siloed, the integrated studio encourages students to build a flexible design identity, relating multiple strands of content to one another in a systematic way throughout their program.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, HCI Education, Instructional Design, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
Design education has quickly evolved from product- to interaction-focused outcomes. As the technical skills needed for success become increasingly unstable, a holistic means of instruction is needed to prepare students for the realities of practice. In this chapter, we describe the creation of a novel undergraduate user experience (UX) design program that focuses on learning strands that weave throughout a studio-based program. Instead of relying upon content-delineated coursework, where strands of competence necessary for practice are often siloed, the integrated studio encourages students to build a flexible design identity, relating multiple strands of content to one another in a systematic way throughout their program.
Gray, Colin M; Parsons, Paul; Toombs, Austin L; Rasche, Nancy; Vorvoreanu, Mihaela
Designing an Aesthetic Learner Experience: UX, Instructional Design, and Design Pedagogy Journal Article
In: International Journal of Designs for Learning, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 41-58, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Case, Design Education, HCI Education, Instructional Design, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education
@article{Gray2020-sk,
title = {Designing an Aesthetic Learner Experience: UX, Instructional Design, and Design Pedagogy},
author = {Colin M Gray and Paul Parsons and Austin L Toombs and Nancy Rasche and Mihaela Vorvoreanu},
doi = {10.14434/ijdl.v11i1.26065},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
urldate = {2020-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Designs for Learning},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {41-58},
abstract = {In this design case, we describe a multi-year process during which a team of faculty designed a four-year undergraduate major in user experience (UX) design at a large research-intensive institution. We document the program- and course-level design experiences of five faculty members. This multi-year process has culminated in a dual-strand, integrated studio learning environment. Two types of studios—“learning” and “experience” studios—form the core of the program, with learning studios allowing cohort-specific skills development and practice, and experience studios providing cross-cohort opportunities to work on industry projects. We detail our process of developing this course sequence and the program-level connecting points among the courses, identifying institutional supports and barriers, the unique and varied skillsets of the involved faculty, and the growing agency and competence of our students in the program.
},
keywords = {Design Case, Design Education, HCI Education, Instructional Design, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this design case, we describe a multi-year process during which a team of faculty designed a four-year undergraduate major in user experience (UX) design at a large research-intensive institution. We document the program- and course-level design experiences of five faculty members. This multi-year process has culminated in a dual-strand, integrated studio learning environment. Two types of studios—“learning” and “experience” studios—form the core of the program, with learning studios allowing cohort-specific skills development and practice, and experience studios providing cross-cohort opportunities to work on industry projects. We detail our process of developing this course sequence and the program-level connecting points among the courses, identifying institutional supports and barriers, the unique and varied skillsets of the involved faculty, and the growing agency and competence of our students in the program.
Boling, Elizabeth; Gray, Colin M; Smith, Kennon M
Educating for design character in higher education: Challenges in studio pedagogy Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Design Research Society, Design Research Society, Brisbane, Australia, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Identity, Studio Pedagogy
@inproceedings{Boling2020-ci,
title = {Educating for design character in higher education: Challenges in studio pedagogy},
author = {Elizabeth Boling and Colin M Gray and Kennon M Smith},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020_BolingGraySmith_DRS_DesignCharacter.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.120},
doi = {10.21606/drs.2020.120},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Design Research Society},
publisher = {Design Research Society},
address = {Brisbane, Australia},
abstract = {Some particular challenges in studio pedagogy arise from
teaching for design character versus focusing solely on skills,
knowledge or the cognitive processes of our students. In this
paper, three authors with extensive combined experience in
studio learning, teaching, and scholarship address these
challenges via reflection on our own experiences of research and
teaching and in-depth discussion with each other. We adopt a
co/autoethnographic approach (Coia & Taylor, 2009), identifying
a range of challenges we have faced ourselves across three
established and emergent design disciplines. These challenges
are grouped in relationship to students, to curriculum, to our
colleagues, and to ourselves. In our experience these challenges
affect instructors differently than---and in addition to---those
presented by traditional studio, and we present opportunities to
build on these articulated challenges to further studio
pedagogy.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Identity, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Some particular challenges in studio pedagogy arise from
teaching for design character versus focusing solely on skills,
knowledge or the cognitive processes of our students. In this
paper, three authors with extensive combined experience in
studio learning, teaching, and scholarship address these
challenges via reflection on our own experiences of research and
teaching and in-depth discussion with each other. We adopt a
co/autoethnographic approach (Coia & Taylor, 2009), identifying
a range of challenges we have faced ourselves across three
established and emergent design disciplines. These challenges
are grouped in relationship to students, to curriculum, to our
colleagues, and to ourselves. In our experience these challenges
affect instructors differently than---and in addition to---those
presented by traditional studio, and we present opportunities to
build on these articulated challenges to further studio
pedagogy.
teaching for design character versus focusing solely on skills,
knowledge or the cognitive processes of our students. In this
paper, three authors with extensive combined experience in
studio learning, teaching, and scholarship address these
challenges via reflection on our own experiences of research and
teaching and in-depth discussion with each other. We adopt a
co/autoethnographic approach (Coia & Taylor, 2009), identifying
a range of challenges we have faced ourselves across three
established and emergent design disciplines. These challenges
are grouped in relationship to students, to curriculum, to our
colleagues, and to ourselves. In our experience these challenges
affect instructors differently than---and in addition to---those
presented by traditional studio, and we present opportunities to
build on these articulated challenges to further studio
pedagogy.
Varner, Deena; Gray, Colin M; Exter, Marisa E
A Content-Agnostic Praxis for Transdisciplinary Education Book Chapter
In: Hokanson, Brad; Clinton, Gregory; Tawfik, Andrew A; Grincewicz, Amy; Schmidt, Matthew (Ed.): Educational Technology Beyond Content: A New Focus for Learning, pp. 141-151, Springer International Publishing, Cham, 2020, ISBN: 9783030372545.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Instructional Design, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@inbook{Varner2020b,
title = {A Content-Agnostic Praxis for Transdisciplinary Education},
author = {Deena Varner and Colin M Gray and Marisa E Exter},
editor = {Brad Hokanson and Gregory Clinton and Andrew A Tawfik and Amy Grincewicz and Matthew Schmidt},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37254-5_12},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-37254-5_12},
isbn = {9783030372545},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
booktitle = {Educational Technology Beyond Content: A New Focus for Learning},
pages = {141-151},
publisher = {Springer International Publishing},
address = {Cham},
abstract = {In this chapter, we describe a novel transdisciplinary undergraduate program that is focused on developing students’ praxis to address problems across disciplinary boundaries and provide a means to interrogate discipline-specific content, epistemologies, and research methodologies they might encounter across those spaces. We argue that undergraduate educators have the potential to inculcate students’ praxis to effect social innovation across disciplinary boundaries by facilitating engagement with three interrelated processes: habits of mind, ways of knowing, and the adoption of a transdisciplinary, content-agnostic skillset. We describe each set of processes, along with core transdisciplinary skills and ways of knowing, building towards a content-agnostic instructional design approach.},
keywords = {Design Education, Instructional Design, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
In this chapter, we describe a novel transdisciplinary undergraduate program that is focused on developing students’ praxis to address problems across disciplinary boundaries and provide a means to interrogate discipline-specific content, epistemologies, and research methodologies they might encounter across those spaces. We argue that undergraduate educators have the potential to inculcate students’ praxis to effect social innovation across disciplinary boundaries by facilitating engagement with three interrelated processes: habits of mind, ways of knowing, and the adoption of a transdisciplinary, content-agnostic skillset. We describe each set of processes, along with core transdisciplinary skills and ways of knowing, building towards a content-agnostic instructional design approach.
2019
Gray, Colin M
Democratizing assessment practices through multimodal critique in the design classroom Journal Article
In: International Journal of Technology and Design Education, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 929-946, 2019, ISSN: 1573-1804.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critique, Design Education, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy
@article{Gray2018-pv,
title = {Democratizing assessment practices through multimodal critique in the design classroom},
author = {Colin M Gray},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-018-9471-2},
doi = {10.1007/s10798-018-9471-2},
issn = {1573-1804},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-01},
urldate = {2019-08-01},
journal = {International Journal of Technology and Design Education},
volume = {29},
number = {4},
pages = {929-946},
abstract = {Critique is a primary method of assessment and feedback used in design education, yet is not well understood apart from traditional instructor-led activities in physical learning spaces. In this study, we analyze a series of group critiques in a human–computer interaction learning experience, focusing on an emergent instructional design for technologically-mediated critique created by experienced students serving as peer mentors. Peer mentors designed complex interactions that supported assessment in the design classroom, including multiple technology-supported modes of critique beyond the traditional oral critique. The modes of critique, and the ways in which they intertwined, included: (1) public oral critique led by the instructor, (2) a critique document authored by experienced students in real-time using Google Docs, and (3) backchannel chat used by experienced students in Google Docs to facilitate and organize their critique. Using this model of distributed assessment, which we refer to as multimodal critique, the amount of feedback and number of interlocutors increased dramatically, facilitating participation by students and peer mentors alike. These interactions indicate instructional affordances for including many simultaneous users within an existing assessment infrastructure using readily accessible technologies, and a means of activating student development at multiple levels of expertise.},
keywords = {Critique, Design Education, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Critique is a primary method of assessment and feedback used in design education, yet is not well understood apart from traditional instructor-led activities in physical learning spaces. In this study, we analyze a series of group critiques in a human–computer interaction learning experience, focusing on an emergent instructional design for technologically-mediated critique created by experienced students serving as peer mentors. Peer mentors designed complex interactions that supported assessment in the design classroom, including multiple technology-supported modes of critique beyond the traditional oral critique. The modes of critique, and the ways in which they intertwined, included: (1) public oral critique led by the instructor, (2) a critique document authored by experienced students in real-time using Google Docs, and (3) backchannel chat used by experienced students in Google Docs to facilitate and organize their critique. Using this model of distributed assessment, which we refer to as multimodal critique, the amount of feedback and number of interlocutors increased dramatically, facilitating participation by students and peer mentors alike. These interactions indicate instructional affordances for including many simultaneous users within an existing assessment infrastructure using readily accessible technologies, and a means of activating student development at multiple levels of expertise.
Gray, Colin M; McKilligan, Seda; Daly, Shanna R; Seifert, Colleen M; Gonzalez, Richard
Using creative exhaustion to foster idea generation Journal Article
In: International Journal of Technology and Design Education, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 177–195, 2019, ISSN: 0957-7572, 1573-1804.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Creativity, Design Education, Idea Generation
@article{Gray2019-go,
title = {Using creative exhaustion to foster idea generation},
author = {Colin M Gray and Seda McKilligan and Shanna R Daly and Colleen M Seifert and Richard Gonzalez},
url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10798-017-9435-y},
doi = {10.1007/s10798-017-9435-y},
issn = {0957-7572, 1573-1804},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Technology and Design Education},
volume = {29},
number = {1},
pages = {177--195},
publisher = {Springer Netherlands},
abstract = {Numerous studies have shown the value of introducing cognitive
supports to encourage the development of creative ability, and
researchers have developed a variety of methods to aid in
generating ideas. However, design students often struggle to
explore more ideas after their initial ideas are exhausted. In
this study, an empirically validated tool for idea generation,
called Design Heuristics, was introduced as a means of
productively pushing past creative exhaustion in an industrial
design course at a large Midwestern university. Students worked
on a simple design task on their own, generating an average of
6.1 concepts in a 30-min session; then, after 10 min of
instruction on the Design Heuristics tool, students generated an
average of 2.8 additional concepts for the same task using
Design Heuristics for an additional 30 min. The concepts created
in this second session using Design Heuristics were rated as
higher in novelty, specificity and relevance. These results
suggest that students benefit from introducing support tools
following a period of working on their own ideas. Once their own
ideas are exhausted, students may be more open to using and
learning from support tools, and these tools may support skill
development while producing higher quality outcomes.},
keywords = {Creativity, Design Education, Idea Generation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Numerous studies have shown the value of introducing cognitive
supports to encourage the development of creative ability, and
researchers have developed a variety of methods to aid in
generating ideas. However, design students often struggle to
explore more ideas after their initial ideas are exhausted. In
this study, an empirically validated tool for idea generation,
called Design Heuristics, was introduced as a means of
productively pushing past creative exhaustion in an industrial
design course at a large Midwestern university. Students worked
on a simple design task on their own, generating an average of
6.1 concepts in a 30-min session; then, after 10 min of
instruction on the Design Heuristics tool, students generated an
average of 2.8 additional concepts for the same task using
Design Heuristics for an additional 30 min. The concepts created
in this second session using Design Heuristics were rated as
higher in novelty, specificity and relevance. These results
suggest that students benefit from introducing support tools
following a period of working on their own ideas. Once their own
ideas are exhausted, students may be more open to using and
learning from support tools, and these tools may support skill
development while producing higher quality outcomes.
supports to encourage the development of creative ability, and
researchers have developed a variety of methods to aid in
generating ideas. However, design students often struggle to
explore more ideas after their initial ideas are exhausted. In
this study, an empirically validated tool for idea generation,
called Design Heuristics, was introduced as a means of
productively pushing past creative exhaustion in an industrial
design course at a large Midwestern university. Students worked
on a simple design task on their own, generating an average of
6.1 concepts in a 30-min session; then, after 10 min of
instruction on the Design Heuristics tool, students generated an
average of 2.8 additional concepts for the same task using
Design Heuristics for an additional 30 min. The concepts created
in this second session using Design Heuristics were rated as
higher in novelty, specificity and relevance. These results
suggest that students benefit from introducing support tools
following a period of working on their own ideas. Once their own
ideas are exhausted, students may be more open to using and
learning from support tools, and these tools may support skill
development while producing higher quality outcomes.
Exter, Marisa E; Gray, Colin M; Fernandez, Todd M
Conceptions of design by transdisciplinary educators: Disciplinary background and pedagogical engagement Journal Article
In: International Journal of Technology and Design Education, vol. 30, pp. 777-798, 2019, ISSN: 1573-1804.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Theory, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@article{Exter2019-uc,
title = {Conceptions of design by transdisciplinary educators: Disciplinary background and pedagogical engagement},
author = {Marisa E Exter and Colin M Gray and Todd M Fernandez},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/inpress_ExterGrayFernandez_IJTDE_ConceptionsOfDesign.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-019-09520-w},
doi = {10.1007/s10798-019-09520-w},
issn = {1573-1804},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Technology and Design Education},
volume = {30},
pages = {777-798},
abstract = {In this study, we describe similarities and differences in how
faculty members from across disciplinary backgrounds
conceptualize design. The study is situated in an innovative
transdisciplinary undergraduate degree program centered on a
studio-based learning experience co-taught by multi-disciplinary
faculty. While faculty celebrated the opportunity to integrate
multiple disciplinary perspectives, they showed a lack of
awareness about differences in how they conceptualized design and
design pedagogy, especially early on. In-depth interviews and
sketches of eight faculty members provided insights on alignment
around core concepts of design, design process, and design
instruction. Common themes in design definitions included
creation of something new, human-centered design, and focus on
problem framing over solution development. There was disagreement
on the relationship between design and other ways of knowing,
such as problem solving and scientific reasoning. Most used
process models incorporating non-linearity, iteration,
prototyping, and balance between research and design ideation.
While there were many similarities in teaching approach, the
rationale given for decisions varied, highlighting underlying
differences in how participants thought about teaching design.
Instructional alignment is an important consideration in
designing a transdisciplinary learning experience, but may be
hard to achieve due to cultural and institutional disciplinary
boundaries. Collaborative teaching efforts benefit when faculty
engage in self-reflection, discussion, and engagement in
meaningful synthesis work related to understanding what design is
and how it can be taught. Such work will enable a team to create
purposeful learning experiences which leverages the benefits of
exposure to a range of design problems, contexts, users, and
design ``flavors.''},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Theory, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this study, we describe similarities and differences in how
faculty members from across disciplinary backgrounds
conceptualize design. The study is situated in an innovative
transdisciplinary undergraduate degree program centered on a
studio-based learning experience co-taught by multi-disciplinary
faculty. While faculty celebrated the opportunity to integrate
multiple disciplinary perspectives, they showed a lack of
awareness about differences in how they conceptualized design and
design pedagogy, especially early on. In-depth interviews and
sketches of eight faculty members provided insights on alignment
around core concepts of design, design process, and design
instruction. Common themes in design definitions included
creation of something new, human-centered design, and focus on
problem framing over solution development. There was disagreement
on the relationship between design and other ways of knowing,
such as problem solving and scientific reasoning. Most used
process models incorporating non-linearity, iteration,
prototyping, and balance between research and design ideation.
While there were many similarities in teaching approach, the
rationale given for decisions varied, highlighting underlying
differences in how participants thought about teaching design.
Instructional alignment is an important consideration in
designing a transdisciplinary learning experience, but may be
hard to achieve due to cultural and institutional disciplinary
boundaries. Collaborative teaching efforts benefit when faculty
engage in self-reflection, discussion, and engagement in
meaningful synthesis work related to understanding what design is
and how it can be taught. Such work will enable a team to create
purposeful learning experiences which leverages the benefits of
exposure to a range of design problems, contexts, users, and
design ``flavors.''
faculty members from across disciplinary backgrounds
conceptualize design. The study is situated in an innovative
transdisciplinary undergraduate degree program centered on a
studio-based learning experience co-taught by multi-disciplinary
faculty. While faculty celebrated the opportunity to integrate
multiple disciplinary perspectives, they showed a lack of
awareness about differences in how they conceptualized design and
design pedagogy, especially early on. In-depth interviews and
sketches of eight faculty members provided insights on alignment
around core concepts of design, design process, and design
instruction. Common themes in design definitions included
creation of something new, human-centered design, and focus on
problem framing over solution development. There was disagreement
on the relationship between design and other ways of knowing,
such as problem solving and scientific reasoning. Most used
process models incorporating non-linearity, iteration,
prototyping, and balance between research and design ideation.
While there were many similarities in teaching approach, the
rationale given for decisions varied, highlighting underlying
differences in how participants thought about teaching design.
Instructional alignment is an important consideration in
designing a transdisciplinary learning experience, but may be
hard to achieve due to cultural and institutional disciplinary
boundaries. Collaborative teaching efforts benefit when faculty
engage in self-reflection, discussion, and engagement in
meaningful synthesis work related to understanding what design is
and how it can be taught. Such work will enable a team to create
purposeful learning experiences which leverages the benefits of
exposure to a range of design problems, contexts, users, and
design ``flavors.''
Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; Owczarzak, Marlo; Watkins, Christopher
Digital civics goes abroad Journal Article
In: Interactions, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 74-77, 2019, ISSN: 1072-5520.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, Digital Civics, HCI Education, UX Knowledge
@article{Gray2019-xd,
title = {Digital civics goes abroad},
author = {Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Marlo Owczarzak and Christopher Watkins},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2019_GrayToombsOwczarzakWatkins_Interactions_DigitalCivics.pdf
https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=3314846.3301661},
doi = {10.1145/3301661},
issn = {1072-5520},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
urldate = {2019-01-01},
journal = {Interactions},
volume = {26},
number = {2},
pages = {74-77},
keywords = {Cross-Cultural Education, Design Education, Digital Civics, HCI Education, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai
Engaging Design Students in Value Discovery as "Everyday Ethicists" Proceedings Article
In: Dialogue: Proceedings of the AIGA Design Educators Community Conferences, pp. 187–189, AIGA Design Educators Community, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Design Education, Ethics and Values, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Gray2019-ez,
title = {Engaging Design Students in Value Discovery as "Everyday Ethicists"},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/mpub.11688977},
doi = {10.3998/mpub.11688977},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
booktitle = {Dialogue: Proceedings of the AIGA Design Educators Community Conferences},
volume = {(Decipher, Vol. 1)},
pages = {187--189},
publisher = {AIGA Design Educators Community},
abstract = {In creating the not-yet-existing, the designer takes on a
substantial weight of responsibility not only for the present
use of a designed artifact or experience but also the
potential futures that these artifacts or experiences may
potentially embody. In this way, design activity can be viewed
as always already being linked to social change, mediated
through the character of the designer. In this conversation,
we seek to explore how design activity—in particular, the
education of designers—might celebrate this ethical
responsibility as a form of activism that inherently
celebrates and embodies a certain set of social values while
simultaneously excluding other possible social values. We
advocate for a repositioning of the role of values and ethics
in relation to design activity, seeing ethical concerns not as
a constraint or barrier to action but rather as a generative
driver of design concepts through the process of value
discovery.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Design Education, Ethics and Values, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In creating the not-yet-existing, the designer takes on a
substantial weight of responsibility not only for the present
use of a designed artifact or experience but also the
potential futures that these artifacts or experiences may
potentially embody. In this way, design activity can be viewed
as always already being linked to social change, mediated
through the character of the designer. In this conversation,
we seek to explore how design activity—in particular, the
education of designers—might celebrate this ethical
responsibility as a form of activism that inherently
celebrates and embodies a certain set of social values while
simultaneously excluding other possible social values. We
advocate for a repositioning of the role of values and ethics
in relation to design activity, seeing ethical concerns not as
a constraint or barrier to action but rather as a generative
driver of design concepts through the process of value
discovery.
substantial weight of responsibility not only for the present
use of a designed artifact or experience but also the
potential futures that these artifacts or experiences may
potentially embody. In this way, design activity can be viewed
as always already being linked to social change, mediated
through the character of the designer. In this conversation,
we seek to explore how design activity—in particular, the
education of designers—might celebrate this ethical
responsibility as a form of activism that inherently
celebrates and embodies a certain set of social values while
simultaneously excluding other possible social values. We
advocate for a repositioning of the role of values and ethics
in relation to design activity, seeing ethical concerns not as
a constraint or barrier to action but rather as a generative
driver of design concepts through the process of value
discovery.
Murdoch-Kitt, Kelly; Gray, Colin M; Parsons, Paul; Toombs, Austin L; Louw, Marti; Gent, Elona Van
Developing Students' Instrumental Judgment Capacity for Design Research Methods Proceedings Article
In: Dialogue: Proceedings of the AIGA Design Educators Community Conferences, pp. 108–115, AIGA Design Educators Community, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Methods, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Murdoch-Kitt2019-sw,
title = {Developing Students' Instrumental Judgment Capacity for Design Research Methods},
author = {Kelly Murdoch-Kitt and Colin M Gray and Paul Parsons and Austin L Toombs and Marti Louw and Elona Van Gent},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/mpub.11688977},
doi = {10.3998/mpub.11688977},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
booktitle = {Dialogue: Proceedings of the AIGA Design Educators Community Conferences},
volume = {(Decipher, Vol. 1)},
pages = {108--115},
publisher = {AIGA Design Educators Community},
institution = {Üniver},
abstract = {How are we currently teaching design research? How can we do
it better? How are educators fostering students' development
of "instrumental judgment"? This activity group encourages
participants to explore the ways that educators teach
research-through-making and research-informed making at
multiple curricular levels. For example, students seeking
advanced degrees in design are grappling with "rigor" and
"distinction," learning how these characteristics of
research are defined and understood in other disciplines as
well as in relation to creative practice. Meanwhile, educators
at K-12 and undergraduate levels struggle to incorporate
creative inquiry processes in meaningful ways, grasping for
resources and leaning on others' "design thinking"
approaches.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Methods, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
How are we currently teaching design research? How can we do
it better? How are educators fostering students' development
of "instrumental judgment"? This activity group encourages
participants to explore the ways that educators teach
research-through-making and research-informed making at
multiple curricular levels. For example, students seeking
advanced degrees in design are grappling with "rigor" and
"distinction," learning how these characteristics of
research are defined and understood in other disciplines as
well as in relation to creative practice. Meanwhile, educators
at K-12 and undergraduate levels struggle to incorporate
creative inquiry processes in meaningful ways, grasping for
resources and leaning on others' "design thinking"
approaches.
it better? How are educators fostering students' development
of "instrumental judgment"? This activity group encourages
participants to explore the ways that educators teach
research-through-making and research-informed making at
multiple curricular levels. For example, students seeking
advanced degrees in design are grappling with "rigor" and
"distinction," learning how these characteristics of
research are defined and understood in other disciplines as
well as in relation to creative practice. Meanwhile, educators
at K-12 and undergraduate levels struggle to incorporate
creative inquiry processes in meaningful ways, grasping for
resources and leaning on others' "design thinking"
approaches.
2018
Kou, Yubo; Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; Adams, Robin S
Knowledge Production and Social Roles in an Online Community of Emerging Occupation: A Study of User Experience Practitioners on Reddit Proceedings Article
In: Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2018 (HICSS-51), 2018.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Kou2018-cm,
title = {Knowledge Production and Social Roles in an Online Community of Emerging Occupation: A Study of User Experience Practitioners on Reddit},
author = {Yubo Kou and Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Robin S Adams},
url = {https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-51/dsm/dsm_and_communities/3/},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
booktitle = {Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2018
(HICSS-51)},
abstract = {New occupations are emerging that have high job demand in the
market, but lack a coherent body of disciplinary knowledge. For
example, user experience (UX) design is an emerging occupation
that has not been adequately supported by the traditional
educational system. For learners beginning their undergraduate
education, there is no concrete path to follow to become a UX
professional, due to few UX-focused undergraduate academic
programs. Online communities of practices have been recognized
as important learning venues, even while institutions of formal
education often lag behind in structuring knowledge production
and distribution. However, little is known about how knowledge
is generated and diffused in online communities in the context
of emerging occupations with volatile knowledge boundaries. In
this paper, we analyze knowledge production in relation to
social roles in an online UX community. We show that knowledge
production is highly distributed, involving the participation of
community members of varied levels of experience. We discuss how
online communities support the development of the UX occupation.},
keywords = {Design Education, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
New occupations are emerging that have high job demand in the
market, but lack a coherent body of disciplinary knowledge. For
example, user experience (UX) design is an emerging occupation
that has not been adequately supported by the traditional
educational system. For learners beginning their undergraduate
education, there is no concrete path to follow to become a UX
professional, due to few UX-focused undergraduate academic
programs. Online communities of practices have been recognized
as important learning venues, even while institutions of formal
education often lag behind in structuring knowledge production
and distribution. However, little is known about how knowledge
is generated and diffused in online communities in the context
of emerging occupations with volatile knowledge boundaries. In
this paper, we analyze knowledge production in relation to
social roles in an online UX community. We show that knowledge
production is highly distributed, involving the participation of
community members of varied levels of experience. We discuss how
online communities support the development of the UX occupation.
market, but lack a coherent body of disciplinary knowledge. For
example, user experience (UX) design is an emerging occupation
that has not been adequately supported by the traditional
educational system. For learners beginning their undergraduate
education, there is no concrete path to follow to become a UX
professional, due to few UX-focused undergraduate academic
programs. Online communities of practices have been recognized
as important learning venues, even while institutions of formal
education often lag behind in structuring knowledge production
and distribution. However, little is known about how knowledge
is generated and diffused in online communities in the context
of emerging occupations with volatile knowledge boundaries. In
this paper, we analyze knowledge production in relation to
social roles in an online UX community. We show that knowledge
production is highly distributed, involving the participation of
community members of varied levels of experience. We discuss how
online communities support the development of the UX occupation.
Gray, Colin M
Narrative Qualities of Design Argumentation Book Section
In: Hokanson, Brad; Clinton, Gregory; Kaminski, Karen (Ed.): Educational Technology and Narrative: Story and Instructional Design, pp. 51–64, Springer International Publishing, Cham, 2018, ISBN: 9783319699141.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critique, Design Education, HCI Education, Reflection
@incollection{Gray2018-pg,
title = {Narrative Qualities of Design Argumentation},
author = {Colin M Gray},
editor = {Brad Hokanson and Gregory Clinton and Karen Kaminski},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69914-1_5},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-69914-1_5},
isbn = {9783319699141},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
urldate = {2018-01-01},
booktitle = {Educational Technology and Narrative: Story and Instructional
Design},
pages = {51--64},
publisher = {Springer International Publishing},
address = {Cham},
abstract = {The narrative qualities of a design presentation and subsequent
critique comprise a design argument, distilling designers'
rationale for their design, rooted in their process. In this
paper, I analyze two consecutive design presentations from an
introductory undergraduate human-centered design studio,
documenting the argumentation structures students rely upon when
``selling'' their design. Dominant argumentation structures of
these presentation events are described and related to narrative
in a human-centered design context.},
keywords = {Critique, Design Education, HCI Education, Reflection},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
The narrative qualities of a design presentation and subsequent
critique comprise a design argument, distilling designers'
rationale for their design, rooted in their process. In this
paper, I analyze two consecutive design presentations from an
introductory undergraduate human-centered design studio,
documenting the argumentation structures students rely upon when
``selling'' their design. Dominant argumentation structures of
these presentation events are described and related to narrative
in a human-centered design context.
critique comprise a design argument, distilling designers'
rationale for their design, rooted in their process. In this
paper, I analyze two consecutive design presentations from an
introductory undergraduate human-centered design studio,
documenting the argumentation structures students rely upon when
``selling'' their design. Dominant argumentation structures of
these presentation events are described and related to narrative
in a human-centered design context.
Gray, Colin M
Revealing Students' Ethical Awareness during Problem Framing Journal Article
In: International Journal of Art & Design Education, vol. 96, no. Dorst 2011, pp. 359, 2018, ISSN: 1476-8062.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values
@article{Gray2018-re,
title = {Revealing Students' Ethical Awareness during Problem Framing},
author = {Colin M Gray},
url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jade.12190},
doi = {10.1111/jade.12190},
issn = {1476-8062},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Art & Design Education},
volume = {96},
number = {Dorst 2011},
pages = {359},
publisher = {Wiley Online Library},
abstract = {Abstract Expert designers determine what problem needs to be
solved by creating a frame that allows the identification of
potential solutions. However, it is unclear how students learn
to generate these frames effectively, particularly in relation
to ethical decision-making and selecting appropriate
constraints. In this study, undergraduate and graduate
industrial design students at a large Midwestern United States
university participated in a one-day workshop that focused on designing products for natives of sub-Saharan Africa to sell in their home nations. Participants (n=100) worked in 21 teams to
generate a range of constraints and problem statements while
being scaffolded by instructions, research materials and
worksheets. Teams struggled to identify specific use contexts
and users, even though these elements were present in relatively
complex form in provided research materials. Students appeared
to build distance between their own experiences and that of
users they were designing for, leading to little awareness of
the ethical and normative commitments that were reified in their
problem statements and solutions. Implications for the explicit
development of an ethically aware design character in design
education are considered.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Abstract Expert designers determine what problem needs to be
solved by creating a frame that allows the identification of
potential solutions. However, it is unclear how students learn
to generate these frames effectively, particularly in relation
to ethical decision-making and selecting appropriate
constraints. In this study, undergraduate and graduate
industrial design students at a large Midwestern United States
university participated in a one-day workshop that focused on designing products for natives of sub-Saharan Africa to sell in their home nations. Participants (n=100) worked in 21 teams to
generate a range of constraints and problem statements while
being scaffolded by instructions, research materials and
worksheets. Teams struggled to identify specific use contexts
and users, even though these elements were present in relatively
complex form in provided research materials. Students appeared
to build distance between their own experiences and that of
users they were designing for, leading to little awareness of
the ethical and normative commitments that were reified in their
problem statements and solutions. Implications for the explicit
development of an ethically aware design character in design
education are considered.
solved by creating a frame that allows the identification of
potential solutions. However, it is unclear how students learn
to generate these frames effectively, particularly in relation
to ethical decision-making and selecting appropriate
constraints. In this study, undergraduate and graduate
industrial design students at a large Midwestern United States
university participated in a one-day workshop that focused on designing products for natives of sub-Saharan Africa to sell in their home nations. Participants (n=100) worked in 21 teams to
generate a range of constraints and problem statements while
being scaffolded by instructions, research materials and
worksheets. Teams struggled to identify specific use contexts
and users, even though these elements were present in relatively
complex form in provided research materials. Students appeared
to build distance between their own experiences and that of
users they were designing for, leading to little awareness of
the ethical and normative commitments that were reified in their
problem statements and solutions. Implications for the explicit
development of an ethically aware design character in design
education are considered.
Gray, Colin M; Fernandez, Todd M
When World(view)s Collide: Contested Epistemologies and Ontologies in Transdisciplinary Education Journal Article
In: International Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 574–589, 2018, ISSN: 0949-149X.
Abstract | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@article{Gray2018-wz,
title = {When World(view)s Collide: Contested Epistemologies and Ontologies in Transdisciplinary Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Todd M Fernandez},
issn = {0949-149X},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Engineering Education},
volume = {34},
number = {2},
pages = {574--589},
abstract = {In conjunction with the drive towards human-centered design in
engineering education, questions arise regarding how students
build and engage a socially-aware engineering identity, and how
this identity points towards beliefs about the nature of reality.
In this paper, we describe how students in a transdisciplinary
undergraduate program struggle to engage with ontological and
epistemological perspectives that draw on this social turn,
particularly in relation to human-centered engineering approaches
and sociotechnical complexity. We use a critical qualitative
meaning reconstruction approach to deeply analyze the
meaning-making assumptions of the students. Our findings reveal
characteristic barriers in engaging with other subjectivities,
and related epistemological and ontological claims implicit in
these subjectivities. Specifically, we show that students'
observable behaviors often mask misalignments between their
epistemic beliefs and the designerly practices they
employ---failing to account for the multiple subjective realities
that the tools are designed to uncover. For these students, that
misalignment makes the learning or practice of designerly
behaviors less formative of a designerly identity. We conclude
with implications for encouraging socially-aware identity
formation in engineering education.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In conjunction with the drive towards human-centered design in
engineering education, questions arise regarding how students
build and engage a socially-aware engineering identity, and how
this identity points towards beliefs about the nature of reality.
In this paper, we describe how students in a transdisciplinary
undergraduate program struggle to engage with ontological and
epistemological perspectives that draw on this social turn,
particularly in relation to human-centered engineering approaches
and sociotechnical complexity. We use a critical qualitative
meaning reconstruction approach to deeply analyze the
meaning-making assumptions of the students. Our findings reveal
characteristic barriers in engaging with other subjectivities,
and related epistemological and ontological claims implicit in
these subjectivities. Specifically, we show that students'
observable behaviors often mask misalignments between their
epistemic beliefs and the designerly practices they
employ---failing to account for the multiple subjective realities
that the tools are designed to uncover. For these students, that
misalignment makes the learning or practice of designerly
behaviors less formative of a designerly identity. We conclude
with implications for encouraging socially-aware identity
formation in engineering education.
engineering education, questions arise regarding how students
build and engage a socially-aware engineering identity, and how
this identity points towards beliefs about the nature of reality.
In this paper, we describe how students in a transdisciplinary
undergraduate program struggle to engage with ontological and
epistemological perspectives that draw on this social turn,
particularly in relation to human-centered engineering approaches
and sociotechnical complexity. We use a critical qualitative
meaning reconstruction approach to deeply analyze the
meaning-making assumptions of the students. Our findings reveal
characteristic barriers in engaging with other subjectivities,
and related epistemological and ontological claims implicit in
these subjectivities. Specifically, we show that students'
observable behaviors often mask misalignments between their
epistemic beliefs and the designerly practices they
employ---failing to account for the multiple subjective realities
that the tools are designed to uncover. For these students, that
misalignment makes the learning or practice of designerly
behaviors less formative of a designerly identity. We conclude
with implications for encouraging socially-aware identity
formation in engineering education.
Boling, Elizabeth; Gray, Colin M
Use of Precedent as a Narrative Practice in Design Learning Book Section
In: Hokanson, Brad; Clinton, Gregory; Kaminski, Karen (Ed.): Educational Technology and Narrative: Story and Instructional Design, pp. 259–270, Springer International Publishing, Cham, 2018, ISBN: 9783319699141.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Knowledge
@incollection{Boling2018-wv,
title = {Use of Precedent as a Narrative Practice in Design Learning},
author = {Elizabeth Boling and Colin M Gray},
editor = {Brad Hokanson and Gregory Clinton and Karen Kaminski},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69914-1_21},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-69914-1_21},
isbn = {9783319699141},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
booktitle = {Educational Technology and Narrative: Story and Instructional
Design},
pages = {259--270},
publisher = {Springer International Publishing},
address = {Cham},
abstract = {In this chapter, we discuss narrative as a tool for designing,
with regard particularly to how narrative may characterize
precedent. Precedent is a critical form of design knowledge,
comprising the designer's awareness and experience, direct or
vicarious, of existing designs. Precedent informs an
understanding of a design space, affords the generation of
design moves within those spaces, and facilitates the creation
of new solutions. We describe the narrative character of
precedent and illustrate the narrative nature and use of
precedent via an empirical study of masters-level student
designers as they began to understand and attempt to articulate
the precedent relationships that were informing their design
activity.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
In this chapter, we discuss narrative as a tool for designing,
with regard particularly to how narrative may characterize
precedent. Precedent is a critical form of design knowledge,
comprising the designer's awareness and experience, direct or
vicarious, of existing designs. Precedent informs an
understanding of a design space, affords the generation of
design moves within those spaces, and facilitates the creation
of new solutions. We describe the narrative character of
precedent and illustrate the narrative nature and use of
precedent via an empirical study of masters-level student
designers as they began to understand and attempt to articulate
the precedent relationships that were informing their design
activity.
with regard particularly to how narrative may characterize
precedent. Precedent is a critical form of design knowledge,
comprising the designer's awareness and experience, direct or
vicarious, of existing designs. Precedent informs an
understanding of a design space, affords the generation of
design moves within those spaces, and facilitates the creation
of new solutions. We describe the narrative character of
precedent and illustrate the narrative nature and use of
precedent via an empirical study of masters-level student
designers as they began to understand and attempt to articulate
the precedent relationships that were informing their design
activity.
2017
Gray, Colin M; Exter, Marisa; Krause, Terri S
Moving Towards Individual Competence From Group Work in Transdisciplinary Education Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2017 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition , 2017.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Gray2017d,
title = {Moving Towards Individual Competence From Group Work in Transdisciplinary Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Marisa Exter and Terri S Krause},
url = {https://peer.asee.org/28691},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-06-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2017 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition },
abstract = {Collaboration has been identified as a key 21st century skill, vital for success in multidisciplinary environments that are increasingly common in engineering and technology contexts. While researchers have frequently discussed how students develop competencies that facilitate success in groups, little is known about how individual students build their own sense of competence and autonomy after working primarily in groups. In this paper, we present results from an undergraduate transdisciplinary degree program in which students spent the first two years of their core degree experience working almost exclusively in groups, while also developing an individual set of disciplinary interests and competencies. Researchers built an understanding of students’ individual and group development through extended ethnographic engagement, focus groups, and interviews as students worked concurrently on group and individual projects for the first time during the first semester of their junior year. Based on analysis of this transitional semester, we identified strategies that students used to build an individual sense of competence, in both technical and “soft” skills. These strategies allow for a fuller conversation regarding how students adapt competence gained in their group experiences and identify new areas of competence that must be confronted and mastered. These findings indicate the need to further understand the differences in the ways that the sequencing of group and individual work might impact the development of competencies in individual students, and the ways in which a project-based environment can encourage this development in a systematic and sustainable way.},
keywords = {Design Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Collaboration has been identified as a key 21st century skill, vital for success in multidisciplinary environments that are increasingly common in engineering and technology contexts. While researchers have frequently discussed how students develop competencies that facilitate success in groups, little is known about how individual students build their own sense of competence and autonomy after working primarily in groups. In this paper, we present results from an undergraduate transdisciplinary degree program in which students spent the first two years of their core degree experience working almost exclusively in groups, while also developing an individual set of disciplinary interests and competencies. Researchers built an understanding of students’ individual and group development through extended ethnographic engagement, focus groups, and interviews as students worked concurrently on group and individual projects for the first time during the first semester of their junior year. Based on analysis of this transitional semester, we identified strategies that students used to build an individual sense of competence, in both technical and “soft” skills. These strategies allow for a fuller conversation regarding how students adapt competence gained in their group experiences and identify new areas of competence that must be confronted and mastered. These findings indicate the need to further understand the differences in the ways that the sequencing of group and individual work might impact the development of competencies in individual students, and the ways in which a project-based environment can encourage this development in a systematic and sustainable way.
Vorvoreanu, Mihaela; Gray, Colin M; Parsons, Paul; Rasche, Nancy
Advancing UX Education: A Model for Integrated Studio Pedagogy Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1441-1446, ACM, New York, New York, USA, 2017, ISBN: 9781450346559.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, HCI Education
@inproceedings{Vorvoreanu2017-sv,
title = {Advancing UX Education: A Model for Integrated Studio Pedagogy},
author = {Mihaela Vorvoreanu and Colin M Gray and Paul Parsons and Nancy Rasche},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2017_VorvoreanuGrayParsonsRasche_CHI_AdvancingUXEducation.pdf
http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=3025453.3025726},
doi = {10.1145/3025453.3025726},
isbn = {9781450346559},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-05-01},
urldate = {2017-05-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
pages = {1441-1446},
publisher = {ACM},
address = {New York, New York, USA},
institution = {ACM},
abstract = {The rapid growth of the UX profession has led to an increased need for qualified practitioners and a proliferation of UX educational programs offered in both academia and industry. In this note, we present the design and initial evaluation of a new studio-based undergraduate program in UX—the first of its kind at a large, research-intensive US university. The program includes several curricular innovations, such as an integrated studio pedagogy in which six topical strands are interwoven across two types of studios. These studios are interconnected and span five semesters of the undergraduate experience. We present the curriculum model and the foundational principles that informed its design. We describe the two types of studios and their interconnection, and present early evaluation data showing that students are building valuable skills. The program described in this note provides a trailblazing model for UX pedagogy at the undergraduate level.},
keywords = {Design Education, HCI Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The rapid growth of the UX profession has led to an increased need for qualified practitioners and a proliferation of UX educational programs offered in both academia and industry. In this note, we present the design and initial evaluation of a new studio-based undergraduate program in UX—the first of its kind at a large, research-intensive US university. The program includes several curricular innovations, such as an integrated studio pedagogy in which six topical strands are interwoven across two types of studios. These studios are interconnected and span five semesters of the undergraduate experience. We present the curriculum model and the foundational principles that informed its design. We describe the two types of studios and their interconnection, and present early evaluation data showing that students are building valuable skills. The program described in this note provides a trailblazing model for UX pedagogy at the undergraduate level.
Gray, Colin M; Fernandez, Todd M
Developing a Socially-Aware Engineering Identity Through Transdisciplinary Learning Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Mudd Design Workshop X: Design and the Future of the Engineer of 2020, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA, 2017.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Design Knowledge, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Gray2017-mi,
title = {Developing a Socially-Aware Engineering Identity Through Transdisciplinary Learning},
author = {Colin M Gray and Todd M Fernandez},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2017_GrayFernandez_MUDD_SociallyAwareEngineeringIdentity.pdf},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Mudd Design Workshop X: Design and the Future of the Engineer of 2020},
publisher = {Harvey Mudd College},
address = {Claremont, CA},
abstract = {In conjunction with the drive towards human-centered design in engineering education, questions arise regarding how students build and engage a socially-aware engineering identity. In this paper, we describe how students in a transdisciplinary undergraduate program struggle to engage with ontological and epistemological perspectives that draw on that social turn, particularly in relation to human-centered engineering approaches and sociotechnical complexity. We use a critical qualitative meaning reconstruction approach to deeply analyze the meaning-making assumptions of these students to reveal characteristic barriers in engaging with other subjectivities, and related epistemological and ontological claims implicit in these subjectivities. We conclude with implications for encouraging socially-aware identity formation in engineering education.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Design Knowledge, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In conjunction with the drive towards human-centered design in engineering education, questions arise regarding how students build and engage a socially-aware engineering identity. In this paper, we describe how students in a transdisciplinary undergraduate program struggle to engage with ontological and epistemological perspectives that draw on that social turn, particularly in relation to human-centered engineering approaches and sociotechnical complexity. We use a critical qualitative meaning reconstruction approach to deeply analyze the meaning-making assumptions of these students to reveal characteristic barriers in engaging with other subjectivities, and related epistemological and ontological claims implicit in these subjectivities. We conclude with implications for encouraging socially-aware identity formation in engineering education.
Exter, Marisa; Ashby, Iryna; Gray, Colin M; Wilder, Denise Mcallister; Krause, Terri S
Systematically Integrating Liberal Education in a Transdisciplinary Design Studio Environment Proceedings Article
In: ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings, ASEE, Columbus, Ohio, 2017, ISSN: 2153-5965.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Exter2017-dv,
title = {Systematically Integrating Liberal Education in a Transdisciplinary Design Studio Environment},
author = {Marisa Exter and Iryna Ashby and Colin M Gray and Denise Mcallister Wilder and Terri S Krause},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2017_Exteretal_ASEE_HumanitiesIntegration.pdf
https://peer.asee.org/28901},
issn = {2153-5965},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
booktitle = {ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings},
volume = {2017-June},
publisher = {ASEE},
address = {Columbus, Ohio},
abstract = {Many scholars have cited the importance of integrating humanities and social science content into engineering and technology education, noting the value in building students’ deep competence in communication and interpersonal skills, including an understanding of how technology is intertwined with societal and human needs. However, there is relatively little guidance as to how viewpoints and content from liberal education perspectives might be integrated systematically into a single, transdisciplinary learning experience that allows students to view the world through different lenses from a variety of disciplinary perspectives while locating and synthesizing information crucial to solving interesting and worthwhile problems that may not be obvious from a solely technical or solely humanities perspective. In this paper, we present a case study including multiple iterations of a learning experience that integrates liberal education, design, and technology content and forms the core of an undergraduate transdisciplinary degree program. Using an ethnographic approach, we trace the evolution of students’ and instructors’ perceptions and intentions in relation to integrating liberal education, and document these perspectives through interviews, focus groups, and course observations.},
keywords = {Design Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Many scholars have cited the importance of integrating humanities and social science content into engineering and technology education, noting the value in building students’ deep competence in communication and interpersonal skills, including an understanding of how technology is intertwined with societal and human needs. However, there is relatively little guidance as to how viewpoints and content from liberal education perspectives might be integrated systematically into a single, transdisciplinary learning experience that allows students to view the world through different lenses from a variety of disciplinary perspectives while locating and synthesizing information crucial to solving interesting and worthwhile problems that may not be obvious from a solely technical or solely humanities perspective. In this paper, we present a case study including multiple iterations of a learning experience that integrates liberal education, design, and technology content and forms the core of an undergraduate transdisciplinary degree program. Using an ethnographic approach, we trace the evolution of students’ and instructors’ perceptions and intentions in relation to integrating liberal education, and document these perspectives through interviews, focus groups, and course observations.
Exter, Marisa; Gray, Colin M; Fernandez, Todd M
Transdisciplinary design education: Do differing disciplinary backgrounds divide or unify? Proceedings Article
In: Mudd Design Workshop X: Design and the Future of the Engineer of 2020, Claremont, CA, 2017.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Theory, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Exter2017-rr,
title = {Transdisciplinary design education: Do differing disciplinary backgrounds divide or unify?},
author = {Marisa Exter and Colin M Gray and Todd M Fernandez},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2017_ExterGrayFernandez_MUDD_ConceptionsofDesign.pdf},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
booktitle = {Mudd Design Workshop X: Design and the Future of the Engineer of 2020},
address = {Claremont, CA},
abstract = {The purpose of this study is to explore the similarities and differences in understandings of design among faculty with differing backgrounds. By understanding how faculty conceptualize design, we can assess the impact of potential misalignment on a design-dependent educational environment. Faculty interviewed for this paper are involved in an innovative transdisciplinary program, in which students are encouraged to understand and activate both technical and humanistic skills and knowledge to address “wicked” design problems. The program relies on design philosophies (e.g., human-centered design) and pedagogical emphasis (i.e., studio). The faculty have spent significant time co-designing the program-level experience, and generally assumed that the group has a common understanding of concepts related to design and how those concepts may be operationalized in the classroom. This assumption was challenged as teaching practices evolved based on student responses and changing membership of the faculty group. An apparent lack of alignment among faculty inspired us to study the range of beliefs across the faculty group about design, conceptions and operationalization of design terminology, and processes. The following research questions are addressed in this study: 1) How do faculty members characterize design and the design process?; and 2) How consistent are the faculty in the way that they characterize design and the design process?},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Theory, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The purpose of this study is to explore the similarities and differences in understandings of design among faculty with differing backgrounds. By understanding how faculty conceptualize design, we can assess the impact of potential misalignment on a design-dependent educational environment. Faculty interviewed for this paper are involved in an innovative transdisciplinary program, in which students are encouraged to understand and activate both technical and humanistic skills and knowledge to address “wicked” design problems. The program relies on design philosophies (e.g., human-centered design) and pedagogical emphasis (i.e., studio). The faculty have spent significant time co-designing the program-level experience, and generally assumed that the group has a common understanding of concepts related to design and how those concepts may be operationalized in the classroom. This assumption was challenged as teaching practices evolved based on student responses and changing membership of the faculty group. An apparent lack of alignment among faculty inspired us to study the range of beliefs across the faculty group about design, conceptions and operationalization of design terminology, and processes. The following research questions are addressed in this study: 1) How do faculty members characterize design and the design process?; and 2) How consistent are the faculty in the way that they characterize design and the design process?
2016
Epps, Amy Van; Ashby, Iryna; Gray, Colin M; Exter, Marisa
Supporting Student Attainment and Management of Competencies in a Transdisciplinary Degree Program Proceedings Article
In: 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings, ASEE Conferences, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Van_Epps_undated-zv,
title = {Supporting Student Attainment and Management of Competencies in a Transdisciplinary Degree Program},
author = {Amy Van Epps and Iryna Ashby and Colin M Gray and Marisa Exter},
url = {http://peer.asee.org/25977},
doi = {10.18260/p.25977},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-06-01},
booktitle = {2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings},
publisher = {ASEE Conferences},
address = {New Orleans, Louisiana},
keywords = {Design Education, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Gray, Colin M; Smith, Kennon M
Critical Views of Studio Book Section
In: Boling, Elizabeth; Schwier, Richard A; Gray, Colin M; Smith, Kennon M; Campbell, Katy (Ed.): Studio Teaching in Higher Education: Selected Design Cases, pp. 260–270, Routledge, New York, NY, 2016.
BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Studio Pedagogy
@incollection{Gray2016-kv,
title = {Critical Views of Studio},
author = {Colin M Gray and Kennon M Smith},
editor = {Elizabeth Boling and Richard A Schwier and Colin M Gray and Kennon M Smith and Katy Campbell},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
booktitle = {Studio Teaching in Higher Education: Selected Design Cases},
pages = {260--270},
publisher = {Routledge},
address = {New York, NY},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Gray, Colin M
Emergent Views of Studio Book Section
In: Boling, Elizabeth; Schwier, Richard A; Gray, Colin M; Smith, Kennon M; Campbell, Katy (Ed.): Studio Teaching in Higher Education: Selected Design Cases, pp. 271-281, Routledge, 2016, ISBN: 9781138902411.
BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Studio Pedagogy
@incollection{Gray2016-jg,
title = {Emergent Views of Studio},
author = {Colin M Gray},
editor = {Elizabeth Boling and Richard A Schwier and Colin M Gray and Kennon M Smith and Katy Campbell},
isbn = {9781138902411},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
booktitle = {Studio Teaching in Higher Education: Selected Design Cases},
pages = {271-281},
publisher = {Routledge},
keywords = {Design Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Gray, Colin M; de Debs, Luciana Cresce El; Exter, Marisa; Krause, Terri S
Instructional Strategies for Incorporating Empathy in Transdisciplinary Technology Education Proceedings Article
In: 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings, ASEE Conferences, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Empathy, Ethics and Values, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Gray2016-rd,
title = {Instructional Strategies for Incorporating Empathy in Transdisciplinary Technology Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Luciana Cresce El de Debs and Marisa Exter and Terri S Krause},
url = {http://peer.asee.org/25746
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2016_Grayetal_ASEE_EmpathyinTransdisciplinary.pdf},
doi = {10.18260/p.25746},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
booktitle = {2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings},
volume = {2016-June},
publisher = {ASEE Conferences},
address = {New Orleans, Louisiana},
abstract = {In the past decade, there has been an increasing focus on the ethical content of designed artifacts, including the ways in which engineers and technologists are responsible for considering ethical issues relating to the end user or context for which they are designing. Creating sustainable post- secondary ethics education has been an increasing focus in engineering and technology education scholarship, with the goal of developing students’ ability to understand and make ethically-sound design decisions through evidence-based instructional strategies.
In this study, we focus on the ways in which a transdisciplinary educational experience might encourage the development of empathic ability by documenting the activities of undergraduate technology students as they sought to develop an off-the-grid toilet for the “developing” world. Students were exposed to multiple instructional strategies that encouraged them to reconsider their notion of “difference” as it might apply to their semester-long design project. We present several themes of instructional strategies that emerged from instructors and students, and contextualize these strategies in relation to the students’ development of empathic ability. The students in this course struggled to develop empathy that had practical implications for their design activity, suggesting the need for a larger shift in the ability of students to create empathically-driven action. We found that a substantial change in empathic ability also requires a certain amount of vulnerability and ability to position-take (i.e., taking the position of another), indicating the need for “safe spaces” that challenge student perspectives while also encouraging trust and honesty.},
keywords = {Design Education, Empathy, Ethics and Values, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In the past decade, there has been an increasing focus on the ethical content of designed artifacts, including the ways in which engineers and technologists are responsible for considering ethical issues relating to the end user or context for which they are designing. Creating sustainable post- secondary ethics education has been an increasing focus in engineering and technology education scholarship, with the goal of developing students’ ability to understand and make ethically-sound design decisions through evidence-based instructional strategies.
In this study, we focus on the ways in which a transdisciplinary educational experience might encourage the development of empathic ability by documenting the activities of undergraduate technology students as they sought to develop an off-the-grid toilet for the “developing” world. Students were exposed to multiple instructional strategies that encouraged them to reconsider their notion of “difference” as it might apply to their semester-long design project. We present several themes of instructional strategies that emerged from instructors and students, and contextualize these strategies in relation to the students’ development of empathic ability. The students in this course struggled to develop empathy that had practical implications for their design activity, suggesting the need for a larger shift in the ability of students to create empathically-driven action. We found that a substantial change in empathic ability also requires a certain amount of vulnerability and ability to position-take (i.e., taking the position of another), indicating the need for “safe spaces” that challenge student perspectives while also encouraging trust and honesty.
In this study, we focus on the ways in which a transdisciplinary educational experience might encourage the development of empathic ability by documenting the activities of undergraduate technology students as they sought to develop an off-the-grid toilet for the “developing” world. Students were exposed to multiple instructional strategies that encouraged them to reconsider their notion of “difference” as it might apply to their semester-long design project. We present several themes of instructional strategies that emerged from instructors and students, and contextualize these strategies in relation to the students’ development of empathic ability. The students in this course struggled to develop empathy that had practical implications for their design activity, suggesting the need for a larger shift in the ability of students to create empathically-driven action. We found that a substantial change in empathic ability also requires a certain amount of vulnerability and ability to position-take (i.e., taking the position of another), indicating the need for “safe spaces” that challenge student perspectives while also encouraging trust and honesty.
Boling, Elizabeth; Schwier, Richard A; Gray, Colin M; Smith, Kennon M; Campbell, Katy (Ed.)
Studio Teaching in Higher Education: Selected Design Cases Book
Routledge, New York, NY, 2016.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Studio Pedagogy
@book{Boling2016-xu,
title = {Studio Teaching in Higher Education: Selected Design Cases},
editor = {Elizabeth Boling and Richard A Schwier and Colin M Gray and Kennon M Smith and Katy Campbell},
url = {https://www.routledge.com/Studio-Teaching-in-Higher-Education-Selected-Design-Cases/Boling-Schwier-Gray-Smith-Campbell/p/book/9781138902435},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
publisher = {Routledge},
address = {New York, NY},
keywords = {Design Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {book}
}
2015
Gray, Colin M; Yilmaz, Seda; Daly, Shanna R; Seifert, Colleen M; Gonzalez, Richard
Building Students' Ideation Ability through Design Heuristics Proceedings Article
In: LearnxDesign: The 3rd International Conference for Design Education Researchers and PreK-16 Design Educators, Chicago, IL, 2015.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Idea Generation
@inproceedings{Gray_undated-if,
title = {Building Students' Ideation Ability through Design Heuristics},
author = {Colin M Gray and Seda Yilmaz and Shanna R Daly and Colleen M Seifert and Richard Gonzalez},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2015_Grayetal_LxD_BuildingIdeationAbilityWorkshop.pdf},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-06-01},
booktitle = {LearnxDesign: The 3rd International Conference for Design Education Researchers and PreK-16 Design Educators},
address = {Chicago, IL},
keywords = {Design Education, Idea Generation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Gray, Colin M; Howard, Craig D
"Why are they not responding to critique?": A student-centered construction of the crit Proceedings Article
In: LearnxDesign: The 3rd International Conference for Design Education Researchers and PreK-16 Design Educators, pp. 1680-1700, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2015.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Critique, Design Education, HCI Education
@inproceedings{Gray2015k,
title = {"Why are they not responding to critique?": A student-centered construction of the crit},
author = {Colin M Gray and Craig D Howard},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2015_GrayHoward_LxD_MultimodalCritique.pdf},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-06-01},
urldate = {2015-06-01},
booktitle = {LearnxDesign: The 3rd International Conference for Design Education Researchers and PreK-16 Design Educators},
pages = {1680-1700},
publisher = {School of the Art Institute of Chicago},
address = {Chicago, IL},
abstract = {The crit is a dominant public instructional event, and has often been studied through the lens of institutional power, through the perspective of the instructor. In this study, we analyze the classroom presentations and critiques of three teams in a design-focused human-computer interaction graduate program, calling attention to other modes of student-generated critique that occur alongside the traditional formal conversation. These critiques comprise, in parallel: 1) a public oral critique led by the instructor alongside student questions; 2) a critique document collaboratively authored in Google Docs by experienced students; and 3) backchannel chat by experienced students via Google Doc messaging. Through the complex interactions between these modes of parallel critique, multiple levels of interaction and conversational behavior emerge, with experienced students shaping each type of feedback and use of technological tools. We present and analyze cases drawn from the teams through computer-mediated communication and critical pedagogy perspectives to characterize these interactions, documenting how experienced students take on different typifications—or understandings of role expectations within the conversation—which mediate the instructional qualities of the critique. We introduce three typifications: the relaxed professional in backchannel chat, poised professional in the Google Doc, and instructional tutor in the physical classroom space.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Critique, Design Education, HCI Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The crit is a dominant public instructional event, and has often been studied through the lens of institutional power, through the perspective of the instructor. In this study, we analyze the classroom presentations and critiques of three teams in a design-focused human-computer interaction graduate program, calling attention to other modes of student-generated critique that occur alongside the traditional formal conversation. These critiques comprise, in parallel: 1) a public oral critique led by the instructor alongside student questions; 2) a critique document collaboratively authored in Google Docs by experienced students; and 3) backchannel chat by experienced students via Google Doc messaging. Through the complex interactions between these modes of parallel critique, multiple levels of interaction and conversational behavior emerge, with experienced students shaping each type of feedback and use of technological tools. We present and analyze cases drawn from the teams through computer-mediated communication and critical pedagogy perspectives to characterize these interactions, documenting how experienced students take on different typifications—or understandings of role expectations within the conversation—which mediate the instructional qualities of the critique. We introduce three typifications: the relaxed professional in backchannel chat, poised professional in the Google Doc, and instructional tutor in the physical classroom space.