FC-STEAM as participatory identity design model in graphic design education: A visual communication strategy for higher education

In Ghana, Graphic Design is regarded as one of the contemporary arts that was introduced in the Gold Coast by the British (The colonial administration) and European merchants in the 17th Century. Since then, the art has gone through series of metamorphosis in various aspects till date. However, empirical evidence indicates that the developmental patterns of the art in Ghana has not been documented comprehensively. Using qualitative research approaches such as historical research method, interviews, document review, narrative and inductive analysis, this paper sought to conduct a comprehensive research into the local Graphic Design industry to gather pieces of fragmented documented and oral information from relevant stake holders who were purposively selected from different parts of Ghana based on their professional memory on industrial practice and Graphic Design education in Ghana, to reconstruct the history of the art for posterity. The study revealed that, commercial press printing and newspaper advertising were introduced in the Gold Coast first before outdoor advertising and desktop publishing. Also, colonisation, successive government policies, technological inventions in the western countries, and developments in computer technologies have contributed immensely to the development of Graphic Design practice and education in Ghana from the 17th Century to date.

Background: Teachers have limited insight in students' perspectives on education, although these perspectives influence quality of learning. As students' and teachers' perspectives differ considerably, there is a need for teachers to learn more about students' experiences and ideas about education. Participatory design might be a good strategy for taking student perspectives into account in instructional design. In areas outside education, the positive effects of participation have already been demonstrated. Purpose: The main goals of this exploratory study are to develop an approach – based on the principles of participatory design – for student participation in instructional design, and to evaluate how students and teachers experience the discussion about possible changes in the design and how they co-operate in designing lessons. Additionally, the study investigates whether the used approach is workable and suitable for use with a range of courses. Sample: The sample consisted of six teachers (of mathematics, economics and English) from two secondary schools in the Netherlands and their 10th-grade pre-university students (N = 139; average age 16 years). In each class, a small group of seven co-designing students was selected as a representative sample of their class. All other students in these classes (i.e. those not directly involved in participatory re-design) were also included, as evaluators of the proposed changes. Design and methods: A participatory design meeting was organised for each group separately. In all groups, the same approach for participatory design was used. The quality of the meeting and the agreement with the proposed changes were evaluated using open questions. The questions were answered individually by both teachers and co-designing students. The remaining students answered questions about their agreement with the proposed changes. The written answers were analysed using a coding scheme. Results: Findings suggest that both teachers and co-designing students were largely satisfied with the meeting. The atmosphere was experienced predominantly as comfortable and enough opportunities were provided to express thoughts and ideas. Teachers, additionally, stated that the usability of students' suggestions was good. The remaining students predominantly agreed on the proposed changes discussed. No differences were found between the evaluation scores of students of different courses. Conclusions: The main conclusion from this exploratory study is that participatory design appears suitable for use in education. The approach used for initiating and structuring the discussion between the teacher and his/her students was appropriate for designing lessons, according to all those involved. As this study suggests, the barriers to the inclusion of students in the instructional design process are not insurmountable, and there are compelling reasons for implementing participatory design in education.

This study aims to map the thematic development of research on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in the context of Visual Communication Design (VCD) education linked to critical thinking and visual/creative thinking over the period 2015–2025, while identifying potential areas for research novelty. A bibliometric approach was employed by retrieving data using Publish or Perish (PoP) with Google Scholar as the data source and the following query: ("problem-based learning" OR "PBL") AND ("critical thinking") AND ("visual thinking" OR "creative thinking") AND ("visual communication design" OR "graphic design education" OR "design education"). Retrieved metadata were exported in .RIS format and analyzed using VOSviewer to generate term-mapping visualizations, including density, network, and overlay maps. The results indicate a corpus of 500 documents with 11,988 citations, an average of 23.98 citations per paper, and impact indices of h-index = 52 and g-index = 99. VOSviewer mapping shows “critical thinking” as the most dominant and central node, surrounded by pedagogical implementation and design terms such as implementation, model, and effect, as well as educational context terms including teaching, teacher, and higher education. The terms technology and collaboration also appear connected within the network, while visual-creative outcome terms such as creative thinking ability and students' creative thinking emerge as part of the thematic structure. Overall, these findings suggest that the retrieved research landscape is strongly centered on critical thinking and pedagogical implementation, with notable links to higher-education contexts and technology–collaboration supports.

In an age of readily available technologies and rapidly expanding communication, opportunities for cross-cultural relationships and business practices have extended from the primarily wealthy and powerful to those on a more global scale. As a result of these advancements, a need for specialized knowledge in visual and media literacy has arisen; one that requires not only an understanding of why but how we communicate to societies different than our own. One major area significantly affected by this transformation is the field of graphic design, where practitioners now find themselves in the position to work with international clientele and design for global audiences. As a result, rebuilding and modernizing this practice to fit the needs of a specialized—yet pivotal—industry has become a necessity; a transformation that must begin in the classroom. This chapter aims to explain how a variety of cultural variances affect the major components of visual literacy and communication, while also providing examples of curricular content, pedagogical methods, and student projects which may be used as a basis for integrating cultural studies into graphic design education.

Graphic design courses are usually a familiar topic in design curricula. However, knowledge of digital accessibility, including visual accessibility is not always emphasised when teaching students. When the World Wide Web Consortium launched an accessibility initiative in 1997, it included a set of guidelines for achieving web functionality for people with disabilities. Today, accessibility is recognised as important for all and plays a crucial role in the development of sustainable digital product and service design. The rules for compliance with the principles of accessibility in the digital environment have already been incorporated into the legislation of the European Union and the Republic of Latvia. In view of all this, teaching the principles of visual accessibility in design education has become topical. However, it can be a pedagogical challenge to integrate these specific practises into graphic design education, as it requires looking at familiar design concepts from a different perspective. This article aims to demonstrate that the principles of visual accessibility can be integrated into the content of graphic design assignments to enable students to consider design problems more broadly. Using qualitative research methods, a case study of the implementation of the topic of visual accessibility in the course “Introduction to Web Design” offered as part of the Bachelor of Computer Science programme at the University of Latvia is examined. As a result, the author suggests how both visual accessibility and graphic design can support each other in the learning process. In conclusion, the author points out that the systematic inclusion of accessibility design concepts in teaching is an important part of sustainable design education and recommends how the topic of visual accessibility can be better integrated into other relevant design curricula in the future.

The integration of sustainability principles into graphic and industrial design education has become increasingly imperative in response to global environmental challenges. This paper explores the incorporation of sustainable practices within design education, particularly from the perspective of fine arts pedagogy. By examining the intersection of sustainability and design education, this study identifies key strategies and methodologies to infuse sustainable principles into the curriculum. Drawing from fine arts perspectives, it delves into the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, experiential learning, and critical thinking in fostering sustainable design practices among students. Furthermore, the paper investigates the role of design educators in cultivating a mindset of environmental responsibility and ethical design practices. It explores the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating sustainability into traditional design curricula, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches that blend theory with hands-on application. Through case studies and best practices, this research highlights successful initiatives and projects that demonstrate the effective integration of sustainability into graphic and industrial design education. These examples showcase how incorporating sustainability principles not only enhances the ecological footprint of design processes but also promotes social responsibility and cultural awareness. Overall, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainability in design education by offering practical insights and recommendations for educators, institutions, and policymakers. It underscores the transformative potential of integrating sustainability into graphic and industrial design education, envisioning a future where designers play a proactive role in shaping a more sustainable and equitable world.

Gary Zukav suggested that we consider reality what we take to be true, what we believe and that is based on our perception (1979). If we assume that this is the case, then we might try to use tangible and intangible tools to reframe our preconception. As human beings we are trying to maintain the relation between our body and soma. In the same way someone might try to understand the body–mind coupling as oneness of duality, in other words not two and not one. Furthermore, we can only use our senses to fulfil what is the present, the now. The now action will lead us to a specific scenario. As history has taught us, social and technological innovations have driven human beings to often perceive themselves as the spark of industrial revolution: an ideal salvation for the most urgent issues. Then, it might be acceptable to consider the marriage between art and science as a tool to achieve a sort of soteriological reward. In the same way, if additive art is object oriented then we might be allowed to explore how the applied arts under the design dimension, as practice and research, are struggling in the search for a new spirituality. Moreover the quest for design education, combined with the analysis of post-dramatic theatre and participatory design, has raised the question of how an alternative basic design course could heighten self- and collective consciousness through an approach based on the relation of body–soma. It is noted that design education, since the initiation of Bauhaus Art School, was considered the ideal path to deliver a physical outcome that represented the balance between art, technology and science, while from a philosophical point of view we can recognise the following as a subtle suggestion on what design education should expand its search: ‘to perceive, to conceive, to image: such are indeed the three types of consciousness by which the same object can be given to us’ (Sartre 1940: 8). Tracing connections between Sartre’s idea and the blend of post-dramatic theatre with participatory design into arts education, this article will describe experiments that aim to break down design students’ preconception: a dimension where the process of fabricated realities became the main outcome, the body–soma dialogues struggling to gain the perpetual unbalance. Experiments were conducted at the micro–macro scale, in a non-tactile society, where, for most people, the practice of Buddhism is embedded in daily life. This article aims to underline how an alternative approach to design education in South East Asia could be the building blocks to develop a reflection, an open-ended dialogue on network effect and the self.

Purpose: The aim of the research is to reveal graphically the convertibility of the Op Art movement into graphic design studies by students and how this transformation is interpreted. Methodology: In this study, the ‘Op Art’ movement from Contemporary Art was preferred as an imaginary resource in graphic design education. The research was conducted in the form of action research, one of the qualitative research methods. The research is characterized as participatory action research, one of the types of action research. The research is limited to the 2nd year students studying at Kastamonu University Kastamonu Vocational School Design Department Graphic Design Program in 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019. The study was conducted with 458 students who took ‘Visual Design, Publication Graphics and Typography’ courses between in the specified academic years. Since it is not possible to include all student studies, 6 student studies have been included as an example. Student studies were analyzed descriptively. Findings: As a result of the study, it was observed that the students were able to transform the Op Art movement into graphic design products, to interpret different types of works from a subjective point of view by considering the characteristics of the movement, and to create original graphic design works suitable for the composition they wanted to design. Highlights: Contemporary Art, which is covered in the chronology of art history, emerges as one of the most fundamental disciplines in art and design theoretically. It is very important to benefit from different disciplines in graphic design education, to increase the interest in design courses, and to reveal original and creative designs. From this standpoint, it can be assumed that Contemporary Art can be one of the richest resources to be used in terms of art and design. In this study, Op Art art movement, one of the Contemporary Art movements, was used in terms of creating a resource for graphic design education courses.

Introduction. Applying participatory design in educational contextscan improve the congruence between perceptions of students, teachers and instructional designers.Information behaviour activities such as collaborative information seeking and information sharing are core to participatory design. Information behaviour studies related to participatory design must be guided by an information behaviourframework informed by the principles of participatory design. Albeit a few examples of frameworks, reference is mostly only to participatory design steps, phases and stages, with limited acknowledgement of information activities. This paper suggests a participatory design information behaviour framework for studies in educational contexts. Method. Scoping review of selected publications on participatory design and information behaviour, and participatory design in education. Analysis. Thematic analysis applied in educational context as exemplar. Results. A participatory design information behaviour framework must allow for the following constructs: context, participant selection (i.e., actors, stakeholders), definition of shared visions and purposes; roles and tasks; information resources and access; iterative information activities; participatory design steps, phases and stages; consideration of intervening factors; and finer nuances of all of these constructs. Conclusion. The suggested framework can guide information behaviour studies on participatory design with a focus on information activities.

Through the mass production and dissemination of visual communication, graphic design (GD) and, by extension, graphic designers influence society; therefore, it is critical they develop a sense of social responsibility and the ability to work ethically and inclusively. An important first step toward this is the integration of design ethics considerations and inclusive design principles into their design process. Deep learning and knowledge transfer from GD education must ready students for the profession, which has a significant impact on society by forming societal norms, attitudes, and behaviors. The inclusion of ethical considerations in GD curricula must be a top priority for educators. This research addresses the pressing need for integrating ethical and inclusive design considerations into GD education. This case study examines introducing these principles into a foundational GD studio course, Digital Photography for Graphic Design (DPGD), at Iowa State University (ISU) during the Fall 2023 semester. The research questions explored include (1) How could ethical considerations be incorporated into the graphic design curriculum to significantly increase students’ sense of responsibility to create ethical and inclusive image-based designs? (2) How might studio-based learning opportunities, in concurrence with the design process, significantly increase students’ confidence to create ethical and inclusive image-based designs? And, (3) How might theoretical concepts related to design ethics be effectively integrated into a studio-based graphic design course in an engaging manner? The study involved developing and implementing a curricular module that introduced ethical and inclusive learning outcomes, content, activities, and assessment methods. Pre- and post-module surveys were utilized to measure changes in students’ feelings of responsibility and confidence, while post-module surveys and field-note observations assessed the effectiveness and level of engagement of the module components. The findings indicate that integrating ethical considerations into the curriculum significantly influenced students’ sense of responsibility and confidence in creating ethical and inclusive image-based designs. The module content, activities, and assessment methods were found to be effective and engaging. However, opportunities for improvement in future implementations were identified, including the need for continued reinforcement of design ethics and inclusive design principles throughout design education to increase deep learning and ensure knowledge is transferred to students’ future professional design practice. The implications of this research extend beyond the scope of the study, serving as a framework for integrating design ethics, inclusive design principles, and social responsibility considerations into other courses at ISU and additional institutions. Furthermore, it could suggest potential avenues for testing students’ sense of responsibility and confidence to create socially responsible designs and adjacent curricular module effectiveness in other GD or design-related programs.

1 INTRODUCTION Design education usually employs project-based learning, in which students learn to research, plan, design and reflect on the creation of technological projects [1], [2]. Student experience issues may influence students' design process, as well as their perception of professional knowledge development. Studies have pointed out students are ill-informed about design education when entering university [3]. In the field of design, although there have been student surveys to analyze design thinking skills and for assessing design literacy. However, these studies are primarily assessment tools, and do not investigate students’ attitudes or experiences of their design courses. While several studies focus on measuring students’ cognitive knowledge, assessments of affective variables, such as attitude, are far fewer in number. The objective of this study was to investigate student experiences, specifically the issues and challenges faced by students in three foundational design courses – focusing on introductory design, architectural design and engineering design – at the . We investigate issues such as how do students experience various instruction modes such as lectures and studio; and their experience of working individually or as teams in the three foundational design courses. 2 METHOD We conducted a survey in three foundational design courses, in both online and paper format. The survey comprised quantitative and qualitative components. Respondents consisted of 248 students from the introductory design course, 48 students from the introductory architectural design course and 71 students from the engineering design course. Respondents rated their perceptions on 23 items in two types of questions: Likert, semantic differential. Additionally, they provided their input in two open-ended questions. 3 RESULTS A principal component analysis conducted on the data revealed five factors that primarily contributed to students’ perception of foundational design courses: (1) the fun aspects of design, (2) the stressful aspects of design, (3) Course Pressures, (4) Student temperament issues, (5) Teamwork experience. Performance pressures majorly affected student experience in all three courses. The architectural design course was seen to be the most enjoyable for students, as fun scores were higher than the stress scores, and low course pressures. The engineering design course was observed to be very stressful for students, with low scores for fun. 4 SIGNIFICANCE Student perception of foundational design courses is important because it can be used to drive forward changes in curriculum and pedagogy. While this study uses data from one university, the issues reported here are generic and relevant for instructors developing design courses across different parts of the world. Research in student experience and perspectives is crucial to develop design education and propel it into the future. REFERENCES [1] Y. Doppelt, “Assessing creative thinking in design-based learning,” International Journal of Technology and Design Education, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 55–65, 2009, [2] N. Lee, “Project methods as the vehicle for learning in undergraduate design education: a typology,” Design Studies, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 541–560, Sep. 2009, [3] A. B. Gencosmanoglu, “Learning, teaching and administration in design education: DESIGNtrain Project: Training tools for developing design education,” in Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2010.

Critical thinking is an essential skill not only for educational achievement but also to enhance the quality of life (Bakry et al., 2019, pp. 632-633). However, Yemen has not traditionally encouraged or utilized critical thinking in graphic design education, a field of study where critical thinking is required to think beyond a problem to create solutions to existing and new problems. Design does not come up with the same solution for each project but looks for new ideas and solutions that have culturally relevant answers to solve a problem (Barbour, 2016). Currently there is a lack of research in the areas of critical thinking in graphic design education in Yemen. To Nordin and Surajudin (2015), Ijtihad is a representative for Higher-Order Thinking Skill that may reflect the Tawhid of Allah (God’s unification) and supported their claim with a hadith (the prophet statements): “Those who know himself, he may know his God” (Nordin and Surajudeen, 2015, p. 37). Thus, in knowing oneself, the lifelong learner needs to have self-regulation to be able to use critical thinking (Szabo, 2019). In exploring the relationship between the Islamic concept of Ijtihad (individual reasoning) and the Western notion of critical thinking, there are several points that require consideration. In particular, establishing what critical thinking means in the context of Western design education relative to Ijtihad’s role in Islamic education. The focus of this presentation is exploring the relationship between the western notion of critical thinking and the equivalent Islamic concept of Ijtihad. It highlights the five elements of Ijtihad: Tadabbur (learning and understanding before judging an idea), Tafkih (analysing using al-Qalb (heart) that depends on al-Aqal (mind)), Tafakkur (reflecting and examining), Ta’qil (gathering information before jumping to the conclusion), and Tadhakkur (summarising to understand wisely). Critical thinking is culturally relative, so it is important to study this phenomenon considering the Yemeni culture proposing a suitable holistic framework of Ijtihad. This research draws on a Ph.D. study in-progress that investigates critical thinking in graphic design education in Yemen from an Islamic perspective. Interviews with Yemeni educators were conducted to explore the concept of critical thinking and Ijtihad. This research ultimately aims to identify essential techniques of thinking that can be shaped to reflect Ijtihad, alongside identifying appropriate adult learning strategies developed by Western educators and researchers to enhance students' critical thinking. The outcome of this study will distinguish frameworks within graphic design curricula promoting students’ critical thinking and reflecting these from a Western context to a Yemeni one considering Ijtihad.

Research has shown the importance of students’ perceptions of a learning environment and the existence of discrepancies between students’ and teachers’ perceptions. Participatory design could be a helpful strategy to reduce such discrepancies and eventually improve the design of learning environments, as it has proven to be effective to optimize design in other domains. The current study investigated the desirability and feasibility of possible use of participatory design in education. Students and teachers in secondary education were interviewed about their opinions on the idea of participatory design of a learning environment. Both students and teachers displayed predominantly positive opinions towards possibly engaging in participatory design, supporting its desirability and feasibility. Practical suggestions for implementation are included.

The rapid development of new media technology has a significant impact on the traditional graphic design art. It not only promotes the rapid development of graphic design field, but also accelerates the transformation and upgrading of the whole visual communication design education concept. The traditional teaching concept of graphic design cannot meet the needs of students, but the education of graphic design under digital information can improve the satisfaction of students with gorgeous visual effects. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the reform of modern graphic design education mode in the digital media environment. This paper first analyzes the development of digital media art and graphic design education, then studies the relationship between graphic design teaching and mobile digital media, and finally discusses the value of digital media art in graphic design teaching and the significance of reform.

Education is a prime element in constructing human civilization. The different streams of education have been divided into different disciplines according to the demand of today’s world. Art education is a necessary stream in that context. Painting is called the first visual language of humans. The necessity of visual language or art education is boundless. Creative art education is divided into multiple branches. Graphic Design is one of its parts, which is very necessary and attractive. In today’s technology-based order, the modern representation of graphic design is visual communication. Graphic Design art education comprising technology-based knowledge is necessary in today’s world. Currently, there are 165 public and private universities in Bangladesh. Among those five publics and three private universities are running programs in graphic design. There is a great demand for skilled and educated graphic designers in private sectors both at home and abroad. Whereas the number of graphic design graduates is not sufficient. In global industry, the activities of Bangladeshi graphic designers are limited. Although they are limited in number, they have maintained their reputation in workplaces. There should be expansion of higher education in graphic design both in local and international arena. Here, different challenges and prospects in graphic design education have been identified.