South Regional IDEC Conference - Interior Design Educators Council

ONLINE DISCUSSIONS IN INTERIOR DESIGN GRADUATE EDUCATION:
IDENTIFYING LEARNING STYLES AS PREDICTORS OF USE
Marlo Ransdell
Department of Interior Design
Florida State University
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to examine interior design graduate student learning
styles and the frequency of interaction within online discussions centering on design
research. Using asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC), students are
able to interact with others engaged in a design research process regardless of
geographic and time differences. Also, the focus on integrating research into interior
design education has recently been added to accreditation standards set forth by the
interior design accrediting body the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).
This study seeks to uncover graduate student learning characteristics and their use of
online discussions for further exploration of applications of online learning techniques in
interior design educational and research.
BACKGROUND
Previous research in online discussions show that cultivating online relationships,
providing feedback, and reflecting on others‘ opinions can increase interactivity and
scholarship among students resulting in a higher order of creative thought (Dutt-Doner
& Powers, 2000). Reflective writing activities are also recognized as a way to enhance
critical and creative thinking in students and have applications in all disciplines (Cisero,
2006). For interior design, research–based design relies on reflective writing to
integrate existing literature findings into current design solutions. Using research in
design education is also seen as a way to advance the scholarly culture of interior
design and bridge the two diverse practice and academic worlds (Dohr, 2007). Interior
Design graduate students engaged in a research agenda can benefit from online
discussions and reflective writing supported by online discussions through networking,
sharing ideas and resources, and reflecting upon divergent opinions within a group of
peers.
This study also focuses on the specific learning styles of graduate students
involved in online discussions about design research. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI) has been used in determining typologies of students within different fields
(Myers & McCaulley, 1985). It has also been used in interior design education and can
help identify the characteristics of interior design students and their preferred learning
styles (Russ & Weber, 1995). This study uses the MBTI to identify the learning styles of
a group of graduate students. The MBTI is a series of 96 questions that yield a fourletter
learning type. The 8 variables create a total of 16 learning types that emerge;
E(extrovert) – I(introvert), S(sensing) - N(intuitive), T(thinking) – F(feeling), and
J(judging) – P(perception). Each variable set is scored with one variable becoming
dominant. Measures of attitude are seen in the first and last letters of the learning type.
The middle two variables in the learning are ways that people gather and process
information. This instrument has been used successfully in identifying learning styles of
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