Results
R1 – Infrastructure Tools, Platforms and Digital Methods for Virtual and Hybrid Industrial Design Studio.
The systematic of the VID studio system was defined as the interaction of architecture and engineering.
The partner universities have established advisory boards, including the related instructors involved in VID studio and key local specialists (approximately 2 instructors and 3 key specialists). The local key specialists work voluntarily on the project. These national advisory boards act throughout the project life cycle with the aim of informing the development of the proposed new resources (tools, pedagogical approaches, interactive learning platform). The frame and aspects of the EINSTUDIO learning platform, designing and developing new learning resources for use in dynamic online environments, were decided by all partners (GU, UA, UBI, StorytellMe, ISOB). Partner academics (GU, UBI, UA) have commonly agreed on the layout and technical features of the learning platform. After determining the whole structure and necessary details, Gazi University subcontracted the software for the VID learning platform through an exceptional cost budget.
The EINSTUDIO learning platform can be reached from the following link:
https://europeandesignstudio.com/login
For the students, the student user manual is prepared by the partnership and located on both the website and the learning platform. It can be reached either from the project’s official website (https://einstudio.eu/
The required competencies and learning outcomes of VID Studio Phase 1 and Phase 2, compliance with the expected LOs of the involved universities, and a comparison of each partner university’s learning outcome/program outcome have been made. Accordingly, the partner Universities compare the learning outcomes of their design studio or similar courses in their undergraduate curricula and integrate the required competencies through a commission established by the members of the universities. This commission is established in the First Partnership Meeting. The determined competencies and learning outcomes also matched well with the proposed aims and learning approaches of R2 and R3. The progress was discussed in Virtual Meeting 2, and the finalization of the LOs was done in Meeting 2. After the approval of the Academic Commission of the Project, the final learning outcomes and competencies of VID Studio Phase 1 and Phase 2 were integrated into the Joint Agreement signed by the legal representatives of three partner Universities (3rd item of the agreement includes the learning outcomes of Phase 1 and Phase 2)
GU and UBI did integration of virtual material and mechanisms labs to the learning platform). The University partners (GU, UBI, and UA) searched for good practices and related applications that could be adapted from their own universities and/or regions. The selected virtual materials and mechanisms documents, including videos, e-books, and e-learning materials, were classified into three main groups (mechanisms, material science, and production methods) and several sub-groups and located in the Labs and Libraries menu of the learning Platform. All the international teachers of EINSTUDIO are authorized to add new documents and videos to the Labs and Libraries part of the Learning Platform.
Integration of the virtual production methods workshop library into the learning platform (GU, UBI). Partner academics (GU, UBI, and UA) searched for good practices and related applications that could be adapted from their own universities and/or regions.
The selected virtual materials and mechanisms documents, including videos, e-books, and e-learning materials, were classified into three main groups (mechanisms, material science, and production methods) and several sub-groups and located in the Labs and Libraries menu of the learning Platform. All the international teachers of EINSTUDIO are authorized to add new documents and videos to the Labs and Libraries part of the Learning Platform. Collaborative and Interactive learning and Multimodal content of the Learning Platform are explained in the student manual of the EINSTUDIO Learning platform in detail.
Further details about the process and outcomes of R1:
R2 – European ID Studio Implementation and Assessment Phase 1
(1) Preparation of the instructors for VID Studio through meetings and C1
Firstly, the transnational instructors of VID Studio were trained through the training activity. The training activity was held between February 12th and 17th, 2023, and hosted by Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey. Participants from Gazi University, Universidade Beira Interior, Universidad de Alicante, and STORYTELLME attended this training, as did external experts.
The aim was to train all partner organizations to become instructors to use the intellectual outputs produced before, to experiment with the platform tool, and to arrange all final details for the implementation.
The C1 Training was based on the structure of the VID Learning Platform, reviewing technical questions, operations of the various tools of the platform, and training methods. The agenda, participant list, and photos of the training activity are available at: https://einstudio.eu/training-activities/.
(2) Selection and motivation of the interdisciplinary students for VID Studio
The main criteria for the students to be selected for VID Studio will be good knowledge of English and the average transcript grade. In the partnership meetings, it was agreed that the partner universities could determine and announce additional criteria for the selection of their VID Studio students. The students can be from Industrial Design, Engineering, Architecture, or similar disciplines, preferably from 2nd or 3rd class.
The instructors in English interviewed the students, and the partner Universities made the selection decisions individually. Each partner university conducted this task on this issue at their own university. During the Interviews, the Instructors informed the students about the learning outcomes, aims, mutual recognition processes, and European Certification that are agreed upon and signed through a Joint agreement between the legal representatives of the Partner Universities.
Apart from that, the students were informed that the VID Studio will last 2 semesters and it is preferable that each student attend to both phases of R2 and R3 implementation.
(3) Preparation of transnational student teams
After the selection processes in each University, 39 students from Gazi University, 37 students from the University of Beira Interior, and 11 students from the University of Alicante were selected to be involved in the transnational teams (a total of 87 students). The students were divided into 11 groups, and all students and instructors from the partner Universities were added to the Learning Platform (https://europeandesignstudio.com) as users.
When the students and instructors are recorded on the Learning Platform, an automatic e-mail is sent to them, declaring their initial username and password to log in to the system. The transnational students were gathered into 11 teams. In each team, there was one student from the University of Alicante, 3-4 students from Gazi University, and 3-4 students from the University of Beira Interior.
When the transnational student groups are assigned to the learning platform, the system automatically creates a group interface where each group can organize their online meetings, share their homework, and make their own discussions on the homepage of their groups.
(4) Implementing VID Studio Phase 1 by the determined learning approach
The first implementation phase of VID Studio by the planned learning approach and assessment method is for 15 weeks between the 23rd of February and the 1st of June 2023. The learning approach, as well as the assessment phases, were declared in the syllabus and can be reached from the left menu of the learning platform. The details of the process for 15 weeks for the first implementation phase can be seen in the syllabus. The user manual for the students using the learning platform is also available in the syllabus menu.
Thus, a unique systematic methodology was tested initially by a group of 87 transnational students in teamwork. Guided questions encouraged critical thinking about aspects of the problem that need to be addressed to develop a successful design. The methodology that combines the conceptual industrial design with an IBL model contributed to students’ professional skills that can be used in ID. In the first phase of implementation, studio courses were done each week on Thursdays starting at 13:30 Turkish meantime (10:30 Portuguese meantime and 11:30 Spanish meantime).
Also, the weekly summaries of the courses as well as the final products of are located on the Facebook page of the project:
https://www.facebook.com/EUROPEANINTERACTIVEINDUSTRIALDESIGNSTUDIO
The final evaluation of the first phase of the implementation (R2) has been made during the 4th partnership meeting in Covilha, Portugal. Most of the instructors of EINSTUDIO get together in Covilha, and simultaneous connection was provided between Gazi University and the University of Alicante for the final presentation and exhibition of the transnational student projects.
The related news about the final evaluation and exhibition, together with some photos, can be seen from the following official links of Gazi University and the University of Berira Interior:
https://urbietorbi.ubi.pt/fal-acolhe-exposicao-de-prototipos-no-ambito-de-projeto-internacional/
All this press news, together with the other press news since the beginning of the project, can be seen from the following link of the official project website: https://einstudio.eu/pressnews/
(5) Evaluation of the first phase through observations and feedback
StorytellMe and ISOB staff were involved in the weekly studio courses to observe the learning environment using their expertise in different learning approaches. UBI, the lead Partner of this activity, oversees the whole technical and methodological process. GU and UA are the applicators, and ISOB and StorytellMe are the observers of the courses. They supported UBI in the development of the structures and innovative content through their observations and feedback after each studio course. The instructors have created a WhatsApp group to discuss the weekly issues and the student’s progress. Apart from that, a WhatsApp group that included all students and instructors was also created to make urgent announcements to the students and warn them of their insufficient work. Based on the 15 weeks Syllabus declared at the beginning of the semester through the Learning Platform, each week, the instructors presented a working guide for the next week on the class/general part (main page) of the Learning Platform in order to motivate the students for their upcoming tasks.
All partners provided immense and instant feedback to transfer their impressions weekly, which was considered for the quick revision and improvement of the specific parts of the learning platform.
All partner university instructors collected regular feedback from their students and made suggestions for improvements during the process. Apart from that, the following end-term online questionnaire was applied to the students through the Learning Platform at the end of the semester. The collected results will be evaluated and reported by ISOB, a reference for the second implementation phase that will be started in September 2023.
During the implementation phase, the transnational students get together at any time they want after the weekly courses to discuss their work and share the tasks for the upcoming weeks. A responsible instructor of the group easily schedules these meetings through the Learning Platform. When the student groups meet after the weekly courses, at least one instructor attends their meeting in order to observe their progress and compliance with the teamwork.
(6) Quality assurance report for Phase 1 – Reporting for Guidelines and Validation
After collecting all data, including the partner universities’ feedback reports and feedback from the students, ISOB prepared the Quality Assurance report for phase 1 (R2) by the end of August 2023.
Further details about the process and outcomes of R2, including the Scientific Book of the first implementation phase:
R3 – European ID Studio Implementation and Assessment Phase 2
Eighty-three students were officially enrolled in the European Interactive Industrial Design Studio II course. These students were chosen through interviews conducted at each university after collecting application forms for the program. Students who had already completed the European Interactive Industrial Design Studio I course were given priority. The distribution of the participating students was as follows: 39 from Gazi University, 33 from the University of Beira Interior, and 11 from the University of Alicante.
All sessions were conducted in real time throughout the semester, and all instructors and students participated in one session. This setup allowed all instructors to gain first-hand knowledge of every project presented by the students and provided each student group with feedback from all instructors. This teaching format proved highly enriching, as students could listen to the developments of other projects and expand their understanding of industrial design.
As in the first course, the academic calendars of the three partner universities aligned, allowing the course “Interactive European Industrial Design Studio II” to commence on September 28, 2023. After two preliminary evaluations on October 26 and November 27, 2023, the course concluded with a final evaluation on January 18, 2024. The course was scheduled for Thursdays at 11:30 Central European Time, maintaining the same schedule as the first course. This timing accommodated the different time zones of the partner universities and the extensive hours required for a design studio, consolidating all activities on the same day.
On January 25, 2024, each university hosted an exhibition showcasing all the projects developed during the course, displaying models on their respective campuses. Additionally, a simultaneous connection was established between all the universities on this day, enabling students to present their final designs. The exhibitions at all three universities were open to the public, promoting the project and highlighting the industrial design capabilities of our students.
Course Objectives and Structure
The course aimed to facilitate collaborative work among students from different universities, promoting a multicultural, interactive, and multi-perspective design process. To enhance learning and ensure comprehensive student interaction, the composition of the student groups was modified throughout the course.
As in the first phase, 11 working groups were formed, each consisting of 7-8 students. This ensured a balanced distribution, with each group comprising 3-4 students from Gazi University, three from the University of Beira Interior, and one from the University of Alicante.
Course Delivery and Interaction
The course was conducted online once a week, with all instructors and students participating simultaneously. To develop their design projects, students organized additional online meetings within their groups at least once a week using various communication platforms.
Instructors were available for critiques outside the scheduled online course times. Although students could contact instructors through the online platform, they mostly communicated with their university instructors and then shared the feedback and suggestions with their peers.
Collaborative Learning Environment
The collaborative nature of the course fostered a dynamic learning environment where students could benefit from diverse perspectives. By working in mixed groups, students gained insights into different design approaches and cultural viewpoints, enriching their educational experience and enhancing their problem-solving skills.
This structure and approach were designed to maximize the benefits of a multicultural educational setting, ensuring that students not only develop their design skills but also their ability to work effectively in diverse, international teams.
The evaluation process and quality assurance reporting have been done like the first phase implementation. ISOB prepared the second phase’s consolidated report on quality assurance, including the process evaluation, instructors’ evaluation, and students’ evaluation.
Further details about the process and outcomes of R3, including the Scientific Book of the second implementation phase:
R4 – Guidelines, Recognition and Sustainability through the Modified VID Studio Tools and Curricula
The mutual recognition and validation by three partner universities were provided through a Joint Agreement signed by the legal representatives. The agreement is also located in the Partners section of the official project website (https://einstudio.eu/partners/).
The students who received passing grades in R2 and R3 implementations received an international certificate and validation document issued by the academic commission representatives of EINSTUDIO, which are mentioned in the Joint Agreement of the Universities. The international certification was made after the first and second implementation phases. The certification samples can be seen in the results of R2 and R3.
1ST Phase Student Certificates here.
Back Page of 1ST Phase Student Certificates here.
2nd Phase Student Certificates here.
Back Page of 2ND Phase Certificates here.
GU, UBI, and UA conducted focus group meetings with their EINSTUDIO first-phase and second-phase students based on the results of the first and second-phase questionnaires results. Focus group meetings were conducted using semi-structured interviews.
Afterward, GU, UBI, and UA prepared their short national reports (evaluation of the focus group meetings with the students for first and second phases, identification of the good practices, evaluation of the national instructors about the process and the phases, assessment of the active utilization of interactive VID Studio components through R2 and R3 phases as well as learning approaches used in the VID Studio courses, VID Studio structure including experiences and resolutions experienced over time, comprising:
– The knowledge, expertise, and assumptions brought to the course by the partnership
– Organising and support structure and VID Studio system EINSTUDIO
– Ways, cultures, and indoctrinations of working and thinking in transnational means
– The elements that make up active learning and integrated tools.
Thus, the knowledge, expertise, and assumptions brought to the VID Studio pilot implementations by the partnership were analyzed.
Considering the national reports, the final Guideline for the VID Studio approach is prepared. The objective is to inform subsequent instructors and training providers for ID bachelor students of the VID Studio Learning Platform, tools, and learning approaches tested and validated through the pilot testing in the Implementation phases and state-of-the-art new integration of the tools, and obtain best practices from the Implementation phases.
Further details about the process and outcomes of R4, including the National Reports and Guidelines:
