Abstract:

The assessment of learning transfer between courses represents a key challenge in higher education, particularly in project-based disciplines such as Interior Architectural Design, where knowledge is progressively constructed across different scales and contexts. Despite its relevance, there is a lack of specific instruments capable of measuring how competencies acquired in one course are applied in subsequent design subjects.

This study presents an educational innovation experience developed at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), within the framework of the innovation project “MobID”, focused on improving the articulation between courses in the Degree in Interior Architectural Design. The paper describes the design and methodological validation of a questionnaire aimed at assessing learning transfer between a second-year course on furniture and contemporary equipment design and third-year project-based courses.

The instrument is grounded in established theoretical frameworks on learning transfer, including the models proposed by Timothy T. Baldwin and Elwood F. Holton, as well as experiential and reflective learning approaches developed by David Kolb and Donald Schön.

The questionnaire was developed through a structured process including literature review, dimension definition, and item construction. Five dimensions were identified: teaching methodology, acquired learning, learning transfer, curricular integration, and overall evaluation. The final instrument consists of 15 Likert-scale items (three per dimension), designed to balance conceptual coverage and response efficiency. The questionnaire was conceived as a brief, context-adapted tool to facilitate its implementation in real classroom settings, addressing common constraints related to student response rates.

The proposed instrument contributes to innovation in design education by providing a framework to assess learning transfer across design scales, from object-based design to spatial project development. It offers a methodological basis for future empirical studies aimed at improving curricular coherence and teaching strategies in project-based disciplines.

Keywords:

Learning transfer, Questionnaire validation, Interior architectural design education, Project-based learning, Educational innovation.