Abstract:

The following Paper is a study into the reactionary response of taking an undergraduate Interior Design course from on-site delivery to online. Looking how this has impacted student learning and understanding, how its affected staff, sometimes the forgotten casualty in the pressure to deliver seamless learning material in a global pandemic.

The aim of the study is to discuss and reflect on how, through necessity of the situation, a staff team and Industry focussed Interior Design course has found ways to survive, elements that have thrived and the sacrifices made along the way.

The study objectives identify from a reflective model taking into account Brookfield’s lenses, what short and long term actions of a reflexive staff team have on curriculum design and practice, how it aids the empowerment of student learning and what are the sacrifices made along the way in creating a conducive learning environment for all.

The methodologies used are qualitative and engage Brookfields lenses to aid the authors in gathering ‘thick descriptions’ of student experiences, as well as more autobiographical observations and musings, enlisting colleague experiences, documented feedback from questionnaires and focussed staff meetings. In the evaluation of the data, ethical considerations to maintain value and accountability were deployed to ensure trustworthiness and authenticity. As the researchers and sample group are interlocked in this journey together, confirmability is ensured through reflective evidenced accounts, capturing honest appraisals from all stakeholders where personal values or theories are excluded to maintain professional and academic rigour to the study.

The study discusses how the course adapted, what survives, thrives and is sacrificed, by the opportunities developed through elements such as embedding flipped classroom strategies in blended learning situations. Looking at the teaching strategies deployed to enhance online delivery and learning; the inclusion of professional CPD (Continuing Professional Development) presentations providing collaborative lecture content; creating new marketing and admission materials and engaging global alumni talks; up-skilling of staff's software abilities.

Results show greater engagement within lecture formats; students’ developing professional dialogues earlier in the course with industry as collaborative discussions develop greater confidence across the student body. New responsive marketing material created changed engagement and interactions, working collectively rather than didactically with the further education sector, as well as being utilised in developing inclusive international engagement in online workshops. Alumni talks evidencing and supporting curriculum design and ongoing relevancy in its industry currency, further support student’s confidences in a forward looking course. However, in conclusion, how sacrifices in incidental learning and teaching occur with staff adopting measures to create new virtual environments offering places of dual engagement. How staff’s morale and team ethos have also been causalities in terms of well-being and job self-worth, with online environments challenging and excluding unstructured meet ups and discussions, whereby sharing becomes a more planned formal exchange, rather than the organic nature previously enjoyed. In short how the future offers a rebalancing of these responsive experiences to hybridising a more cohesive learning environment that shares the best of both practices.

Keywords:

Reflexive, Engaging, Cohesive, Inclusive, Opportunities