Abstract:

Learning process in industrial design it is imprinted profoundly by the design process, hindering the distinction between projectual sequence and the teaching of the discipline. It is often assumed that during their formation the methodological application within the design process ensures good designers; Considering the ability to adapt to design methodology as the only path that promises good students and good results. The design process is developed in a projective way, including a number of steps that are expected to be followed in an orderly and responsible manner by all students, however the ways of learning that they adopt maintain an intrinsic relationship with their personality, making each one respond in a different way through their own learning processes looking for their greater performance within the academy. Are these ways of learning known in design teaching as autonomous work methodologies?, are these methodologies considered valid?

The analysis of learning styles has allowed to identify different types of personalities and ways of doing things in the learning process, for this reason it is considered important to analyze how industrial design students learn, knowing the factors that influence their selection and practice; it is also necessary to recognize what factors make them transform and what relationship exists between these practices and their academic satisfaction (grades and average) and personal (emotions). The present research analyzes the ELT (Experiential Learning Theory) model (Kolb, 1984) as a reference for the case study, which defines styles inscribed within a learning cycle that are adopted by the learner according to situation; The research will also study the reinterpretations after the ELT model.

For the case study 10% of the population of industrial design students of the National University of Colombia, Palmira Campus (n = 30, 15 women and 15 men) were taken into account, who responded according to their experience and characteristics to design problems, and 10 interviews (n = 10) that allowed to study more closely the personality, ways of learning and characteristics presented by students according to their style of learning.

Keywords:

Learning, education, industrial design learning, learning styles.