Abstract:

As we move into an ever-growing digital world it is important to remember the simple things. This is especially true as many educators transition to more of an online presence, rather than an in-person class presence.

Today's students live with their digital technology 24 hours a day. They are never far from some sort of screen. So, it is important to break that bond once in a while, especially from and educational standpoint. Sketching on paper can help change up the monotony of teaching everything digitally. It also provides a quick and easy way for students to explore anything from graphic design sketches, storyboards, web pages, workflows, or even user experience. Trained designers are well versed at the benefits of sketching, but today's students may have limited to no experience sketching on their own.

Some students will say they cannot draw, but the idea of sketching does not require an expertise in art. Sketching is simply a way to draw out ideas in a very quick manner. Sketches do not necessarily need a lot of detail, and this is one concept students don't always understand.

Sketches can be used to facilitate online learning by helping the student brainstorm in a very quick and efficient manner. Educators can take advantage of sketching by requiring students to start off their projects with sketches. Phones can now act as scanners, so it is very easy to digitize sketch work and share it online.

Project based learning lends itself to being broken into various parts, and most projects can include some sort of sketching component at the start. Educators can take a major project, break it up into smaller sections and then have the student complete each section before moving on. Having sketches be a part of the first component allows the student to quickly come up with ideas, while also showing the teacher the student has thought of multiple solutions to the project problem.

Traditional sketches have an important role in the online teaching environment and this paper will explore the history of sketching, how sketching is traditionally used in a classroom, and how students can learn to make sketching an integral part of their design process. This paper will also provide suggestions on various ways to incorporate sketches into a project-based learning course that has transitioned to an online environment.

Keywords:

Design theory, sketching, graphic design, storyboarding, user experience, online learning, project-based learning.