Education in the New Millennium: The Case for Design‐Based Learning

Abstract

Abstract This article focuses on current examples of project or design‐based learning at the secondary school level in the context of the increasing importance of creativity and innovative thinking in the twenty‐first century. The authors argue that students today learn more effectively in pedagogical practices that emphasise holistic thinking, active learning, visual media and problem‐solving. Design‐based learning presents new ways for realising long‐term goals and learning outcomes. The purpose of this article is to investigate best practices of design education in the community and to propose instructional resource examples on design to K‐12 school teachers. This article points out the importance of systemised process for the work of design‐based teachers and learners, addresses the study of design as a subject of investigation and a mode of inquiry that engages a variety of student learning styles and makes direct connections between subjects and problem‐solving in daily life. Our belief is that the case studies explored in this article represent the seeds of a new model of education based on creative and applied learning. The exemplar communities chosen for onsite research are the education department of the Cooper‐Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, USA.