Can E-learning Enhance Practice-based Design Courses?

Abstract

Abstract: In recent years the focus for UK Higher Education has been on improving student experiences; technology has played a crucial role in transforming the curriculum, evidenced in a series of initiatives funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) (HEFCE, 2009). The adoption of online learning and teaching techniques on practice-based courses, within the field of art and design, have often been seen as controversial, due to the vocational nature of the discipline. This paper seeks to understand, through the application of action research, what affect the incorporation of blended learning has had on the professional practice element of a practice-based course and compare students’ responses to results published by one of JISC’s completed programmes, ‘Learner Experiences of e-Learning.’ (JISC, 2009)