Design, collaboration, and computation: The design studio as a model for computer-supported collaboration in mathematics

Shaffer, D. W. (1997). Design, collaboration, and computation: The design studio as a model for computer-supported collaboration in mathematics. Paper presented at the Computer Support for Collaborative Learning ’97, Toronto, Ontario. http://epistemicgames.org/cv/papers/DesignCollaborationandComputation97.pdf

Abstract:

The introduction of computational media to education has made the idea of learning in an open-ended, design-based environment appealing to educators. One important feature of such environments is the extent to which students are able to collaborate with teachers, experts and with their peers without losing control of their own learning process. This paper looks at the architectural design studio as a model for dealing with this balance between control and collaboration in open-ended learning. In particular, this paper looks at using computers to create a “mathematics studio” where students learn mathematics using the pedagogy of the design studio. The paper presents two studies: one of how the design studio provides a model for collaborative work, the other exploring the use of computers to adapt the studio model to mathematics learning.
These two studies show that the design studio can provide an effective model for thinking about collaboration through design activities, and that the design studio model can be used successfully in mathematics learning with the help of computer technology. This research also suggests that whatever model we take for supporting collaborative activities, students’ experiences of collaboration are strongly influenced by their sense of control over their learning process.