Please join us for PhD student Karin Schmidlin’s doctoral research presentation on Thursday, October 2nd at 10am, in the Multipurpose Room (PCN 2012) in person.
Co-Supervisors: Dr. Leah Macfadyen (LLED) and Dr Heather O’Brien (iSchool)
Committee member: Dr. Kristiina Kumpulainen
Fostering Student Agency through Complex Design Challenges: A Mixed Methods Study of an Introductory Undergraduate Design Course
Abstract:
In an era of increasing complexity and global uncertainty, higher education must prepare students to navigate ambiguity with resilience, and critical insight. This mixed methods doctoral study investigates how simulation-based learning fosters student agency in an undergraduate design course. Grounded in sociocultural theories of agency, the research examines both students’ perceived and demonstrated agency during a five-week, scenario-driven simulation addressing a complex, ill-defined design challenge. Data collection combines quantitative and qualitative methods, analyzed through thematic coding and Epistemic Network Analysis to trace connections between agency-related behaviours. By situating design education within systemic and complex problem contexts, this study addresses a persistent gap between theoretical understandings of agency and classroom practices that cultivate it. The study aims to identify instructional strategies that promote student-centred approaches, contributing to broader discussions on equipping students with agency, adaptability, and critical decision-making skills essential for 21st-century design practice.
Keywords: student agency; design education; simulation-based learning; complexity; mixed methods; Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA).