A designer needs to possess capabilities and knowledge outside the traditional engineering domains – these capabilities and experiences are difficult to obtain in a traditional classroom setting; therefore, the integrated learning experiences can provide the experience and training of these capabilities. A crucial part of design education is to teach students the ability to cope with uncertainty and ambiguity – traits of a successful designer.
The paper presents the design of a course in creative concept development that implements several educational ideas from active learning, which is an improvement over traditional learning. Active learning focuses on engaging students in and outside the classroom, an essential part of active learning includes mixing between theory and practical exercises and here it is crucial that the physical environment quickly adapts to different types of learning activities.
The paper shows three concrete examples of how to integrate active learning – learning outside the classroom, guided design and role-play and games. The course has reflection and feedback throughout, both as an integral part of the lectures and assessment. To complement active learning, we must have effective evaluation processes to measure them. Different categories of learning outcomes require different assessment methods.
Through continuous improvement, much based on the students' feedback and reflections, the course is very popular with students. Students appreciate the mix of exercises, unconventional presentations, challenges and games. Students also appreciate the breadth of assessment that s assess an in-depth understanding.