Abstract:
There is an ongoing debate regarding the best approach to educate undergraduates in arts
and design (AD) subjects through online mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic. AD students
are predominantly learning through experimental and reflective learning, hence facilitating
teaching, learning and assessment (TLA) activities in an online platform and maintaining an
active learning environment were the identified issues of the study. The outcomes of this
study will be beneficial for academia, undergraduates and service providers of online
education platforms.
This study targeted level two, term three undergraduates of the Bachelor of Design (Hons),
Fashion Design and Product Development degree course as a group project, according to the
learning outcomes defined in the curriculum. Outcomes were analyzed through mixed
methodology while it was evaluated through the observations of the two examiners and post
project feedback collected by students for qualitative data analysis. Quantitative analysis was
done with the results obtained from summative and formative assessments of the sample of
51 students (in 12 groups).
It was evident that 100% of participants were able to adapt to the online learning while the
majority (90%) could virtually interact with group members in order to engage in active
learning with real-time connectivity. Students’ feedback revealed that the virtual factory visits
and online guest lectures were able to fill the knowledge gaps of the industry-linked project.
Results of the summative assessments evidenced 8.3% of A+s while B+ has recorded as the
lowest result gained by a group.
In conclusion, it was observed that the possibilities of adopting the online approach were
overweighing the challenges and limitations encountered as the overall results of the
students are higher than the previous academic year which was conducted physically. The
experimental learning was limited due to lack of materials and technical resources however
it was overcome through peer group learning. Furthermore, the study has revealed that the
need of TLA is to be adhering in relation to constructive alignment considering the pros and
cons of distance mode teaching.
