Preliminary presentation of the paper to be presented in the DRS Conference - Cumulus 2013. Sosa Tzec, O., Beck, J. E., Siegel, M. A. (2013) Building the Narrative Cloud: Reflection and Distributed Cognition in a Design Studio Classroom. DRS // CUMULUS 2013. 2nd International Conference for Design Education Researchers.

1. Building the Narrative Cloud:
Reflection and Distributed Cognition
in a Design Studio Classroom
Omar Sosa Tzec – Jordan E. Beck – Martin A. Siegel
Indiana University, Bloomington
School of Informatics and Computing s s
Spring 2013
s

2. what is this about?
We introduce a pedagogical approach for
Human-Computer Interaction Design (HCI/d)
based on narratives to be employed in a
design studio [course].
In this approach the narratives are seen as a
tool for supporting the learning process of
HCI/d students to become designers.

3. Student
s
path as a designer

4. No-designer HCI Designer
s s
path as a designer

5. s
path as a designer
The studio as a HCI/d
learning environment
* Design Thinking
* Sets of design competency
* Repertoire

6. s
path as a designer
The studio as a HCI/d
learning environment
narratives
as a tool

7. sense of agency
Understanding of technology
that benefits humans
d

8. the role of narratives
In this approach, the instructor selects a
concept that it’s believed to contribute in
the conformation of the students’ agency
as [future] designers.
Narratives are used to convey these concepts
and to engage the students into reflection
during the lecture stage of the studio.

9. the role of narratives (cont.)
We call these concepts
Concept Independent Concept (CIC).
cic

10. The design studio
cic 1
time

11. The design studio
narrative
cic 1
time

12. The design studio
narrative
cic 2
narrative
cic 1
time

13. The design studio
narrative
cic 2
narrative 1 narrative 2
cic 1 cic 1
time

14. narratives: typology
cic
Oral Video Musical
Narratives Narratives Narratives

15. narratives: composition
* Characters
* Setting
* Actions
* Time Pins
* Objects
* Emotions
* Intentions
* Values

16. Maya Lin
Credits
Maya Lin: http://prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/lin/images/mayalb.jpg
Vietnam Veteran’s War Memorial: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/
_HWru1FKVR_M/TO5PHe1-qVI/AAAAAAAAAB0/vyuNrzOMFCY/s1600/
vietnam-veterans-memorial.jpg.gif

17. “You know, I couldn’t help but think that,
she was so young and early in her career,
inexperienced, really. A student still.
And yet she still had the courage to believe
in her design. I wonder if I could do that”
graduate student of hci/d studio

18. reflection-in-narrative
i content-independent concept s s s
instructor students
studio

19. reflection-on-narrative
?
i communal reflection zone s s s
studio

20. the narrative cloud
The narrative cloud is envisioned as the highest
level on which we can model the learning experience
as narrative.
In the narrative cloud, the instructor abdicates
sole authorship. In the narrative cloud, stories act on,
are acted upon, and complement each other.

21. T s
s s
i s
s s
i s
s s
i s
s s
s

22. conclusions
We introduced an HCI/d pedagogical approach to be
applied in a studio-based course (Schön, 1987).
This approach employs narratives as a means to convey
content-independent concepts. These stories gather in
a conceptual space we call the narrative cloud, and
they serve to engage students into self-reflection.

23. conclusions (cont.)
This self- reflection motivates achievement of two
student goals:
(1) empowerment of the individual as designer, and
(2) cultivation of consciousness about the nature of
being a designer.

24. limitations
* Students may have difficulty comprehending a
narrative-based approach in a studio.
* This approach doesn’t instruct design principles
per se.
* This approach doesn’t fit in every curriculum,
neither does it fit every instructor.

25. future work
* How to build a framework for practical use?
* When to consider the narrative cloud?
* What are the implication of use?
* What are the general impilcations in pedagogy?

26. Through the process of exchanging stories and inquiring
into the meaning of those stories, a natural shift occurs
whereby students no longer speak of the stories themselves.
The students begin to speak of themselves in relation
to the stories. They begin speaking about stories in terms of
their personal experiences. They seek meaning in themselves.
They strengthen and refine their sense of agency by composing
their own life narratives. In the end, the students are the story.

27. Thank you!
http://soic.indiana.edu