Visual representations of my research project data

1. Tracey Dalton - MSc Applied eLearning – DIT – 2014/5
‘Provision of Post-Lecture CAD Screencasts to reduce
Cognitive Load and foster Convergent Thinking skills and
Self-directed Learning in First Year Interior Design’
Visual Representation of Results

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No.ofResponses
Common Themes
What were the main aspects about the course content that
attracted you to the BA Hons Interior Design/Furniture?
1st Year Responses
(9no.)
Q1 - Course Choice: What were the main aspects about the course content that
attracted you to the BA Interior Design & Furniture course at DIT?
Themes/codes
1st Year
Responses
(9no.)
2nd year
responses
(8no.)
Employment/Care
er choice 2 1
Interior &
Furniture Design 5 1
Level 8
Qualification 1 1
Interesting
modules 2 1
Continuous
assessment 1 1
Design education 2 2
Design Tools /
Skills (cad etc.) 1 4

3. Q2 - Course Choice: What were you looking for when choosing this course?
Themes/codes
1st Year
Responses (9no.)
2nd year
responses (8no.)
Career success 4 2
Practical/Creative
Focus 5 3
Design Skills 4 5
Qualification 1 0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Career success Practical/Creative
Focus
Design Skills Qualification
No.ofResponses
Common Themes
What were you looking for when choosing this course?
1st Year Responses (9no.)
2nd year responses (8no.)

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9No.ofResponses
Common Themes
Write a brief reflection on the new learning
challenges you had to overcome in 1st year.
1st Year Responses (9no.)
2nd year responses (8no.)
Q3 - The First Year Learning Experience:
Write a brief reflection on the new learning challenges you had to overcome in first year.
Themes/codes 1st Year Responses (9no.) 2nd year responses (8no.)
Self-directed study 6 1
Deadlines 3 1
CAD/computer programs 2 8
Oral presentations 1 0
Making friends 1 0
Workload 1 0
Transition from second level 3 0
Technical aspects 1 3
Gaining confidence in design 0 1
So many new modules 0 1

5. ‘The amount of work that we received, we weren’t expecting such a load. It was really
overwhelming. Even the modules we are studying. I didn’t expect to get so many, or
have so many projects at the same time. I expected to have one project at a time and
it would change every other week.’ – First year student ‘G’
Focus Group Themes – Self - Directed Learning and Heavy Workload
Did the first year experience present any new learning challenges which you had to overcome?
‘Well, I mean….Being in charge of your own work. Being on top of everything yourself.
Organising what you’re going to do. Not being told what to do and when to do it.’
– First year Student ‘B’

6. Q. 4 (i): The First Year Learning Experience:
Please complete the following:
I found ______ the most challenging. I found _______ the least challenging.
12%
6%
35%
47%
Most Challenging
Technical Drawing
Sample & Mood-boards
Academic Writing
AutoCAD
12%
53%
23%
12%
Least Challenging
Technical Drawing
Free-hand Drawing
Sample & Mood-
boards
Academic Writing
Most Challenging
1st Year Responses
(9no.)
2nd year responses
(8no.)
Technical Drawing 2 0
Free-hand Drawing 0 0
Sample & Mood-boards 1 0
Academic Writing 2 4
AutoCAD 4 4
Least Challenging
1st Year Responses
(9no.)
2nd year responses
(8no.)
Technical Drawing 1 1
Free-hand Drawing 5 4
Sample & Mood-boards 1 3
Academic Writing 2 0
AutoCAD 0 0

7. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
new to me
has to be
correct,
otherwise it's
off
there's a lot in
it / takes time I'm usually
more hands on
(drawing)
hard to utilise
program
I found 'AutoCAD' the most challenging in 1st year because:
1st Year Responses (4no.) 2nd year responses (4no.)
Q. 4 (ii): The First Year Learning Experience:
Please complete the following:
I found ‘AutoCAD’ the most challenging because………
Most Challenging :
comments (CAD)
1st Year
Responses (4no.)
2nd year
responses (4no.)
new to me 3 3
has to be correct,
otherwise it's off 1
there's a lot in it /
takes time 1 1
I'm usually more
hands on (drawing) 1
hard to utilise
program 1

8. Q. 4 (ii): The First Year Learning Experience:
Please complete the following:
I found ‘Freehand Drawing’ the least challenging because………
Least Challenging :
comments
(freehand dwg)
1st Year
Responses (5no.)
2nd year
responses (4no.)
did drawing in 2nd
level 1 4
did a PLC course in
drawing 1
enjoy it 3
doing it for years 2
feels natural 1
0
1
2
3
4
5
did drawing in
2nd level
did a PLC
course in
drawing
enjoy it
doing it for
years feels natural
I found 'freehand drawing' the least challenging in 1st year beacuse:
1st Year Responses (5no.) 2nd year responses (4no.)
‘I like the drawing and the making the tower and making the bridge. It involved a lot of
different ideas. Whereas with cad – I found that hard, and Form and Space – I didn’t do
as well in that either. It was kind of more strict.’ – First year student ‘A’

9. Focus Group Themes – Design thinking themes / technical aspects of course
Did any aspect of the course turn out to be different, or more important for your learning,
than you had expected?
‘I didn’t expect so much architecture in the course. I thought it was more basically just
based on interior design. I thought it was going to be a bit more ‘fine arty’ as well, if that
makes sense…….. I understand why they’re in the course, cos they’re both really
important, the architecture and the engineering. We’ll have a better understanding of
what is going on. – First year student ‘G’
Steering away from the whole image of being a decorator, as opposed to a designer
and a problem solver. – First year student ‘B’

10. Q5(i) - Convergent and Divergent Thinking:
In the diagram above please circle the eight words which most describe the
learning processes you would use when you are doing any assignment on the course.
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No.ofResponses
'Divergent' word choices
2nd year responses (8no.)
1st Year Responses (9no.)
Divergent words 1st Year Responses (9no.) 2nd year responses (8no.)
Imagine 6 6
Generate 6 4
Visualize 7 7
Explore 8 6
Play with 4 1
Fantacize 4 1
Combine/integrate 6 3
Engage possibilities 3 4
Enhance 0 2
Defer Judgement 0 2
build on others 0 2

11. Q5(i) - Convergent and Divergent Thinking:
In the diagram above please circle the eight words which most describe the
learning processes you would use when you are doing any assignment on the course.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
No.ofResponses
'Convergent' word choices
2nd year responses (8no.)
1st Year Responses (9no.)
Convergent words 1st Year Responses (9no.) 2nd year responses (8no.)
Categorize 1 0
Decisions 5 4
Hone In/Focus 3 2
Guidelines 5 2
Make sense of 6 5
Connect 3 1
Reduce 1 0
Rate by criteria 1 0
Refine 1 1
Clarify 1 3
Select 0 4

12. Q5(ii) - Convergent and Divergent Thinking:
Would you describe yourself as a convergent or divergent thinker?
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Convergent Divergent Both
Design Thinking
1st Year Responses (9no.)
2nd year responses (8no.)
Thinking Type 1st Year Responses (9no.) 2nd year responses (8no.)
Convergent 0 5
Divergent 7 3
Both 2 0

13. Q5(iii) - Convergent and Divergent Thinking:
Why do you think you are a divergent thinker?
4
1 1 1 1 1 1
2
1
come up
with many
solutions
I am a
creative
person
I love
visualizing
different
layouts
trained
myself to
think this
way
I had to
think when
making my
portfolio
improve my
ideas
through
thought
process
more
creative to
be a
divergent
thinker
like to
explore and
research
Why do you think you are a divergent thinker?
1st Year Responses (7no.) 2nd year responses (3no.)
Design Thinking :
comments
(divergent)
1st Year Responses
(7no.)
2nd year
responses (3no.)
come up with many
solutions 4 2
I am a creative person 1
I love visualizing
different layouts 1
trained myself to
think this way 1
I had to think when
making my portfolio 1
improve my ideas
through thought
process 1
more creative to be a
divergent thinker 1
like to explore and
research 1
‘Divergent, because I’m more creative. So, I think I’m more divergent. I don’t really
think there is one answer to all of those things.’ – First year student ‘A’

14. Q5(iii) - Convergent and Divergent Thinking:
Why do you think you are a convergent thinker?
1
3
1
I don’t really explore
many options
I find it hard to imagine
different
possibilities/ideas
No response
Why do you think you are a convergent thinker?
1st Year Responses (0no.) 2nd year responses (5no.)
Design Thinking :
comments
(convergent)
1st Year
Responses (0no.)
2nd year
responses (5no.)
I don’t really
explore many
options 1
I find it hard to
imagine different
possibilities/ideas 3
No response 1

15. Q5(iii) - Convergent and Divergent Thinking:
Why do you think you are a convergent & divergent thinker?
Design Thinking : comments (both) 1st Year Responses (2no.) 2nd year responses (0no.)
I am a little bit of both 1 0
coming up with direct solutions and
many possible solutions
2
0
‘I think I said I was both, cos I’m able to handle like practical tasks, and that sort of
stuff, the likes of CAD – like you said ‘black and white’, but I can go creative and go
crazy with stuff as well. So like I think I fit in to both.’ – First year student ‘B’

16. Q6 The traits of a good designer:
Place the following in order from 1 to 10 indicating which you think is the most
important trait of a good designer, with 1 being the most important and 10 being the least.
List of Traits 1st Year Responses (9no.) 2nd year responses (8no.) Observations
Artistic Ability
2; 5; 6; 8; 9(x3); 10 2; 3; 4; 6; 7; 9(x2); 10 mostly 5 to 10
Communication
1(x3); 3(x3); 5(x2); 10 3; 4(x2); 6(x2); 7; 8; 10 varies
Eye for Materials
2(x2); 4(x2); 5(x2);9(x2); 10 3; 6; 7(x2); 8(x2) 9;10 mostly 5 to 10
Problem Solving 2; 3(x2); 4(x2); 6; 7; 10 1; 2(x3); 5(x2); 6; 8 mostly 1 to 5
Technical Skills
1; 3; 4(x2); 5; 6(x2); 7; 8 1; 2(x3); 3(x2); 5(x2); mostly 1 to 5
Awareness of Audience 1(x2); 2(x2); 3(x2); 5; 9(x2) 1; 2; 4; 5(x2); 6; 10 varies
Creativity
1(x3); 2(x2); 4(x2); 5; 8 1(x4); 3(x2); 4; 7 Most Important
Team Player
3; 7(x3); 8(x4); 10 4; 5; 6; 8(x4); 10 mostly 5 to 10
Humility
2; 5; 6; 7; 8; 10(x4) 4; 7; 9(x3); 10(x3) Least Important
Vision
3; 6; 7(x2); 8(x2); 9; 10 1(x2); 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 9 mostly 5 to 10

17. Q7 (i) – Multimedia Learning: In your CAD module in first year you were given post-lecture videos
(screencasts) via e-mail to look at after class. Please write a brief reflection on how you
used the screencasts in first year.
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No.ofResponses
Common Themes
Reflection on screencast use in 1st year
1st Year Responses (9no.)
2nd year responses (8no.)
Themes/codes
1st Year
Responses (9no.)
2nd year
responses (8no.)
to solve a problem 2 4
revise 1 0
learn more 1 0
remember / refer
back on 4 4
practise
commands 1 0
watch after
class/missed class 1 2
to understand 1 0
complete activities 1 0
have not used
them 1 0
no response 0 1
very useful 0 1
watching &
copying 0 1
‘You can go back and revise if you need to and if you’ve forgotten how to do something
you can go back and check. Yeah, they’re useful.’ – First year student ‘B’

18. Q7 (ii) – Multimedia Learning:
Do you still refer to the videos often (ie. once a week), sometimes, or never?
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1
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7
Often
Sometimes
Never
Not yet
No.ofResponses
Frequency
Frequency of screencast use in 1st year
1st Year Responses (9no.)
2nd year responses (8no.)
Frequency 1st Year Responses (9no.) 2nd year responses (8no.)
Often 1 0
Sometimes 7 6
Never 1 0
Not yet 0 2

19. Q7 (iii) – Multimedia Learning: Has your opinion changed towards learning CAD software (Autocad,
Sketchup, Photoshop, Illustrator) in first / second year, and if so, please say why?
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1.5
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4.5
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No.ofResponses
Comments
Has your opinion changed towards learning CAD software?
1st Year Responses
(9no.)
2nd year responses
(8no.)
Opinion
1st Year Responses
(9no.)
2nd year responses
(8no.)
yes 5 4
no 0 0
frustrating/scary at
beginning 5 2
easier to use/skills
improving 2 2
use for other
modules 1 0
technology asset to
art/design 1 1
more difficult than
thought 1 0
not as challenging
now 2 0
can be tricky 1 0
sketchup 0 1
sketchup easier 0 1
see the benefits 0 2

20. Q7 (iv) - Multimedia Learning: Place the following in order of how challenging you found each
assignment in the first year CAD module, with the most challenging at 1 and the least
challenging at 3 (1st yrs) or 4 (2nd yrs).
Assessment Type 1st Year Responses (9no.) 2nd year responses (8no.)
Activities 1 to 16
1(x5); 2; 3(x3)
1; 2; 3(x3); 4(x3)
Survey/sketches/tech. dwg
1(x2);2(x4); 3(x3)
1(x2); 2; 3; 4(x4)
CAD drawing test
1; 2(x4); 3 2(x5); 3(x3)
Reception Design project
1(x6); 2(x2)

21. Q7 (v) - Multimedia Learning: Are there other modules in which such multimedia tutorials would have
helped to overcome new learning challenges, and if so, please say why?
0
1
2
3
4
No.ofResponses
Comments
Are there any other modules in which screencasts could
be used to help overcome new learning challenges?
1st Year Responses (9no.)
2nd year responses (8no.)
Comment 1st Year Responses (9no.) 2nd year responses (8no.)
Don't Think so 4 1
Model making 3 0
observational drawing tips 1 0
powerpoints are e-mailed 1 0
other classes more self directed 3 0
sketchup (a module that isn't taught) 0 3
works best on computer programs 0 4
no response 0 1

22. Q7 (vi) - Multimedia Learning: Do you think video screencasts could be a useful presentation format
for your own project work? If so, please say when and why?
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1
2
3
4
5
6
No.ofResponses
Comments
Do you think sceencasts could be useful presentation
format for your own project work?
1st Year Responses (9no.)
2nd year responses (8no.)
Comment
1st Year
Responses (9no.)
2nd year responses
(8no.)
yes 4 6
no 4 2
don't know 2 0
no response 1 0
explain projects better 3 1
send video by e-mail 1 0
verbal presentations
overwhelming 2 0
doesn't allow public speaking
practise 2 2
saves paper 0 1
help to look through work later 0 1
gives the viewer so much more 0 1
for nightclub project 0 2