Beyond Kolb: Constructing a Design Learning Cycle for the Foundation Studio

Background: Although many educators recognize the experience-prioritizing nature of design education, studies that address students’ experiences through their reflective practices are limited. Purpose: We aimed to revisit David A. Kolb’s learning cycle by analyzing students’ reflections and, eventually, develop a design learning cycle to clarify how first-year design students construct their learning through reflection on their experiences. Method: Aligned with this scope, we conducted a case study in two pre-disciplinary design studios within the Faculty of Architecture. Twelve volunteer students participated in this process throughout an academic semester, using the notebooks we designed, which included the sections of the solicited diary and the structured weekly journal. Findings: We elaborated the stages of the learning cycle through the themes we developed by thematically analyzing students’ written reflections: “constructing the grammar of design language” for concrete experience; “observing through comparison, sympathy, and empathy” for reflective observation; “three components of conceptualisation: self, critique, and self-critique” for abstract conceptualization; and “inferences and acquisitions within limits” for active experimentation. Implications: Understanding how students articulate their learning through reflection offers new pedagogical insights for studio teaching and suggests that reframing design studios within an experiential learning framework can enhance design education practices.