A web platform for documentation and assessment of learning progress

Abstract

This study presents DesignEDU, a web-based system developed to facilitate support and improvement of learning among students of introductory courses of digital fabrication education at the University of Oulu. The DesignEDU system aims to offer an extensive documentation architecture, as well as a mechanism for continuous feedback during the prototyping process. The system answers the demand for a single-point solution that is easy to use, flexible and affordable, which meets the unique needs of digital fabrication courses in the context of makerspaces and FabLabs.

The thesis presents a literature review examining different documentation tools created to foster educational ideas in design development and prototyping. Further, it discusses the technologies and architectures used in building DesignEDU. These systems informed the development of DesignEDU. The system was deployed and used for the documentation in the most recent iteration of the Principles of Digital Fabrication Course. Quantitative analysis of the results shows that student feedback demonstrates the strengths of this platform, while qualitative feedback from the students gives useful insights into the user experience that implies some possible ways the platform could be improved. The deployment of DesignEDU is seen as a successful project that has enhanced learning at the University of Oulu. The platform has achieved its primary objectives of providing support as well as enhancing communication and feedback among students and instructors.