Carol Kilpatrick, Mathematics and Computer Science Department,
Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, matcek@gsusgi2.gsu.edu
Borden D. Dent, Geography Department, Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA 30303, gegbdd@gsusgi2.gsu.edu
Carol Bartlett, Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0383, cb77@oars.gatech.edu
We conducted a pilot workshop in January, 1995, for a multidisciplinary group of six students, five graduates and one senior level undergraduate. Three were from geography (each with graduate training in cartography, geographic information systems (GIS) and/or map animation). Three were from computer science (each having taken one or more graduate course(s) in human computer interaction, graphics and/or visualization). The students were given the task of designing an interactive, software animation showing some aspect(s) of the growth of the Internet.
In the pilot, our goals were to teach, share and learn some of the concepts and techniques associated with multidisciplinary group design and team process. The design methods used are grounded in the traditions of participatory design, and the theoretical foundations for teaching are found in discovery learning.
Our findings from the pilot workshop indicate that a learning environment incorporating discovery learning with high student control and ideas from participatory design can create an atmosphere where different multidisciplinary perspectives and techniques can be acknowledged and discussed. They also indicate that a multidisciplinary group of students can be in control of learning how to search their collective knowledge for design solutions.