An Exploratory Study of the Educational Utilization of Web-based Tools in Design Problem-Solving Process - Focused on Miro tool -

For creative design thinking, a series of actions to understand problems, search for solutions, and select alternatives should be systematized. To do this, we need to provide a strategic method that helps students reframe their problem-solving in a new context. The purpose of this study is to explore the applicability of web tools that students can use positively in the early stages of concept design. A remote collaborative design scenario was developed as an experimental study and an experiment was conducted with architecture students using a web-based application called Miro. After the experiment, questionnaires and interviews were conducted, and the analysis results are as follows. First, the students who performed the design task in Miro had a very high sense of co-presence and social presence with other team members. Presence is an important variable that affects effective learning in an online education environment, and learners’ experiences through Miro were very positive. Miro is expected to be advantageous for remote collaboration as a space-based collaboration tool because it provides a sense of presence. Second, it was found that Miro has the potential to support the problem-solving process such as set-up goal, problem reinterpretation, engagement, and cognitive synchronization. Miro supports co-evolution, in which learners constantly repeat the process of recognizing problems and searching for solutions. Third, Miro provides a unified workspace that supports joint sketching among remote team members. If students use Miro to brainstorm in the concept design stage, it is expected that they will lead a project kick-off process effectively. This study is significant in that it overcomes the limitations of traditional studio class-centered design education and attempts the possibility of a new design education suitable for the changing era.