Interview Findings

A synthesis of interview feedback from students and instructors.

Interview participants
6 students (mostly non-design majors, all undergraduates)and 6 instructors (teach both undergraduates and graduates students).

Main interview questions

1. What are some common setbacks students encounter?
2. What causes the setbacks?
3. Which subjects do students experience the most setbacks?
4. What current strategists help student persist through setbacks?
5. What factors motivate students to challenge themselves?

Goals I wanted to achieve through the interviews

1. Connect findings to the literature/frameworks I read about to refine my understanding of the problem space.
2. Narrow down to a more specific problem area by identifying what the biggest roadblock is causing the most setbacks.
3. Narrow down to a specific discipline for design interventions.
4. By investigating what current strategies students and instructors are using to overcome setbacks, I may identify design opportunities to move forward with.

Findings

What are some common setbacks defined by students and instructors?

I was surprised to find that only 1 student defined education setback as a concrete outcome such as getting a bad grade. Most of them perceived setbacks as a situation or a feeling. More students than instructors described setbacks as something that prevents them from advancing their understanding of a subject matter or getting to a desirable outcome. Many instructors associated setbacks with an internal fear of taking risks.

Which subjects do students experience the most setbacks?

Students perceive subjects that require abstract thinking and logical reasoning to be more challenging than the others. Especially for students who are used to a certain thinking style, it becomes particularly difficult for them to go into a discipline which celebrates a completely different thinking style. For example, students who come from a writing major experience a great number of setbacks and thus frustration when they try to learn computer science. On the other hand, engineer students who are used to vertical thinking have a difficult time to handle design projects which often require lateral thinking.

Another observation is that subjects like maths and coding provide clear right or wrong feedback. When students get wrong answers, it is clear that there are some holes. The feeling of frustration can be strong when students have difficulties identifying the holes. In comparison, subjects like design and writing are relatively subjective. Students can finish an assignment without noticing any problem. Thus, they may report less setbacks when dealing with these subjects.

What causes the educational setbacks?
What strategies help students persist through setbacks?

What motivates students to take risk?