A teaching and learning framework for transdisciplinary design studies in the virtual reality learning environment

Higher education academics are lacking the knowledge on how to implement Design Thinking for transdisciplinary design studies that would produce Fourth Industrial Revolution Workforce Skills (4IRSkills), due to the sparsity in literature and implementation guidelines. This research aims to develop a Teaching and Learning Framework (TLF) for transdisciplinary design studies with a desktop-based Virtual Reality Learning Environment (VRLE) simulation of studio-based learning. The TLF builds on Selander’s Learning Design Sequence (LDS) with the embedded Design Thinking process complemented with social constructivist pedagogies of project-based and situated studio-based learning. The study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-method approach with triangulation protocols to examine the effectiveness of the TLF with VRLE on 30 undergraduate transdisciplinary students. A quasiexperiment was conducted on a control and treatment group over two different fully online academic semesters. The control group experienced a generic project design and management process while the treatment group was exposed to the TLF with VRLE. The data was analysed using the Mann-Whitney, independent t-test, Pearson correlation test, thematic analysis and convergent coding matrix triangulation protocol. The findings indicated that the TLF with VRLE showed a positive and significant relationship with students' achievement of 4IRSkills. The TLF Design Process and Collaborative Design variables were positively correlated with students' 4IRSkills, while there was no correlation for the VRLE Representational Fidelity and Learner Interaction variables. Students’ gender and technical competencies were confirmed as non-moderators in the achievement of 4IRSkills. The TLF with VRLE proves to be an effective and suitable method for guiding the implementation of pedagogies that teaches 4IRSkills at the tertiary level in fully online learning environments. Furthermore, its application could develop the body of knowledge in LDS, contributing to the development of transdisciplinary design studies that produces 4IRSkills at higher education level.