Creation Process in Design Research Class

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the problems in the creation process for a Design Research (DR) class at Faculty of Creative Multimedia, Multimedia University in Malaysia. There were 117 students from their final year studies taking this subject, which served as the research component for their Final Year Projects (FYPs). These students are from the major of Virtual Reality, Animation & Visual Effects, Interface Design, Media Arts and Advertising Design. The aim of this paper is to discuss the creation process using Creative Cognition framework in writing dissertation. This paper illustrates a qualitative approach for studying the creation process. Students approached their FYP projects by conducting critical literature review using secondary research through reading and analyzing research articles in their chosen research topics. There are four (4) steps to guide the students: 1. Ask Questions, 2. The Problem, 3. The Method, 4. The Practice. These 4 steps through reading research articles encourage for critical thinking process. A deeper and broader perspective on learning to create Abstract, Proposal, and Chapter 1 to Chapter 5 using 4-steps research methodology as the dissertation creation process for the first trimester of 2017/2018 academic year. To facilitate collaborative learning process, a Facebook group was created for students to engage in this creation process. Five themes have emerged: creativity, problem-solving skills, communication skills, self-regulated learning and engagement. This study reveals that the creation process learning style can enrich the learning experience of students and can help them develop the design mind mapping skills. Information literacy was crucial in establishing a framework for research experience using secondary research through reading and gathering information. Most students needed the lecturers to guide in problem solving and to facilitate in their learning processes. The connection to theories and concepts gathered from secondary research was an exploratory creation process for students. When a “Design” approach is applied correctly, it becomes a valuable method for students to answer their own research question. The key elements for designing and implementing a secondary research dissertation required active learning and critical thinking skills. This study concluded the challenges in writing dissertation using Creative Cognitive framework in the creation process.