The Future of Education

21st century higher education faces challenges, changing contexts and opportunities. In response to these issues, universities have moved to employ new learning and teaching practices including attempts to: grow interdisciplinary learning opportunities; increase collaborative learning situations; and, ensure students have meaningful experiential learning experiences to ground and extend their education.
A shared and common factor is that these practices—and others—are fundamental within design education. I argue that Design Studio-Based Learning (DSBL) offers unique learning and teaching practices to areas outside design and in fact, can serve as a model educational framework.
DSBL typically utilizes a range of robust teaching and learning practices including:

• Interprofessional and interdisciplinary learning;
• Students employing a critical stance;
• Curricular / co-curricular experiential learning experiences;
• Learning situated through problem-focused scenarios;
• Team and collaborative learning situations;
• The employment of a variety of alternative communication methods;
• Hands-on creation and making where students learn through doing.

While these pedagogical practices are common to Design Studio-Based Learning they are often at the cutting edge of other academic disciplines. This paper articulates the benefits of employing Design Studio-Based Learning in other academic disciplines, the positives revealed, and the challenges faced.
If we recognize the growing potential and impact of design practice, we must further engage with the edges of our discipline. By examining the contexts of, and possibilities for, design education we provide potential futures and directions for higher education and practice pushing both towards the 21st century.

Keywords: Design Pedagogy, Design Education, Design Studio-Based Learning, Higehr Education Pedagogies.