Detour from the studio: Novelty and walking as an approach to decenter studio learning.

Abstract

This small-scale case study explores the effects of paired walking on interior design students. It seeks to understand how outdoor walks away from the studio foster pertinent and contextual discussions, both during the walk and within their ongoing studio activities. I introduced students to a new small-scale practice-based activity of paired walking, the design of which drew inspiration from collaborative learning, art walking practices, and musical walking scores. Utilising Reflexive Thematic Analysis, I conceptualised the students' engagement, management, and recognition of the value of their experiences during the activity and its impact on their project development. The results highlight the entangled multi-modal learning experience of paired walking, revealing the interplay of expectations and experiences of this ‘decentred’ learning environment. The decentering, moving a central narrative to the side to understand alternative perspectives of space and the influence of ‘more knowledgeable others’ away from the studio and the tutor enabled a complex renegotiation between the learner, subject, and context. This research underscores the potential for novelty to engender robust experiential learning experiences. While a ‘decentered’ approach to learning may make the recognition of that learning less accessible due to its unfamiliar and displaced nature, potentially impacting participation participants reported cognitive shifts in their immediate project and their approach to utilising spaces beyond the formal teaching areas as learning tools. These findings encourage us to consider ways to embed novelty and support learners in recognising ‘decentered’ activities as learning moments