Abstract
Many undergraduate interior design students are unprepared for the required mathematical complexity (e.g., measurement, scale factor, and spatial reasoning). Although design, holistically, is one of six universal activities through which mathematics traditionally and as cultural knowledge are developed, researchers found no studies specific to interior design students. A small qualitative case study, therefore, was conducted to see if the mathematical theory of units construction and coordination could provide a framework to measure interior design students’ mathematical abilities. This framework was used both to interpret sophomore interior design students’ understanding of measurement and scale factor and to identify their level of mathematical application relative to the interior design profession. Students measured a furnished lab and drafted floor plans, and semi-structured clinical interviews evaluated the students’ stages (1-3) of units construction and coordination, ruler fluency, and scale factor reasoning. Results indicate 75% of the students were stage two and 25% were stage three. Stage two students applied whole number scale factors to linear measurements but could not accurately apply scale factors involving fractional linear units or square units. In contrast, stage three fluently applied whole number and fractional linear units and square units in the context of scale factor. The authors suggest that early assessment of interior design students’ units coordination structures is one method to evaluate their mathematical ability levels with the goal of applying specific interventions tailored to individual student needs. Ongoing research is expanding the number of students evaluated with the instrument; future research will evaluate potential interventions.
Presenters
Heather Carlile CarterAssistant Professor, Design, Housing and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, United States Karen Zwanch
Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education, School of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, United States Diana Allison
Program Coordinator & Assistant Professor, Interior Design, University of the Incarnate Word, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Qualitative Research, Interior Design Students, Architectural Scale, Mathematical Units Construction
