This research aims to methodically explore and categorize the various instantiations of design-based studio models and to investigate the benefits of interdisciplinary design-centered studio-based education on students' ability to identify and solve real-world ubiquitous social computing problems. Ubiquitous computing technologies blend digital, physical, and social spaces into a single socio-computing learning space that will fundamentally improve students' creativity. This project develops and evaluates two prototypical interconnected, interdisciplinary and collaborative design studios that will foster creative problem seeking and problem solving. In these studios, students from multiple colleges and departments, such as computer science, information systems, architecture, engineering, and management, will form interdisciplinary teams and use collaborative cyber-infrastructure to explore and address key socio-technical challenges in USC. Creativity will be stimulated through an emphasis on a design-thinking approach, semester-long design projects and real-world problem solving in a more interactive environment where they can freely exchange ideas.
Broader impact is achieved by deploying cutting-edge educational infrastructure and technologies in ubiquitous social computing that advantage under-represented student groups, so that these students are positioned as solution-creators for problems they will be uniquely trained to perceive and confront. Research has shown that women are more effectively engaged in information technology through two of the core themes of this proposal, user-centered design and social computing, than other aspects of computing. In the long term, this educational model can attract creative young people toward science and technology.
