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The spread of online learning challenges for all disciplines, especially visual design education, in Australian universities to develop a pedagogically effective online learning model. Traditionally studio based visual design education is dealing with various visual materials and operating through consultancy between teacher and students and communication between students and students. This connotes that merely transplanting a course content into an online learning setting could arise many pedagogical issues. The paper aims to define the pedagogical features of online visual design learning through an empirical study. A visual design course was redesigned to offer in both on-campus and off-campus (online learning) mode via Blackbarod® and has been delivered 3 times for 2 years. To embed the design studio education features in online delivery, the course development was focused on quantitative and qualitative aspects of design practice and effective communication. Weekly project based assessment, discussion board based sharing experiences, and demonstration based communication were the key framework of the course delivery in terms of an effective online learning and pedagogical strategies. Based on data analysis and students feedback on the courses, this paper suggests practical implications for developing and teaching an online based visual design course in terms of creating an effective online learning experience; assessment focused course content design, sharing experience and participation driven communication, visual media based demonstration and short-term assessment.

Stream: Pedagogies and Teaching Practices

Paper: Online Learning of Visual Design Course

Ji Yong Park (Dr. DES) is a lecturer of Digital Innovation at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. His research interests are in the development of training methodology for designers and design students via online in terms of interactive learning experience design and web site evaluation methodology in terms of user experience.