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A deep dive into the impacts of empathy on design learning and teaching

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Abstract

In the field of design, empathy, which is often addressed in design research and practice, has also become an essential aspect of design education. It is both one of the core components of learning processes and a foundation for teaching activities. This paper aims to explore and discuss the impacts of empathy on learning and teaching in the relevant design education literature. Regarding this, eight themes appear in this study as cognitive, affective, interactive, collaborative, operative, perceptive, formative and connective impacts. While all these themes have considerable effects on the learning process, the impacts of empathy on teaching activities are relatively limited. In relation to the themes, research gaps are addressed, methodological and pedagogical implications for further studies are also presented.

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Acknowledgements

This study (Project ID: MDK-2022-44057) was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Department of Istanbul Technical University. This paper is part of an ongoing Ph.D. thesis conducted by the first author at Istanbul Technical University. We would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuuli Mattelmäki, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatma Korkut and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Çelikoğlu for their valuable contribution.

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  1. Department of Industrial Design, Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Pelin Efilti & Koray Gelmez

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  1. Pelin Efilti
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Efilti, P., Gelmez, K. A deep dive into the impacts of empathy on design learning and teaching. Int J Technol Des Educ 34, 809–852 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-023-09835-9

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