Rethinking Research Methodology in DL Computational Design and Digital Fabrication: A Case Study of the Challenges and Opportunities of Project-Based Learning

This paper discusses the integration of project-based learning (i.e. PrBL) and digital tools in online blended teaching of research methodology to master students with a multidisciplinary background in computational design and digital fabrication. The study focuses on the impact of this approach on students’ involvement and their active engagement in peer learning through group work and online communication. It also highlights the challenges faced in developing critical thinking, communication, teamwork skills, and social responsibility to conduct research in the ever-changing technological landscape. Lessons learned from the MSc in Computational Design and Digital Fabrication, an innovative Distance Learning Structure which allows for remote teaching from faculty of the University of Nicosia in Cyprus and the University of Innsbruck in Austria and selected by internationals with structural, industrial, and other engineering backgrounds, is elucidated to provide useful recommendations.