The digitalization of studio practices and its impact on the development of design literacy of first-year architecture students

Abstract

Digital skills are emphasized in the ongoing process of digital transformation in higher education. In this article, digital literacy is discussed within the broader perspective of design literacy and the acceleration of the digitalization process of first-year design education at the time of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020is highlighted. The article interrogates the role of digital skills in the develop-ment of designliteracyof first-year architecture students through a multiple case analysis of ARCH 101 design studio practices executed in the Bachelor of Architecture programmes at the Özyeğin University,Department of Architecture andtheMiddle East Technical University,Department of Architecture. The digitalization processesof ARCH 101 studiosincreased rapidly when the COVID-19 pandemic started and resulted in the integration of digital tools into basic design education in ways thattransformed(1) the communication modalities and the representation and research strategies used by students, and (2) the understanding and methodologiesof the design process when used as generative design tools