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Learn X Design 2025 conference paper September 22-24, 2025.

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Peter Scupelli & Paulo Carvalho will present their co-authored paper titled “Design Futures Pedagogy: Does the type of exercise, year of study, order, and number of exercises matter?” at the DRS special interest group conference Learn X Design 2025 at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, on September 22-24.

Abstract

Teaching design for long-term, societal-level sustainability requires design students to learn new design methods that combine Futures Thinking with Design Thinking. This paper explores three questions: (a) how to teach Futures Thinking methods; (b) when to incorporate Futures Thinking into the undergraduate curriculum; and (c) how many exercises to assign to teach a futures method. In this paper, we focus on the Futures Thinking method called Causal Layered Analysis (CLA). Previous research has shown that a “Studio Project CLA” exercise is three times more effective than a “Personal Futures CLA” in helping students apply CLA to their design work. In this paper, undergraduate students in their first and third years did both exercises. We report on three studies. In Study 1, we replicated prior research using a larger dataset. Our results confirm that when performing a single exercise, the “Studio Project CLA” exercise is significantly more effective than the “Personal Futures CLA” exercise. In Study 2, we compared the performance of first-year and third-year design students on both exercises. We found that first-year students had more design insights on how they might apply CLA to design processes. In study 3, regarding the order and quantity of exercises, contrary to the maxim “more practice is better,” we found that “what one practices matters.” In other words, for first-year students, a single “Studio Project CLA” exercise provides more benefit than an additional “Personal Futures CLA” exercise. We posit that the observed transfer from “Futures Thinking” to “Design Thinking” may be explained by three theories from Learning Science literature: (a) concreteness and abstraction of the CLA exercises, (b) the layered aspects of CLA helped to emphasize structural similarities across contexts, (c) concreteness fading in the Design Studio exercise. This study examined the number of design insights; our future work will explore the types and quality of design insights.

Reference

Scupelli, P. & Carvalho, P. (2025) Design Futures Pedagogy: Does the type of exercise, year of study, order, and number of exercises matter?, DRS – Learn X Design intertwinia in Design Education conference in Aveiro, Portugal, on September 22-24, 2025.

Future of Education Conference Paper June 19-21, 2024.

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April 25, 2024 3:17 PM

Peter Scupelli is presenting a paper titled “Design Education Alternative Futures: Climate Disaster, Artificial Intelligence, and DEIBJ?” at the 14th Future of Education International Conference in Florence, Italy on June 19-21.

Abstract

How engaged should design education be with the unfolding Climate Disaster, Artificial Intelligence, and DEIBJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice)? Is the next generation of designers prepared to lead the zero-carbon transition? Second, what role might Artificial Intelligence (AI) play in design education? Thirdly, what does engaging with topics such as design for the pluriverse, decolonizing design, and DEIBJ practically involve? I explore a 2x2x2 cube of possibilities with three axes: Climate Disaster engagement, technological change, and DEIBJ—eight alternative futures result. Future 1 is the “business as usual” design education. (e.g., no meaningful engagement with AI or Climate disasters). Future 2 is the “high-tech status quo” (e.g., engagement with technology such as AI but not Climate Disaster). Future 3 is “Sustainable Luddite” design (e.g., Engagement with Climate Disaster but ignoring AI and technology). Future 4 is “AI for Climate Emergency,” using advanced technologies to engage with the zero-carbon transition and social innovation. Futures 5-8 emerge, adding the DEIBJ to the four futures mentioned. In this paper, I describe a survey conducted with faculty, staff, and students at the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University. The first set of questions probed the personal outlook on the future ten years out and the perceived agency on such futures. The second set of questions asked about interest and engagement with emerging topics. The third set of questions asked about the comfort and frequency of teaching emerging issues. Close to two-thirds of all participants thought they could impact the future in ten years (half of which thought the future would be worse, and the other half better). Close to one-third of participants said the future was worsening and that they could not improve things. Most of the faculty said they were comfortable teaching emerging topics. Regarding frequency of teaching, it was surprising to note, that SDGs and zero-carbon lifestyle transitions were in the “rarely “and “sometimes” taught range. DEIBJ frequency was between “sometimes” and “a good bit.” In contrast, decolonizing design and design for the pluriverse were in the “sometimes” range, suggesting that university and college leadership motivate faculty teaching frequency.

IASDR 2023

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September 1, 2023 1:42 PM

Peter Scupelli will present a paper titled “Teaching to transfer Causal Layered Analysis from Futures Thinking to Design Thinking” at the 2023 IASDR conference held in Milan, Italy October 9-14 at The Politecnico di Milano.

Abstract
We live in exponentially changing worlds. Design educators are challenged to teach new design methods to productively engage with ongoing societal problems with planetary implications such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the unfolding climate disaster, zero-carbon lifestyles, circular economies, nuclear disarmament, etc. Such societal-level problems require both short-term design action and strategic long-term vision goal alignments. How might design educators teach new design methods effectively and efficiently within already packed design education curriculums? In this paper, I describe a required design futures course that teaches an experimental form of design, called Dexign Futures, it merges design thinking with futures thinking. One often unstated goal of teaching new design methods is to enable students to transfer such knowledge to other design courses, and, ultimately, to their professional practice. The futures thinking method, Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) is the focus of this paper. Prior research on Dexign Futures, made clear that with a “Personal Futures CLA” assignment, only 19.8% of design students could articulate how the Futures Thinking method CLA related to future design methods and practice. In this paper, I describe a new way to teach CLA called “Studio Project CLA”; it more than tripled the number of undergraduate design students (62%) who described applications of CLA to their design practice. I posit that transfer of knowledge mechanisms likely explain observed performance gains. I hypothesize key insights relevant for design educators to create design exercises for undergraduate design students that likely facilitate knowledge transfer from futures thinking methods into design practice.

IASDR 2021

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October 15, 2021 7:50 PM

Peter Scupelli will present a paper titled “Teaching Designers to Anticipate Future Challenges with Causal Layered Analysis” at the 2021 IASDR conference held in Hong Kong December 5-9 at TThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Abstract
Low-probability disasters like global pandemics, nuclear war, earthquakes, solar flares and so forth require anticipatory imagination and strategic preparations. The COVID-19 global pandemic amply illustrated how being unprepared results in tragic outcomes for human lives, families, organizations, and economies. Preparing for different kinds of possible futures requires new thinking, imagining, and acting. Globally, design educators are challenged to prepare the next generation of designers for a rapidly changing world. How might designers learn to meaningfully engage with the challenges of our time (e.g., climate emergency, sustainable development) and emerging opportunities (e.g., AI, fourth industrial revolution, and so forth)? In this paper, I describe two futures thinking methods taught in a design centred futures course taught in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA). First, an Alternative Futures exercise with a 2×2 matrix that yields four possible futures. Second, students explored one possible future in-depth with Causal Layered Analysis (CLA). The design futures course was taught with the flipped-classroom active learning pedagogy through five activities: online learning, mini-lecture, demonstration, small group in-class workshop activities, and weekly reflection/discussion. I report on text analysis of student weekly reflections parsed with five codes related to CLA (i.e., personal insights, thinking structures, design insights, CLA details, other). Step-by-step scaffolding and multiple integrated learning activities helped students to engage with futures studies methods. CLA provided students with new thinking structures for sensemaking, new insights into futures thinking,  and design methods and process insights on how to design for future challenges.

Last updated: 4:21 pm

Paper presentation @ Viking PLoP 2017

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March 14, 2017 10:53 AM

Peter Scupelli will present a paper at the Viking Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (Viking PLoP) 2017 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

The conference has long roots going back to 2002 when VikingPLoP was arranged for the first time in Helsingor, Denmark. As Vikings used to travel around Europe, this year the conference heads on the shores of the Baltic Sea. VikingPLoP calls for papers on patterns and pattern languages, and papers on applying patterns.

Inventado, P.S. & Scupelli, P.: Using Contextual Learning-Environment Features to Identify Design Pattern Appropriateness

Abstract:

Pedagogical design patterns offer high-quality solutions to problems in the educational domain. Design patterns are generally written in a way that makes them applicable to multiple contexts, but how reusable are pedagogical design patterns? Over the past three years, we have tried to adapt existing design patterns and write new patterns specifically to enhance feedback in an intelligent online learning system for Math called ASSISTments. However, this has proved to be difficult because there appear to be features of learning environments that call for patterns that are either too general or too specific. For example, design patterns whose context involves interpreting learners’ misconceptions may be easy for teachers in traditional classroom settings, but difficult for intelligent learning systems because algorithms that predict misconceptions are currently imperfect. In this paper, we identify contextual learning-environment features and investigate how they might affect the appropriateness of design patterns to a given learning environment.

Last updated: 5:46 pm

Paper presentations @ DRS Conference 2016

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June 22, 2016 1:30 AM

Peter Scupelli presented papers at the 50th Anniversary Design+Research+Society Conference 2016, hosted by the University of Brighton in the UK. The papers featured were:

1) Scupelli & Hanington: Design Studio Desk and Shared Place Attachments: A Study on Ownership, Personalization, and Agency

Abstract:

Increasing numbers of students, limited space, and decreasing budgets nudge many university administrators to shift from assigned design studio desks to flexible workspace arrangements. This paper explores student attachment to the individual desk and shared spaces in a graduate design studio in a Design School in a North American first-tier research university. The studio had four interconnected spaces with: individual desks, collaborative workspaces, a kitchen-social cafe area, and a distance-learning classroom. We explored student perspectives and attitudes on studio aesthetics, functionality, agency, ownership, personalization, and occupancy patterns with four methods (i.e., online survey, student class schedules, interviews, time-lapse study). Perception of ownership, personalization, and agency were greatest for individual desks. Students perceived the individual desk as a primary territory even though the administration said desks were shared hot-desks. Individual work and collaborative work occurred throughout the studio regardless of functional assignment (e.g., spaces for individual work, collaboration, classroom).

2) Scupelli, Wasserman, & Brooks: Dexign Futures: A Pedagogy for Long-Horizon Design Scenarios

Abstract:

The transition towards societal level sustainability requires thinking and acting anew. Traditional design pedagogy poorly equips designers to integrate long- range strategic thinking with current human-centered design methods. In this paper, we describe a three-course sequence: Dexign Futures Seminar (DFS), Introduction to Dexign the Future (iDTF), and Dexign the Future (DTF). The term dexign indicates an experimental type of design that integrates Futures Thinking with Design Thinking. Students learn to engage strategic long time horizon scenarios from a generative design perspective. DFS, online modules, teaches students to critique and deconstruct existing futures scenarios. iDTF situates students to explore futures based themes and apply design methods and research techniques. DTF takes students into a semester-long project designing for 2050. In this paper, we describe lessons learned that lead to a pedagogy for supporting novices as they develop skills and methods for long time horizon futures design.

Last updated: 1:30 am

Paper presentations @ EDM2016

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June 22, 2016 11:34 AM

Peter Scupelli and Paul Inventado presented papers at The 9th International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM2016) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

1. Inventado, P.S., Scupelli, P., Van Inwegen, E., Ostrow, K. Heffernan, N. , Baker, R.,  Slater, S., and Ocumpaugh, J. “Hint Availability Slows Completion Times in Summer Work”

Abstract:

On-demand help in intelligent learning environments is typically linked to better learning, but may lead to longer completion times. This present work provides an analysis of how students interacted with a summer learning assignment when on-demand help was available, compared to when it was not. When hints were available from the start, students were more likely to delay work, compared to students for whom step-wise hints were only available after the third problem. When hints were always available, participants took significantly more time to complete a mastery learning assignment,. We interpret this difference in time to complete the assignment as an opportunity to re-engage in productive math learning.

2. Slater, S., Ocumpaugh, J., Baker, R., Scupelli, P., Inventado, P.S., and Heffernan, N. “Semantic Features of Math Problems: Relationships to Student Learning and Engagement”

Abstract:

The creation of crowd-sourced content in learning systems is a powerful method for adapting learning systems to the needs of a range of teachers in a range of domains, but the quality of this content can vary. This study explores linguistic differences in teacher-created problem content in ASSISTments using a combination of discovery with models and correlation mining. Specifically, we find correlations between semantic features of mathematics problems and indicators of learning and engagement, suggesting promising areas for future work on problem design. We also discuss limitations of semantic tagging tools within mathematics domains and ways of addressing these limitations.

Last updated: 11:34 am

Paper presentation @ 2016 IDSA International Conference

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June 22, 2016 2:00 AM

Peter Scupelli presented a paper he co-authored with Judy Brooks and Arnold Wasserman on “Making Dexign Futures learning happen: A case study for a flipped, Open-Learning Initiative course” at the 2016 Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) International Conference in Detroit, Michigan.

Abstract:

How do design educators make change happen to address new challenges? Currently, design educators are caught between challenges: first, teaching well-established design traditions based on craft and making; and second, training students to situate their artifact making within transitional times in a volatile and exponentially changing world. The tension design educators navigate involves teaching the core of a discipline in relation to an expanding periphery where multiple disciplines interact. The epistemic challenge is how to initiate students into the field’s crystallized knowledge at the same time as fluid, emergent knowledge. Some design educators may yearn for simpler times focusing on mastery of the deep disciplinary cores. Others may discount their own core disciplinary teaching in favor of exploration of the rapidly shifting disciplinary peripheries to meet new challenges and opportunities. We acknowledge both perspectives and further posit that students need exposure to both the core and periphery of design. This introduces an interesting learning challenge: an implicit contradiction for students of design where the core/making tends to reinforce short time horizon thinking; and the disciplinary periphery requires long time horizon visioning. We try to address this challenge by aligning short-term design opportunities with sustainable development plans for long time horizons. We merge design thinking and futures thinking to create “deXign” thinking. In this paper, we discuss a flipped classroom pedagogy that integrates design studio with an online component. The class we describe is called Dexign Futures. Dexign Futures is a required design studies class for all third year undergraduate students in the products, communications, and environments tracks in the School of Design at a North American tier-one research university. Because traditional design pedagogy poorly equips designers to integrate current human-centered design methods with long-range strategic thinking, a challenge we explore through the class is how to teach designing for the long time horizon. The Dexign Futures course is built on an elective three-course sequence: Dexign Futures Seminar (DFS), Introduction to Dexign the Future (iDTF), and Dexign the Future (DTF). The term deXign indicates an experimental type of design that integrates Futures Thinking with Design Thinking. In this paper, we discuss the process of making the Dexign Futures flipped classroom pedagogy happen by: (a) describing the online class modules in detail; (b) providing examples of in-class workshop activities; and (c) reflecting on lessons learned from iterative development of the online modules and in-class activities.

Last updated: 2:00 am

Paper presentation @ EuroPLoP 2016

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June 22, 2016 1:00 AM

Peter Scupelli and Paul Inventado presented their paper, “Media-type Selection Design Patterns for Problem-solving Content and Support in Online Learning Systems” at the 21st European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP) 2016 in Bavaria, Germany.

EuroPLoP is the premier European conference on patterns and pattern languages. Design patterns are a unique and effective way to capture and share expertise, tacit knowledge and research findings.

Abstract:

Online learning systems have been gaining popularity, but are not without their challenges. For example, enrollment in MOOCs has slowed down, which is attributed to the lack of sustainability. Research has also shown that relying on delivered content alone results in lower learning gains. However, introducing learning activities increases learning gains as much as six times. These results emphasize the importance of designing high quality learning activities for online learning systems. Although there are many design patterns that may be applied in designing learning activities, they usually operate at a higher level. There is a need for design patterns that address problems in implementing these learning activities. This paper presents four design patterns that focus on helping students learn to represent math problems properly in the context of math online learning systems. These patterns can guide online learning system stakeholders (e.g., system developers, content creators, teachers) in creating high quality learning activities in online learning systems.

Last updated: 1:00 am