Tacit Knowledge Construction in Studio-based Learning: A Conceptual Framework

The design studio is the primary site for experimenting, exploring and generating knowledge in design education. Much of this knowledge, like the nature of design, is tacit. The transmission of tacit knowledge has relied on the heuristics of teaching and the learning-by-doing method, which is a rather one-dimensional pedagogical approach to its complex nature and acquisition in design education. It is an internal construct as well as a social construct shaped through contexts, collaborations and interactions in the symbiotic milieu of the design studio. This paper presents a holistic understanding of tacit knowledge supported by literature on constructivist theories and studio pedagogy. In doing so, it proposes a conceptual framework for the efficacy of tacit knowledge construction in the studio.