ABSTRACT
While we often tend to ignore it, in most professional design situations the real problem is usually to know what the real problem is, Rittel and Webber (1973). Our underlying aim in the research reported here was to understand how the quality of British (Construction Engineering) Design competitiveness could be enhanced by the new training technologies. Our use of the verb ‘train’ in this text may be misleading, since we have in mind neither the one way teacher-to-learner ‘chalk and talk’ pedagogy, nor the ‘imitation’ which so often occurs in traditional design training. Rather, we have been investigating the role of interactive media in the creation of appropriate experiential learning environments for use in the area of continuing professional design education. We have found such self motivating interactive learning technologies promote confidence in the acquisition of useful skills and decision making knowledge. Indeed, we intend to demonstrate that the quality of professional decision-making and competitiveness can be enhanced by such technologies.
