Place-based education (PBE) is a pedological approach that takes learning outside of the classroom into the local community. Allowing students to not only explore their physical environments but also the history, people, and culture of a place. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the use of PBE by design education instructors in higher education. This focus on PBE in design education is significant because PBE has not been extensively examined in a design context. The results should extend knowledge about ways that local learning environments can create opportunities and experiences for design students that cannot be replicated in a classroom.This was accomplished by capturing the lived experiences of nine design instructors from the state of Georgia, USA. Using a semi-structured interview approach interviews were conducted via zoom in Fall 2021. The focus of the questions was on PBE, course structure and perceptions of student engagement. The most striking overall finding that emerged from this study is that although many respondents did not have a formal understanding of PBE as a pedological learning strategy, they nonetheless acknowledged that there is significant value in place as a construct that can enhance learning. Participants viewed place as a critical component of design education that can both inspire and challenge students while providing variety to instructional methods.
","abstract_html":"<p>Place-based education (PBE) is a pedological approach that takes learning outside of the classroom into the local community. Allowing students to not only explore their physical environments but also the history, people, and culture of a place. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the use of PBE by design education instructors in higher education. This focus on PBE in design education is significant because PBE has not been extensively examined in a design context. The results should extend knowledge about ways that local learning environments can create opportunities and experiences for design students that cannot be replicated in a classroom.This was accomplished by capturing the lived experiences of nine design instructors from the state of Georgia, USA. Using a semi-structured interview approach interviews were conducted via zoom in Fall 2021. The focus of the questions was on PBE, course structure and perceptions of student engagement. The most striking overall finding that emerged from this study is that although many respondents did not have a formal understanding of PBE as a pedological learning strategy, they nonetheless acknowledged that there is significant value in place as a construct that can enhance learning. Participants viewed place as a critical component of design education that can both inspire and challenge students while providing variety to instructional methods.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Flynn, Michael"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Doctor of Education (EdD)","degree_level":"Doctoral's","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:00Z","subjects":["design education","experiential learning","place-based education","student engagement","Art Education","Educational Methods","Higher Education"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2022 Michael Flynn"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/715","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Flynn, Michael"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["design education","experiential learning","place-based education","student engagement","Art Education","Educational Methods","Higher Education"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2022 Michael Flynn"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/715"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Place-based education (PBE) is a pedological approach that takes learning outside of the classroom into the local community. Allowing students to not only explore their physical environments but also the history, people, and culture of a place. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the use of PBE by design education instructors in higher education. This focus on PBE in design education is significant because PBE has not been extensively examined in a design context. The results should extend knowledge about ways that local learning environments can create opportunities and experiences for design students that cannot be replicated in a classroom.This was accomplished by capturing the lived experiences of nine design instructors from the state of Georgia, USA. Using a semi-structured interview approach interviews were conducted via zoom in Fall 2021. The focus of the questions was on PBE, course structure and perceptions of student engagement. The most striking overall finding that emerged from this study is that although many respondents did not have a formal understanding of PBE as a pedological learning strategy, they nonetheless acknowledged that there is significant value in place as a construct that can enhance learning. Participants viewed place as a critical component of design education that can both inspire and challenge students while providing variety to instructional methods.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/PDF"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["How And Why Design Education Instructors Use Place-Based Education In Their Courses"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Flynn, Michael"],"dc:description.abstract":["Place-based education (PBE) is a pedological approach that takes learning outside of the classroom into the local community. Allowing students to not only explore their physical environments but also the history, people, and culture of a place. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the use of PBE by design education instructors in higher education. This focus on PBE in design education is significant because PBE has not been extensively examined in a design context. The results should extend knowledge about ways that local learning environments can create opportunities and experiences for design students that cannot be replicated in a classroom.This was accomplished by capturing the lived experiences of nine design instructors from the state of Georgia, USA. Using a semi-structured interview approach interviews were conducted via zoom in Fall 2021. The focus of the questions was on PBE, course structure and perceptions of student engagement. The most striking overall finding that emerged from this study is that although many respondents did not have a formal understanding of PBE as a pedological learning strategy, they nonetheless acknowledged that there is significant value in place as a construct that can enhance learning. Participants viewed place as a critical component of design education that can both inspire and challenge students while providing variety to instructional methods.
"],"dc:format":["application/PDF"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/715"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2022 Michael Flynn"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["design education","experiential learning","place-based education","student engagement","Art Education","Educational Methods","Higher Education"],"dc:title":["How And Why Design Education Instructors Use Place-Based Education In Their Courses"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:00Z"}