| Author: | Zhang, Yaqi |
| Title: | The impact of generative AI on creativity and design education in Chinese higher education |
| Advisors: | Ma, Henry (SD) |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Department: | School of Design |
| Pages: | xii, 201 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The design industry and design education have been greatly impacted by the rise of artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC). Utilizing generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in the design field offers numerous benefits, including the reduction of repetitive tasks, lower production time, and lower labour costs, all of which enhance production efficiency. However, the primary objective of integrating Gen AI into design education should not be limited to improving efficiency, as this can be achieved through the proficient use of the tools. The integration of Gen AI in design learning should primarily focus on enhancing students' creative abilities and facilitating the generation of innovative ideas. Currently, the majority of research on Gen AI in design and creativity centres on the interaction mechanisms between humans and AI systems, user-psychological perceptions, and behavioural changes. However, there is a notable scarcity of studies specifically addressing design education and, more importantly, the fostering of creativity within this context. The existing literature primarily explores the influence of self-efficacy on learning outcomes and experiences in Gen AI-integrated design programmes. These studies do not provide a comprehensive understanding of current teaching methods and content related to Gen AI integration in design education. Consequently, a significant research gap exists regarding the impact of Gen AI integration on the cultivation of creativity in design education, which serves as the main goal of this study. To address this gap, the research questions guiding this investigation are: 1. How does Gen AI integrate into design education? 2. How does Gen AI integrate into creativity cultivation? and 3. What are the impacts of Gen AI impact the fostering of creativity following pedagogical intervention? This investigation is structured in two stages. In the first stage, I conducted course observations and semi-structured interviews with both teachers and students to gain insights into current teaching methods and the impacts of Gen AI on creativity cultivation within design classrooms. In the second stage, I extracted creativity cultivation methods from the conceptual framework, integrated them with Gen AI, and implemented teaching interventions to assess their impacts on creativity fostering. The research findings identify three common pedagogies within Gen AI-integrated design classes in Chinese higher education. Notably, there is a lack of specific teaching methods for Gen AI integration across different stages of the design curriculum. While the integration of Gen AI in design education shows several benefits, particularly in enhancing student motivation and self-efficacy, it also poses challenges that may affect learning outcomes. For instance, without appropriate teaching methods to guide students in the effective use of Gen AI, there is a tendency for them to ask repetitive questions. The findings also indicate a significant deficiency in Gen AI-driven pedagogy aimed at cultivating creativity within design education. Nonetheless, the benefits of Gen AI in creativity cultivation include increased efficiency in creative output. The integration of Gen AI allows students to allocate more time to develop additional skills, thereby enhancing their creative capacities. Furthermore, the impact of pedagogical interventions on fostering creativity through Gen AI suggests that teaching methods incorporating Gen AI facilitate the synthesis of students' contributions into the design process. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
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