The interprofessional virtual design studio

With the advent of Web 2.0 technologies, the Virtual Design Studio (VDS) has been revived in many schools of architecture around the globe. The recently evolving online Social Networks (SN) Platforms, as instruments for learning, have provided a potentially fruitful operative base for VDS. Yet these platforms have not enabled the VDS to explore new frontiers. All participants come from the same professional field and learn elements directly related to their existing design curriculum. The development of the VDS for interprofessional learning moves design education beyond conventional boundaries. The Interprofessional VDS (IPVDS) is an innovative method of teaching students from two different professional faculties the skills required for successful consultancy and promotional communication in the public realm. The IPVDS enabled students to develop consultancy skills and evidence-based communication strategies appropriate for disparate target audiences. It employed a digital SN learning platform to engage remotely-located students in acquiring new skills, transferring knowledge and achieving learning outcomes that enrich their professional experience. The paper presents details of the IPVDS, its methodology, outcomes, and evaluation of the studio, and discusses how the IPVDS is effective in enabling architectural students to understand and use communication and consultancy skills for collaboration across professional disciplines for the purpose of community engagement.