Enhancing First‐Year Design Education Through an Active Learning Strategy: The <scp>ARCH</scp> 101 Case

Abstract This article investigates the pedagogical effectiveness of an active learning strategy in first‐year design education. Focusing on the design and implementation phases of ARCH 101 Design Studio, it examines students' experiences with the strategy, including both positive and negative outcomes. As a qualitative study, this research is grounded in first‐hand observations and reflections by studio tutors, complemented by data from an online survey administered to enrolled design students. The active learning strategy developed for ARCH101 Design Studio was based on three tactics: (1) learning by experience, (2) learning by doing, and (3) learning through reflection. The study findings demonstrate that the implemented strategy effectively cultivated critical, creative, abstract and holistic thinking abilities among students. Moreover, it facilitated hands‐on learning as a catalyst for abstraction and idea generation. The active learning strategy also facilitated a shift in students' perspectives on learning, encouraging them to reflect on their learning processes within a fundamentally different pedagogical context. Students progressively assumed expanded roles and responsibilities while collaboratively creating a dynamic learning environment within the ARCH 101 Design Studio. This process was characterised by both self‐directed and collaborative learning activities. The findings of this study can inform the development of strategies to enhance first‐year design students' active engagement in the learning process. By providing insights into students' experiences, this research can contribute to the design pedagogies that effectively address the unique challenges faced by novice design learners.