Temel tasarım eğitiminde bilgisayar oyunu tabanlı bir model
Computer game based model in basic design education
Yazar: EMİRHAN COŞKUN
Danışman: PROF. DR. GÜLEN ÇAĞDAŞ
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü / Bilişim Ana Bilim Dalı / Mimari Tasarımda Bilişim Bilim Dalı
Derece: Doktora, 2019
Konu: Mimarlık = Architecture

Özet:
Günümüzde gelişen dijital teknolojiler sayısal düşünceyi ön plana çıkarmakta ve tasarım yaklaşımlarında sıkça bahsedilen bir konum kazanmaktadır. Dijital teknolojiler ile yeni medya araç olmaktan çıkmakta, algı kalıplarını ve alışkanlıkları değiştirmekte, yeni bir tasarım yaklaşımı olarak yerini almaktadır. Bu bağlamda mimarlık ve tasarım eğitimi de gelişmelere adapte olabilmeli, dinamik ve etkileşimli bir yapı kazanmalıdır. Teknolojiye adaptasyonu sağlayabilmek için uygun ortamların belirlenmesi ve tasarım eğitimiyle entegre edilmesi gerekmektedir. Dijital teknolojiler her alanda etkisini gösterdiği gibi, yeni medya ile yetişen öğrencilerin yaklaşımlarının ve anlayışlarının yetişkin nesle göre farklılık göstermesinde de önemli bir role sahiptir. Daha etkin bir eğitim çerçevesi oluşturabilmek için öğrencilerin yeni medyayı nasıl algıladıklarını anlamak, alışkanlıklarını dikkate almak, uygun öğrenme ortamlarını öğrencilere sağlayabilmek tartışılması gereken önemli konulardır. Tez çalışmasının temelinde bu problem yer almaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında yeni medyanın popüler ve aktif kullanılan platformu olan bilgisayar oyunları temel alınarak, hem teknolojik hem de pedagojik anlamda bir öğrenme ve öğretme ortamı oluşturulması amaçlanmaktadır.

Özellikle tasarım eğitimine yeni başlayan öğrencilerin tasarım kavramıyla ilk kez karşılaştıkları, algılarının ve tasarım anlayışlarının yerleştiği, farklı deneysel çalışmaları barındıran bir ortam olması nedeniyle temel tasarım dersi, çalışma için uygulama alanı olarak belirlenmiştir. Temel tasarım dersinin içeriği, bilgisayar oyunlarını öğrenme ve öğretme ortamı olarak kurgulayabilmek için ideal bir çerçeve sağlamıştır. Bu bağlamda, temel tasarım dersinin müfredat, ders içerikleri, haftalık ders planları ve öğrenme çıktıları göz önünde bulundurularak süreç kurgulanmıştır. Tezin amacı, temel tasarım dersine yeni bir yaklaşım getirmekten daha çok yeni medya ile entegrasyonunu sağlamak ve bu birlikteliğin sonuçlarını analiz ederek daha etkin öğrenme ortamlarının geliştirilmesi adına bir çerçeve oluşturmaktır. Tez kapsamında yapılan uygulama çalışmasında bilgisayar oyunlarının temel tasarım dersine entegrasyonunu mümkün kılmak amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada, öğrencilerin yabancılık çekmemesi için günümüzün en popüler oyunlarından olan "Minecraft" oyununun eğitim sürümünden faydalanılmıştır.

Çalışma kapsamında, öncelikle oyun kavramı ve bilgisayar oyunları incelendikten sonra günümüz eğitim yaklaşımlarında bilgisayar oyunlarının yeri araştırılmış, oyun tasarımı ve oyun tasarımında etkili olan kavramların tanıtımı yapılmış, tez çalışmasının teorik alt yapısı oluşturulmuştur. Oyun tasarımını oluşturan elemanlardan bahsedilerek temel tasarım dersi ile ortak olan tarafları belirlenmiş ve uygulanacak olan modül için sistematik bir alt yapı oluşturulmuştur. Çalışmanın teorik alt yapısı hazırlandıktan sonra bilgisayar oyun tabanlı uygulamanın ön hazırlık ve tasarım aşamaları tamamlanmıştır. Uygulama, mimarlık ve tasarım eğitimine yeni başlayan 1.sınıf temel tasarım dersini alan öğrenciler ile birlikte gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma kapsamında sürecin bir parçası olmasından ötürü geleneksel tasarım yaklaşımı (analog) ve  bilgisayar oyun tabanlı yaklaşım (dijital) bir arada ele alınmıştır. Tez çalışmasında, uygulama öncesinde ve sonrasında öğrencilerle görüşmeler yapılmış ve deneyimlerini anlatmaları istenmiştir. Öğrencilerin uygulama süreçlerini kayıt altına alabilmek adına yapılan tasarım uygulamalar dijital olarak kaydedilmiş ve her uygulama öncesi ve sonrasında yapılan anketlerle tez çalışması desteklenmiştir. Anketler ve görüşmeler ile öğrencilerin süreç hakkındaki görüşleri alınarak, bilgisayar oyun tabanlı yaklaşımın temel tasarım dersiyle entegrasyonunun değerlendirmesi yapılmıştır. Öğrencilerle beraber yapılan uygulamaların yanı sıra temel tasarım dersi yürütücüleriyle de görüşmeler ve anketler yapılarak konu ile ilgili aktörlerin modülün tasarım sürecine dahil edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler sonucunda bilgisayar oyun tabanlı modülün, temel tasarım eğitimi bağlamında alternatif yaklaşımları içeriğinde barındırması, güncelliğini koruması ve gelecek çalışmalar için bir çerçeve oluşturması açısıdan etkin bir öğrenme ortamı sağlayabileceği düşünülmektedir.

Abstract:
The information technologies that have become widespread since the end of the 20th century have changed the ways of thinking process of today‟s learners. In parallel with the developing technology, the changing needs have made computer games as an important media tool. The attractive features of computer games and their potentials have led to different approaches in the field of education as well as other disciplines. Researches and studies based on the possibility that computer games can create a new learning culture in the field of education aims to provide an active and dynamic learning environment for the students who become passive and indifferent because of traditional forms of education. This paper aims that computer games can offer new possibilities in the context of design education. To reveal the usage of computer games in design education, a comparative and evaluation method is tested and analyzed.

The developing use of computer technologies affects design education as well as other disciplines. Computer-aided design and related technologies make it possible to talk about different approaches and evaluations in the design process. The integration of information and communication technologies with design education requires knowledge and techniques about how these new technologies will support the design process.  Computer games are taking place in the developing media and as a result they caught the attention of many disciplines. Recently, computer games have become a research tool in the academic environment as well as being a means of entertainment. Many of the studies emphasize the use of information technology as a tool for learning, and these studies specifically target computer games designed for educational purposes. Therefore, how to use the best-selling games on the market in the field of education (inside or outside the classroom) has begun to attract attention. The main point of this emergence is to consider the possibility of educational effects of computer games. It is important to remember that although computer games are often thought of as recreational purposes, they can be a very powerful learning tool. Thinking computer games as a learning tool can lead to many opportunities and research fields. A comparative evaluation method is needed to measure this. It is essential to analyze the cognitive effects of computer games and their direct effects on the users and to be aware of them in every way in terms of method and process.  Today‟s design education makes it possible to evaluate the instructor and student in the same level in terms of designing and producing. The only distinguishing difference is that one has more experience than the other and The design studio is an environment in which experienced and less experienced individuals taking part in the process of addressing, discussing and solving specific problems. The features that the design studio possesses are also important in terms of understanding how today's design education should be considered. Design studio does not have to reflect the real world and the features it possesses. Thoughit can be argued that the design studio should connect with real world, its reflections should be perceived only as one of the features.Another important point is that the design studio has its own reality which can be considered as an interactive and sharing environment. Thus, students should feel free to experience flexible thinking while they deal with the design process. Instructor should be in position of guiding not the controller. Instructor controlling the entire process will not allow the student to progress dynamically. This will lead to the disappearance of ideas throughout the process before the design studio reaches its actual potency. 

The basic design course has been determined as the pilot area for the study since it is an environment in which the students who first came to design education to meet the concept of design for the first time, where their perceptions and design insights were settled and contained with different experimental studies. The content of the basic design course provides an ideal frame for using computer games as a learning and teaching environment. The study was adapted to the process in line with the weekly program and learning outcomes of the basic design course and the curriculum was placed into the plan. The aim of the thesis was to provide integration with new media rather than to bring a new approach to basic design course and to provide a basis for developing more effective learning environments by analyzing the results of this association. In the pilot study, the educational version of "Minecraft", which is one of the most popular games of today, has been used in order to enable integration of the basic design course with computer games.

The main purpose of this paper is to examine different aspects of the organizational structure of the basic design studio and its contribution to creativity in the different processes. The aim is not to create an alternative model for the basic design studio, but to reveal the validity and efficiency of the alternative modules as complementary. The study is based on field studies and observations carried out within the scope of the basic design studio course. In this context, certain questions related to the basic design course are discussed: 

•	How can the basic design studio lead students in the context of creative thinking? 
•	In addition to the basic design studio environment, what can be the concept of a versatile studio organization and the general modules to discover creativity in the process? 
•	What are the roles of studio instructors to pioneer and execute creative education and to raise awareness of students in design education? 

In order to provide a theoretical basis for the study, firstly the game concept and computer games were examined and the place of computer games in today's educational approaches was investigated. The thesis study is based on a theoretical background by referring to the approaches in computer game-based education. After the game concept and computer game-based training approaches, concepts which are effective in game design and game design were introduced. The elements that make up the game design are mentioned and the parties which are in common with the basic design course are determined and a systematic frame has been formed for the model to be applied.

After the theoretical frame of the study was prepared, the preliminary preparation and design phases of the computer game based application were completed and the pilot application was tried together with the students who took the first year basic design course in architecture and design education. As part of the process, the traditional design approach (analog) and computer game-based approach (digital) are considered together. Interviews were made with the students before and after each application in the framework of the common curriculum plan and they were asked to explain their experiences. In order to register the processes, applications were recorded and supported by questionnaires before and after the implementation. The questionnaires and interviews were used to evaluate the students' ideas about the process and to evaluate the integration of the computer game-based approach with the basic design course. At the same time, it was aimed to put the model on a more robust frame by conducting interviews and surveys with the experts (basic design studio executives). Based on the data obtained, it can be argued that computer game-based model can be an effective environment in basic design education and can provide a suitable environment for future studies. The game modules and game environments are made into an interactive platform, thus giving the user an ability to respond more quickly to interactive atmosphere. Students gain a more effective understanding and a more responsive structure. There is a more meaningful relationship between the process and act of discovery. Use of expanded and enriched design environment is at the forefront as study outcomes can be summarized as stated:
 
•	Game modules are designed experiences with a strong potential to allow emergent behaviors. 
•	Game modules provide distributed experiences. Many media tools offer scattered experience through platforms, space and time. Game module structure will improve perception and problem-solving skills of the students and their interactivity with digital media rather than just learning and doing. 
•	In-game and out-of-play experience is an important component for students to develop problem solving skills. 
•	Game modules provide a structure in which all data are connected and can give immediate feedback. All data may be associated with students 
•	Game modules provide multi-user environment for both instructors and students. 
•	Game modules has the potential to form a community that can create a sense of belonging for students. 
•	Game modules develop communication skills. 
•	Game modules provide continuous experience. 
•	Game modules support abstract thinking and conceptualization of the design process. 

Along with evolving technology, playing digital games expands the experience and playing environment into a new level. Physical world becomes the interface of this new experience. It is important for students to discover environments using digital tools, to be in an interactive relationship with the media, to be able to instantly collect information from the environment and to experience them. Time dimension is changing.This allows us to talk about an evolutionary process that contributes to the creation of hybrid interfaces both in terms of design and everyday  life. If the experience provided by these hybrid interfaces can be taken to the top level, it will be possible to achieve satisfying learning environments for education.