Understanding a studio environment: A complex system approach to a community of practice

This paper looks at characteristics of a studio environment and the ways in which engineering pedagogies can begin to incorporate them. Using inductive coding, student reflection forms, in which students described their experiences with a studio environment as they developed professional portfolios, are analyzed. Based on our findings and using communities of practice and complexity theory as a theoretical lens, we describe how portfolio studios engage students in key elements of learning. In particular, the analysis of students' reflection forms demonstrates that students validate each other's experiences through peer interaction, engage in the negotiation of meaning, and make sense of their own identity. The paper provides insights into studio environments and their role in engineering education, an explanation of our research methodology, the results, a discussion of the results and the ways in which they relate to communities of practice and complexity theory, and a conclusion focused on possible implications.