Project-Based Learning (PBL) as the foundation for teaching Communication Design in Higher Education

Project-Based Learning (PBL) as the foundation for teaching Communication Design in Higher Education

Olutunmise Adesola Ojo

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 2 2026 Article 22 pp.336 – 351
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267222 Published online 14th April 2026.

6 Downloads

DOWNLOAD PDF

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the use of project-based learning (PBL) as a pedagogical foundation for communication design education, focusing on its role in enhancing creativity, collaboration, and the practical application of knowledge. The study draws on a review of literature on PBL and qualitative narrative self-reflections completed by 16 second-year communication design students. Insights were generated from individual and group project experiences, highlighting peer interaction and the extent to which PBL simulates real-world professional dynamics. The findings indicate that engaging students with real-world projects prepares them for the complexities of professional practice and supports the development of adaptable and collaborative design competencies. While PBL offers significant pedagogical value, challenges such as time constraints and difficulties in assessment were noted. The paper recommends clear assessment criteria, flexible project timelines, and continuous instructional support to enhance the effectiveness of PBL implementation. The study confirms that PBL is an important approach for bridging the gap between academic learning and industry expectations in communication design. The continued adoption of PBL can significantly strengthen students’ readiness for professional practice. This study enriches scholarship on experiential and design-based learning by positioning PBL as a transformative, industry-aligned framework for communication design education. It extends understanding of how structured, real-world projects foster creativity, adaptability, and lifelong learning in design disciplines.

Keywords: Communication design, creative pedagogy, design industry, project-based learning, real-world projects

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alwi, S Khurram Khan, and Afrah Abdul Karim. “Bridging the Employability Gap: Aligning Higher Education Curricula with Industry-Required Competencies in the Digital Era.” Journal Of Business Strategies 18, no. 2 (2024): 93.

Amabile, T., & Pratt, M. (2016). The Dynamic Componential Model of Creativity and Innovation in Organizations: Making Progress, Making Meaning. Research in Organizational Behavior, 36, 157-183.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2016.10.001

Barrows, Howard S. “Problem‐based Learning in Medicine and beyond: A Brief Overview.” New Directions for Teaching and Learning 1996, no. 68 (1996): 3–12.

Benner, Patricia, Christine A. Tanner, and Catherine A. Chesla. Expertise in Nursing Practice: Caring, Clinical Judgment, and Ethics. 2nd ed. London: Springer, 2009.

Billett, S. Learning in the Workplace: Strategies for Effective Practice. London: Routledge, 2001.

Botes, Vida Lucia, and Umesh Sharma. “A Gap in Management Accounting Education: Fact or Fiction.” Pacific Accounting Review 29, no. 1 (February 6, 2017): 107–26. https://doi.org/10.1108/PAR-01-2016-0002.

Boud, David, and Elizabeth Molloy. “Rethinking Models of Feedback for Learning: The Challenge of Design.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 38, no. 6 (2013): 698–712.

Boud, David, and Nicky Solomon. Work-Based Learning: A New Higher Education? . Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press, 2011.

Brown, John Seely, Allan Collins, and Paul Duguid. “Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning.” Educational Researcher 18, no. 1 (1989): 32–42.

Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), South Africa. White Paper for Post-School Education and Training. Pretoria: Government Printers, 2013.

Eraut, Michael. “Learning from Other People in the Workplace.” Oxford Review of Education 33, no. 4 (2007): 403–22.

Gormley, Jenny M, Vanessa Poirier, Kathleen A Hassey, Maria Van Pelt, and Lichuan Ye. “School Nurses’ Reports on Reopening Roles, Practices, and Concerns during the COVID-19 Pandemic at the Start of the 2020–2021 School Year.” The Journal of School Nursing 39, no. 2 (2023): 143–49.

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77, 81-112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487

Hodkinson, Phil, Gert Biesta, and David James. “Understanding Learning Culturally: Overcoming the Dualism between Social and Individual Views of Learning.” Vocations and Learning 1, no. 1 (2008): 27–47.

Hung, Woei, Diana H J M Dolmans, and Jeroen J G Van Merriënboer. “A Review to Identify Key Perspectives in PBL Meta-Analyses and Reviews: Trends, Gaps and Future Research Directions: W. Hung et Al.” Advances in Health Sciences Education 24, no. 5 (2019): 943–57.

Kolb, Alice Y., and David A. Kolb. “Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education.” Academy of Management Learning & Education 4, no. 2 (June 2005): 193–212. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2005.17268566.

Kripendorff, Klaus. Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology. Vol. 4. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2018.

Lave, Jean, and Etienne Wenger. Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.

Li, Tingting, Weidong Wang, Zhijie Li, Hongmiao Wang, and Xiaodan Liu. “Problem-Based or Lecture-Based Learning, Old Topic in the New Field: A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of PBL Teaching Method in Chinese Standardized Residency Training.” BMC Medical Education 22, no. 1 (December 31, 2022): 221. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03254-5.

Mezirow, Jack. “Learning to Think like an Adult.” Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress, 2000, 3–33.

Napier, Pamela, and Terri Wada. “Bridging the Skills Gap: The Design Education Landscape with AI and Experiential Learning.” Design Management Journal 19, no. 1 (2024): 19–30.

Narciso, Sara Denise. “Project Based Learning in Communication Design.” Futures of Education, Culture and Nature – Learning to Become 1 (January 21, 2022). https://doi.org/10.7146/fecun.v1i.130252.

National Planning Commission. “National Development Plan 2030: Our Future-Make It Work,” 2012.

Ojo, Olutunmise A., and Alfred H. Makura. “Using a Digital Studio as an Alternative to Engaging Students Enrolled for Communication Design: Implications for a Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown Era.” South African Journal of Higher Education , 2026:269-295.

Piaget, Jean. To Understand Is to Invent: The Future of Education. Grossman Publishers, 1973.

Schön, Donald A. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Routledge, 2017.

Tovey, Mike. Design Pedagogy. London: Routledge, 2016. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315576695.

Trevelyan, James. “Reconstructing Engineering from Practice.” Engineering Studies 2, no. 3 (December 13, 2010): 175–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2010.520135.

Vygotsky, Lev S. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Edited by Michael Cole, Vera John-Steiner, Sylvia Scribner, and Ellen Souberman. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.

Wenger, Etienne. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Winch, Christopher, Alis Oancea, and Janet Orchard. “The Contribution of Educational Research to Teachers’ Professional Learning: Philosophical Understandings.” Oxford Review of Education 41, no. 2 (2015): 202–16.

Wright, Peter, and John McCarthy. Experience-Centered Design: Designers, Users, and Communities in Dialogue. San Rafael, CA: Morgan & Claypool Publishers, 2010.

Zeichner, Ken. “Rethinking the Connections between Campus Courses and Field Experiences in College-and University-Based Teacher Education.” Journal of Teacher Education 61, no. 1–2 (2010): 89–99.

AUTHOR(S)

Ojo, Olutunmise Adesola is a visual communication designer. He holds a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design from the Central University of Technology in Free State, South Africa, and a PhD in Art and Design: Communication Design from the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa. Passionate about the evolving landscape of communication design and visual arts, Ojo draws inspiration from intuition, current trends, technology, and creativity. With over 35 years of professional experience in design, advertising, and printing, he has spent more than 20 years as a lecturer in higher education. He teaches various subjects related to communication design techniques, innovation, entrepreneurial education, and professional practice at the Central University of Technology in Free State, South Africa. His academic pursuits align with scholars focusing on visual art and communication design education, green design, and innovation and entrepreneurship training. Ojo is particularly interested in enhancing the visibility of art and design and fostering creative economy activities. He has supervised and examined postgraduate art and design students at several South African universities. Additionally, he has presented research papers at both national and international conferences and published articles in peer-reviewed accredited journals.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Ojo, Olutunmise Adesola. “Project-Based Learning (PBL) as the foundation for Teaching Communication Design in Higher Education.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.2 (2026): 336 – 350. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267222