Sketching as an external representation of thinking results and processes in education

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in the role of sketching in the fields of art, design and architecture, as well as education more generally. Sketching can play a unique role in promoting effective learning by helping to represent both concrete and abstract spatial relationships. This study aims to determine whether sketching is an advisable tool for expressing the results of human thinking in different situations of professional life, not only in art and design education but much more widely. The article uses an analytical examination of empirical material collected from eight interviews with experts to answer the following research questions: (1) is sketching an activity that can be classified as a mundane, methodical design-thinking technique? (2) Is sketching a hands-on exercise, necessary for a sense of freedom in the process of fixing thought, aimed at finding a creative solution in every new situation? and (3) should sketching be part of the educational process in all areas of teaching and science? The analytical findings offer a critical perspective and argue that sketching is a recommended and valuable tool for expressing the results of human creative thinking in different situations of professional life. The widespread impact of new digital technologies on the visualization of ideas compared to older, analogue visualization methods, as well as the increasing influence of artificial intelligence, creates a challenge to raise awareness of the need to use sketching in the educational process so that students can understand the role and importance of sketching in the creative and cognitive process as an essential tool for capturing thinking outcomes.