Thesis
Comparative study of interior design programs in South Korea and the United States
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2005
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/319
Abstract
This thesis explores the ways in which to compare interior design programs between separate national educational systems, through a study of South Korea and the United States. Primarily, it addresses three different methods for making comparisons between such programs. The first attempted method was the qualitative comparison of published curricula in each country. The limitations of the first method were discovered as follows: institutions are different, housed in different units, years of study in the major are different, and the accreditations mechanisms are different. The second attempted method was to develop an instrument for a quantitative survey of professors in each country. The survey questionnaire was designed carefully, but then rejected due to complexity, biases of participants, inappropriate sample power, and length of time involved in this type of research. The last attempted method was to design a rubric for interior design projects using the modified Delphi method. The Delphi process consisted of two rounds. The responses of participants from each round were analyzed to prepare the next round and produce the rubric. Even though the Delphi was successful in producing the rubric, several limitations of the method were also found, including the time frame involved, degrees of commitment of respondents, difficulty of presenting projects, and size of panels. By testing three different types of methods throughout this study, the Delphi method emerged as having the highest potential among the three because it could overcome statistical errors such as differences of sample power. It is concluded that the Delphi method could be used to design and develop rubrics, curriculum, and programs in interior design. Based on the research described in this thesis, I firmly believe that, if the Delphi method is conducted over sufficient time and with a large sample of participants from programs of each country, the study could effectively build a significant comparison between programs in S. Korea and the United States.
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Details
- Title
- Comparative study of interior design programs in South Korea and the United States
- Creators
- Soeun Lee
- Contributors
- Nancy H. Blossom (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Design and Construction, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525379701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis