Patterns in perceptions of learning to draw with guidance and conceptual scaffolding: Insights from a multi-cohort self-reported study

Abstract

[Abstract] This study explores how a multi-cohort sample of students perceived learning to draw in a first-year course on environment drawing and concept art, taught from the field of architectural graphics within a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Creation, Animation, and Videogames. The course applies a scaffolded, theory-integrative approach in which analytical case studies precede visual production, and drawing is developed through phased workflows that mirror professional design processes. A mixed-methods, multi-cohort analysis was conducted with 245 undergraduate students across five academic years, based on post-course self-reports of perceived starting competence in drawing, motivational engagement, and the perceived value of structured drawing and the relevance of theory in drawing practice. Using clustering and ANOVA, three exploratory perception-based learner profiles were identified: Enthusiastic Experts, Conceptual Learners, and Low-Engagement Learners. Students who began with lower self-assessed competence but placed greater importance to theoretical guidance and phased process reported the highest perceived drawing improvement, suggesting that reflective interaction with theory and workflow shapes how learning through drawing is experienced. While findings are limited to retrospective self-reports, the study provides exploratory evidence of how learner perceptions align with scaffolded and theory-integrative drawing pedagogy. These insights contribute to understanding drawing as a cognitive and reflective practice, offering an empirical basis for adaptive and perception-informed strategies in early-stage design education.