Research on the Reshaping of Professional Competencies and Teaching Reform for Application-Oriented Undergraduates under the “AI Collaboration” Paradigm: A Case Study of the Environmental Design Program

Abstract

Application-oriented undergraduate programs are currently caught in the dilemma between the paradigm shift in the industry triggered by artificial intelligence technology and the lag in talent cultivation. Taking the Environmental Design program as an example, this paper proposes the “AI Collaboration” paradigm to lead professional teaching reform. It constructs a professional competency model encompassing the dimensions of thinking, skills, and literacy, and systematically discusses a four-in-one pathway for teaching reform: restructuring the curriculum system, updating teaching models, transforming evaluation mechanisms, and developing the faculty team. Validated through the “Lifestyle and Residential Interior Design” course, this model enhances students’ design innovation capabilities, technical application skills, and critical thinking levels. It provides theoretical support and practical examples for design education to address the challenges of the intelligent era, offering significant reference for promoting the transformation of talent cultivation models.