Developing an Integrated Pedagogical Model for Digital Colour Education to Bridge Theory and Authentic Design Practice in Higher Education

Abstract

Digital colour competence has become increasingly important as design practice moves across screen-based, interactive and computational environments, yet colour education in higher education may continue to separate conceptual instruction from authentic digital practice. This study develops and empirically grounds an Integrated Pedagogical Model for Digital Color Principles that connects theoretical understanding with authentic design activity. Guided by an interpretivist, social-constructivist orientation, the research employed a qualitative case study within a Digital Media Art programme at Guangzhou Huashang College, China. Evidence was generated through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, student design artefacts and curriculum documents and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and qualitative synthesis. The analysis identified four interrelated pedagogical requirements: authentic theory-practice integration, collaborative knowledge construction, reflective learning and technology-enhanced design practice. These requirements, together with the study's theoretical foundations and formative-assessment evidence, informed a six-component model comprising theoretical conceptual learning, authentic digital design practice, collaborative learning, reflective practice, a technology-enhanced learning environment, and continuous formative feedback and assessment. Implementation evidence indicated stronger integration of conceptual reasoning with design practice, greater learner autonomy and more explicit professional judgement. The study contributes an empirically grounded pedagogical architecture for digital colour education and argues that technology becomes educationally productive when embedded within coherent cycles of conceptualisation, making, critique, reflection and revision.