Brewing Banter: Augmenting Intercontinental Studio Classes for Casual Communication

Modern online platforms provide highly functional live operational tools for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). However, teams of students often face communication challenges due to differences in cultural background, experience and language, which hinder true collaboration. This pictorial presents Brewing Banter, a concept designed to foster spontaneous, informal communication in art and design studio environments, using the analogy of water cooler conversations. Combining physical and digital interfaces, it connects geographically distant classrooms to encourage the exchange of perspectives in creative practice. The design augments activities in the studio space using peripheral awareness. Finally, we discuss perspectives on spatial approaches to blended learning in higher education.