This study explores how innovation and technology can enhance interdisciplinary learning through a collaborative project between interior design and early childhood education programs. The project focuses on designing early childhood classroom environments grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to ensure accessibility, inclusivity, and meaningful engagement for diverse learners. Guided by Merrill’s e³ instructional design framework, the study examines the effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement of students as they integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and digital design tools into the concept development and visualization phases of their work. Interior design students apply AI-assisted modeling to generate spatial solutions that support sensory, cognitive, and physical needs, while early childhood education students contribute pedagogical insights on how these environments foster developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive learning. Findings indicate that multimodal AI prompts—combining text and visual inputs—enhance students’ creative problem-solving and result in more inclusive design outcomes. This study highlights the potential of technology-enabled, cross-disciplinary collaboration to prepare future educators and designers to create equitable and innovative learning environments aligned with global educational priorities.

Authors:
Elizabeth Park, Chaminade University of Honolulu, United States
Junghwa Suh, Chaminade University of Honolulu, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Elizabeth Park is a Professor in the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences and Director of Early Childhood and Montessori Programs at Chaminade University of Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-park-ph-d-8962626/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elizabeth-Park-4

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