Educating the Novice in Architecture through Collaborative Learning Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University

2 Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University

3 Associate Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University

Abstract

The present paper is aimed at improving architectural design education at foundation levels, which is of particular significance for architecture schools.  It focuses on collaborative learning method which, authors believe, is capable of fulfilling many educational objectives. As a learner-centred teaching method, collaborative learning is based on new constructivism theories.  The main focus here is on the question of ‘which collaborative teaching approach suits architecture foundation courses best’.
To answer the question, a study of the governing principles of the learner-centred teaching method was conducted, followed by a critical review of the research findings on collaborative learning, and its applications in architecture education. In order to identify the educational objectives of architectural design foundation workshops, two sources were consulted:
1- Course descriptions, from the curricula of the Iranian, as well as the world’s five top ranking architecture schools, given that course descriptions incorporate the visions of curriculum designers.
2-  Practical and research achievements of design tutors in the architectural design foundation workshops, through their publications.
The research method is descriptive and based on content analysis. The findings portray the main objectives of workshops as developing creativity in students, increasing their confidence, exploring their potentials, and also creating a constructive interaction with their tutors.  Bearing in mind the priority of training over mere teaching in foundation courses there is a need to adopt corresponding approaches and methods. This brings the research to the conclusion that collaborative learning approaches best suited for foundation courses particularly due to their stronger training potentials.

Keywords


  1. Demirbas, O.O. & H. Demirkan. “Focus on Architectural
  2. Design Process through Learning Styles”, in Design Studies,
  3. vol. 24, No. 5 (2003), pp. 437-456.
  4. Felder, R.M. & R. Brent. “Cooperative Learning in Technical
  5. Courses: Procedures, Pitfalls, and Payoffs”, in ERIC
  6. Document Reproduction Service: ED 377038, (1994).
  7. Fetsco, T. & J. McClure. Educational Psychology: An
  8. Integrated Approach to Classroom Decisions, New York:
  9. Pearson, 2005.
  10. Findlay, R.A. Learning in Community-based Collaborative
  11. Design Studios: Education for a Reflective, Design Practice,
  12. Headington, Oxford: Oxford Brookes. 1996
  13. Gokal, A. Cooperative Learning: Collaborative Learning
  14. Education, Vol. 7, No. 1, 1995.
  15. Johnson, D.W. & R.T. Johnson. Circles of Learning,
  16. Washington, DC: Assoc. Supervision and Curriculum Dev.
  17.  
  18. Johnson, D.W. & R.T. Johnson. Cooperative Learning
  19. Methods: A Meta-analysis, University of Minesota, 2000.
  20. Kamlipoor, H. & Z. Mansouri Kermani & E.
  21. Houshmandipanah. “Collaborative Design Studio on Trial:
  22. A Conceptual Framework in Practice”, in Scientific Research,
  23. (2014), pp. 1-12
  24. Kinsella, E.A. “Constructivist Underpinnings in Schön’s
  25. Theory of Reflective Practice”, in Reflective Practice, Vol.7,
  26. No.3 (2006), pp. 277-286.
  27. Kohn, A. “Co-operative Learning”, in Educational Leadership,
  28. Vol. 48, No. 5 (1991), pp. 83-87.
  29. New Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions,
  30. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1987.
  31. Slavin, R. “Synthesis of Research on Cooperative Learning”,
  32. in Educational Leadership, Vol. 38, Issue 8 (1991), pp. 655-
  33.  
  34. Tucker, R. & N. Abbasi. “Conceptualizing Teamwork
  35. and Group-work in Architecture and Related Design
  36. Disciplines”, in ASA 2012: Building on Knowledge, Theory
  37. Kurt, S. “An Analytic Study on the Traditional Studio
  38. Environments and the Use of the Constructivist Studio in
  39. the Architectural Design Education”, in Procedia Social and
  40. Behavioral Sciences, No.1 (2009), pp. 401–408.
  41. ________ . “Use of Constructivist Approach in Architectural
  42. Education”, in Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, No.
  43. (2011), pp. 3980-3988.
  44. Oakley, B. & R.M. Felder & R. Brent & I. Elhajj. “Turning
  45. Student Groups into Effective Teams”, in Student Centered
  46. Learning, Vol. 2, No.1 (2004), pp. 9-34.
  47. Onwuebuzie, A. “Relationship between peer Orientation
  48. and Achievement Cooperative Learning– based Research”,
  49. in Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 94, No. 3 (2001), pp.
  50. -170.
  51. Panitz, T. “Collaborative Versus Cooperative Learning:
  52. Comparing the Two Definitions Helps Understand the
  53. Nature of Interactive Learning”, in Cooperative Learning and
  54. College Teaching, Vol. 8, No. 2 (1999).
  55. Pektas, S.T. “The Blended Design Studio: An Appraisal of
  56. New Delivery Modes in Design Education”, in Procedia -
  57. Social and Behavioral Sciences, No. 51 (2012), pp. 692-697.
  58. Roberts, A. “Cognitive Styles and Student Progression in
  59. Architectural Design Education”, in Design Studies, Vol. 27,
  60. No. 2 (2006), pp. 167-181.
  61. Ruschel, R. “Collaborative Design In Architecture: A
  62. Teaching Experience”, in Research Gate, (2016).
  63. Ryan, K. & J. Cooper. Those Who Can Teach, Wadsworth
  64. Publishing; 14 edition, 2015.
  65. Schön, D. Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Toward a
  66. and Practice: Proceedings of the 46th Annual Conference
  67. of the Architectural Science Association, Architectural
  68. Science Association, Gold Coast, Qld. (2012), pp. 1-8.
  69. http://web.mit.edu/
  70. https://www.polimi.it/, accessed at 2012.
  71. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/, accessed at 2017.
  72. www.nus.edu.sg, accessed at 2017.
  73. www.ucl.ac.uk, accessed at 2017.