INTERACTIVITY AND COLLABORATION

Impact of Interactivity and Collaboration in Architectural Studios: the study of Cognitive Science, Architecture Theory, And Collaborative Design

[Name of the Wrier]



ABSTRACT

Learning as an interactive process is an important issue in architectural design education. This study aims to focus on architectural design process through learning styles that are 'accommodating', 'diverging', 'assimilating' and 'converging' as stated in the Experiential Learning Theory of Kolb. A research was conducted to evaluate the effects of learning style preferences on the performance of design students in a design process. It was found that there were statistically significant differences between the performance scores of students having diverse learning styles at various stages of design process. Also, it was found that performance scores of all students having different learning styles had increased at the end of the design process where the progress of assimilating learners were the highest and accommodating learners the lowest. The advancements in ICT are reshaping the architectural design studio teaching and design practices. The digital-imperative to switch from analogue to digital mode has already begun to manifest itself at the schools of design. This paper introduces the application of two approaches representing various dimensions of revitalizing architectural design studio teaching using ICT: paperless design studio and collaborative virtual design studio. The paper reflects on the practical implementations of these two approaches including design process, communication and presentation, studio pedagogy, and students' learning. The next step ahead for architectural design studio teaching in which ICT acts as a partner is introduced.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT2

CHAPTER1: INTRODUCTION5

1.1 Background of the study5

1.2 Aims and objectives6

1.3 Significance of study7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW9

2.1 Architectural design studio9

2.2 Learning12

2.2.1 Learning process12

2.2.2 Experiential learning theory13

2.3 The culture of the Architectural Studio15

2.4 A note on HCI and Complexity in the Design Studio15

2.5 A New Paradigm?16

2.6 Revitalizing architectural design studio teaching18

2.7 The Paperless Design Studio19

2.7.1 Designing with Computers: Why Paperless?20

2.7.2 Design Tools in a Paperless Design Studio (PDS)23

2.7.3 Pedagogical Concerns with Paperless Design Studio24

CHAPTER 3: EMPIRICAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY26

3.1 Participants30

3.2 Design experiment30

3.2.1 LSI30

3.2.1.1Research Design31

3.2.2. Design problem31

3.2.2.1. Stage 1: The research and the report31

3.2.2.2. Stage 2: The lecture and the first studiowork31

3.2.2.3. Stage 3: The model33

3.2.2.4. Stage 4: The second studiowork33

3.2.3. Assessment instruments34

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION36

4.1. Learning style characteristics of the sample group36

4.2. Reliability and Pearson correlations in LSI36

4.3. Validity of performance scores38

4.4. Related to learning styles versus performance scores39

4.5. Related to learning styles in multiple comparisons40

4.6. Related to repeated measures41

4.7 Digital System: the Collaboration And Interaction Design Studio43

4.7.1 The Virtual Design Studio43

4.7.2 Teaching Architectural Design in Virtual Environments43

4.7.3 An Alternative Teaching Model for Collaborative Learning in a Virtual Architectural Design Studio45

4.8 Reflections on studio experiences in the paperless & virtual design Studios48

4.8.1 Design Process in the Paperless Design Studio48

4.8.2 Communication and Representations in a Paperless Design Studio49

4.8.3 Paperless Design Studio and its implications on Studio Pedagogy50

4.8.4 Reflections on Studio Experience in the Collaborative Virtual Design Studio51

4.9 Defining the Digital Mediated Collaborative Environment:53

4.10 The Digital Mediated Studio54

4.11 “Staging” The Digital Mediated Environment55

4.11.1 “Staging” of the School of Architecture Project (SOA)55

4.11.2 The Third “Scene” of the ...