Construction Thematic Subnetwork
2005
(Re)searching and Redefining the Content and Methods of Teaching Construction in the New Digital Era
School of Architecture , ETS Arquitectura del Valles, Universitat Politecnica Catalunya, Barcelona
Spain , 22 -24 September 2005
From the debates and discussions of the first three construction sub-network workshops it has become apparent that teachers of construction today are preoccupied with adapting the content of construction teaching so that it responds to the new conditions rapidly imposed by the socioeconomic, political and cultural environment we live.
The demand for a knowledge-based economy corresponding to a knowledge- based society, as this is promoted by European policies, the reinforcement of the practices of globalization, the internationalization of our cultural behaviours and the parallel accentuation of personalized choices, creates a particularly new context for rethinking and reactivating architectural education.
It is true that the content of construction modules appears inefficient while it remains distant from the current tendencies that characterize the production of the built environment, as well as from the new attestations to the architecture(s) that this condition creates.
New architectural ideas and concepts that correspond to new ways and methods of construction, as well as new conceptions of humans and social life, marginalize the so-called traditional and conventional issues of building construction, turning them into material that possess historical value, but have a limited operational capacity. This fact reduces student interest in construction modules, as students rely on the design studio to give them a closer look at technical issues, as these are initiated by the avant guard.
New content, new subject areas and new techniques seem to be necessary knowledge for the profile of contemporary architects and which students, at the time of their graduation, ought to possess in order to survive in a particularly tough professional realm.
Nanotechnology, new building materials, new ways of manufacturing building materials, elements and products, demand new knowledge in construction, as well as new perceptions of architectural design. Moreover, the increasing use of computers drastically redefines the content and pedagogy of the so-called traditional construction modules. Within this context, (re)searching and redefining the content and pedagogy of construction teaching is a priority in the conscience of the majority of construction teachers.
New research areas emerge in the domain of building materials, the domain of new living conditions and new construction methods that redefine ways of experimentation and research with the architectural form as a way of ‘shaping' social life.
A great deal of research in the domain of construction has already shifted from universities – the traditionally established context for the generation of research and innovation – to non-university research centers. Therefore, the importance of universities in the socioeconomic context diminishes and researchers' interests shift into other subject areas for the acquisition of postgraduate research degrees and acknowledgement.
The Workshop lays its emphasis on the question of (re)searching and redefining the content of construction teaching and the aims and objectives as well as of the means, methods and pedagogic practices required to ensure expected learning outcomes and competences . This question will be debated upon a three-subject axis:
The content axis
What must be the corpus of construction knowledge nowadays? What are the new subject areas which will have to be included in the new construction teaching? How will these new areas coexist within and be organized around the given educational curricula? What will the prioritization mechanisms and criteria be for classifying modules as compulsory or optional? What forms of collaboration with other subject areas will have to be invented in this new context? Will new specialisations emerge from these collaborations? How could the new content in construction teaching reinforce the relationship between design and construction? Would the design studio serve as the appropriate milieu or should other niches be defined? How can the teaching of construction incorporate the continuous developments in innovation? How does this (new) content affect student competences and skills necessary to practise architecture?
The teaching method(s) axis
How do changes in the content of construction teaching affect the teaching process? Do they affect the aims and objectives of the already established modules and courses? Should new teaching methods and pedagogic strategies be invented for this new content to be transferred more effectively to students? How will new technologies – nowadays indispensable means of transferring knowledge– become even more creative tools for the teaching of construction? What tools and vehicles will be employed in the new construction teaching? How will new information on innovation, new materials and construction methods, become known to construction teachers? How could this information be taught and disseminated to students? What tools would facilitate this dissemination? What tools would respond to this need (software, databases, websites etc.)? What are the necessary initiatives our Network should take towards strengthening this new form of information exchange and towards enriching and improving the process of teaching them?
The research axis
What types of research will emerge from the (re)search and redefinition of the content of contemporary construction teaching? What can be researched, experimented and tested in the context of construction today? Where can research on construction be published and disseminated? What research results will be useful to advance construction and construction teaching? What types of interdisciplinary collaborations and effective research outputs might emerge? Are our institutions prepared, equipped and supported adequately enough to allow research to be included in the new content of construction teaching? Who would be interested in funding research in construction nowadays? What are the necessary initiatives our Network should take towards strengthening the research activities and collaborations among its members?
The workshop is debate oriented. You are invited to contribute to the debates by writing a paper of 3000 words to present your views, ideas, experiences and proposals on the two aforementioned topics. You will have to provide an abstract of your paper (no more than 500 words) by July 30 for the organizing committee to finalize the workshop's programme. So as to allow you to reassess your views in light of the debates having taken place at the workshop, you are asked to finally submit your papers by the end of September.
For any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us on mvoyat@arch.auth.gr .
