The design studio's pedagogical landscape
The project will map the pedagogical methods and the pedagogical infrastructure that create active students who drive themselves independently towards excellence in KTH's architecture education, both today and tomorrow.
This development project started in 2023. It is carried out at the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering (ABE) within the framework of the change programme "Future Education at KTH". It will continue in 2024–2025.
Background and problem definition
KTH's architecture programme has long experience and a solid educational tradition in active student-centred learning, wicked problems in design thinking, continuous assessments of student learning within the framework of the design studio model, and knowledge of the necessary pedagogical infrastructure and materials such as teacher density, peer-to-peer learning in the studios ”ritsalar” and in different workshops.
The majority of the student´s learning takes place within the project courses through the design studio model. We have excellent individual competencies within our learning environments, but we need to summarise the current situation and conditions and suggest strategies for developing and moving forward all teachers and students together.
Aim and objectives
The aim is to clarify what should be retained and what should be changed in order for the architecture programme to remain relevant and executable in the future, and what other parts of KTH can benefit and learn from the methods and approaches used in the architecture programme.
What we want to achieve
We want to achieve a fundamental change aimed at improving student learning in KTH's architectural education programme and improving and clarifying the teachers' conditions for teaching.
Project goals
This will be done by:
- mapping the pedagogical methods and learning activities that create active students who drive themselves independently towards excellence.
- producing a current analysis of the design studio's pedagogical landscape, a model that is the dominant one in KTH's architectural education programme.
Milestones and preliminary time table
2023-2025:
- Development of a pedagogical questionnaire to all 22 studios within the framework of the architectural programme.
- Analysis of the current situation based on analysis of the pedagogical questionnaires to all teachers active in the programme.
- Preparation and organisation of various activities in the form of work shops, dialogue with teachers and students.
- Competence development on the pedagogical model of the architectural programme.
- Action plans and proposed measures for the future of architectural education at KTH-A.
- The status of the architectural exam regarding broadened recruitment.
- "Open house" or similar in architecture's drawing rooms, sharing insights from an environment that has no written exams but has a lot of review and assessment of student learning continuously (Note: subject to change).
Challenges
Clarify our pedagogical model for project courses, which is constantly reproduced. We must dare to look at ourselves and honestly examine our methods today and examine our behaviours and some of the unspoken conditions that occur by default.
The project requires collaboration with the National Architecture Education Network, the Academy of Architecture (Chalmers, LTH, UMA), NBAA Nordic Baltic Architecture Academy, the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE), as well as extensive student influence with all our students, working together with Arkitektursektionen, THS, including our alumni and industry.
Status and suggestions for improvement
In 2023, we carried out:
- Several workshops, inviting all teachers and student representatives, regarding expectations, pedagogies, our identity and project status;
- A pedagogical conference for all staff in undergraduate education and student representatives;
- Open workshops for all staff and all our students ("Keep or leave" + "The Dream School");
- Industry and alums dialogue evening workshop.
Ongoing investigations:
- Research: Studio pedagogy 2022/2023
- Research/Workshop: The current state of the architect exam as a selection quota
- Focus: Staffing in relation to pedagogical approach, Content and structure, Examiner takes responsibility; Examination and attendance requirements;
- Study Council 2.0 + Digital Portfolio;
- Development and updating of teaching environments;
- Faculty training.
Results and learnt lessons
Create "Open house" in architectural studios, “ritsalar”, and share insights from an environment that has no written exams but has assessment of student learning continuously.
Next step
- Integrate, as a natural part of continuing education for studio teachers at faculty days, a description and discussion ofwhat Design Studio pedagogy really means, in 2024.
- Educate all students more clearly about what specific pedagogical model, Design Studio means in everyday life for them.