USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION
Anil Chotmarada
The changing times, and the consequent changes on the demands on space, call for a need of review of the training programmes of space managers, that is, the training programme for the architects of tomorrow. While there are a reasonable number of architecture schools in the country, there are some reservations about the quality of the young professionals produced in these institutions. Most professionals in the field feel that the architects need to know more than they do at present. In any case, the explosion of information available in all fields’ calls for better and more effective measures of information transfer that forms the starting point for an educational process. Under the circumstances it is imperative that new methods to train architects be developed.
The new times will be seeing a marked shift in our life style with the intervention of revolutionary technologies. The present day advent of computers in our lives is a case in example. These machines have brought a complete change in not only our life styles but also in our attitudes. The ubiquitous microprocessor has entered all domains of our activities except in architectural educational systems and it is about time that we took advantage of modern electronics in our teaching systems and methods.
Architecture as a profession is an extremely versatile area calling for a very large information base and a systematic approach for the resolution of spatial problems for providing human comfort, happiness and efficiency in the performance of the various human tasks in the process of living. It embodies cultural values, social aspirations and psychological expectations of the envisaged users. Architecture is created with the complex nature of humans as a basic context, and is devised to suit their varied needs and complicated behavioral systems. Given this complex nature of the profession, the teaching of the subject is multi faceted and complicated with a wide variety of informational inputs, and other inputs which bring about a change in the attitudes, value systems and mind sets of students whose educational background is generally limited to the study of basic sciences and mathematics.
Architectural education is thence a subtle amalgamation of technology and philosophy, of science and art requiring an extremely complex array of multi-faceted educational technology inputs. The under graduate five year programme comprises, consequently, courses of a motley nature varying from the technological to the social sciences to the fine arts. As is well known, there is a perspicacious difference in the ideal teaching methodologies in these diverse areas of learning; the teaching of architecture thence becomes a rather complex balance of widely differing areas of information and subsequent analysis. There are certain courses that require only a transfer of information while there are other courses that require the application of analyzed information while there are still other courses that require personalized creative and philosophical inputs.
Some of these courses that require only the transfer of information need not necessarily consume precious and scarce human resource as this transfer can be achieved more effectively by the aid of computers. At present such courses are being conducted by generally young teachers in most schools of architecture who invariably read the text the night before the class and then throw-up the information to a bunch of disinterested students the next morning. A lot of information either gets lost in this process or loses its meaning. This process of communication has various stages where failure can occur. The understanding of the teaching material by the teacher, the effectiveness of communicating and the ability of the students to grasp the lectured material by the students given the factor of time and environment are the possibilities of failure because of human frailties like egos and interest levels and the more wavering human ‘mood’.
Contemporary electronics can be used in all aspects of teaching, be it information transfer, attitude building or testing the assimilation levels of students. A compact disk carrying the encyclopedia is much more fun to use than the information available on the printed format. The inter-net is a much faster and effective way of getting information than looking up various references or writing to people in different parts of the world. It is much more interesting to pick up information from a film than to sit through a classroom lecture. Given this psychological advantage of the new technologies it is imperative that we incorporate these as a major tool in the teaching systems, specially so the teaching of subjects like architecture which cover a diverse nature of course contents and materials.
This concept of e-teaching and e-learning is relatively new to the country. Teachers and Schools of Architecture may be making some isolated efforts in switching over to this format somewhere in the world but there is no consolidated effort made in the direction of using the contemporary technology available for changing teaching methodologies applicable to the whole architecture programme. The know-how and technology is easily available. Only the mind set has to be changed for acceptance of this concept of using computers for technical education in the true sense of the term. This procedure will positively enhance the quality of the product as the major component of information transfer will be simplified and made exciting enough to goad students into seeking more. It will also create a center of excellence, as this would be a very different, novel and effective teaching methodology.
This aspect of envisioned excellence is proposed to be achieved by introducing flexi timings and learning schedules for students to permit study at their own pace. This flexibility will follow a time frame so that courses are completed in a reasonable time frame. A five years course should finish in five years or less. Students with better learning facilities will have the possibility of completing the programme in shorter duration of time provided they are able to obtain the requisite credits.
This process will make learning an exciting experience. With the conversion of lesson plans and teaching material on the e-format which will include the transfer of information through annotated visuals, animation, video, audio and text modes. The whole process of listening to boring lectures will be changed to learning through films and other exciting modes. This excitement will lead to a desire to know more about the subject and the course data would suggest and recommend the routes for this augmentation through published books or internet sites.
Information Technology used in educational systems will generate the possibility of objective evaluation procedures. The student evaluation mode will be switched over to the objective mode so that it can be inbuilt into the lesson plan; Subjected courses will be evaluated on the e-format by a jury of three, and as it is on the e-format, external evaluation support can be sought. Students finding difficulty can approach the teacher/s through e-format for any additional support or/and have a physical interface whenever required. Lessons will be wholesome, well structured and exhaustive. Converting the lesson plans on the electronic format will permit the teachers to prepare lessons after consulting various sources. The recording of the lesson plans will also entail the lesson material presentation to be all encompassing as compared to verbal presentations when many flaws get overlooked because of their transience.
Students will be better informed. Better structured teaching material and the suggestions of additional learning resources in the lesson plans will produce a better informed architect. The information boom has necessitated this improved teaching methodology.
Modernization and strengthening of laboratories, workshops, computer centers, and libraries
The culmination of this project will be in a totally computerized architecture department. All teaching and learning will be through computers and multimedia. The present architecture “studios” will become laboratories with computer workstations. The departmental library will be augmented extensively primarily for the generation of the teaching software.
The Tangible realization of this vision to achieve excellence will require the need for providing to each student a very easy excess to a computer terminal, easy access to the www, augmentation of this data base with a well stacked library, climatology workshop, Building material museum, Model making workshop and a Building Construction yard. The project envisions the preparation of very comprehensive lesson plans and very easy access to the World Wide Web, but books and the treasure they contain cannot be replaced. The augmentation of the departmental library and the installation of the required personnel are envisaged to be another source of learning for the students and teachers. This is also necessitated to inculcate a sense of love for books and reading, a habit that is sorely missing in today’s youth today.
This procedure envisions each architecture student to have free access to computers and internet as all the learning, teaching, and evaluation process will be, ultimately, electronically managed. While work stations should be available in the teaching departments, computers will have to be made available in the hostels and faculty residences on LAN for easy access of students to the teachers. High speed internet connectivity is imperative to get acquainted with all that is happening in the world, a necessary component of architectural education.
This infrastructure is one of the premises of the concept and forms an inherent part of the envisioned center of excellence. Students need to have the facility of around the clock availability of the World Wide Web in the hostels. As these systems will be connected to the main departmental server the students will have the flexibility of timings and the place of work. The connectivity to the teachers’ terminals will provide ready access to the students to the teachers also.
This teaching methodology will bring about major improvement in the curricular practices. The concept is directed towards mainly the activities that will bring a quantum change in the teaching methodology and content of the programme, reset the curriculum to bring it to the state-of-the-art situation, using the electronic medium, using the teacher more effectively, igniting the student mind and exposing the student to the large number of divergent and varied areas of architectural applications all over the world. The idea also seeks to reduce the intervention of the human teacher in the areas of information transfer. Theory subjects of this programme can be best appreciated through more effective means of multimedia presentations than the present chalk and talk method or the use of overhead or slide projectors.
This project thus envisions the possibility of flexi timings, students learning at their own pace under a controlled environment, teaching material available on an extremely exciting and interactive format of multimedia including computer generated films. The intervention of the teacher is required only for the subsequent application stages of the information received or any clarification required. The interaction with the teacher is also envisioned to be a paperless activity – student machine to the teacher’s machine. This will ensure the optimal utilization of the teacher – not in being an instrument of just information transfer but a catalyst in the application of the acquired information.
All these modes are applicable in most of the subjects of the programme after the first year of the course. The first year is used mainly to introduce the attitudinal alterations required to change the mindset of the student from the mathematical mould of the 10+2 science stream education to the artistic mould required for architecture.
The fulfillment of this vision will require the installation of an advanced CAD Laboratory for the creation of the appropriate software, and the availability of networked computers to all the students and teachers at all times. The networking has to be both at the local level and to the World Wide Web.
The basis and structure of the programme envisions a totally a new kind of curriculum. Putting all the teaching material on the electronic format will no longer necessitate the need of the present type of lectures. Students will study at their own time and own pace. Internal evaluation system, over time, will also be totally converted to the electronic format thus enabling the student to evaluate himself/herself with the aid of the software. Faculty intervention will be in the form of student counseling, removing of doubts, helping weaker students, and motivation and most important- the application of the grasped information-performing the real work of the teacher.
Architectural educational programmes besides the normal teaching include continuous student evaluation as all teaching is project oriented, viva-voce in front of open juries, teaching through seminars, educational tours, site visits, case studies and guest lectures. Once on the electronic format all these activities can be wide spread involving experts and other schools using internet. Interactive sessions with other schools of architecture within and outside the country will enhance student awareness and contact base. The up gradation and augmentation of the lesson plans will be a constant phenomenon. The initial preparation of this teaching material in the electronic format will make it very simple for a teacher to keep on constantly improving it. The learning will all be done on the electronic format, as envisioned in the project, which will also involve students preparing all the projects, reports and submissions on the electronic format. This training will make all the students totally prepared for the professional field that is now using computers for all architectural design and implementation stages. Starting from the pre-design studies like Site analysis, Socio-economic studies, and the like to the creative stages of sketching and developing concepts, writing reports, preparing tenders, quantity calculations, costing, structural analysis to preparing presentation schemes in the form of two and three dimensional presentations, walk through, rendered drawings, and actual physical presentations before clients, architectural offices are using computers. The training of the students on the use of computers for all these applications will prepare them for the field thus adding value to their quality.
The methodology envisions the student evaluation processes to be incorporated in the lesson plan and an automatic feedback to the teacher. This will enable the teacher to improve the portions of the lesson plan that do not have the clarity or have any other deficiency. This student because of the possibility of self evaluation will be able to constantly upgrade himself. These lessons will be supported by inputs from the World Wide Web and conducted personal experiences through educational tours and site visits. The electronic format does permit visual and auditory exposure to all kinds of locales and situations but nothing can replace a first hand personal experience of space, place and ambience- the major concerns of architects and hence architectural education.
Program Flexibility
Information Technology in education will enervate total flexibility in learning, taking internal self evaluation and pace of learning. The system can switch over to even the completion of the undergraduate or post-graduate course in less than the stipulated time for the exceptionally gifted or the extremely dedicated and hardworking students provided they earn the necessary credits. The present system of the study of core courses, twenty four weeks practical training, offering of numerous electives and the culmination in the thesis will be retained. Exceptional students can complete all academic courses before the presently stipulated time but will have to undergo the compulsory twenty four weeks practical training programme. The field of architectural expertise is fast encompassing numerous other domains like Vastu, Green building, Environmental concerns besides the conventional areas like Landscape design, Interior design, Urban Planning etc The present hurdle of non-availability of experts in some areas will no longer be there in this system. The project thus envisions offering of numerous electives in the diverse fields that are related to architecture.
Faculty and Staff development:
The project envisions built in faculty development as it is based on teachers converting their lesson plans on the e-format. This will entail the teachers becoming not only computer literate but also to some extent the software developers. Their training and up gradation will start immediately on the installation of the hardware and software required for the conversion of the lesson plans on the e-format. This exercise will require interaction with the experts both in the subject and also in the computer applications. Thus improving their own quality and value. The automatic student evaluation process will be an appropriate feedback to the teacher about the efficacy of the lecture. While the preparation of these courses will, by itself, be value addition to the teacher, the subsequent use of the teacher in the application of this learning will be a further enhancement of the quality of each teacher.
This project envisions the creating of working groups comprising one Associate Professor and two Assistant Professors creating a teaching- learning environment amongst the teachers which shall enhance the quality of both levels of teachers
The students will be encouraged to report the difficulty faced in the comprehension of the lesson plans which will form a feedback system and will help each teacher improve himself besides improving the lesson plans. Apart from encouraging teachers to attend seminars and conferences, the project with the provision of easy access to worldwide web will keep the whole faculty abreast of the latest happenings in all parts of the world. The project also includes the possibility of the teachers traveling to expose themselves to different architectural situations for records that will enhance the quality of their lesson plans .Such visits of teachers to different locations, other institutions of higher learning and attending of seminars and conferences will certainly improve their quality of inputs in their framing of lesson plans.
Just the building of the lesson plans into the electronic format is by itself a major research exercise, as this will entail teachers delving into the depth of their courses.
The idea envisions intensive interaction with the industry for the preparation of the electronic lesson plans. Practicing architects and experts in specialized areas need to be consulted for preparing these lesson plans. The practical training programme of the course is another source of the students and the department interacting with the industry/ (Practicing field in case of Architecture). Expert lectures as an imperative component of the curriculum is another method of enhancing Industry- Institute interaction.
As the whole concept of the system is based on providing extremely easy access to each student and faculty member to the World Wide Web and e- mail, networking with other institutions will become simple and feasible. The networking of the department with the other Indian schools of architecture is already in progress on a limited scale. This project will enable the department to become a member of the global fraternity of architectural schools.
The incorporation of the new teaching modes will yield numerous advantages. One of the major advantages is that we shall be using the human resource more effectively. Teachers freed from the tedium of lecture delivery will be able to use their time more meaningfully in assisting students in analyzing and using the information than in just deploying their energies in information transfer. On the student’s front, these teaching aids will permit them to learn at their own pace and at their own convenience and introduce flexible timings to the teaching curricula. These aids will besides simplifying the learning process will also make them interesting and exciting.
The usage of the new technologies will be a path breaking effort in making the architectural educational process more effective and meaningful and are seriously required seeing the acute shortage of man power in the field of architectural education. Not very many architects are interested in teaching. This is probably because of the practice being more lucrative and not many architects having the leaning toward the vocation. Another reason for the shortage of the teaching staff in schools of architecture is the novelty of architectural education in the country. It is therefore imperative that we conserve the scarce human resource available for this work by utilizing it where it will be most effective.
The present structure and demands of the professional field require the architect to be a jack-of-all-trades. As it is there is an explosion of information available by the revolution in information technology. It is expected that a professional will be well informed on all front and architects with their diversified nature of work need to be conscious of all that is happening around them in the field of technology, arts, sciences and humanities. This versatility of the profession needs a very large body of knowledge as a basic repertoire of an architect. It would be nearly impossible to assimilate all this information through the conventional means and modern means of information technology will have to be used in our teaching systems to create efficient professionals. It is about time that we gave up our outdated chalk and talk methods of teaching and start using the modern gadgets for teaching.
The intervention of the new technologies in the teaching of architecture are envisaged as the conversion of some of the theory programmes of the syllabi into digestible modules on the electronic medium for the students to use at their own convenience in a given time frame of an academic calendar. This process will involve first the identification of the courses which can be converted on this format, scripting the material and the transferring the information to the electronic medium creating modules through text, graphics and animation. Introducing testing modes in the programme will be the final step of this intervention process.
The new teaching mode is seen as an environment in which an architecture school is equipped with a networked system of computers. The communication channels will be electronic except where direct human interaction is required. According to the syllabi course material will be provided on the electronic format for the student to study and respond to on the machines which are easily available at all hours and seasons. The programme with its testing mode incorporated within its own structure can eliminate the presently prevailing meaningless examination system.
These new methods will have many intangible advantages. In some of the schools of architecture a serious problem is of lack of interest in the students towards the subject. In the absence of getting admission in any other professional programme, in some situations the students join the architecture course. The attitude of these students is apathetic and of rejection necessitating the need for intense motivation and interest building activity. With their lack of interest and hardly any exposure to the urban situation the teaching of architecture to such students who come from the hinterland becomes an extremely difficult task. Using contemporary technology it is possible to make students develop an interest in the subject. Courses which are dull and boring can be made exciting through the presentation of course material through graphics, animation and film a method which can be easily incorporated in the teaching programme through the contemporary technology.
Except for the very few who join the profession with a real interest and by choice, architecture can be full of annuli unless it is made interesting and alive. For this mechanical aids can be of great use besides, of course, the human motivation and encouragement provided by the teachers. The process of learning can, however, is made an exciting phenomenon by the intervention of modern technology. Instead of the conventional blackboard, the use of computers in the teaching programme can add a new dimension to the course curricula. Flexible timings, interactive lessons, information through animated graphics, getting tested by the machine and generally learning at ones own pace are some of the advantages of using mechanical aids in the teaching process. It would be so much more interesting to insert a floppy in a machine at ones own convenience to learn something than to sit through a boring lecture or tutorial.
The prevailing common teaching methods are quite ineffective in the present scenario where a lot of information has to be given to students in a short span of time. A young teacher asked to conduct a course picks up the readily available published information, jots a few notes and regurgitates it in an environment of annuli. As a mode of information transfer this is most inefficient. Unless seriously interested, students find reading textbooks very boring, especially so in architecture where a general feeling of neglect for theory subjects prevails. Thus, in the case of theory subjects in an architectural educational programme the electronic medium can play a greatly positive role by conveying to the students essential information in an effective and interesting manner.
This method of teaching will have another major advantage. Once the courses are available on the electronic format, the teachers will be available for the real work in the teaching programme that is of analyzing and using this information and facts and building an appropriate attitude in the minds of the students which requires greater human intervention. Architectural education must be appreciated as a process of picking up information and then using it to solve spatial problems. Unfortunately most of the energy of teachers is lost in the information transfer process and both the students and teachers do not have the stamina to attend to the more important part of the educational programme of actually using the information. If the learning part of architecture is made easy both the students and teachers will be relieved of tedium.
he information explosion and the need to know more and to do more of data crunching and analysis of facts has necessitated the intervention of sophisticated machines in the teaching programmes. While this is happening at a very fast pace in most fields, architectural education seems to be left behind. If we do not take timely action there is the possibility of being left behind by the more enterprising. It is imperative that the more concerned architectural educationists direct their energies in this direction and the sponsoring agencies provide the necessary infrastructure and support to the people doing research in this area.
Anil Chotmarada is a Faculty & Director in Gateway College of Architecture & Design, Sonipat-131001, India.