New Master In Architecture And Design Within The Aalborg Project Based Learning Model

Aalborg University’s thirty years of experience with project-organised and problem-oriented studies has proved by continuous assessment to be an important innovation in higher education. The curriculum in engineering as well as in natural science is projectorganised from the day the freshman arrives until graduation. In the design-oriented project work the students deal with some degree of know-how problems which involve a great part of theories and knowledge acquired from lectures. In the problem-oriented project work the students deal with know-why unsolved problems in science and profession. The new master programme in Architecture and Design will be used as a case example with its unique use of problem-based learning methods. The programme started in 1997 and admits 110 students every year, it consists of a 2-semester basic programme, 3semester common ground studyprogramme and a 5-semester specialisation programme. In the specialisation the students choose one of the following four specialisations: Architecture, Urban design, Digital design or Industrial design. The benefit of the problem-based learning method is given by some considerations about project work carried out within Industrial design and from continuous evaluation results. Introduction Aalborg University (AAU) was established in 1974 as an innovative experiment in higher education starting with 2,200 students from three different schools. It is the newest university of the six universities and institutions of higher learning in Denmark and now it has more than 13,000 students. It was established to explore the project-based educational approach to overcoming some of the problems of the traditional course-based educational system [1], [2]. The majority of universities in the US are similar to each other in their educational, financial, and administrative approaches [1]. Aalborg University is significantly different in its educational, financial and administrative approaches to the operation of the university. Some of these differences are unique to AAU, but many are common to the Danish educational system and others to the European educational systems [1], [3]. The university will have grown approximately six fold in the first 30 years. Few doctorate institutions can claim this degree of success, and AAU is one of only two technical universiP ge 943.1 “Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2004, American Society for Engineering Education” ties in Denmark, which grant the doctorate degree. The four main goals of the project-based system are: 1. Efficiency: Reduce the waste as observed in the traditional educational programmes by reducing student attrition rates and by making the programme requirements such that most students graduate on schedule. 2. Quality: Increase students ́ self-confidence, flexibility, creativity, and communication skills as well as increase their ability to work in teams. 3. Flexibility: Emphasise integrated problem solving, considering the social, economical and political aspects as well as the technological aspects. 4. Innovation: Improve faculty leadership abilities to supervise student project teams to solve interdisciplinary problems, as project advisors become “coaches” rather than lecturers. The AAU model of project based education comprises of the concepts of problem-based learning and project work including: • Problem orientation • Experience-based learning • Interdisciplinary learning/projects/lectures/courses • Gradual specialisation • Project work in groups To emphasise learning instead of lecturing is the main idea behind both project work and problem based learning. Learning is the active process of investigation and creation based on the learner’s interest, curiosity and experience and should result in expanded insight and knowledge skills. Many US universities [1] have problem-based learning as part of their program, but this is not project-based education. Problem-based learning is a technique which utilizes problems in specific courses (modules, courses, programs, or curricula), but typically in courses at the undergraduate level to promote active learning. These problems are to cause application of the materials presented in the course and are in a team setting to promote discussion and alternative solutions. The problems, often called projects, are only portion of the individual courses and thus only a small portion of the total undergraduate program. Project-based education at Aalborg has major projects throughout the program. The Freshman year has three projects and one of the primary goals is for the students to learn how to do group project work and work in teams. The projects after the basic year (freshman year) are evaluated at halve of the total semesters work, the dissertation at the hole semester work As with more traditional educational systems, some of the important questions are: • How to motivate the students? • How to determine the elements in a curriculum? • How to balance the different elements in the curriculum? Some of the important questions related to the role of the lecturers are P ge 943.2 “Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2004, American Society for Engineering Education” • How can we make the lecturer-student contacts most efficient? • How does the lecturing task comply with the research task? • How can we connect different lecturing subjects? The questions listed above are all open-ended; and we are also open-minded about the problem-based learning method. For more detailed information about this, I can strongly recommend [1], [2], [3], [4] and [5]. Case: The new master programme in Architecture and Design and its study curriculum The new master programme is considered innovative and a combination of the best from traditional architecture and design curriculums and the best from traditional engineering curriculums within the frame of the AAU problem-based learning model. Name Urban design Architecture Industrial design Digital design Phases Semester Theme Theme Theme Theme 10 The dissertation project The dissertation project The dissertation project The dissertation project F in al 9 Values and methods of urban design Values and methods of architecture Values and methods of industrial design Values and methods of industrial design 8 Urban design in practice Architecture in practice Industrial design in practice Digital design in practice 7 Urban restructuring Large buildings System design Augmented reality S p ec ia li sa ti o n 6 Urban development Architecture and ecology Integrated design The digital space, virtual reality Courses 5 Product design Design methodology, Ergonomic, Mechanics, Strength analysis, Engineering design and mechatronic, Manufacturing, Choice of materials 4 Settlement and urban planning Consumption of energy and temperature conditions in buildings, Architecture, Town plan and history of design, Planning, Cad2 C o m m o n g ro u n d 3 The urban building City-house, Static and construction of buildings, Materials, Loss of heat and energy consumption, Light, Form and colour, Cad1 2 Implementing a design The body-anatomic adventure exploration, Shape and colour, Techtronic, Croquis, Mathematics B as is 1 Assessing a design Space, Human and context, Co-operation, learning and management of projects, Architecture and designs, Information technology, Design Table 1. Phases, semester themes and (some) courses of the M.Sc.; Programme in Architecture and Design P ge 943.3 “Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2004, American Society for Engineering Education” The main element of the pedagogical concept is study plans, which for each semester describes courses and prescribes a theme. Within the semester theme each supervisor together with a student group can choose a project. The project duration is calculated theoretically to cover half of each semester except in the final semester in which the project covers the whole term. In practice the students spend more time on their projects. The five years of education for a master degree is divided into four phases for gradual individual choice of specialisation. Table 1 shows the phases and the semester themes with examples of semester courses [6]. Most of the projects are carried out in groups of students; this allows for practising interpersonal communication skills. Unfortunately, resource constraints at our university often lead to relative large groups of students. The use of the problem-based learning approach especially in engineering suggests that cooperation with private as well as public enterprises should play an important role for strengthening the link between academia and the professional world. Over the years personal and industrial relations have led to a number of different modes of co-operation of mutual benefit in other areas of M.Sc. programmes.