Complexity and simplicity: tensions in teaching computation to large numbers of architecture students.

Spaeth, A. Benjamin; Dounas, Theodoros; Kieferle, Joachim

Abstract

This paper describes the challenges and approaches to introduce computational thinking to a large and diverse group of architecture students during an international workshop with 300 students from different cultural backgrounds and educational levels, also integrating a diverse group of tutors whose computational expertise varied extremely. The approach suggested articulating a design task which enforced computational thinking but enabled different levels of engagement with the computer as a tool. Hypothetically this would allow all participants to engage with the computational thinking agenda regardless their computational affinity even whilst applying analogue methods. Besides the intercultural experience the workshop was successful in exposing a large group of students and tutors to the concepts of computational design whilst accommodating different learning preferences and engagement with the computer as a device.

Citation

SPAETH, A.B., DOUNAS, T. and KIEFERLE, J. 2016. Complexity and simplicity: tensions in teaching computation to large numbers of architecture students. In Herneoja, A., Österlund, T. and Markkanen, P. (eds.) Proceedings of the 34th Education and research in computer aided architectural design in Europe conference (eCAADe 2016): complexity and simplicity, 22-26 August 2016, Oulu, Finland. Oulu: University of Oulu [online], volume 1, pages 229-236. Available from http://papers.cumincad.org/cgi-bin/works/paper/ecaade2016_104

• Conference Name: 34th Education and research in computer aided architectural design in Europe conference (eCAADe 2016)
• Conference Location: Oulu, Finland
• Start Date: Aug 22, 2016
• End Date: Aug 26, 2016
• Acceptance Date: Apr 1, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Aug 22, 2016
• Publication Date: Aug 31, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 26, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 26, 2018
• Publisher: University of Oulu
• Pages: 229-236
• Book Title: Proceedings of the 34th Education and research in computer aided architectural design in Europe conference (eCAADe 2016): complexity and simplicity, 22-26 August 2016, Oulu, Finland
• ISBN: 9789491207105
• Keywords: Computation education; CAAD; Large cohorts; Computational strategies
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/2829
• Publisher URL: http://papers.cumincad.org/cgi-bin/works/paper/ecaade2016_104