Underlying AI relevant aspects of organizational

Underlying AI relevant aspects of organizational change are important in the context of classroom instruction within a course or a program in architecture. Students are given the opportunity to organize themselves in teams, make selections of environments they see relevant to assess, collaborate effectively in group discussions, and in collectively developing arguments and making qualitative and quantitative judgements about those environments. Addressing these aspects in assessment exercises or projects enables the development of skills that include listening and respecting the views of others, and negotiation and reaching consensus in making judgments about the qualities of an environment (Salama, 2015). These skills are integral to successful professional architects and designers (Hester, 2006).
Beyond the boundaries of classroom settings This optional class AB 966 Cultural and Behavioural Factors in Architecture and Urbanism is offered to year 5 PgDipl in Advanced Architectural Design and Year 2 MSc in Advanced Architectural Studies, and MSc in Urban Design. Approximately 40% of the students enrolled were from Scotland, 30% from other European countries, and 30% international students. All had their undergraduate degrees in either architecture or urban design. The class is premised on the view that the built environment is not simply a background against which human actions take place, but it nfps regards it as it reflects and shapes human assumptions, beliefs, feelings, and behaviours. Coupled with typical format of delivery of a series of lectures, the course offers a series of in-class and out of class exercises and assignments that employ active, experiential, and inquiry-based learning as forms of learning from reality; Appreciative Inquiry (AI). The exercises involved group and individual work and varied in time from 10min in-class exercises in teams of two students, to two-hours collaborative design game of teams of four students, to a structured learning experience out of classroom contemplating settings exercise, and to finally a group research project in the form of a structured assessment, the focus of this study.
Overview of the three buildings selected in Glasgow city centre From a variety of buildings proposed by the students and discussed in class as well as in individual sessions with each student group, the three buildings were identified based on criteria that include ease of access, the main use (cultural or educational) in addition to the retrofit criterion. The identified buildings were analytically investigated by developing an analytical overview about each building underlying two main categories: (a) background and original space, and (b) analytical description and design features.
Discussion of the outcomes of the ai assessment experience Discussion of the outcomes of the AI assessment exercise
Concluding reflections The rationale for introducing AI was twofold: The first is that architecture students are typically encouraged to engage in site visits and walkthroughs in a building or city spaces in order to observe different phenomena. Yet, these visits and exercises are not necessarily structured in any form of rigorous investigation or critical inquiry. The second is that AI is utilized in this initiative as a from of an assessment experience in order focus attention on what works well in the physical environment and the way in which Saturation density can be enhanced. The findings of conducting the ‘Walking Tour’ assessment project clearly show that by the end of the project and through the submission of assessment reports and presentations to the class, most students were not only able to interrogate various qualities of the buildings they have assessed but also make sound judgments about the built environment and give reasons for these. Some of the student reflective statements included the following: A considerable portion of students’ education in architecture and design is based on ‘experience,’ ‘making’ and ‘active engagement.’ Students are encouraged to study the existing built environment and attempt to explain it through theories or typologies, by always looking at and even referring to outstanding examples. However, underlying these approaches are hidden assumptions about the built environment and the people associated with it. It is in this grey area, in this vague and often inchoate relationship wherein lies the ‘lesson’ to be learnt. Hence, the incorporation of structured learning experiments similar to the Walking Tour assessment project could effectively produce a more profound learning and foster the establishment of links between the existing dynamic environments, the concepts and theories that supposedly explain them, and the resulting learning outcomes. Accordingly, the contribution of AI lies in the fact that the inherent, subjective, and hard to verify conceptual understanding of the built environment can be refined and harmonised by the structured, documented interpretation performed in a systematic manner in that promotes critical thinking and reflection. The success of this experiment has enabled its inclusion as part of the University׳s portal for sharing practice in effective learning and teaching (SPELT, 2015).