Teaching and learning as transformative process

The transition from pre-architect studies to become an architect student represent for many a threshold that challenge their ways of seeing and their ways of learning. More than just attending lectures, reading and doing assignments, it is process of meaning-making and identity transformation (Thompson, 2019; Cuff, 1991).

This situation of being IN-BETWEEN, of letting go of old ways without established new points of orientation, is often described in contractionary terms like frightening, frustrating, challenging, inspiring and joyful. This experience of LIMINALITY is a typical response to existential transitions and a natural part of a transformative process (Land, 2016; Thomassen, 2015).

Acknowledging and supporting such processes challenge the teacher in new ways. Teaching through thresholds is not a master – apprentice relationship, but more like being a guide in a landscape with few fixed points, always new and old at the same time.

The course will provide perspectives on transformative learning and the role of the teacher in such a pedagogic context. Responses to liminality, both through spatial expressions and written reflections by students form NTNU will be shared, as well as examples of transformative shifts in some students’ learning trajectory. Discussions and sharing of the participants own experiences with transformative learning processes will provide important input.

Bjørn Otto Braaten, Leif Martin Hokstad

Braaten, Bjørn Otto, Hokstad, Leif Martin (2018) “The Challenging Journey. Transformative Learning in Architectural Education”. In “FORMATION. Architectural Education in a Nordic Perspective”. NBAA 2018.

Cuff, Dana (1991) “Architecture: The story of a practice”. Cambridge MA, MIT Press.

Land, Ray (2016) “Toil and Trouble. Threshold Concepts as a Pedagogy of Uncertainty”. In “Threshold Concepts in Practice” Ed. Land, Meyer and Flanagan. Sense Publishers. Rotterdam.

Thomassen, Bjørn (2016) “Liminality and the Modern. Living Through the In-Between”. Routledge, New York. ISBN 9781315592435 (ebk)

Thompson, James (2019) “Narratives of Architectural Education. From Student to Architect”. Routledge, London and New York 2019. ISBN 978-0-8153-5881-7

PROGRAMME

09.15-10.00

• Introduction
• Brief presentation of

– the program for the day

 – the participants

– TRANSark

10.00-10.15

Break

10.15-11.00

Through samples of design work and student voices, Bjørn Otto talks about experiences with first semester architect students at NTNU, looking at how many projects seem to be a “Spatial response to liminality”.

11.00-11.15

Break

11.15-11.40

Groupwork (3-4 persons in each breakout-rooms)

11.40-12.00

Sharing of experiences and discussion in main room.

12.00-13.00

Lunch

13.00-13.45

Leif Martin focus on the transformative processes of learning and how this involve a challenge for the teacher role under the title:

” Aspects of teaching and learning as transformative processes – revisiting the role of the teacher “. 

13.45-14.00

Break

14.00-14.20

Groupwork (3-4 persons in each breakout-rooms)

14.20-14.40

Sharing of experiences, questions and discussion in main room.

14.40-15.00

Summary of the day. End comments. Further perspectives on TtT.

For any questions related to the training, contact Pnina Avidar or Cecilie Andersson. For any questions related to the EAAE Education Academy, contact Johan.dewalsche@uantwerpen.be.

For any questions about payment of this workshop or EAAE membership, contact secretariat@eaae.be.

REGISTRATION link is open

Certificates of participation will be available on request.

ORGANIZING AND SCIENTIFIC TEAM

Bjørn Otto Braaten (Faculty of Architecture, NTNU Trondheim)

Leif Martin Hokstad (Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, NTNU Trondheim)

EAAE Education Teaching the Teachers working group

Cecilie Andersson (BAS, Bergen)

Pnina Avidar (Fontys, Tilburg)

Dag Boutsen (Faculty of Architecture, KULeuven)

Johan De Walsche (Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp)

Massimo Santanicchia (Iceland University of the Arts)