CHAPTER 7: Reflecting on Four South African Case Studies of Experiential Learning in Spatial Planning to Inform Curriculum Transformation in Higher Education.

Abstract

Reflections on the application of experiential learning cases in South African spatial planning programs remain rare in existing scholarship and warrant further research. Critical thinking and experiential learning are prerequisites to accredit South African curricula of spatial planning education by its professional body, the South African Council for Planners. In African contexts, approaches to spatial planning education have been highly influenced by the logic, systems, and skills of colonial-era town planning. The main argument in this chapter is that students studying in the field of spatial planning may benefit from learning through experiences with real-life situations (case studies), as these generate context-specific forms of knowledge, providing possible strategies of action and intervention in conditions of high complexity, which invariably characterise urban development problems in Africa. The concept ‘learning’ in this chapter is viewed from a critical social constructivist perspective as it is a social epistemology that is important for the socio-cultural context of knowledge construction, especially evident in our country. This chapter follows a collaborative reflection methodology where four cases of experiential learning (2018-2020) in spatial planning education have been reflected upon during a reflective lecturer’s retreat in August 2021. The reflection was conducted in four stages, namely clarification, exploration, focalisation and interpretation. The cases include four spatial planning modules from three different year levels, focussing on different socio-spatial South African higher education contexts. The main findings that have emerged from the collaborative reflection, include that the application of experiential learning in the education of students studying spatial planning is not only beneficial to the students, but also contribute immensely towards the development of the lecturers, planning the curriculum and eventually the practice of interpreting planning practice for the purposes of teaching and learning. The study illustrates the potential of experiential learning to promote a reflective approach to learning, while fostering skill development in complex problem-solving with contemporary relevance in the field of spatial planning.