Effect of group tutoring on promoting students independent learning in Architecture Studio

Abstract

Architectural project-based education relies on the development of independent learning (IL) skills and attitudes, which foundation students should initiate to be able to critically select information, reflect and produce innovative, creative and holistic design strategies. Architecture studio delivered by one-to-one tutoring, with tutor supremacy, entraps students' ability to seek knowledge independently, affecting their research ability, critical thinking and learning level. Given the pivotal role of IL in architectural education, surprisingly there is little disciplinary research focusing on independent learning methods. To prevent the studio tutor sovereignty reported by discipline studies, as architectural professional practice has a collaborative nature, this study borrows Higher Education main teaching and learning theories on collaborative and group learning and tutoring. This study intends to bridge the gap between architectural learning practice and theory, contributing to the insufficient architectural pedagogical debate and improving studio culture by excavating and understanding how shifting from a hegemonic individual to a collaborative group tutoring impacted learners' independent skills and attitudes. To avoid disciplinary dogmas and untested theories and to directly address studio problems, an Action Research (AR) project was implemented to measure the effectiveness of small group tutoring on promoting IL. Findings proved that group tutoring promoted students IL skills and attitudes, instigated knowledge exchange, constructive discussions, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, improved oral and visual exposure in presentations and assessment outcome, and received student's positive feedback. The IL successful achievement afforded by group tutoring, diminished in one-to-one settings, provides a scientific base for future pedagogical debate, allowing studio emulation and experimentation by architectural educators.