Teaching Sustainability in Architecture through Collaborative Online International Learning

Abstract

To confront global environmental challenges, architectural design can play an important role to achieve sustainability. This paper addresses the Online collaborative approach to support the integration of environmental sustainability. It will assess the efficacy of integrating collaborative online international learning exchange (COIL) and cross-cultural dialogue pedagogy into a sustainable architecture studio course to develop students’ architectural and intercultural competencies. In this study 16 groups, each group consists of 3-4 students, from An Najah university in Palestine and Memphis university in USA were involved in shared learning classroom model. Different methods were used to assess the students’ outcomes, such as reflection reports written by the students, the use of new technologies for design and communication, and the outcomes from the architectural design. The results show changes in the students' understanding of different cultures, they improved their communication skills, and their ability to design in different contexts. The findings also underline the importance of integrating COIL into architectural design education to create professionals who are able to design a resilient and sustainable built environment. The paper introduces intercultural dialogue framework and a new pedagogical technique in the field of virtual exchange.