Studio Instruction Research Articles

Master of None: Challenging the Master-Apprentice Model

Abstract: A 2006 research study sought to identify specific characteristics that make for outstanding studio instruction by recording, observing, and analyzing three renowned artist-teachers. Some of the practices of the observed teachers seemed to embody a “master-apprentice” or “teacher-centered” model of teaching, which is increasingly falling out of favor among modern pedagogues. This article identifies the specific elements from the study that were most indicative of a master-apprentice approach. It outlines potential problems with these practices and presents alternative approaches that are intended to reflect a more student-centered pedagogy.

Art, assessment and uncertainty

Of all academic fields of study, few encounter as much difficulty with issues of assessment than the fine arts. Yet despite calls for greater transparency and accountability at the post-secondary level, the majority of relevant research and literature focuses on primary and secondary school instruction; post-secondary instructors are essentially abandoned to wrestle with the apparently irreconcilable goals of quantifiable measures of assessment, on the one hand, and the chaotic nature of the creative process, on the other. Given the above, the goal of the present research is to add to the understanding of the pedagogy of post-secondary studio instruction by examining how instructors go about the problematic exercise of assessing their students. Findings indicated a strong sense of confusion amongst participants and a need for teaching institutions to invest more in instructor training and support in order to increase dialogue amongst faculty and the dissemination of best practices.

“Judge Softly"

Studio instruction in voice inevitably involves the monitoring of pronunciation in the text of the song or aria. The contrastive approach regularly applied in ESL instruction is a resource that can clarify systematically the differences between languages, especially for the student whose first language is not English. Instruction based on a firm basic knowledge of the sound pattern of a student’s first language—especially those outside the languages of the standard literature—provides an enhanced understanding of singing in languages other than the student’s own, more than imitative modeling alone can.

Inclusive Design Studios

The culture of the architectural design studio continues, in large part, to be based on centuries old traditions. Research on teaching, learning and bias suggest, however, that a rethinking of these traditions is long overdue if we aim to create inclusive learning environments and diversify our profession. Drawing on recent research on the cultivation of expertise, student motivation and stereotype threat, this essay considers how we might rethink design studio instruction. Studies on the development of expertise suggest a critical re-imagining of the instructor’s role in design studios. Research on student motivation suggests that many of the traditional practices of architectural education inevitably leave students unmotivated and need to be reconsidered. Finally, research on the ways in which stereotypes impact academic performance illuminate some of the roadblocks to diversifying our classrooms and profession. This essay shares evidence-based strategies to address these roadblocks and traditions to develop a more inclusive and effective design studio culture.

Informal music making in studio music instruction: A Canadian case study

The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of how one classically trained musician adapted his pedagogical practices to accommodate the needs and interests of his students. A case-study methodology was employed to explore the perceptions and practices of this teacher, and data were collected over a two-year period through interviews and observations. Findings indicated that students were engaged in music-making throughout the lesson, and that many of the lesson characteristics aligned with Lucy Green's (2002, 2008) descriptions of an informal pedagogical orientation. The overarching aim of the teacher's instruction was to support students’ development of musical knowledge and skills that would enhance their learning, and to expand their understanding of musical genres and performance practices.

An Examination of Methods Used to Teach Practice Strategies in the College Voice Studio

This study investigated collegiate voice instructors’ approaches for teaching practice strategies to their students. Voice instructors ( N = 46) from accredited institutions in three Midwestern states participated in a researcher-designed survey, which described (a) the types of practice strategies addressed in lessons, (b) the methods used for assessment, and (c) the value instructors placed on specific practice strategies. Respondents typically used logs and journals to keep track of students’ progress. Score study was valued and used as a practice strategy most often by respondents, but other strategies such as repetition to improve accuracy and focusing on the most difficult sections of the music were also rated highly. Findings suggest that although these collegiate voice instructors seemed to be incorporating a variety of assessment and teaching strategies into their studio instruction, no consistent, formulaic method for teaching college singers to practice could be identified.

Student experiences with studio instruction

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the study was to examine students’ experiences of independent music lessons, and to ascertain what factors predicted enjoyment and success, especially those predictors arising from self-regulation learning theory. A self-report survey was used to gather data on student demographics, practising habits, musical skills, achievements, and enjoyment. The survey was distributed through a Canadian conservatory system and other music schools in Canada, yielding 3920 surveys for analysis. Intrinsic motivation was the most salient predictor of enjoyment, persistence, and beliefs regarding musical self-efficacy for these highly engaged students. Additional contributing predictors for successful performance included focussing on aural abilities, motivation to acquire musical skills, and prior success at performing in public. The paper closes with a discussion of the role of intrinsic motivation for lifelong musicianship, as well as how future research might focus on broadening the student sample and on cross-validating student results with data from parents and teachers.

An Approach into Interior Design Studio Instruction via Metaphor Method

While the perception of traditional museology rapidly changes into a perception of contemporary museology at our present day, the transformation process that has started all around the world, especially in city museums, also continues in Turkey, as well. The Library and Museum of Izzet Koyunoglu, opened in Konya in 1984, is the first private museum established by municipalities in Turkey and includes many ethnographic and archaeological pieces. This building started to fade away as it stood more than 30 years time. A re-functioning project is prepared to do something about this cultural building, which became a problem in the city so far. For this purpose, the Library and Museum of Izzet Koyunoglu is approached to transform it into Konya City Museum Project by four-year students that take Interior Design Project-7 Course during 2014-2015 Education Year Fall Semester in the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design in Faculty of Fine Arts, Konya Selcuk University. Metaphor method is used in project work. Projects are shaped around such concepts that the students defined as window to the past, tolerance, fusion, echo, looping, gravitation, contrast, iconia, neon and transparency. Students learn about the cultural inheritance of the city by this project research and also it attracts the attention of leading authorities, initiating the applications for the project. Project studies of students are exhibited in Koyunoglu Museum and many conferences are held both in and out of the country. Functional transformation of the building has speeded up, creating awareness in this building that is under the process of fading away

Better Bowling: A Doing–With Approach for Design Studio Instruction and Public Scholarship

This paper considers collaboration between design students and local communities to describe a doing–with model for design studio instruction. By doing–with, we mean direct exchanges between university design students and local communities that draw from genuine community needs to provide the basis for studio projects. This differs from traditional design studio approaches in which projects are often based on imagined programs or altered real–world situations. In the absence of predetermined programs, this method emphasizes design as process in the delivery of design as product. Projects and solutions emerge from the real needs of the local citizenry. As the examples below will show, a doing–with approach allows community representatives to determine the direction a project takes. This approach actively deploys students to energize a sense of community when they design projects that local residents launch. The give and take of the exchanges between university students and local residents generates design solutions that fit the local context. The doing–with approach to actual design projects in existing neighborhoods also promotes an amenable way to generate funding.

Teaching Stream Restoration: Experiences from Interdiscipinary Studio Instruction

Abstract Stream restoration involves the application of disciplines such as hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, ecology, engineering, and landscape architecture, so education should arguably replicate the transdisciplinary, collaborative approach ideally found in practice. We report on our experience teaching a studio course on ecological factors in planning and design, in which we use urban streams in northern California as sites. The course is organized into three distinct phases: inventory/analysis, planning, and design. First, students survey the channel, map and measure vegetation, document traces of wildlife, map human uses and access points, and analyze the surrounding landscape (such as storm drain networks and local schools). Next, in the master plan phase, teams of three to four students work at the scale of the entire study reach (10–20 km) to tackle issues such as integrated trail systems, improving public access, or restoring native vegetation. In the third phase, students develop individual projects for specific sites consistent with their master plans, making tangible the overall concepts. Field data collection and analysis force students to reconcile the relationship between science and design, fostering critical thinking about scientific methods and scales of operation. The studio seeks to train students in a holistic, evidence-based, process-oriented approach to stream restoration.

PARA-Typing Informing Form and the Making of Difference

This paper presents design research and instruction into the use of constraint based digital and analogue modelling techniques and the development of associative parametric models to simulate highly differentiated fabricated form. One set of these design research projects were conceived as manual analogue generative processes for prototyping modularity and serial differentiation. Then through parametric design techniques, modular aggregations were design explored and developed in concert with material properties and constraints. Utilizing digital fabrication full-scale installations were designed, manufactured, and for site-specific configurations. A second set of projects provides an extension of the design instruction that includes the integration of performance criteria into these design objectives. The objectives of the research are to present benefits and limitations of the incorporation of parametric design, performance analysis, and prototyping techniques in comprehensive studio instruction. The paper discusses the resultant informed materialized difference and the impacts on achieving reinforced and hands on learning objectives.

Recent Research in Applied Studio Instruction: Evaluation and Assessment

The purpose of this paper, the third in what has become a three-part series, is to examine recently published research in the area of assessment and present findings across an international platform in the context of the applied studio. In keeping with Kennell’s (2002) work, previous research can still be grouped across several broad categories: the roles of student and teacher, their behaviors, their interactions, and evaluation. Research conducted in the 21st century can still be categorized loosely into these strands which, for the purposes of this series, have been clustered into three papers. The first paper (Parkes, 2009) examined characteristics of the applied setting and shared the work of several researchers (eg, Burwell, 2006; Colprit, 2000; Duke, 1999/2000; Duke & Simmons, 2006; Fredrickson, 2007; Gaunt, 2008; Kurkul, 2007; Laukka, 2004; Mills & Smith, 2003). The second paper, (Parkes, 2010a) focused on the use of practice in the applied studio (eg, Barry & Hallam, 2002; Byo & Cassidy, 2008; Jorgensen, 2002; Jorgensen & Lehmann, 1997; Kostka, 2002; Lehmann & Davidson, 2006; Madsen, 2004; Maynard, 2006; Miksza, 2006; Nielsen, 2001, 2008). This third and final paper examines a body of research concerning the use of assessment and evaluation in the applied studio. Additionally, several authors (Bennett & Stanberg, 2006; Fallin & Garrison, 2005; Parncutt, 2007; Sinsabaugh, 2007) have recently highlighted a more collaborative approach to the current modus operandi of the applied studio. There has been some interest (Parkes, 2011, in press) in the dual roles that applied teachers undertake as performers and/or teachers which will also be explored in this paper in summary of the applied studio setting. Recommendations for the future of applied studio research will also be given. In preparing this extensive literature review for the three articles, relevant works published in English language journals were chosen to be represented, along with salient dissertations, and many databases were utilized, for example but not limited to; Academic Search Complete, Cambridge Journals Online, EBSCOhost, JSTOR, and SAGE.

Recent Research in Applied Studio Instruction: Practice Time and Strategies

In his 2002 chapter, Systematic Research in Studio Instruction in Music Richard Kennell reviewed and summarized major research efforts for the applied studio setting. Over the past decade, a renewed interest in the applied studio has become apparent in a line of investigative inquiry pursued by researchers. The purpose of this second paper, in what has now become a three-part series, is to highlight recent research in the area of practice across an international platform. Kennell (2002) reviews research from within several broad categories: the roles of student and teacher, their behaviors, their interactions, and evaluation. Research undertaken in the 21st century can still be grouped loosely into these categories, which for the purposes of this series have been clustered into three papers. The first paper (Parkes, 2009) examines characteristics of the applied setting (Burwell, 2006; Colprit, 2000; Duke, 1999/2000; Duke & Simmons, 2006; Fredrickson, 2007; Gaunt, 2008; Kurkul, 2007; Laukka, 2004; Mills & Smith, 2003), . The current paper will focus on the use of practice in the applied studio (Barry & Hallam, 2002; Byo & Cassidy, 2008; Jorgensen, 2002; Jorgensen & Lehmann, 1997; Kostka, 2002; Lehmann, Slodoba, & Woody, 2007; Madsen, 2004; Maynard, 2006; Miksza, 2006; Nielsen, 2001 and 2008). The third, and final paper, is planned to examine a third cluster of research in the use of evaluation in the applied studio (Bergee, 2003; Bergee & Cecconi-Roberts, 2002; Oberlander, 2000; Author, 2006, 2008a, 2008b) . Additionally, several authors (Bennett & Stanberg, 2006; Jorgensen, 2000; Parncutt, 2007; Sinsabaugh, 2007) have recently highlighted a more collaborative approach to the current modus operandi of the applied studio and there has been particular interest (Author, 2009a; Wexler, 2008) in the dual roles that applied teachers undertake as performers and teachers which will be explored in the third paper in this series. The current paper will examine recent research regarding the use of practice time and practice strategies in the setting of the studios of applied teachers and recommendations for future research will be discussed.

Recent Research in Applied Studio Instruction: Characteristics of the Applied Setting

In his 2002 chapter, Systematic Research in Studio Instruction in Music Richard Kennell reviews and summarizes major research efforts for the applied studio setting. Over the past decade, a renewed interest in the applied studio has become apparent in a line of investigative inquiry pursued by researchers. The purpose of this paper, part one in a two-part series, is to highlight some of this new work on an international platform, in keeping with the comprehensive framework as laid out by Kennell (2002). The dyadic nature of the applied studio is clearly seen in the ‘master-apprentice’ model and Kennell (2002) refers to this as the expert-novice apprenticeship model early in the chapter. Kennell (2002) goes on to review research from within several broad categories: the roles of student and teacher, their behaviors, their interactions, and evaluation. Research undertaken most recently can still be grouped loosely into these categories, which for the purposes of this series are clustered as (1) characteristics of the applied setting (Burwell, 2006; Colprit, 2000; Duke, 1999/2000; Duke & Simmons, 2006; Fredrickson, 2007; Gaunt, 2008; Kurkul, 2007; Laukka, 2004; Mills & Smith, 2003), (2) the use of practice in the applied studio (Jorgensen, 2002; Kostka, 2002; C.K. Madsen, 2004; Maynard, 2006), and (3) the use of evaluation in the applied studio (Bergee, 2003; Bergee & Cecconi-Roberts, 2002; Oberlander, 2000; Parkes, 2006, 2008a, 2008b). Additionally, several authors (Bennett & Stanberg, 2006; Jorgensen, 2000; Parncutt, 2007; Sinsabaugh, 2007) have recently highlighted a more collaborative approach to the current modus operandi of the applied studio and there has been particular interest (Parkes, 2009; Wexler, 2008) in the dual roles that applied teachers undertake as performers and teachers. This notion will be discussed with a view toward future research. The current paper will examine recent research about the characteristics of the applied setting and the forthcoming paper, will address the use of practice and evaluation, and collaborative processes and dual roles of the applied studio teachers.

Foundations for Flow: A Philosophical Model for Studio Instruction

The need for a new approach to studio instruction becomes evident when the current state of the profession and the effects of typical teaching methods are considered. In a profession with relatively little demand for a large supply of candidates for professional employment, realistically very few undergraduate music performance majors will achieve success as either orchestral players or as soloists. Extreme competitiveness and the political hierarchy common in a typical music studio setting can squelch creativity and hinder a student's possibility to attain optimal experience in performance. Such an environment can pose a threat to a student's self-image and motivation, possibly becoming detrimental to the success of the student in any chosen occupation, whether ultimately within music or outside the profession.1 As Roland Persson notes, studio teachers are generally hired primarily for their performance accomplishments and place in the historic lineage of their instrument's pedagogy without much regard for previous training in educational theories.2 With a lack of training in instructional methods or developmental theories, college music teachers tend to conduct lessons in the manner in which they were taught. Thus, little attention may be paid to individual differences or developmental issues.3 Studio instruction has also traditionally been approached

Transformations in Design Education: The Paperless Studio and the Virtual Design Studio

Traditional architectural curricula have been based on the design studio model, which emphasizes learning by doing. Under this model, a typical architectural curriculum offers a sequence of design studios in which students learn to design by actually engaging in designing. Until very recently the design studio culture remained largely unchanged. The introduction of the virtual design studio and the paperless studio in early 1990s has resulted in fundamental changes in design studio pedagogy. The paper examines the impact of computers and information technology, as applied in the paperless studio and the virtual design studio, on design studio education. Based on literature reviews on paperless studio and virtual design studio and examination of architectural studio instruction, including several experiences in conducting paperless studios, the author considers the pedagogical shift occurring in design studio instruction as a result of integrating digital media in the design studio. The paper considers two types of transformations in studio instruction: pedagogical transformations related to using digital media as a design tool and pedagogical transformations related to distributing the design studio with some or all participants in remote locations.

Enhancing Critical Thinking Through “Independent Design Decision Making” in the Studio

A group of faculty at Penn State's Department of Landscape Architecture observed that the traditional master/apprentice model of studio instruction fosters greater student dependence on faculty for decision-making guidance than the faculty considers desirable. They contend that this traditional model promotes a studio dynamic that encourages students to look to the professor for design ideas and wait for faculty approval before making design decisions. The faculty considered this decision-making dependency to be in conflict with the need for students to develop the critical-thinking skills required to address the complex and ill-structured problems that are common in architecture and landscape architecture. In response to their concern this faculty team developed a studio teaching method they termed “independent design decision-making.” They speculated that by transferring the responsibility for design decisions from professor to the student, students could improve their critical thinking and gain confidence in design decision-making. The faculty conceived a set of strategies to implement in a 3rd year team-taught site planning and design studio that presents a range of complex design issues and scales. In collaboration with Penn State's Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, the faculty researchers developed a 2-year comparative study to test this new teaching method in the same design studio with two consecutive student groups-evaluating the strategies implemented in the first year, refining methods, then applying and re-evaluating the results in the next year's class. These new strategies included ways students receive information to inspire their designs (“input strategies”) and ways to receive critique on their design ideas (“feedback strategies”). Two evaluation instruments were chosen to assess this method of studio teaching: 1) the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), and 2) Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG). This paper presents this teaching/learning method and reports on the results of the comparative study.

Foundations for Flow: A Philosophical Model for Studio Instruction

Foundations for Flow: A Philosophical Model for Studio Instruction

A Response to Krista Riggs, "Foundations for Flow: A Philosophical Model for Studio Instruction"

A Response to Krista Riggs, "Foundations for Flow: A Philosophical Model for Studio Instruction"

Developing a Collaborative Multidisciplinary Online Design Course

Technology is transforming the practice of architecture and design from the conceptual stages right down to the actual construction. One would assume technology is being readily integrated into current design education. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The purpose of this study is to explore the integration of online education into the curriculum of architecture and design. The three primary obstacles to integrating technology with education in these disciplines are identified as: 1) the limited evidence of online education in the fields of architecture and design (Sagun, Demirkan, & Goktepe, 2001); 2) the reluctance of design educators to teach in an online environment (Bender & Good, 2003); and 3) the lack of multidisciplinary coursework currently available between architecture, design, and other related fields (IIDA Report, 1998). This paper will discuss online education in the context of traditional architecture and design studio instruction. A case study of the development of a collaborative, multidisciplinary online course offered between five major universities will be presented as a catalyst for change. The paper concludes with reflections on the pedagogical advantages and disadvantages of this new educational model and its implications for instructors involved in online education.