Developing Appropriate Teaching and Communication Methods in Architectural Design Studio through Understanding Students’ Learning Styles

Abstract

The process of learning how to design is among if not the most important activity students of architecture engage in during their years of formal training. This process involves learning to think critically about design problems and generating acceptable proposals that satisfy the practical requirements of the building. Students are expected to learn by reflecting, thinking and doing while the studio instructor guides. This way of learning-by-doing is an old tradition in architecture by which design skills are developed. The learning opportunities offered in the architectural design studio however, largely depend on the communication methods the studio instructor chooses to adopt and whether or not they recognize the students’ learning styles. Understanding the students’ learning styles and integrating it in the way architectural design is taught will conform more to student-centered teaching approaches gaining wide acceptance around the world. The study examined learning styles of second year architecture students of the University of Jos in architectural design studio using Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (LSI).