Abstract
In an increasingly globalized world, culture has become a tension point in the education and training of future architects. In professional practice, the pursuit of global markets lead firms to expanding international clients and multicultural contexts. Yet, the statistics within American architectural education and practice indicate a severe lack of diversity. In American architecture programs, the statistics show that 17% of students enrolled are Latino and 5% are African American. When the world is becoming more globalized and multicultural, why do both architectural education and practice remain homogeneous? Has traditional architectural education created a culture that favors some and pushes out others? Is there something that educators can do differently so that faculty and students are more sensitive to the cultural context? If architectural education seeks to empower the next generation of designers to engage in multicultural environments, it needs to adapt and create culturally sensitive learning environments. The study shares a new model of assessing cultural differences that impact instructional situations. It adapts the cultural dimensions of learning framework (CDLF) developed by Parrish and Linder-Van Berschot for the studio and creates a tool for comprehending the cultural dynamics of the course. The CDFL framework describes a set of eight cultural parameters regarding social relationships, epistemological beliefs, and temporal perceptions. It may be a useful tool for understanding learning preferences, and a platform to discuss instructional strategies. Through its implementation and use in the studio, faculty and students become more aware of the cultural forces at play in learning environments.
Presenters
Marianne HolbertTeaching Professor, Environmental Design, University of Colorado, Colorado, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Cultural Dimensions of Learning, Diversity, Design Education, Studio, Multicultural Education
