Background and justification of the project
Proposed deployment of TAs for hand drawing education
The course 7N3X0 BAU Studio 2 is the second first-year design project for Built Environment students. In semester 1, the 7N1X0 BAU Studio 1 students from each of the three directions – B (on behalf of the Building Physics and Services and Structural Design units), A (on behalf of the Architectural Urban Design and Engineering unit) and U (on behalf of the Urban Systems and Real Estate unit) – completed a four-week introductory project. In quarter 4, 7N3X0 BAU Studio 2 is the first design project of eight weeks (5 ECTS). The students have already chosen one of the three directions for this project.
Drawing skills are crucial for students following the A-direction. It is essential that a spatial designer be able to visualize thoughts and communicate ideas. The computer is a very powerful tool, but one that must be mastered: the user must know what they want and what they can achieve with it. This means that fundamental knowledge of perspective, composition, page layout, contours, tone and shadow must all have been acquired.
Because of the direct (neurological) relationship between what the eye sees and what the hand does, drawing by hand is the most appropriate and efficient way to acquire this skill and knowledge. And that is why drawing by hand deserves time and attention in first-year project education.
The design project of the A-direction of BAU Studio 2 benefits greatly from three hand drawing exercises:
- drawing on location, according to observation;
- practicing the spatial visualization of design ideas during the design process;
- visualizing light, material and detail.
These exercises can be given in addition to the supervision of the actual design project. The exercises contribute directly to the project and to the development of design skills among students; they therefore partly relieve the design teachers, who then have more time for the individual supervision of students.
Objectives and expected outcomes
How will the deployment of TAs enhance the quality of education for students?
The deployment of the TAs will make the following contribution:
- Support for the hand drawing teacher in transferring essential hand drawing skills: the TAs therefore allow for small-scale and even individualized supervision.
- Small scale: removing the burden of general instruction creates more time for specific and small-scale supervision in the design studios.
Project design and management
Which/how many teachers will be relieved through the deployment of the TAs?
For the 2018-2019 academic year, the AUDE part of 7N3X0 will be supervised by 11 teachers, who will each supervise 16 half-day sessions. The hand drawing exercises will take up one and a half days per student, and this time will benefit the design education that these 11 teachers teach in the studios.
The hand drawing exercises will be given by Hélène Aarts. The proposed deployment of two TAs means a tripling of the supervision time.
How will these teachers be relieved? What support will the TAs offer? The TAs are senior students with above average drawing skills who are able to supervise the first-year students throughout the exercises. Hand drawing education requires discussions of methods and results in small groups or per individual; in the end, it’s always about discussing individual results. The TAs will carry out these discussions under the supervision of Hélène Aarts.
Dissemination and sustainability of the project
How will the quality of the education provided by TAs be guaranteed?
See the point above. Preference will be given to TAs with well above average drawing skills who have already gained experience in supervising first-year students and have followed a training course at Teach. If necessary, TAs will follow feedback training at Teach. In addition, the TAs will be prepared and supervised by Hélène Aarts (teacher) by means of a weekly coordination.
Results and learnings
This project is still ongoing.
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