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I was wondering if some one would share with me his/her experience in studying architecture through distance learning, especially courses that would usually need contact between the tutor and the student.
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Hebatalla Abouelfadi,
In India, we have a distance learning course in architecture based on four annual examinations and periodic submissions. The course is offered by the Indian Institute of Architects and is recognized by the Council of Architecture as equivalent qualification to any Bachelor of Architecture or Diploma in Architecture for the purpose of registration with the council. The students are required to have guides in their respective cities or districts who may be practicing architects. This course enables hundreds of students who may have missed the chance of getting into the formal university courses.
With best wishes,
Prof. Akhtar Chauhan
Director
Rizvi College of Architecture
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Prof. Akhtar Chauhan
Thank you for your response, well here in Egypt, distance learning is a new trend and is still under research. I am suppose to present a proposal for what is needed to make distance learning for the architecture school applicable, and put a budget for my proposal. I have visited the site of the Indian institute of architects but I was not successful to find the courses you have talked about. I am very interested in the type of information technology that would be needed to be able to give a design course for example, and is the course presented in real time or is it recorded and then played back
and stuff like that
Well!! thanks again
Best wishes
Hebatallah Abouelfadl
Assistant professor
Faculty of Fine Arts
Architecture Department
Alexandria University
Egypt
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Distance learning in architecture
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Hebatalla,
At ArchNet, we just concluded an online design competition using distance education software to facilitate online desk crits and presentations. The competition was to design a Computer Clubhouse geared towards use by all members of the community, but particularly young people of ages 10-18, in a tropical climate in East Africa. The Computer Clubhouse project is an international network of community technology centers for youth from economically disadvantaged communities. The Computer Clubhouse is to be situated within the context of a school operated by the Aga Khan Education Services in Mombasa, Kenya.
The project is a competition involving five schools of architecture from around the world for the design of a Computer Clubhouse. These schools are:
American University of Sharjah;
Istanbul Technical University;
Misr International University;
University of Liverpool; and,
University of Mexico.
Each of the sessions were recorded and will be available soon to ArchNet members. You should contact Khaled Asfour or Samir Hosni at Misr International University, a participating university in the competition.
The Group Workspaces on ArchNet are set-up to facilitate both synchronous and asynchronus engagement and are a good starting point to work with people around the world.
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Hebatallah Abouelfadl,
It is not only in Egypt where distance learning in the field of architecture is under research.
There are very successful experiments in the field of virtual design studio, organized since 1992. One of the key persons in developing the whole strategy for the series of virtual studios is Prof. William Mitchell. In his introductory lecture for the Computer Clubhouse Competition (mentioned by Mr. Allibhai in the previous posting) Prof. Mitchell said that the CCC is going to be an experiment too, so with ten years of significant experience, the experimental stage is still not completed.
I'm experimenting in the field of distance learning since 1996 when my country was reconnected to the Internet. My most interesting experiment was established in an extremely complex situation, during the bombing of Belgrade in 1999, when the distance learning technique was the only way of communicating with students for two months.
After presenting the paper to the UIAEDU2003 Conference I had a pleasure to collaborate with your younger colleagues (Eslam Elsamahy and Amani Badr) and students from the Architecture Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Alexandria and Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, within one distance learning experiment titled Electronic Communication Culture 01 - ArchNet. So within your School there are people with some experiences in specific aspects of distance learning.
It is my opinion that the entire story about distance learning is not about technology, but about methodology and readiness to make additional efforts. Regarding the technology I tried different systems ranging from simple e-mail correspondence to quite sophisticated and expensive Blackboard. I recently started to use the ArchNet Group Workspace system to enhance my courses (ECC 02, ECC 03) for advanced groups of students from Belgrade University. I find ArchNet system being an optimal solution for distance learning at the moment, regarding the fact that this is not just a course management system (CMS) but an electronic environment including a great library, discussion forums, information points and possibility to interact with members (professionals, academics and students) from all over the world.
Finally, in the Architectural Pedagogy and Andragogy Group Workspace we have established a collection of documents and Web resources on different aspects of architectural education. Among them you can find a collection of Web links on Virtual Design Studio that might help you to investigate majority of previous experiences in the field.
With my best wishes for the success of your challenging mission, Mirjana
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Shiraz Allibhai
I will definitely try to contact Khaled Asfour or Samir Hosni, as I guess they would have information that would help a lot .
Thanks
--Hebatallah
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Mirjana Devetakovic
It is great that you have already experimented in the field of distance learning, I hope that we can discuss in more details your experience. I have already called my colleague Amani Badr and knew from her the experience that you talked about.
And by the way we have met during your stay here in Alex, I took you in a tour around the architecture department and you are the one who actually introduced me to Archnet , but I guess we didnt have time to discuss more subjects.
As for the proposal I am preparing on distance learning ,( by the way my proposal is asked to be aiming to get a bachelor degree and not just a individual courses) up till now I think I will propose to phases, the first is that part of the courses will be through distance learning emails, recorded lectures and other facilities( theoretical courses)and that the rest of the courses will have to be summed up in a day or two. The second is that all the courses would be able to be taught through distant learning but this one will need more complex facilities specially in courses like design studios where the contact between the student and the tutor is really important.
I have learnt via the net of some of the facilities that would help in this field especially in the MIT experience.
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Distance learning in architecture
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Hebatalla,
You may be interested to know that when ArchNet first started William Mitchell and I came to the University of Alexandria to present a lecture (organised by Mohammad Awad) and to request that UoA join ArchNet as an initial partner school. We were willing to make a $5000 grant to set up an ArchNet lab in the school. Unfortunately, it seemed that no one was interested. In any case, you have now established contact with Mirjana who I believe will be a close collaborator and is very knowledgable about the subject.
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Heba,
It's great to see you again, even in an electronic space. It was a pleasure for me to visit your School.
Regarding the missed opportunity to establish a closer collaboration with ArchNet and MIT a few years ago, I would hope that it is not too late to retry this initiative, especially now, when there's an intention for launching an entire degree program online.
I'm personally fascinated with the fact that your city plays an important role in the world cultural progress. The renewed Bibliotheca Alexandrina is bringing back Alexandria to the global cultural focus.
In such circumstances there is a great opportunity for your School to establish significant international collaborations and take an important role in educational exchanges (business), not only on the national, but also on the regional (Mediterranean for example) and global level. I wouldn't be surprised if someone from, say Japan or Australia, will be interested in completing some of your postgraduate online courses on the specific topic.
So at the moment I see a huge potential in the idea of distance learning within your school.
You might want to know that there's a project titled Avicenna supported by UNESCO aimed in establishing an online education network in the Mediterranean region.
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Distance learning in architecture
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I was glad to see Ms. Nancy Cheng from the University of Oregon, recently joining the ArchNet Community and would be interested in reading her opinions related to this topic. Ms. Cheng was involved in the Virtual Design Studio experiments from the very beginning and has published significant papers related to different aspects of virtual collaboration in architectural design.
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Mirjana
I am really so happy and relieved to find that some one is as enthusiastic about distance learning as I am , to tell you the truth I wasn't at first, I was actually very concerned when I was given this task. I searched everywhere, when I got the idea of sharing it with Archnet. I am so happy I did. I have talked to the head of our department today, even before I read your last two replies and we were preparing a meeting on Saturday with the Dean of post graduate studies to discuss the subject and especially the lost opportunity to establish a closer collaboration with Archnet and MIT. I do hope we can keep in touch and hopefully watch this idea of distant learning in Alexandria University take place in reality. Thanks again
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Heba,
UNESCO Institute for Educational Planning has recently made available this outstanding publication:
The Virtual University, Models and Messages; Lessons from case studies.
The case studies explain the complexity of preparation processes related to online universities in different contexts. As far as I know, no architectural degrees within presented cases, but there are some management issues, financial indications, etc. I believe that some experiences from other disciplines could be applicable in the field of architectural education online. Best, Mirjana
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Distance learning in architecture
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I have enjoyed many correspondence courses in various disciplines. They have been demanding but very useful since I work full time and have a family. I am now interested in obtaining a degree in architecture. Does anyone know if it is possible to do so all or in part by correspondence or courses offered over the internet?
Thanks
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Distance learning in architecture
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George did you manage to find any example of architectural degree program online?
It would be interesting if Prof. Chauhan can provide some more details on the distance education project of the Indian Institute of Architects that he mentioned in one of his previous postings. In fact, that's the only one that I heard about. I like very much the idea of practicing architects as mentors in such process of education. The same educational concept was used in New Zealand, according to architecture education chronologists, in distance education by correspondence.
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Mirjana,
I shall post the details of the IIA distance learning programme in a week's time. I have been busy with the IFI International Congress on Interior Design which is presently being held in Mumbai. Warm regards,
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Akhtar Chauhan, i am still looking forward for the details of the IIA distance learning programme you promised to post.Hope you didn't forget.
thanks
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Distance learning in architecture
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With the best wishes for the New Year 2004 to all ArchNet members interested in distance learning, I would like to inform you about this interesting event related to the publication mentioned above:
Online Discussion on Virtual Universities
"UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) launches an Internet discussion forum on virtual universities and transnational education. The discussion that will take place from 19 January to 20 February 2004 will be based on the study "The Virtual University: Models and messages / Lessons from case studies" that IIEP published in 2003." (Source UNESCO Web World)
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Distance learning in architecture
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I was just reading your discussion on distance learning and i was wondering if you have looked into interior design or interior architecture distance learning programs. If anybody knows of any such good, accredited programs, i would be very interested to find out about them.
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Distance learning in architecture
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Distance learning in architecture
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Dear Hebatalla:
I´m a spanish teacher and I´m looking for the same, please if you know more information about distance learning universities I´d like share it with you
Thank you very much.
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