Project R-13404

Teaching with screen and pencil. Refinement of the didactic framework and methodology for teaching architectural freehand drawing via the online platform Sketch Atlas (SA) in the context of secondary schools in the arts. (Research)

The learning process of "freehand architectural drawing" (schetsen) for students at Faculties of Architecture is challenging and teaching this important communication- and design skill also. Therefore we developed Sketch Atlas (SA), an online and licensed learning platform with high-end tutorials and accessible for an international market (www.sketchatlas.org). One can use SA in the general concept of blended learning. Different combinations and variations (the classic classroom and/or the online use of SA) in the learning process are possible. However, the combination of screen (tutorials) and pencil (the real act of drawing) also asks for a didactic approach that is well proportioned on the two levels and effective in a learning environment. What is the best operational strategy to deal with the building blocks (tutorials) of the SA in a fast changing digital world? How can we define a proper and flexible didactic framework to use the system to its full capacity, based on the newest insights on pedagogical concepts as there are "micro-learning" and "fragmented learning" in a post-covid era? The innovative SA, in a very first version, was used during Covid at the University. This approach during the lockdown was "hands on'' but never there was an explicit scientifical refinement of the didactic system and further comparison of different didactic possibilities to optimize the qualities in an international context. Therefore, in this project we research the didactic framework in secondary schools of the arts to enrich the Theoretical knowledge base of online teaching of drawing skills and to generate output that will also be used as a guideline for further development of the ongoing blended learning process for specific skills in architectural education in secondary education.

01 January 2023 - 31 December 2024