Identifying online learning experience of architecture students for a smart education environment

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant change in the field of architecture and design education. Students and educators have been forced to rapidly adopt virtual courses, and returning to the physical classroom in the near future is still uncertain. This study investigates the recent remote learning experiences of tertiary students in Architecture programs through a questionnaire. In addition to the three dimensions of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, including teaching, social, and cognitive presences, spatial presence is explored in this research because learners’ presence of space can affect their learning experience. The findings indicate that first- and second-year students have significantly different remote learning experiences than third- to fifth-year students, depending on their experience in face-to-face classes. The extended survey concludes with a discussion of three approaches to reflective learning in online architectural design education. This paper provides systematic knowledge of students’ perceptions of distance learning during the pandemic and contributes to developing smart education environments in architectural pedagogy.