AN EVALUATION OF THE STUDENTS' EXPECTATIONS, ASSIGNMENTS AND ACQUISITIONS FROM THE SUMMER OFFICE PRACTICE IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN EDUCATION

Year 2016, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 28.03.2016

Can Güngör Arzu Özen Yavuz

Abstract

Architectural design training includes theoretical lessons and practical studio courses. However professional application practice and interaction with stakeholders are limited Therefore in order to reinforce the theoretical and practical knowledge taken in lessons and courses and to observe the working environment in private architectural firms and the development of the architectural design process in public institutions, the summer office practice is compulsory in the student education program. Lessons in architectural schools are mainly based on giving of theoretical knowledge by class lectures and practical knowledge by atelier (Studio) lessons. Summer Practices are described in the curriculum as practical lessons. The student applies to the Office Practice Commission and presents the information required of the office he or she is going to work in summer for 25 days and seeks for approval. In this study it is aimed to determine the students' expectations from summer office practice and evaluate their acquisitions through their assignments. All the students that applied for “M300 STAJ II” Summer Office Practice Course previous year enrolled to the course at the beginning of the 2014-2015 Autumn semesters. 97 Students answered a 50 Question Survey asking them to grade their level of satisfaction form 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest). Questions were related with the students’ EXPECTATONS (EX), workload of ASSINGMENTS (AS) and level of ACQUISITIONS (AC) they believed they derived from the Summer Office Practice (SofP). Despite the results that show the students EXPECTATIONS were high in many areas of the questioned about the Knowledge (-Kn) and Involvement (-In) in Specific Attributes and skills, many believed they derived far less ACQUISITIONS from their summer office practices. Only certain kinds of jobs related with drafting and 3D modelling were highly imposed on the students as their ASSIGNMENTS.

Keywords

Summer office practice, Architectural education, Students’ expectations, assignments and acquisitions.