Purpose:
The use of the Advanced Diploma in Architecture is to empower learners with advanced practical and critical thinking skills through multi-disciplinary projects and discipline-specific applications, to aid thinking and problem solving through architecture. Furthermore, to equip graduates with art and design knowledge, values and attitudes needed that contribute to the architecture profession, to address critical pertinent issues through practice.
Rationale:
This qualification provides vertical articulation for Diploma graduates and Alumni learners and is necessary for those learners that wish to pursue Postgraduate studies. The qualification also includes opportunity for further-learning for those learners currently in industry who want to broaden their knowledge and skill.
Contemporary architecture, art and design education models look at generic art and design thinking as a process and apply this process to various disciplinary ends. Herein lies an opportunity to merge the collective applied design thinking skills of the Departments in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture. The teaching philosophy that drives the need for the qualification is that design processes are the essential core of every design discipline, what varies is the scale and materials used to achieve the desired outcome.
The qualification will provide learners from the different disciplines, who have acquired the proficiency in necessary skills of their respective disciplines, an opportunity to heighten their theoretical and practical understanding of the art, design and architecture environment through exposure to the new material, technology and techniques. Rinehart (2003: 2) and many others see art and design education as failing if it equips learners only with the skill to solve task-oriented problems. In an increasingly complex world, training should provide learners with the intellectual skills that allow them to integrate problem-solving across fields. Collaborative thinking enables new synergies between disciplines that enhances creativity and innovation towards deepened, more speculative and more responsive results.
The qualification intends to provide an educational offering that is at once multi-disciplinary and discipline-specific, and so provides a quality education that focusses on excellence in teaching and learning and continuous renewal and transformation. The goals of the qualification will be achieved by:
An approach to teaching which encourages a broader and richer approach in architectural thinking and problem-solving.
Providing curriculum transformation and renewal as an integral part of the continuous focus on the circulation process and teaching and learning strategies.
Providing access to learners to state of the art teaching and learning facilities.
Professional, appropriately qualified, theoretical and practical experts who deliver relevant and thought-provoking lectures, activities and assessments using multimedia equipment.
Broadening the knowledge and skill of the learners on the qualification through high-level multi-disciplinary exploration and engagements.
Through developing critical thinking skills and design exploration, developing learners who are empowered to challenge existing knowledge, practices and theories.
Providing experience, practical knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to assist learners with new, innovative, and smart creation of best practices.
Supporting access to a broad spectrum of academic perspectives, and include appropriate technological teaching, learning and research through:
Academic instruction delivered in lectures, both on-line and studio, thus encouraging a blended learning approach, as well as tutorials that achieve well researched, focused learning outcomes.
Providing lectures and tutorials throughout the Faculty, thus exposing learners to various specialist areas of knowledge in the art, design and architecture disciplines.
Providing vocational teaching strategies which incorporate workplace case studies and provide for the presentation of a project portfolio.
Utilising the technological teaching aids, tools and techniques which are accessible to lecturers and learners via strategic partners, providing multimedia, intranets, uLink, e-library and other support services such as Centre for Psychological Services and Career Development (PSYCAD).
State of the art facilities which include computer software such as Auto Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Revit, Illustrator, Accumark pattern making, CorelDraw and 3D printing, which meet industry expectations as well as encourage an interdisciplinary approach.
Contributing to national objectives regarding skills development and economic growth through:
A qualification designed to aid thinking and problem-solving through art and design. Learners exit the qualification with knowledge, values and attitudes that contribute to various art, design and architecture disciplines.
Empowering learners with foundational, practical and critical thinking skills when they interact with private and business sector case studies, theories, policies and best practices.
Addressing important current pertinent issues while being flexible enough to ensure that these influence the context for the content taught. |
