Dr Manolo Guerci, Senior Lecturer at the Kent School of Architecture and Planning (KSAP), has shared his thoughts and observations on how teaching and learning within the School adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks are due to the BA year coordinators: Rebecca Hobbs (Stage 1), Felicity Atekpe (Stage 2), and Dr Ambrose Gillick (Stage 3), who provided important information. Michael Richards (MArch Programme Director) was also part of a number of discussions which led to this contribution, and indeed trialled and implemented with Dr Guerci quite a lot of what is highlighted below.
In the following Q&A he discusses how the necessary changes led to positive outcomes for students, and revealed new exciting ways of teaching.
How has KSAP successfully adapted to new ways of working?
‘The excellent IT support in the School and our usual engagement with computer assisted design softwares, and computers, gave us an advantage with technology. Yet, in an incredibly short time, and with limited training, KSAP shifted all its activities online. The positive response from all colleagues – academic, administrators, technicians and IT support – was incredible. Extra support, which often crossed the boundaries of the merely academic, was provided across all Stages in our School. One of the clear messages that came out of our external examiner meetings was that our student community was enormously grateful for the level of support. Everyone stepped up, and we were able to celebrate with an End of Year online event. A truly collective exercise, this was a huge success.
‘Coinciding with our end-of-year exhibition of student work, we had also planned to host the annual Architecture, Media, Politics, Society (AMPS) conference at the University, as part of our international biennial conferences organised at KSAP. Instead, Howard Griffin, Programme Director of our Masters in Architectural Visualisation, arranged to host it totally online, as a co-production of two of our research centres, DARC and CREAte. Its examination of, among other things, the intersection of heritage and the new digital media, was a great success, with hundreds of online participants, and an archive of recorded talks.’
Can you give us an example of where students have been provided with extra support?
‘Our first-year undergraduate students were given an extension for their final project of three weeks to allow for the effect of lockdown. During the summer term, which started on 4 May 2020, support was given to students for the AR323 FOLIO module submission by seven design tutors and three Folio team members. Previously Folio would have been an analogue A1 portfolio submission. The submission was comprehensively adapted by the Folio Module convenor to suit a digital submission. This would be the first time that students would be making such a submission, and was good preparation for all eventualities that the students might face when they come into Stage Two, in the autumn.
‘The Folio team offered live and recorded lectures together with Q&A sessions prior to the deadline to assist students with their work. These lectures taught the use of InDesign and Photoshop, the design of a presentation, how to create composite drawings and how to put together a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The Folio team offered continuous guidance via email and answered questions on Moodle up until the submission date.
‘The aforementioned team was supported by the seven design tutors who offered all students presentation guidance on their final project, the technical section of their Folio and at least two one-to-one tutorials online via Skype or Teams for between 20-30 minutes each and gave individual feedback via email. The majority of the year submitted their Folio on time with the majority passing the module.’
What opportunities have been realised for future teaching?
‘First of all, when we all come together for the common good, things can be adapted very quickly, in ways one would have considered near impossible, certainly unprecedented. Secondly, it has allowed a great degree of flexibility, both in terms of sharing resources with anyone anywhere, but also allowing experts to join in from all over the world. Education must remain face to face, for the benefits of human interaction and, if you like, the social aspect of learning, and cannot be substituted. That said, a greater degree of flexibility, now that we have overcome certain psychological and/or cultural barriers, allowed by online access, can certainly enrich and ease our curriculum. We have also become much more open to different modes of teaching. As we prepare for next year, for instance, we are working on the following:
- New software and technology to enable more integrated and creative online teaching, including digital sketching pads, as well as staff training in their fruitful use
- Greater provision through increased online accessibility
- Re-planned studio spaces to enable each year group to have on-site studio use, including for tutorials and crits for those students who want it, whilst maintaining physical distancing, as required
- Retaining small tutor groups
- Increasing the no-touch technology available around the School, to reduce physical contact, as required.’
Could the adaptation benefit students’ future careers?
‘By all means. Every adversity brings new challenges, which in themselves open minds. Rather than being at a ‘disadvantage’, as is often claimed, students living through these times will have been forced to rethink how they work and interact. The opportunities I mentioned before, and the experience, will (or should) have made them more resourceful, less assuming of the status quo, and more open minded as to how one responds to challenges. Coping with such unprecedented adversity will have also really enhanced the students’ resilience and capacity to respond to crises of different kinds, assets more relevant than ever nowadays. Architecture is indeed a constant response to needs, some of which are crises. It is the physical, as well as symbolic manifestation of change.’
What future changes could we see for architects and the profession?
‘I think the main changes will be how we are able to cross boundaries, be innovative, and think outside the box. Perhaps more generally still, I see architects as agents of beauty, in all its facets. A space is a space. But a space which stimulates the senses is beautiful, hence architectural. The challenge is to understand this, to find a balance in between all needs, and to appreciate that, if this balance is not met, the consequences are grave. If the pandemic will have taught us anything, it will have to do with that balance. And architects are a key part of this process.’