Studio Evaluations
The evaluation of the students’ application of structures principles to their design work was done in each studio immediately following each of the two structures courses. This was based on a self evaluation by the students and an objective assessment of students design work by an independent reviewer from the University of Utah.
The results of the self evaluation and expert reviewer did not show any significant improvement in design work in the studio immediately following structures 1 course. These results are not discouraging since the content of structures 1 is introductory, and is not application oriented.
This trend changed in the studio immediately following the structures 2 course, indicating an improvement in both categories of assessment. For example, when students were asked to what extent the consideration of structural issues was a part of their personal initiative, the number of students responding “to a great extent” increased at a significance level of 0.01 from pre to post self evaluation. In answering to what extend they thought about selecting a particular structural system, again the number of “to a great extent” increased at a significance level of 0.049 from pre-to post self evaluations.
The expert reviewer looked at ranking five different categories in students’ design work. The results of this assessment followed the same pattern. There was an improvement in all categories however, the students consideration of “lateral supports” in their design work showed a statically significant improvement in studio following structures 2.