The aim of the project is the cooperative further development of collaborative virtual teaching formats using digital educational technologies within the joint course “Theory & Design for the Built Environment”. The project partners plan to anchor this course in the curricula of the Master’s degree programmes Architecture (M.A.) & Integrated Master in Architecture (M.Sc.). Together, the teachers from the partner universities will develop a methodological-didactic teaching-learning concept. The course is designed in a sequence, a so-called micro event series, including activation, input, and work phases, as well as final reflection, according to the sandwich principle.
The course consists of six different virtual collaboration formats that are implemented using various digital educational tools.
Following the approach of learning with and from each other, students from the SRH University and students from the University of Minho will participate in the virtual course together. The students will work cooperatively on a project in binational tandems. The students will receive input on the theoretical context of architecture, research methodology in architectural research and architectural communication in online lectures, which will be offered by the lecturers from both partner universities.
At the same time, theoretical content is applied in practical work phases in workshops. Furthermore, students receive support and feedback in the practical implementation of their projects in online tutoring sessions. In order to strengthen the informal exchange between the students of the two partner universities in addition to the professional exchange, a virtual meet-up group will be set up. The students will present their project results at a final symposium, which is planned as a presentation event on site at the SRH University in Heidelberg.
The project results and experiences will be summarised in an e-book, which will be published on the project website and via various social media channels. In this way, the project results and experiences will be available to the university community, as well as shared in the community of practice.
The active virtual project work, the professional dialogue as well as the informal exchange open up the possibility for the students to acquire international contextual knowledge, to train their intercultural sensitivity and thus to develop and test their international skills. By making learning and teaching more flexible in terms of space and time, regardless of physical mobility, the ITEMS+ project will strengthen the cross-border European academic and cultural dialogue between the SRH University Heidelberg and the University of Minho.
