Background, personal learning and teaching experience

The following text is structured chronologically. I will first reflect on early learning experiences, then move on to undergraduate learning before reflecting on my early teaching experiences, some of which were gained during my postgraduate studies in Germany.

Early learning experiences

My earliest memories of structured learning experiences goes back to primary school. My favourite subjects were science, geometry and creative writing – not a bad choice for someone who would become an architect and published researcher!

Even then, I quickly discovered not only what but also how I enjoyed instruction most. Yes, I really started reflecting on my own preferred learning style that early. In both science and geometry, experiments and visual learning worked best for me. Books were fine as long as there were diagrams, charts or images. Teachers’ talking was also fine, as long as it was accompanied by extensive use of the blackboard or props brought into class. This was still true even later at secondary school where experiments were my highlight during science classes.

Today, I do wonder whether my own predilection for visual and kinaesthetic learning influences my teaching to a degree where learners with the same preferences have some advantage over others. Or are these preferences natural for someone with interests in science and geometry? Or perhaps my parents are to blame – after all with a father who’s a civil engineer and a mother who’s a teacher, maybe I was destined to teach architecture all along.

Learning as a student, first experiences as a practitioner and as a teacher

One of my most memorable experiences as a learner was my first course in Architectural Design. The professor would conduct three-hour lectures. During these lectures two (and only two) images were displayed on the wall. And the complete lecture was read to students. She must have sat down before the lecture writing down every single well composed, meaningful sentence. The content was incredibly dense. While this teaching style did not suit many of my peers, I found these lectures tremendously insightful and engaging. The words brought the two images on the wall to life, and I found myself travelling in time and space, discovering every tiny detail and appreciating their relevance. Would I conduct lectures in the same way? No, but that is not because I think they are a bad idea but because I know how little appreciation they would receive with a wider student audience. Was my appreciation of these lectures a departure from my previous preference for visual and kinaesthetic learning? Only to a degree – after all, what I really loved about these lectures was the great degree of detail provided which allowed me to understand and appreciated the two images on the wall in all their complexity.

Other experiences as a student were of course less inspiring. For example, during the courses on structural engineering and building sciences all content was conveyed in the form of lectures only. And all subject knowledge was tested in exams only. To make matters worse, those exams were graded somewhat unfairly. Instead of being awarded grades for correct content, grades were deducted for mistakes which effectively meant that students needed 75% in order to pass the course. These courses were thus incredibly difficult to pass, and were essentially used to ‘thin the herd’ of students. In my own courses, I do not employ such controversial methods as I believe that students a) need to be exposed to a wider range of teaching styles in one course, and b) that assessment and marking must be clear and straightforward.

It was during this time that I also had opportunity to work in architectural practices. I have greatly enjoyed working for Bolles+Wilson on public buildings and urban design projects, and for Reichard, Maas and Associates on industrial building designs and apartment complexes. These experiences were transformative in that I realised two things: First, I was rather good at design and architectural design. Second, inasmuch as being paid for design work was gratifying, I appreciated both the creative freedom, and the theoretical and conceptual rigor of academia.

While having these very different experiences as a learner, I also started teaching. Relatively early on during my studies, I was employed as a tutor, teaching construction. At a German university being a tutor comes with more responsibilities than at a New Zealand university. In addition to conducting tutorials and marking, I would also start giving lectures and marking exam papers. An additional challenge was teaching ‘Altes Wissen’, which can be translated into ‘cultural knowledge’. Teaching this course (which required teaching students as well as industry practitioners) required a great breadth and depth of knowledge as it covered not only cultural contexts of Central Europe but also India and China, among other countries. Soon, I spent as much time on my teaching duties as on being a student and learner myself.

Overall, I have found my initial forays into teaching exhilarating. While there was much anxiety initially (Will I remember everything I want to say? What about difficult student questions? What about students who are older than me?) I have always enjoyed teaching, from day one. A reassuring aspect of this is that the impression appears to be mutual – I generally get rather positive teaching feedback from my students, which, of course, reinforced my enjoyment of teaching. The next section provides more detail on my teaching experiences in New Zealand, and how they continue to shape my thinking about teaching.

Teaching and facilitating learning

Considering all of the above, embarking on a teaching career seemed natural, not only my earliest learning experiences but also first experiences as a teacher in a tertiary education environment seemed to point that way. My first permanent teaching positions were as a Lecturer at Otago Polytechnic and then as a Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington. Both positions had a focus on teaching architectural design, which was familiar; the added challenge of teaching in a different cultural context was, of course, new. It was at this point of my teaching career that I first appreciated the value of professional development whilst in employment. Learning about biculturalism in New Zealand both during workshops and ‘on the job’ was worthwhile and has enabled me to, for example, lead a multicultural team during the FirstLight House competition (see Case Study 1 – Project-based Learning). This project was highly significant for my (teaching) career as it further allowed me to introduce my students to and extensively interact with local, regional and national industry stakeholders. I am glad to say that in general feedback on my teaching is still very positive.  After one of the first courses, for example, that I taught at Otago Polytechnic the students gave me a piece of NZ pounamu. This made me very happy as I perceived this as the ultimate compliment coming from a New Zealand class, taught in New Zealand.

I have now arrived at a point where I have realised the significance of Lifelong learning, both for myself as a reflective practitioner in teaching and practice, but also as something that I hope my students will aspire to throughout their careers. In Teaching Philosophy I will explain how I aim to inspire students to become reflective practitioners.