Exploring the Effective Dimensions of Engaging Students in Contemporary Architecture Design Studios in Times of Change

The architecture design studio is a pedagogical platform for the majority of learning and teaching experiences that take place within architecture design education. The traditional architecture design studio pedagogical model signified as "signature pedagogy" has gradually shifted away from its conventional forms of engaging students. Since the turn of the millennium, the studio has transformed into a contemporary form of design learning and teaching space based on several factors such as reduced contact time between academics and students, change in studio spatial typology and the hierarchy of academics that are involved in student engagement. These shifts have had a major impact on the ways in which students and teachers have dialogic interactions with one another and perceive their learning and teaching experiences. A qualitative case study research on an Australian University undergraduate school of design seeks to explore and link the components of the interaction between the different stakeholders of contemporary architecture design studio pedagogy. The research seeks to verify and extend Laurillard's conversational learning and teaching framework, to elaborate the theory and practice around contemporary design studio pedagogy. The components of the dialogic interaction between the different stakeholders in studio learning and teaching, form the basis for academics and students to reflect on their learning and teaching interaction informed by theoretical know-how and awareness rather than solely relying on intuition. The unpacking and understanding of these interactive components can inform design academics to adopt effective ways of engaging their students in architecture design studios.