AR[t] 2

Page 41

tandem with existing conditions and historic im-

tegrative thinking with other courses, connecting

agery to understand why certain architectural

students to a community beyond the university,

decisions were made. This level of integration

and spurring greater curricular engagement within

among courses and connection to existing build-

the department. Its success since its deployment

ings in real-time is a unique opportunity that is

a year ago has merited great interest from both

only made possible via the ar opportunities pro-

within the academic community and a variety of

vided by the arch-app.

external stakeholders including the general pub-

The pedagogical model that the arch-app has es-

lic. Future directions for greater integration with

tablished has since partially become a victim of

other courses within the architectural science

its own success. as students and even members

program and even with other departments such

of the general public continued to upload content

as Interior Design are excellent opportunities in

freely, the limited capacity of the testing servers

continuing the positive academic trajectory of

indicated a need to find better models of maintain-

the arch-app while interest from professional ar-

ing content. The current model in use relies upon

chitecture organizations has generated requests

providing students enrolled in specific classes us-

for collaborations to provide content from its

ing the arch-app with accounts whereupon they

membership to serve as a platform documenting

may upload content on their own. Unfortunately as

great local projects. another dimension currently

with any wiki-based system, there remains to be

in discussion is how to make the arch-app more

a stronger mechanism for curating content which

engaging by integrating social media and possibly

currently is in the hands of a few professors and

adopting game mechanics within the ar interface.

research assistants.

ar-gaming hybridization under the arch-app may

The arch-app has served to address several edu-

prove to be an excellent opportunity to maintain

cational issues in architectural engineering includ-

learning in an engaging, entertaining framework.

ing increasing accessibility, maintaining currency,

ar-gaming interfaces fostering learning — appar-

and drawing in real world application while also

ently some things never change!

netting secondary benefits such as encouraging in-

41


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.