A workshop with architecture students about design education for children

Abstract

This study presents an evaluation of a workshop for university students about how to provide children with design education through architecture, and students' points of view about this workshop. The participants of the workshop were volunteer undergraduate students in the Department of Architecture at Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul. Presentations and activities about design education for children were held during the two-day workshop. The activities were adapted from Architecture and Children: Design Education Programme developed for children by Taylor, Vlastos, et al. At the end of the activities, the participating students were administered a questionnaire form consisting of open-ended questions so that they could make an evaluation of the programme. In the form, they were asked about their expectations and suggestions related to skills and knowledge they acquired at the end of the workshop. The students' statements were summarized and interpreted by descriptive analysis technique. The students participating in the workshop stated that architecture was taught to children in a very interesting and entertaining way. They further pointed out the need for more cooperation between people working in architecture and child education. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Ayse Cakir Ilhan