Engaging communities, experiential learning and a classroom in the real world

Abstract

As part of curriculum reform at The University of Hong Kong, one of the key aspects is the implementation of experiential learning. By taking students out of the classroom into the real world, the traditional construct of problem-based learning, in which each problem proceeds an expected answer, is reversed. Introducing students in undergraduate education to complex situations with uncertain outcomes leads to a shift in educational priorities, a deeper understanding of the nature of inquiry, and the attainment of a wide variety of tools for knowledge acquisition. This paper presents three distinct courses in the Faculty of Architecture, each of which implemented a different aspect of experiential learning. The first course introduced students to an urgent contemporary issue in the local community and allowed them to actively provoke positive change through design research and community engagement. In the second course, students participated in the design and physical renovation of a 300-year old bridge in China. The third course was a multi-disciplinary design studio based upon the rebuilding of a traditional Chinese village. All three courses engaged students in novel situations with ill-defined problems and allowed them to confront the complexities involved in the application of theoretical ideas to make actual impact in the real world. This paper presents the approach and methodologies of the three courses’ in their collaboration with local communities’ to raise their awareness, enable their participation, and improve their lives. It concludes with a reflection on the challenges of achieving and assessing the stated learning outcomes and several lessons for future iterations of this type of curricular approach.