Studio Teaching within the Faculty

The following link contains information about getting your studio ready at the start of the semester.

MSD Studio (requires login).

The Studio Culture Agreement has been developed by undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne, in consultation with academic staff, through the ABP Student Forum.

Design studios are an essential element of the broad learning culture in the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning, and the Melbourne School of Design, and the extended design community. The studio environment provides a space for collaboration, experimentation and development that is integral to the study and practice of design. The Studio Culture Agreement delivers common goals and expectations to foster a positive and productive learning environment for students, tutors and the faculty. This  agreement requires the commitment of the faculty, tutors and students.

The Studio Culture Agreement can be found here.

In preparation for the upcoming Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) visit, the MSD will collect evidence of mapping of the Performance Criteria in studio teaching and assessment, and examples of student work and feedback.  All confirmed National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA) studios (which will have a mix of CDE students, but will be the only studios available to C students) will need to confirm that all of the Performance Criteria are addressed and assessed.  These criteria may be weighted differently in importance, and interpreted differently, depending on the focus of the particular studio. Other MArch studios (available to D and E students) will be mapping where these performance criteria are taught and assessed across the program, and MSD will be collecting this evidence also.

The Resources for the NSCA Studio Workshops will help to collect required evidence for the AACA visit:

• NSCA Performance Criteria
• Studio Key Dates

Re Evidence collection pre-semester

1. when the Performance Criteria are taught eg mapping studio teaching activities (see link);

• Studio Activities Criteria Mapping (NSCA)

2. when the Performance Criteria are assessed eg mapping assessment activities (see link);

• Assessment Activities Criteria Mapping (NSCA)

3. how Performance Criteria are assessed eg mapping on a template / rubric (this may exist, or be developed).

For #3, you might choose to annotate a current rubric to indicate how it will assess these criteria alongside other studio-specific criteria.

• CDE Studio Rubric

Please contact the studio subject coordinator (Prof Donald Bates), or senior tutor (Kristen Wang) for more details of the timeline etc.

A BEL+T ‘Rubric Whisperer’ can help with development or refinement of a rubric alongside this mapping: please contact us via: abp-belt@unimelb.edu.au

Re Evidence collection during/end semester

Please be aware MSD will also collect the following information for accreditation at the end of the semester:

• Studio Outlines as issued to students  - plus (or including) any materials that provide learning outcomes or an overview of assessment tasks (in addition to those listed in the University Handbook)

For the Final Crit Assessment Task we require:

• 2 X samples of the lowest pass student work (include all components - digital and physical) – plus completed rubric and formal written feedback / assessment sheets for identified samples.
• Completed NSCA Studio Mapping documents
• Any assessment task materials that are additional to the NSCA Studio Mapping documents, including overview/template/marking criteria (as distributed or advised to students)
• Distribution of final moderated student grades for the final crit assessment task.

Crits are a key form of assessment in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. They can be a valuable tool to enhance student learning, and the development of design skills and practices. When they work well they can be a rich collaborative learning discussion, but they can also be a cause of frustration and tension.  The following links outline some key issues to consider, calls for creative application of the format, and ways crits can offer valuable learning.

The Architecture Foundation's Crit Critiques

Archdaily's "How Can We Fix the Architecture Crit?"

Charlie Smith's "Understanding Students' Views of the Crit Assessment" (2015)

Studio leaders are advised to use their allocated room for mid semester review. Room allocation for final reviews will be arranged by the ABP Academic Programs and Teaching Support team.

Below is a link to the list of Master Studios offered at MSD. The list includes:

• Master of Urban Planning Capstone
• Master of Urban Design Studios
• Master of Landscape Architecture Studios
• Master of Architecture A/B
• Master of Architecture Studio CDE
• Master of Architecture Design Thesis
• MSD Travelling Studios

MSD Studios

Traveling Studios

Technical tutors can be remunerated using a different types of contracts. Please contact the senior tutor Kristen Wang to discuss the different contract options.

Payments to guest lecturers/technical tutors via gift cards are not allowed and is a breach of HR policy. Gift cards cannot be substituted as a payment method. It’s simply given as a kind gesture to simply say “thank you” for their time. As per the Faculty policy, current practice is that $50 (max.) worth gift card per person is given.

Reimbursements for studio related expenses need to be approved by the subject coordinator. Once approved, submit your expenses by following the instructions:

https://staff.unimelb.edu.au/abp/planning-and-finance/reimbursement-out-of-pocket-expenses

If you are a sessional tutor teaching a studio in semester 1, 2022 and require specific software as part of your studio teaching, please raise this request with your subject coordinator.