Evaluation system for content and language integrated learning in architecture using immersive environments

Abstract

Based on the experience from EU project ARCHI21 (Hunter et al, 2011) and long-term commitment to research of architectural presentations and educational approaches to expert and non-expert public (i.e. Juvancic, Mullins & Zupancic, 2012), the paper aims to clarify the terms used in CLIL-architecture context, identify the variables that have, in practice so far, proven to influence the learning outcome and learning experience both in architectural and language sense, and systematize the findings into the useful system. The result can be envisioned as the potential ‘ladder of the CLIL & architecture integration‘. The system would be of help to anyone trying to integrate language learning at different stages of architectural education, pointing out the required fundamentals, predicting the possible learning outcomes or benchmarking them after the experience. The basic terms/variables divided into three major influencing groups-competence, work environment and course settings-are described first, proceeded with the scheme connecting them into the system and two actual examples ‘run’ through the matrix for illustrative purposes. The paper also looks specifically into the use of different immersive environments and digital communication tools for teaching the architecture/ design–other language combination and adapts the system to this segment, while also briefly comments on learners and teachers responses to CLIL-architecture integration.