can’t google that the necessity of travel study for design education in the digital age
Eric Reiter, Graduate Student, Master of Architecture, School of Design & Construction. Adviser: J. Philip Gruen, Associate Professor & Co-Program Coordinator, School of Design & Construction.
WSU Architecture Students at the Cloud Gate, or the “Bean”. Chicago, 2011. Photo Credit: Allison Dunn
Virtual Space, Virtual Experience The digital revolution has provided a completely new and unexplored possibility of travelling to distant places without actually embarking on a physical journey. Information gathering can be accomplished at incredible speeds with enormous ease. Software solutions such as Google Earth provide a fairly accurate representation of the spatial qualities characterizing a place. This rate of return makes this kind of analysis very economical and efficient. A person could navigate a virtual simulation of a city and be able to ascertain a comparable amount of information as a person who is actually physically present in that city. So if site information is available in a virtual setting, is the very notion of travel being at all “necessary” in education, in question? Is travel still a significant and educational aspect of design education?
“No man’s knowledge can go beyond his experience.” -John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1689.
WSU School of Design & Construction Integrated Study Tour. Students at Trump Plaza, Chicago, 2013. Photo Credit: Jaime Rice
Experiencing Displacement Displacement is a healthy condition for a student to experience, it forces them to adapt to a new setting and provides a very real sense of exploration and discovery. Exposure to different environments and different cultures can have significant implications in design discussion and development. Students are exposed to various mapping techniques, sketching in particular. The sketch has historically been an essential tool associated with design. Sketches can become masterpieces in of themselves, and architects can rise to success with effective sketching methods. Following are three examples of sketches done by WSU students while participating on study tours.
WSU School of Design & Construction Integrated Study Tour. Students at Crown Hall, IIT Campus. Chicago, 2013. Photo Credit: Jaime Rice
“ROME CAPRICCIO OF CLASSICAL RUINS” by Giovanni Paolo Panini, 1691-1765. Painted while on a tour to Rome.
Travel as a Historic Component of Design Education Travel has been considered an essential aspect in design education for centuries. A prominent example is the Grand Tour undertaken by wealthy European men in the 17th and 18th centuries. This journey to sites of antiquity was meant to be a rite of passage, a formal education in the ways of the world would establish a student’s credibility upon his return. Students would follow maps and travel with guides to to maximize the experience. Many renown scholars and sought-after artists emerged from this process, such as Giovanni Panini, who immortalized his travel experiences through artistic endeavours. Eric Reiter School of Design & Construction Washington State University
Byron Martz, Chicago 2011 Study Tour.
Eric Reiter, Chicago 2011 Study Tour.
Ashley Williams, San Francisco 2013 Study Tour.
Persistently Beneficial Despite the capabilities and efficiency of virtual information gathering, there continues to be benefits and valuable experiences gained from participating in travel study. Information gathered from student surveys suggests uniformly positive responses. Virtual experience cannot replace the tangible and spontaneous elements which characterize a place. Sensory information such as sounds, smells, and textures cannot yet be emulated virtually. These experiences can often be inspirational to design, and provide firsthand knowledge of a place, from material quality to the social climate. WSU School of Design & Construction Integrated Study Tour. Students at Mies Van Der Rohe’s Farnsworth House. Chicago, 2013. Photo Credit: Jaime Rice
research & data collection
Total Votes
Student Evaluations
20
20
15
15
30 25
After returning from a study tour, students fill out evaluation forms leaving feedback on various aspects of the tour. For the research portion of this project, these survey forms have been compiled in order to map the attitudes regarding specific aspects of the study tours. This data is the primary measure by which conclusions about the effectiveness of certain aspects of the study tour are being measured. The primary case studies for this portion of the project are the Architectural Study Tours, as well as the Integrated Study Tours, offered to students of the School of Design & Construction in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Chicago and San Francisco are the cities involved in this investigation.
20 10
10
5
5
10 5 0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
0
A
B
Chicago 2011
C
D
E
F
G
0 A
H
6
G
H
I
J
K
30
15 20
5 4
15
10
10
2
5 5
1 0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
0
A
B
Chicago 2011
C
D
E
F
G
0
H
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
Chicago 2012
Chicago 2013
58%
66%
J
K
Survey Return Rate 63%
85%
WSU Architecture Students approaching the San Francisco Public Library. San Francisco, 2013. Photo Credit: Jaime Rice
Chicago 2011
Chicago 2012
Chicago 2013
of the time
Total Votes 40 35 30
15
0
25 20
10
15 10
5
5 0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
0
San Francisco 2011
67% of the time
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
San Francisco 2013
35 30
10
WSU Architecture Students at the Ferry Building. San Francisco, 2013. Photo Credit: Jaime Rice
25
8
0
A
Highest Vote 12
20 6 15 4
10
2 0
5
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
San Francisco 2011
0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
San Francisco 2013
Survey Return Rate
72% of the time
Eric Reiter School of Design & Construction Washington State University
F
25
20
Chicago, San Francisco, 2013: Overall, I would say this Study Tour was (circle as many as are appropriate): A. I wish I had stayed in Pullman students indicated these answers: B. A waste of time and money C. Stressful and never-wracking % of the time D. Just average. It really doesn’t matter to me one way or the other E. It was good, but it would be even better if... (pleae explain) F. A highly worthwhile educational experience G. Much more fun and interesting than I expected H. I expected this trip to be fantastic, and it was I. I didn’t want to leave J. Can we have more study tours, please? students indicated this answer: K. One of the best things I’ve been a part of during my time at WSU
E
WSU Architecture Students at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. San Francisco, 2013. Photo Credit: Jaime Rice 20
0
Chicago, 2012: Overall, I would say this Study Tour was (circle as many as are appropriate): A. I wish I had stayed home students indicated these answers: B. Not good % C. Average - doesn’t matter to me one way or the other of the time D. A worthwhile educational experience E. Much more fun and interesting than I expected F. Excellent G. I didn’t want to leave! students indicated this answer: H. One of the best things I’ve been a part of during my time at WSU
D
Highest Vote
3
Chicago, San Francisco, 2011: Overall, I would say this Study Tour was (circle as many as are appropriate): A. I wish I had stayed home students indicated these answers: B. Poorly Organized % C. Average of the time D. Very Good E. Excellent students indicated this answer: F. A worthwhile Educational Experience G. I didn’t want to leave H. I’m moving to Chicago; please forward all subsequent assignments
C
Chicago 2013
7
The graphs to the right feature data extracted from the surveys, where students are asked to mark all the choices that apply to their experience on the study tour. These questions have evolved between 2011 and 2013, and the different iterations of the questions are listed below.
B
Chicago 2012
8
“The self discovery of the city was amazing and inspiring.” -Callista Rillos, Chicago 2011 Architecture Study Tour.
15
64% San Francisco 2011
78% San Francisco 2013
WSU Architecture Students at the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco, 2013. Photo Credit: Jaime Rice