**3.1.4 The VIPA e-learning platform and its architectural extensions**

The design and implementation of space and place is no longer wholly reliant on physical processes. The conceptual design of virtual spaces is creating new places in which to live and work. In consequence, new opportunities for work and employment are opening up for architects as well as for architectural educators. In response to this challenge, VIPA contains an e-learning and research platform for European architectural schools with a focus on virtual space design. The virtual campus integrates administrative, curricular, and communicative infrastructures, interactive, multimedia 3-D contents, and pedagogical considerations in respect of the aims, content and technologies employed.

VIPA effort is oriented towards development of tools for Virtual Space Design and teaching in that environment. Special emphasis is put on longer term aspects of virtual space, as students will be encouraged to experiment with, design and develop virtual space as a new emerging environment. Virtual lab is considered to be one of the crucial VIPA strengths and is the focus of the VIPA curriculum. The course should present and enable students to create personal environments, make generic spaces and forms, collaborate, interact and communicate, and experiment with forms and environment responses to user actions.

The strongest points of VIPA platform are: extensibility, modularity, comprehensive services and means of communication among users, towards future oriented tools for elearning (especially for virtual space design), where partner universities and partners from the private sector may profit by sharing resources, competencies and contact networks. VIPA is at present a prototype that tests the feasibility of the curricular, didactical and technical concepts. Issues partially addressed and the ones to be developed still further include its development into a working model and include:


Choice of evaluators

166 E-Learning – Organizational Infrastructure and Tools for Specific Areas

compensates for the lack of face-to-face contact between students and faculty "in ways that

The concept of VIPA didactics is based on the constructivist e-learning model. The constructivist learning concept provides prompts, stimuli, coaching and support instead of guiding a student through knowledge and is in that aspect close to established teaching in the field of architecture (and other related sciences). VIPA supports blended learning – the combination of traditional and e-learning practices. In that sense it combines local specifics with the collaborative and sharing possibilities, strengthening the sense of affiliation among its members. VIPA is an environment which supports problem-oriented, experiential, collaborative learning with media-rich contents based on grounded pedagogical methodologies, with a high grade of interactivity. Learning and teaching of virtual space design stand in the focus of VIPA effort. Combining constructivist and blended learning models, the main virtual campus features are oriented towards creative, intuitive, user-

The design and implementation of space and place is no longer wholly reliant on physical processes. The conceptual design of virtual spaces is creating new places in which to live and work. In consequence, new opportunities for work and employment are opening up for architects as well as for architectural educators. In response to this challenge, VIPA contains an e-learning and research platform for European architectural schools with a focus on virtual space design. The virtual campus integrates administrative, curricular, and communicative infrastructures, interactive, multimedia 3-D contents, and pedagogical

VIPA effort is oriented towards development of tools for Virtual Space Design and teaching in that environment. Special emphasis is put on longer term aspects of virtual space, as students will be encouraged to experiment with, design and develop virtual space as a new emerging environment. Virtual lab is considered to be one of the crucial VIPA strengths and is the focus of the VIPA curriculum. The course should present and enable students to create personal environments, make generic spaces and forms, collaborate, interact and communicate, and experiment with forms and environment responses to user actions. The strongest points of VIPA platform are: extensibility, modularity, comprehensive services and means of communication among users, towards future oriented tools for elearning (especially for virtual space design), where partner universities and partners from the private sector may profit by sharing resources, competencies and contact networks. VIPA is at present a prototype that tests the feasibility of the curricular, didactical and technical concepts. Issues partially addressed and the ones to be developed still further

actually lead to greater intimacy and access" (Stager, 2005).

**3.1.3 The didactics of VIPA** 

friendly didactical environments and tools.

**3.1.4 The VIPA e-learning platform and its architectural extensions** 

considerations in respect of the aims, content and technologies employed.

include its development into a working model and include:

Quality control where VIPA combines courses from various schools

Different types of degrees/coursework offered

Part or whole of a MSc.

Quality criteria

 Coursework in the doctoral degree MPhil or PhD research platform



Table 1. VIPA e-learning platform components and functionalities.

E-Learning in Architecture: Professional and Lifelong Learning Prospects 169

out of a passive audience, which is deemed crucial when it comes to questions of

Learning about architecture and its context in the present state, pointing and searching for cause-effect relationships and impacts leaps over the historic perspective but offers the connection to sustainability issues and can address actual and burning spatial problems and practices. Combining architecture and responsible spatial behaviour is ever more viable in the recent push to reduce our impact on the environment. The human need 'to inhabit' (be it in terms of residence, working environment, leisure activities, education) has broad-ranging impact on the environment and can consequently play a major role in sustainable efforts (Gauzin-Müller, 2002). Focusing on the 'inhabiting' also represents a viable and meaningful intersection between architectural practices, emerging and existing spatial problems, the

**ways of presenting content elements**

 the absence of interference and non-materialization are the interventions that should also be taken into

around notions of 'living and dwelling' and operating with spatial qualities rather than spatial values an equal treatment of all three sustainability 'columns'

 the sustainability begins in local environment focusing of the concept of spatial sustainability

(social, environmental, economic)

role of actors in space and efforts towards more sustainable development.

**Content Elements Characteristics -** 

consideration

Table 2. Lifelong learning about sustainability focuses around content elements and aspects. There are many interpretations and dimensions of sustainable spatial development and responsible acting in different environments. Some are leaning towards energy efficiency, others focus on natural aspects, and less often the cultural aspects of sustainability are taken into an account: Stibbe & Luna (2009) go a step further, arguing for sustainability literacy skills that foster a deeper look into the social, cultural and economic systems that gave rise to environmental problems. Combining declared attitudes and values into operative, concise, near-everyday-life experience terms ( 'spatial qualities'; see Verovsek & Juvancic,

**4.1 The range of spatial topics to be conveyed to non-experts through e-learning**  Learning *about* architecture can take different approaches. The historic, timescale approach comes first to mind. As it can be insightful and informative it also takes a very long time and a reflective individual to draw conclusions and implications for the present state of affairs in built environments. The historic approach can prove to be burdened with counterproductive issues such as style, taste, etc. that sometimes overshadow the conceptual underlays and bias the perception when looked at from present-centric perspective and context, which is often the case how non-experts react, especially younger generation. Rather than discussing what is tasteful and beautiful, which varies greatly between individuals, societies, cultures and where consensus is very hard to reach (and even if reached does not help much) the topics of what is respectful of its surrounding environment, what is efficient, what is

responsible spatial interventions and sustainable spatial behaviour.

functional can be addressed.

 burning architecturalspatial problems problems indicated by the existent

development trends specific indicators of sustainable development
