
WDM3_23 Lecture | Landscape principles and design-based learning
18 May 2023 - May 18
18th May 2023
17.30 (CET) | Zoom
Landscape principles and design-based learning as a pedagogical method for environmental literacy
by Tanya PASSOS ROSA and Zsombor BOROMISZA, Institute of Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Garden Art, Department of Landscape Protection and Landscape Rehabilitation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences
General subject area | landscape principles and design-based learning; landscape and community; landscape and education; landscape democracy; participation.
Abstract | Environmental education, in its present situation, is not evolving in accordance with the pressing sustainability needs and the educational needs of the 21st century. It is known, there is an educational gap between the way these issues are addressed in educational settings and the fast-changing state of the environment. To be up to date with modern needs, education needs to go beyond passive learning, it needs to be fun, engaging, rooted in real experiences, and offer forms of interaction and empathy to be truly transformative [1,2].
One pedagogical methodology growing in popularity in recent years is the Design-Based Learning (DBL), a form of teaching that involves applying the design process to the instruction of subjects. Intrinsic to the design process is the use of important skills of the 21st century, such as communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, but it also implies knowing how and being open to dealing with wicked problems, and such skills are invaluable for today’s challenges [3,4].
Combining the DBL approach to instruct pupils about the planning and maintenance of spaces has the potential to spark a stronger sense of identity with the local landscape that leads to better care and maintenance of environments. Such programs should be rooted in actively redesigning and rebuilding environments by students. This can be achieved by integrating landscape architecture principles into the DBL curriculum, to have programs that hands-on create aesthetically pleasing and sustainable environments within learning spaces. Students should consider users’ needs and wishes, while learning strategies on how to create landscapes that maintain the dynamics of environmental change and have a rehabilitating effect. This method promotes experiences that build personal connections with the landscape, and beyond the learnings from the process, the products of such programs can continuously be used for educational purposes [5,6].
Bibliography
[1] HUDSON, Steward J (2001). Challenges for Environmental Education: issues and ideas for the 21st century. BioScience. Vol. 51, No. 4, p. 283-288, Apr. 2001. Available at: https://academic. oup.com/bioscience/article/51/4/283/247100. Accessed in: 8, dec. 2022.
[2] GILL, Tim (2014). The Benefits of Children’s Engagement with Nature: A Systematic Literature Review. Children, Youth and Environments. Vol. 24, No. 2, p. 10- 34, 2014. Available at: <http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublication?journalCode=chilyoutenvi>. Accessed in: 19, jan, 2023.
[3] DAVIS, Meredith et al. (1997). Design as a catalyst for learning. Virginia, USA: Association for supervision and curriculum development, 1997.
[4] JIANG, Zhigang; et al. (2020) Teaching towards Design-Based Learning in Manufacturing Technology Course: Sino–Australia. Sustainability journal, MDPI, Switzerland. 2020.
[5] LEE, Hyun-Kyung; BREITENBERG, Mark (2010). Education in the New Millennium: The Case for Design-Based Learning. JADE, vol 29, No. 1, p. 54-60, 2010. NSEAD/Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2010.
[6] VAN DER TOORN, Martin (2007). Environmental education and design: the role of landscape architecture. WSEAS Int. Conf. on environment, ecosystems, and development. Edit. 5. p. 451- 462. 14-16, dec. 2007.