Associate Professor Willy Sher

This paper presents the results of a preliminary protocol study of the cognitive behaviour of architectural designers during the design process. The aim is to better understand the similarities and differences in cognitive behaviour using Sequential Mixed Media (SMM) and Alternative Mixed Media (AMM) approaches, and how switching between media may impact on design processes. Two participants with at least one-year's professional design experience and a Bachelor of Design degree, and competence in both sketching and computer-aid design (CAD) modelling participated in the study. Video recordings of participants working on different projects were coded using the function-behaviour-structure (FBS) coding scheme. Participants were also interviewed and their explanations about their switching behaviours were categorised into three types: S¿C, S/CR and C¿S. Preliminary results indicate that switching between media may influence how designers identify problems and develop solutions. In particular, two design issues were identified. These relate to the FBS coding scheme, where structure (S) and behaviour derived from structure (Bs), change to documentation (D) after switching from sketching to CAD modelling (S¿C). These switches make it possible for designers to integrate both approaches into one design medium and facilitate their design processes in AMM design environments.

UK higher education institutions have invested significantly in the implementation of communication and information technology (CIT) in teaching, learning and assessment - with mixed results. This work investigated the use of multimedia technologies in the form of digital imagery and visualization material to improve student knowledge and understanding. In this context, this paper reports on a major UK initiative (CAL-Visual) funded by the Higher Education Funding Council as part of the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme looking at improving the use of images for teaching and learning in built environment education. It first describes ways in which computer-aided learning (CAL) is being used in civil and building engineering curricula, it then presents the main aims and objectives of the project and describes the design and implementation of the CAL-Visual system. It concludes by reporting on the results of an evaluation conducted using case studies relating to different applications.

Higher education institutions in the United Kingdom have invested significantly in the implementation of communication and information technology in teaching, learning, and assessment of civil and building engineering - with mixed results. This paper focuses on the use of digital imagery and visualization materials to improve student understanding. It describes ways in which these materials are being used in the civil and building engineering curriculum, and, in particular, how distributed performance support systems (DPSS) can be applied to make more effective use of digital imagery and visualization material. This paper centers on the extent to which DPSS can be used in a civil and building vocational and continuing professional development context by tutors in the form of an electronic course delivery tool and by students in the form of an open-access student information system. This paper then describes how a DPSS approach to education is being adopted at Loughborough University as part of the CAL-Visual project. After highlighting the main aims and objectives of the project and describing the system, this paper discusses some of the issues encountered during the design and implementation of a DPSS and presents some preliminary results from initial trials.

The Department of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Building, are currently collaborating on a two-year project, 'Recording Achievement in Construction' designed to encourage personal and professional development. The project, funded by the Department for Education and Employment, aims to promote a culture that will enable and support construction students and graduates to monitor, build and reflect upon their own personal development within the construction discipline. This paper outlines the rationale for the project and explains the reasoning behind the design and development of the RAPID (Recording Achievement for Professional and Individual Development) Progress File (Loughborough University, 1999). Furthermore, this paper outlines how this tool is currently being implemented within the Higher Education community, the lessons learned to date, and offers recommendations as to how it can be most effectively integrated with existing educational structures and practices. We conclude that the RAPID Progress File is the kind of personal and professional development tool that can assist and encourage individual learners develop a life-long perspective on the learning process.

UK Higher Education Institutions have invested significantly in the implementation of multimedia and visualization material in teaching, learning and assessment of civil and building engineering-with mixed results. This paper focuses on the use and life cycle of digital imagery and visualization material, which is embedded within multimedia teaching AIDS to improve student understanding. It describes ways in which these materials are developed and used in the civil and building engineering curriculum and, in particular, how distributed performance support systems can be applied to make more effective use of digital imagery and visualization material. Following this, the paper then describes how a distributed performance support system approach to education is being adopted at Loughborough University as part of the CAL-Visual project. After highlighting the main aims and objectives of the project, the paper concludes by discussing some of the issues encountered during the design and implementation of a distributed performance support system.