MOOC to Aalto University
The Aalto University Chair of the History of Architecture and Restoration wanted to bring current themes in the field to the awareness of the general public, break with traditions in architectural education, and make in-person teaching more interactive. For these reasons, it was decided to collaborate with Ixir and to create an online course titled 'The History of Architecture - What is Always Relevant?'
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The course is aimed at university student as well as broad audience. It is open to everyone, and can be completed independently online, free of charge.
Participants' comments on the course.
Well-executed course.
The diverse, interactive structure made the course feel light, yet the content was substantial.
Really nicely catered to different learning styles!
New Perspectives and Student-Centered Learning
Why shouldn't many of the concrete behemoths that many consider ugly be demolished? Or is it even meaningful to talk about ugly and beautiful architecture? Does it matter what style a building represents? Can knowledge of architectural history help us address the ongoing climate crisis?
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The course explores these and other contemporary themes in the history of architecture for both high school students and anyone else interested in the subject. It also serves as part of the introductory course in the history of architecture and restoration offered at Aalto University.
Traditionally, the study of the history of architecture is perceived as learning about styles and memorizing column types. This course dispels these outdated notions and introduces participants to how practical and philosophical the field actually is.
The MOOC implementation also eases the busy workload of the staff and makes in-person teaching more student-centered. When students independently familiarize themselves with the factual aspects in advance, lectures can focus on discussions and other ways of applying knowledge within the group.
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Kuva: K. Kivi, n. 1967, Asuntosäätiö, KAMU Espoon kaupunginmuseo
Why was Ixir brought on board?
In recent years, crash courses have been increasingly used in university education. They are often created by educational institutions with the involvement of teachers. One might wonder why Ixir was needed. The two main reasons are quality and time savings.
While university teachers are experts in their respective fields and pedagogues, online pedagogy and especially self-paced online education are not necessarily their areas of expertise. Content production for an online course, leveraging technical solutions, and overall project management require specialized knowledge.
On the other hand, an online course is a publication like textbooks and podcasts. Using an external provider for delivering materials intended for a broad audience is generally a good idea.
Delivering a high-quality online course also consumes hundreds of hours of work time. Since the purpose of the MOOC in history of architecture was specifically to free up staff time for other tasks, it made sense to outsource the coordination and implementation of the course project to Ixir.
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Kuva: Rafael Karsten 1929, Museovirasto
Drones Above the Shopping Mall
Ixir started with the professor's course materials. With various additions, Ixir organized the content into a suitable format for an online course.
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Once the content and pedagogical script had been refined and approved through rounds of feedback, it was time to implement the activities. Assistant Professor Panu Savolainen, specializing in history of architecture and restoration, served as an expert in videos and audio recordings.
The filmmaker Antti Tuomas Seppänen was delighted to take on the role of video producer. Architecturally interesting locations in the Helsinki metropolitan area were chosen as shooting locations. Drones soared, and the atmosphere was akin to filming an action movie in the Arctic, as one of the coldest days of winter happened to fall during the filming week. The impressive results can be admired not only in the course but also on Ixir's YouTube channel.
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You can access the course (in Finnish) from this link.
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