Sunday, November 28, 2010

Architecture and education


"The design of buildings and landscape is thought to have little or nothing to do with the process of learning or the quality of scholarship that occurs in a particular place. But in fact, buildings and landscape reflect a hidden curriculum that powerfully influ­ences the learning process." from Architecture and Education by David Orr
When choosing a college, I was bombarded with brochures depicting the "typical college setting".  It seemed impossible to me that a collegiate education could have an ugly setting.  While I support Off in his claim that the collegiate experience draws from the architecture of the college, not all of my learning for American Conversations has taken place inside of Boe Chapel/Basement.  

I've learned far more from my fellow students thatn I have gazing at any building on campus.  However, I will admit that the reference room of the library with all the imporatant pictures of college affiliates is a good motivation for study. 

To draw any conclusion, I must refer to a principle form my statistics class.  Correlation does not imply causation.  Just because the architecture of buildings may play a part in a students education does not mean the the architecture was the main cause of education. 

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