Shaping Values and Perspectives: Impact of community projects on student learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10i32.6730Keywords:
Community Architecture, Learning Experience, ; Teaching Pedagogy, Higher EducationAbstract
Community engagement is vital in urban design and education. This study explores its role in UCSI University's Diploma in Architecture program, assessing student participation in community projects and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4: Quality Education). A case study surveyed 46 students on their involvement in design, construction, and documentation. Findings show strong participation, skill development, and collaboration with communities and industry partners. Despite limitations, the study underscores community engagement's impact on learning, fostering social responsibility, and preparing architects for sustainable practices, reinforcing its importance in designing curricula for transformative education.
References
Adams, T. (2019). Participatory design for sustainability: A handbook. Routledge.
Azhar, N. A., et al. (2019). Community architecture education in Malaysia: A critical review. Architectural Education: The Journal of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, 28(1), 1-16.
Butler, J. M. (2011). Using standardized tests to assess institution-wide student engagement. In R. L. Miller, E. Amsel, B. Kowalewski, B. Beins, K. Keith, & B. Peden (Eds.), Promoting Student Engagement, Volume 1: Programs, Techniques, And Opportunities. Syracuse, NY: Society for the Teaching of Psychology.
Chapman, E. (2003). Alternative approaches to assessing student engagement rates. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 8(13).
Chong, W. K., et al. (2018). Real project-based learning in architectural education: A case study from Malaysia. Journal of Architectural Education, 71(4), 459-470.
Fredricks, J. A. (2013). The measurement of student engagement: A comparative analysis of various methods and student self-report instruments. In S. L. Christenson (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Student Engagement (pp. 763-782). New York, NY: Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_37
Garrett, C. (2011). Defining, detecting, and promoting student engagement in college learning environments. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching & Learning Journal, 5(2), 1-12.
Habraken, N. J. (2007). The architect's handbook of collaborative practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Handelsman, M. M., Briggs, W. L., Sullivan, N., & Towler, A. (2005). A measure of college student course engagement. Journal of Educational Research, 98, 184-191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.98.3.184-192
Kahn, P. E. (2013). Theorizing student engagement in higher education. British Educational Research Journal, University of Liverpool. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3121
Knight-McKenna, M., Felten, P., & Darby, A. (2018). Student engagement with community. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20292
Kristin, J. (2019). From critical to transformative pedagogy in architectural education. ACSA/EAAE Teachers Conference Proceedings, June 28-29.
Kuh, G. D. (2003). What we're learning about student engagement from NSSE: Benchmarks for effective educational practices. Change, 35(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380309604090
Lee, S. H., et al. (2016). Community architecture in Malaysia: A review of literature and practice. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 25(1), 131-136.
Mandernach, B. J., Donnelli-Sallee, E., & Dailey-Hebert, A. (2011). Assessing course student engagement. In R. L. Miller, E. Amsel, B. Kowalewski, B. Beins, K. Keith, & B. Peden (Eds.), Promoting student engagement, volume 1: Programs, techniques, and opportunities. Syracuse, NY: Society for the Teaching of Psychology.
Martínez-Ventura, J., de-Miguel-Arbonés, E., Sentieri-Omarrementería, C., Galan, J., & Calero-Llinares, M. (2021). A tool to assess architectural education from the sustainable development perspective and the students’ viewpoint. Sustainability, 13, 9596. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179596
Mat Sood, N. F., et al. (2023). Students’ engagement in virtual learning of heritage building during the pandemic. In Nia, E. M., Ling, L., Awang, M., & Emamian, S. S. (Eds.), Advances in Civil Engineering Materials. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 310. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8024-4_13 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8024-4_13
Mazlan, I. M., et al. (2023). Integration of design and theory courses in architecture learning for introductory-level students. In Nia, E. M., Ling, L., Awang, M., & Emamian, S. S. (Eds.), Advances in Civil Engineering Materials (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 310). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8024-4_12 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8024-4_12
Mazlan, I. M., Jamail, M. I., Che Ani, A. I., Mat Jusoh, A. H., & Mohammad, N. (2024). A perfect graduate? Employers' perspective on future-ready architecture graduate skills. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Co-Curricular Learning Experience (ICCLE 2024), 20-21 June, Kuching, Sarawak.
McCarthy, J. P., & Anderson, L. (2000). Active learning techniques versus traditional teaching styles: Two experiments from history and political science. Innovative Higher Education, 24(4), 279–294. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:IHIE.0000047415.48495.05 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:IHIE.0000047415.48495.05
McEwan, C. B. (2010). Architecture for humanity: Design & the social compact. John Wiley & Sons.
Melisa, A. S., Ahmad Bustami, N. B., Tan, E., & Seghayat, M. S. (2019). Public perspective and engagement in cognitive-stimulation activity to preserve cognitive reserve among seniors in Malaysia: A pilot study. Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development, 10(4), 1115. https://doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2019.00859.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2019.00859.3
Mezirow, J. (2009). An overview of transformative learning. In K. Illeris (Ed.), Contemporary Theories of Learning: Learning Theorists ... In Their Own Words (pp. 90-105). Routledge.
Mezirow, J. (2012). Learning to think like an adult: Core concepts of transformative theory. In E. W. Taylor & P. Cranton (Eds.), The Handbook of Transformative Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Nasir, M. A. M., Janikowski, T., Guyker, W., & Wang, C. C. (2020). Modifying the Student Course Engagement Questionnaire for use with online courses. Journal of Educators Online, 17(1).
Plater-Zyberk, E., & Taylor, A. (2000). From theory to practice: Engaging undergraduate architecture students in community design. Journal of Architectural Education, 53(4), 200-208.
Rifkin, D. M. (2000). Community-based architecture education: A pedagogical framework. Journal of Architectural Education, 53(2), 4-16.
Yee, J., Raijmakers, B., & Ichikawa, F. (2019). Transformative learning as impact in social innovation. Design Culture, 11, 109–132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17547075.2019.1567984
Zulkeply, N., Mat So'od, N. F., Mat Rabu, Z., & Sidik, S. I. (2021). Teaching architecture for tertiary students during Covid-19: Issues & reflections. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 6(16), 55–60. https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i16.2722 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i16.2722
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Noor Fatehah Binti Mat So'od, Ida Marlina Binti Mazlan, Ilyana Binti Sujak, Nor Syawallina Binti Azman, Nurhayati Binti Zulkeply, Wandi Syahfutra

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.