![]() ![]() Although, numerous English-language academic articles have been published on the use of Facebook in higher education in general, to date only a handful of studies examine Facebook use in support of the traditional architectural design studio. The social media platform allows increased contact hours between faculty members and students of architectural departments, and enhances computer supported collaborations between its users, while increasing the levels of communication throughout the pedagogical design process. Facebook is also the social media platform that is most commonly used in support of architectural design studios to mitigate the ever-increasing numbers of student enrolment and budget cuts that tend to increase student-to-instructor ratios. This is particularly significant in developing countries as universities do not always have adequate access to learning management systems. The use of Facebook in support of higher education has been increasing since its inception. It provides possible ways to expand the existing traditional physical studio learning environment. However, new ways to connect people and to nurture foster, and enable a sense of community are being presented by the Web. These spaces are not conducive to conversation and interaction -activities typical of the studio environment and necessary for critical thinking, ideation and design development. Students spend less time in the studio and an increasing amount of time in computer labs. However, the physical architecture studio, as we know it, is rapidly being transformed. It utilizes the theories of apprenticeship, social constructivism, socio-cultural theory of learning, collaborative learning, situated learning in communities of practice and enculturation. The studio is a physical place that facilitates pedagogy that supports community-centred instruction. It is a social environment (Gross, 1997 Chen and You 2010:152) which is characterised by communication, critique and collaboration. There is wide acceptance that the studio stands central to architectural design education (Bakarman, 2003, 2005 Kuhn 2001 Forsyth., Zehner and McDermott 2007).
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