Introduction to architectural research - Advanced principles

Duration

40h AUTR

Number of credits

Lecturer

Céline Bodart, Maurizio Cohen, Aurélie de Boissieu, Marc Goossens, Silvia Groaz, Claudine Houbart, Eric Le Coguiec, Georges Mabille, David Tieleman, Sophie Trachte, Alexis Zimmer

Coordinator

Alexis Zimmer

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course " État d'avancement" consists in the close supervision of the students in the definition and the elaboration of their problematic of their end-of-study work (TFE or TFE project), according to the scientific requirements of a university level and the specificities of the research in architecture. Following on from the 'Research methodology in architecture' course (Master's, Q1), the course familiarises students with scientific research by putting it into practice and presenting methodologies commonly used in the field of architecture.

At the end of the course, each student will have written a text stating precisely the problematic of his/her TFE or TFE project following an outline successively:

• A title summarising the chosen subject;
• The statement of the main research question, the possible sub-questions and, if necessary, the underlying research hypotheses;
• Precise definition of key topics and/or concepts;
• The elaboration of a state of the art relating to the subject;The choice of the methodology and the research field, with arguments;
• A documented bibliography related to the problematic, including at least the readings to be carried out and notably recent references from scientific databases;
• A work plan specifying the stages of development of the TFE or TFE project in Master 2.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Write a research problematic;
• Define a research question related to a clearly identified subject of TFE or TFE project;
• Carry out a state-of-the-art study;
• Determine a methodology and a field adapted to the research question;
• Summarise and correctly write the synthesis of the subject and the research question;
• Appreciate the scientific value of the documentary sources related to his/her subject and establish a critique according to the rules of elaboration of a state of the art;
• Apply the contents of the "Research Methodology in Architecture" course (master, Q1) to his/her TFE or TFE project problematic.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

The course assumes that the student has:

• a good understanding of the contents of the course "Research Methodology in Architecture" (master, Q1)
• a good understanding of the functioning of the library
• a good understanding of the functioning of the library; - the writing skills necessary for the writing of a scientific work

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The elaboration of the TFE problematic or TFE project constitutes the main thread of the course, each session aiming at its progressive construction. Depending on the subjects and contents covered, the course is given/organised either in plenary sessions or in groups, in the logic of working seminars. The timetable will be sent to students at the first class session and will be available on e-campus.

To ensure dynamic exchanges and active learning, three teaching methods are used: the flipped classroom, collaborative learning and the adapted classroom :

• Flipped classroom: The students prepare the sessions before the course, by getting to know the content and by gradually developing their problematic. This preparatory work is done with the support of the promoter outside of the course sessions.
• Collaborative learning: The sessions are partly devoted to collective exchanges. These exchanges concern, for example, texts read, the construction of research questions, the state of the art, methodological choices, writing work, etc.
• Adapted class: Given the eminently individual nature of a TFE problem, the support is of course partially personalised. This is done, for example, by imposing or suggesting certain readings, resource persons and specific research activities, or by adapting the process of constructing the problematic.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Blended learning


Additional information:

The courses are given face-to-face. However, some sessions at the end of the four-month term may be given remotely. If this is the case, students will be informed one week in advance by the chair of the seminar in which they are registered.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Course materials will be sent to students via the eCampus platform. Reading suggestions will be sent to students individually according to their TFE problematic, by their seminar teacher and by the promoter.

Written work / report


Further information:

Written work / report


Additional information:

The assessment is based on an intermediate assignment (20%) and a final assignment (80%), covering :

• The quality of the problematic (subject, hypotheses, questions, objectives, etc.);
• The adequacy of the problematic in relation to the TFE or TFE project in architecture format and to the scientific criteria;
• The adequacy and quality of the sources used in relation to the problematic;
• The adequacy and quality of the state of the art in relation to the problematic;
• The adequacy of the methodology in relation to the problematic;
• The quality of the justification of the choices;
• The precision and details of the research steps;
• The quality of the work plan;
• The respect of scientific referencing conventions;
• The semantic precision;
• The quality of the writing (spelling, grammar, form and structure of the words).

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Please note: the course requires students to choose a TFE or TFE project topic at the very beginning of Q2, and to find a promoter in the following weeks. A list of TFE and TFE project subjects will be made available to them during Q1, via the e-campus platform. Students are expected to be actively involved in choosing their subject and identifying a promoter.

Students will be divided into seminar groups, led by a referent teacher, according to their research topic. All students must enrol in the seminar whose theme corresponds to the subject and/or field they wish to explore. This registration must be done after the first class session, via e-campus. Any seminar teacher may redirect the student to another seminar group if he or she considers it more suitable or to balance the number of students per seminar.

In addition to the referent teacher, students must work closely with their promoter in drawing up their progress report. It is their responsibility to keep them informed of the progress of their work and to take all the necessary initiatives to ensure efficient exchanges.

Students must be aware of the submission dates for intermediate and final work. This information will be communicated to students by the course teachers at the beginning of the second term. In order to ensure good practical, didactic and administrative management of the course, students must strictly adhere to the deadlines.

In the event of difficulty in identifying a promoter, students are required to inform their referent teacher and the course coordinator. They will be able to help students find a promoter if the following conditions are met:

• The student must actively attend the course and submit regular progress reports.
• The student must have already approached potential promoters.
• The student must have a sufficiently precise problematic
• The subject and the problem must correspond to the skills of the ULiège Faculty of Architecture's teaching staff.
• The application must be made sufficiently early in the term (not just before the final submission, and certainly not during the summer period).

Contacts

Alexis Zimmer : azimmer@uliege.be 

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