Transformative Approachesto Studio Teaching: Enhancing Students’ Skills through a Blended Environment

Studio teaching is prevalent in several engineering disciplines, such as architecture, civil, mechanical, and construction engineering. It thrives in fields where expert mentors must demonstrate skills and guide students through practical and developmental processes. Grounded in the concept of artistry, studio pedagogy emphasises a close mentor-mentee relationship involving an iterative process of planning, action, critique, and revision. Central to this process is the continuous gathering of feedback. However, in the current climate of large classes and evolving learning needs, the traditional studio model needs to be improved to effectively support students' learning. This paper presents a practical teaching practice developed over five years, where the studio model is reimagined through a combination of face-to-face tutorials, online activities, focused workshops, peer- to-peer discussions, and one-on-one consultations. This redesigned model leverages a blended environment, utilising online collaborative tools to facilitate feedback gathering at various points throughout the semester, thereby enhancing students' engagement with disciplinary knowledge. The blended approach fosters a close and focused mentorship, allowing students to experiment with their designs and skill applications in a supportive environment. Additionally, this method enables students to customise and self-pace their learning, significantly improving their educational experience. It addresses the increasing challenges of class attendance, particularly during critical points in the semester, by providing flexible and accessible learning opportunities. This paper demonstrates how a blended studio model can effectively enhance students' design skills and overall learning outcomes in engineering education.