A study of analysing characteristics of students’ informal learning between peers within different environments—Taking British architecture schools as examples

Alongside the development of architectural education, especially the engagement of virtual and distance platforms, traditional design studio pedagogy has been challenged in this discipline. This paper makes a thematic analysis to compare architecture students’ informal learning experiences between peers in physical and virtual environments. The relevant data are collected by both quantitative and qualitative measures, divided into two phases. The first phase was conducted within three British architectural institutions, whose students were surveyed to collect their preferences on learning within the conventional design studio and remotely; the second source was collected from observations and interviews conducted explicitly in one British architectural institution. These two phases enabled data triangulation. The data of the first phase were analysed by exploratory factor analysis, summarising the main factors (social aspects, study atmosphere, interindividual supports, collaboration) which affect architecture students’ learning experiences within the design studio and virtual environment, respectively. Based on the findings of the first phase, the data of the second phase were analysed by thematic analysis, identifying four main ways of architecture students’ informal learning activities between peers, which are face-to-face and distance contacts, studio atmosphere and its alternatives, peer-to-peer bonds, and the form of a community and/or a group. Additionally, research has shown that the majority of architecture students have a preference for studying in a studio environment that is created within a traditional design studio atmosphere. This suggests that virtual platforms partially or fully replace the physical design studio.