A game for learning how dimensioning a beam

https://www.notionsstructures.be/

Context of teaching

ECTS 5

ECTS 5

ECTS 5

50%

30%

20%

□ 2nd year architects

students ULB

□ 2nd in a serie of 3

courses about structure:

Part 1: the basics (forces,

balance ...)

Part 2: Dimensioning

beams and columns in

wood / concrete / steel

Part 3: Practical

application of what they

have learned in structure

applied to architectural

project

Exercises

"Practicing"

Laboratory

"Experiment

100 students

Theories

"understanding"

Teaching objectives

At the end of the course the student are expected to be able:

1- to use a spreadsheet of pre-dimensioning (that calculate automatically beams - columns / wood - steel -

concrete)

2- to understand the sizing principles used in the spreadsheet

2014

2014Syllabus

Auditorium

Theory

Traditional

order of

learning : from

A to Z

Exercises

The attendance of

students during the

course is random

and decreases

slightly over time

Students

present fail to

stay focused

on the theory

for more than

1 or 2 hours.

Do the students remain too passive during the

classes?

The set of theoretical concepts only

makes sense at the end of the course: is

the timing too long between the learning

of a notion and the understanding of its

role in the sizing of beams?

The majority of

students do not

understand the

course.

I spend a lot of tim

trying to explain it to

them.

Meanwhile a very

small number of

students who

already understand

is bored

Is the fastest integration time too far from the

slowest?

How to increase their

motivation?

2014Syllabus

2015:"Finding meaning"

Auditoire

Tell a story

Syllabus on the internet

Theory

Exercises

Traditional

order of

learning : from

A to Z

Auditorium

Theory

Exercises

2014Syllabus

Auditorium

2015:

Auditoire

Tell a story

Syllabus on the internet

Theory

Exercises

"Finding meaning"Traditional

order of

learning : from

A to Z

Theory

Exercises

2014Syllabus

Auditorium

Ordre

d’apprentissage

des notions

théoriques

classique: de A

à Z

2015:"Finding meaning"

Auditorium

raconter une histoire

Syllabus on the internet

Theory

Exercises

Give immediate

meaning to the theory

Observation: it is slightly better but

overall the statement remains the same

Theory

Exercises

Do the students remain

too passive during the

classes?

Is the fastest integration

time too far from the

slowest?

How to increase their

motivation?

The attendance of

students during the

course is random

and decreases

slightly over time

Students

present fail to

stay focused

on the theory

for more than

1 or 2 hours.

The majority of

students do not

understand the

course.

I spend a lot of tim

trying to explain it to

them.

Meanwhile a very

small number of

students who

already understand

is bored

2016:«Give value to their presence in class + give them an active role»

Large room + tables

Learn together

Syllabus on the internet

All classes are dedicated to exercises:

Students work in groups of 6

- The first one who has managed to solve the given set of exercises helps the

others

- The first group that has finished helps the other groups

The Theory is on the internet

and prepared at home: Notion

by Notion (flipped classroom)Theory

Exercicses

2016:

If the students pass the quiz ending each class, they are exempted from

taking the exam

«Give value to their presence in class + give them an active role»

Learn together

Large room + tables

2014Syllabus

Auditoire

Theory

Ordre

d’apprentissage

des notions

théoriques

classique: de A

à Z

Exercises

2015:« Meaning »

Auditoire

Tell a story

Syllabus on the internet

Théorie

Exercises

Give them an

active role =

keep them

focused (for 4

hours)

Donner un sens

immédiat à la

théorie vue

flipped

classroom = to

each his own

pace (rythme)

Now it’s much better ☺ !

Increasing the

value of their

attendance in

class ☺☺☺☺

2016:« Value + active »

Grande salle + tables

Together

Syllabus on the internet

TheoryExercises

But……….

The attendance of

students during the

course is random

and decreases

slightly over time

Students

present fail to

stay focused

on the theory

for more than

1 or 2 hours.

The majority of

students do not

understand the

course.

I spend a lot of tim

trying to explain it to

them.

Meanwhile a very

small number of

students who

already understand

is bored

few students

review the theory

before class

For most architecture students, structure theories

seems inaccessible.

They don’t think they are able to do it

So how can we make it more accessible / attainable?

Level 1 Level 3

Level 2

Level

1

Level

2

Level

3

Level

4

Level

5

STEP 1:

Free play

2ND STEP:

Apply the theory

to move on to

the next level

Link to the

theory on line

2014Syllabus

Auditoire

Theory

Ordre

d’apprentissage

des notions

théoriques

classique: de A

à Z

Exercises

2015:« meaning »

Auditoire

Tell a story

Syllabus on the internet

Théorie

Exercises

2016:

« value+active role »

Grande salle + tables

Together

Syllabus on the internet

TheoryExercises

Mais……….

2017:« confidence »

Grande salle + tables

Play

Syllabus on the internet

TheoryExercises

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