A studio-based approach to teaching information technology

Studio-based teaching is well-established in creative disciplines such as architecture and the arts, but it has been rarely used in the teaching of IT at a tertiary level. The wider use of the studio model for teaching, originally proposed by Schon (1983), has been discussed extensively in the literature, and elements of it can be identified in teaching innovations such as problem-based learning. Students practise skills and techniques and learn new concepts whilst working in an environment that encourages learning by doing, working together and seeking advice or assistance from mentors and tutors. The studio is often an environment similar to that which students will experience in the workplace.The teaching of the Bachelor of Information Management and Systems (BIMS) at Monash University has instituted a teaching model based on a studio approach. The traditional lecture theatre, tutorial room and laboratory environment is replaced by a model based around the development of collaborative learning, integrated curriculum and problem-based learning. The approach used within the BIMS enables the development and expression of a model in which the teaching spaces, support infrastructure, subject content, teaching methods and student learning environments are integrated. This in turn has required a radical re-thinking of all elements of the teaching program, including: • the layout and design of the physical teaching space, • the teaching and learning approach used, and • the IT infrastructure.The university and School have made a large financial commitment to using a studio approach in the teaching of the BIMS program. The lecturers and tutors teaching in the program have also made a substantial commitment to the model.This paper describes a framework for the development of a studio-based teaching and learning environment for IT related courses, and discusses the results of the first phase of its implementation at Monash University