Learning at sites of practice

In architectural technology studies, in the past the office was seen as the primary site for practice-based learning in the curriculum, supplementing on-campus studio learning. More recently another form of practice learning, namely community building projects, has been introduced. The authors were interested in the affordances offered for practice-based learning at these different sites, both in architecture and more generally in university studies associated with problem- and project-based open learning environments. Thus, the authors analysed students' experiences at each site through Ingold (2000) and Lave's (2012) lens of skilled practice, a sociomaterial approach to practice learning. Though both sites afforded professional learning, it was found that community projects did so most strongly. This was ascribed to the purposefulness of such projects and to the affordances of care and responsibility offered by them.