Abstract:
Individuals perceive and process information in very different ways. Therefore learning/teaching
methods always differ from one person to another. There are large variety of different
learning/teaching methods and selected few are; 'Observational learning', 'Collaborative
learning' and 'Multiple intelligences'. 'Adventure learning', which js most popularly used in
Architectural education, demonstrates all the learning methods mentioned above.
Adventure Learning is to create activities that provide students with opportunities to explore
real-world issues through authentic learning experiences within collaborative learning
environment. It is not just a game. The facilitator need to guide students in the activity in order to
gain experiences to achieve the academic objectives. It is believed that actions are easiest to
remember and the learning can be best done through experience and fun. Further this method
can convert passive learners in to active learners.
One researcher named William Glasser(1999) has said that, 'most people learn 80% of what they
use and do in real life'. Therefore the objective of this paper is to show the importance of using
innovative teaching methods with few examples from author's experiences in teaching the
subject module, world history of architecture & design fof B.Arch./B.Des. degree level one,
University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
Key words: Active learning, Passive learning, Unconventional teaching methods, Adventure
learning, Effective teaching methods, Peer learning, University of Moratuwa
