The role of the hands-on teaching approach in vernacular architecture education: A case study of University of Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper focuses on a study of pedagogical techniques employed for the teaching of vernacular architecture modules, at the University of Jos, Nigeria. It looks at the way the hands-on approach and other methods were employed in teaching the modules from the early formative stages to the final year of the bachelor’s programme before changes were made to the teaching methods. As methodology, the study employed the use of basic statistical methods in terms of percentages in examining the level of students’ interests in undertaking vernacular architecture related projects for their BSc dissertations between 1985/86 to 2005/06 sessions. The aim was to see if the level of students’ interest in vernacular architecture had been affected by the changes made to the way the modules were taught. Although continuous dissertation records spanning the entire 20 sessions could not be obtained, inference was drawn from existing ones. The results indicated a significant drop in the percentage of students undertaking vernacular architecture related projects for their BSc dissertations after changes in the teaching techniques were effected. This study reveals the significance of hands-on learning in vernacular architecture education and further highlights the importance of module-specific approaches in higher education pedagogy in general.   Key words: Vernacular architecture, hands-on approach, pedagogy, students’ interests.