Course syllabus for Architecture: Theory and text

Course syllabus adopted 2023-02-13 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameArkitektur: teori och text
  • CodeAKA084
  • Credits12 Credits
  • OwnerTKARK
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyArchitecture
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingUG - Pass, Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 45113
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0120 Written and oral assignments 12 c
Grading: UG		0 c0 c12 c0 c0 c0 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

At least 90 university credits in Years 1 and 2 of the Architecture program, or equivalent work from comparable architecture or design education. 
Swedish.

Aim

Students write an academic essay within the field of architecture with emphasis on both content and language, and become versed in the culture of academic seminars. Students learn to search for information and critically evaluate and analyze the sources of the information they find, a skill that is becoming increasingly important as both the volume of information and its accessibility increase. This is a skill students need not only in school but also in their future roles as practicing professionals. The goal is to, with a architecture focus, give course participants a better understanding of the processes of publishing and searching for information, of literature search methodology and technique, of how to search for and critically evaluate information, and of the system for referencing sources.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

ESSAY
- Formulate a clear question to investigate within the field of architecture
- Search for information and evidence in literature within the field of architecture and other sources
- Organize a substantial amount of information
- Compose an interesting and easily read paper within the chosen architectural field
- Provide constructive criticism for others' papers
- Accept constructive criticism and rework their papers based on that critique

Content

ESSAY
The main assignment is to write an essay on one of a number of given topics within the field of architecture. Students perform this work individually or in pairs. Each topic is defined in several questions, a limited number of articles, and a list of references for further reading. The topics are chosen and developed by the teaching team leader. The course builds on previous writing assignments from the undergraduate program. It gives students deeper understanding of the fundamentals of writing, such as organization, summary, synopsis, rhetoric, and referencing. Students must apply the fundamentals of academic writing in a paper within the field of architecture, using a correct system of annotation and referencing.
The course provides a more in-depth and thorough presentation of the tools available for information searches. We cover scientific communication, the structure and organization of information, and information searches. Students must practically apply this knowledge by searching for information in a specific subject area in architecture.


INFORMATION SEARCH unit
The Information Search unit of the course gives students an understanding of the publishing and information search processes, and an understanding of the organization and contents of the tools used in information searches through the school library and Internet search engines.
Students must make use of literature search methodology, find needed information, and critically evaluate it.

Organisation

The course is planned and led by a teaching team. Students' work on their essays is supported by lectures on writing and architectural theory. The Information Search unit begins with a presentation on the system of scientific publishing, followed by a mandatory exercise at the library that covers information sources in various subject areas, search techniques, and referencing. Students are given an assignment that must be completed and approved. The Working with Texts unit is integrated with the students' essay writing, and includes studies of literature, analysis of texts, and regular guidance and critique from the faculty.

Literature

A reading list will be provided at the start of the course.

Examination including compulsory elements

ESSAY
A passing grade requires active participation, including response and opposition in seminars and final critique, and a satisfactory result on the essay. The essay is evaluated in terms of organization, writing technique, and content.

INFORMATION SEARCH unit
A passing grade requires active participation in the exercise and a satisfactory result on the assignment.

A student who is not approved in the course after the regular examination must be given the opportunity to be examined through supplementation after the end of the course if the examiner considers it feasible. If, after two attempts at completion, the student still cannot be approved, the student must retake the course. Assessment of completions takes place during Chalmers' re-examination periods. It is the student's responsibility to check reported study results in Ladok after each study period and to contact the course examiner for instructions on supplementation if an approved result is missing.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.