| Title | elementsdb: Engaging students with the environmental dimensions of urban design via the web |
|---|---|
| Faculty/College/Unit | Applied Science |
| Status | Completed |
| Duration | 3 Years |
| Initiation | 04/01/2010 |
| Completion | 12/03/2013 |
| Funding Details | |
| Year 1: Project Title | Engaging students with the environmental dimensions of urban design via the web |
| Year 1: Project Year | Year 1 |
| Year 1: Funding Year | 2010/2011 |
| Year 1: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 1: Principal Investigator | Cynthia Girling |
| Year 1: Funded Amount | 54,703 |
| Year 1: Team Members | Cynthia Girling, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), Faculty of Applied Science |
| Year 1: Summary | This project will apply, evaluate, and expand elementsdb a unique web-based UBC-created reference database that connects quantitative data about the elements of the city with the more commonly accessible visual information. With this support we will expand students’ knowledge base about the metrics of urban sustainability via a web-based resource, train successive waves of teaching assistant (TA)/faculty teams to make effective use of elementsdb in classes, engage students in case selection and creation, and in the evaluation of the database as a reference and research tool. Interactive use of this tool will immediately enhance student learning by teaching select students in classes listed below the theory and application of well-informed urban design decision-making. Available via the UBC Library’s Online Indexes and Databases list, students will have 24 hour access. It will directly complement existing curricula of approximately 190 students/year in landscape architecture, environmental design, urban design, and planning courses. |
| Year 2: Project Title | Engaging students with the environmental dimensions of urban design via the web |
| Year 2: Project Year | Year 2 |
| Year 2: Funding Year | 2011/2012 |
| Year 2: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 2: Principal Investigator | Cynthia Girling |
| Year 2: Funded Amount | 65,360 |
| Year 2: Team Members | Cynthia Girling, SALA, Faculty of Applied Science |
| Year 2: Summary | This project broadens and deepens a 2010/11 project that affords students a web-based database (elementsdb) for understanding how urban form affects sustainability. Year 2 takes specialized students deeper into applying the database to critical evaluations of urban form and concurrently broadens the reference service of the databases to large undergraduate classes. The project: trains faculty/teaching assistant (TA) teams to make effective use of elementsdb in courses; expands students knowledge base about the metrics of urban sustainability; engages students in critical cross-disciplinary consideration of the complex factors of urban sustainability; engages some students in database creation and evaluation. In 2011/12, we will test the use of the database in two different virtual environments: GoogleEarth and a multi-touch table. Students will have 24 hour access from any location to this website. This project will directly complement existing curricula of approximately 540 students/year in six departments. |
| Year 3: Project Year | Year 3 |
| Year 3: Funding Year | 2012/2013 |
| Year 3: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 3: Principal Investigator | Cynthia Girling |
| Year 3: Funded Amount | 61,064 |
| Year 3: Team Members | Cynthia Girling, SALA, Faculty of Applied Science |
| Year 3: Summary | Learning from Years 1 and 2, this project makes significant changes to modes of learning, content, and levels of user engagement for a web-based database (elementsdb). Year 3 engages a group of research assistants to: add a community of interest module; redesign the learning tutorials; help design protocols for students to create cases; and add building energy content to the database. We are sustaining our seven core partner courses and add one new course- a building systems course in Architecture who will test and evaluate the new case creation methods and the energy modules. We are improving integration of elementsdbin core course curricula to expand students’ knowledge base about the metrics of urban sustainability and engage students in critical consideration of the complex factors of urban sustainability. This project will directly complement existing curricula of approximately 190 students/year in SALA and SCARP this year and into the future. |