Paper

Updating Materials and Methods of Construction Pedagogy for Digital Natives: A Critical Adaptation from Textbooks Tests and Essays to Digitally Fabricated Physical Materials Systems Models, Discursive Video Blogs, and Gamified Computational Simulation

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Abstract

Charged with the responsibility of imparting essential knowledge of the materials, techniques, and processes involved in shaping the built environment, Materials and Methods of Construction courses have long been a standard component of National Architectural Accrediting Board [NAAB] core curricula guidelines. Punctuated by accelerating techno-cultural change, the recent timeframe has required a rapid sequence of course adaptations at the University of Kentucky, spurred initially by a nearly complete inaccessibility to physical learning spaces instigated by the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine. Yet, as these immediate disruptions demanded pedagogical improvisation, a second transformation - less visible, systemic, and potentially more profound - was taking shape: the emergence of AI-enabled learning systems and alternate pathways to professional licensure. This study chronicles and analyzes two major adaptations to the courseís delivery between 2018 and 2025 and proposes a speculative third version - one that responds directly to this unfolding shift and positions architectural pedagogy in critical relation to the rise of AI-enabled learning platforms and professional credentialing reform.

Keywords: computational simulation, materials and methods, gamification

How to Cite:

Eade, A., (2025) “Updating Materials and Methods of Construction Pedagogy for Digital Natives: A Critical Adaptation from Textbooks Tests and Essays to Digitally Fabricated Physical Materials Systems Models, Discursive Video Blogs, and Gamified Computational Simulation”, Building Technology Educators’ Society 2025(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/btes.3503