2013 Yearbook

r e v i e w 35 The way forward for conservation education So, if we do not yet know what to teach, what does this mean for conservation education, particularly when there is such a need for knowledge and such urgency for action? In essence, it means that teaching and research must proceed in parallel, developing and informing each other. The two principal functions of a university have always been teaching and research, but they do not always come together as well as might be hoped. In order to resolve this, research-informed teaching (see diagram on facing page) has developed as a specific field of educational practice. The most basic dimension of research-informed teaching is that categorised here as ‘research-led’, where students are informed about the state of current research. This is a logical starting point but where the research is not sufficiently complete, such as that relating to the environmental performance and upgrading of traditional buildings, something else is required. ‘Research-tutored’ teaching is then necessary to enable students to explore the wider implications of the current state of knowledge. Ideally, students can also contribute to the research directly (‘research-based’ teaching). This, however, will be greatly facilitated if they also explore ‘research-oriented’ teaching in order to develop the necessary skills to carry out such tasks. It is an ambitious approach, but to meet the requirements of current government policy and legislation without damaging existing building stock, anything less is likely to be unsatisfactory. Plymouth University’s School of Architecture, Design and Environment is taking steps to meet this challenge and is currently designing the first specific module to tackle the necessary issues. It will be trialled as part of Plymouth’s IHBC-recognised MA in architectural conservation in summer 2013. We hope to make this module available to local practitioners and specialists to help to address the current knowledge gap. While we can only cover the ‘research-led’ and ‘research- tutored’ elements shown in the diagram, we hope that some of our students will be able to take things forward by contributing the new research this field so badly needs. Recommended Reading I Brocklebank, ‘Magic wallpaper and the problem with dew’, Context 103, IHBC, March 2008 R Griffiths, ‘Knowledge production and the research-teaching nexus: the case of the built environment disciplines’, Studies in Higher Education , Vol 29, No 6, December 2004 M Healey, ‘Linking research and teaching: exploring disciplinary spaces and the role of inquiry-based learning’ in R Barnett (ed) Reshaping the University: New Relationships between Research, Scholarship and Teaching , McGraw Hill/Open University Press, Maidenhead, 2005 The Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance, Responsible Retrofit of Traditional Buildings , 2012 (available free to view at www.stbauk.org/what-we-do/index ) Architectural conservation that protects a building’s past, present and future Purcell. Thoughtfully designed evolution. www.purcelluk.com Purcell® is the trading name of Purcell MillerTritton LLP Caroe & Partners Architects Wells | London | Cardiff | Ledbury Tel 01749 677561 | info@caroe.co.uk www.caroe.co.uk

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