Teaching Through Culture

Teaching in a multidisciplinary program, students are exposed to a wide variety of methods and tools, research strategies and ways of thinking. We often seek to develop self-driven, active learners who are positioned as primary researchers, makers and thinkers.In-class dialogues, systems of references, and project critiques generate and build on observations of local culture, environment, and behaviors. As faculty, we serve as art and design experts, while the students are the conveyors of local culture. Our program has created a dynamic and intellectually challenging environment for dialog about culture and values. Our curriculum is delivered through projects and activities that are grounded in historical and contemporary research, documentation and experimentation within a framework of a diverse, global and multicultural environment.All these activities foster a sense of responsibility for, and an understanding of, a professional approach to the learning process. I will present the following projects as prime examples of this unique approach.