The academy's educational credo is "learning instead of teaching". This means that education is not a one-way process from tutors to student but rather that the student is central to the learning process, with the tutors facilitating this process.
 

The curriculum is progressively structured:
· The first year is interdisciplinary, focusing on introduction and orientation.
· The second year is disciplinary, offering both broadening and deepening of knowledge.
· The third year is transdisciplinary, incorporating guest lecturers and researchers from other fields into the educational process. Engaging with scientists and experts from beyond the spatial design sector enables students to make well-founded design choices. This approach contributes to addressing critical challenges, including energy transition, climate change, biodiversity, ecology, urbanization, and housing development.

EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTS
The purpose of this Educational Guidance is to provide insight into the academy's educational vision through various documents that focus on optimizing our teaching approach.

It is crucial to coordinate carefully with all stakeholders regarding the desired competencies, learning and teaching activities, and evaluations. This foundation is essential to the academy's educational vision and plays a vital role in enhancing education while fostering effective learning and coaching.

Educational research increasingly recognizes the importance of feedback, feedforward, and feed-up in the learning process. To be effective, feedback must be based on and aligned with learning outcomes, assessment criteria, and learning and teaching activities.

INTERNATIONALISATION
The international classroom is a core element of both the educational philosophy and practical approach at the Academy of Architecture. In this setting, tutors instruct, and students learn in what is often a foreign language and culture for many - if not most - participants.

However, the international classroom extends far beyond maintaining high percentages of international students and staff. The academy makes deliberate choices when forming educational groups to ensure cultural and disciplinary diversity while avoiding exclusion.

The academy fosters an inspiring intercultural learning environment where exchange is encouraged. Students learn to communicate and collaborate with peers and tutors from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The international classroom should be a space where students actively contribute, rather than merely receiving the instructor’s perspective. It should harness students' collective knowledge, ensuring that everyone feels safe, welcome, and valued.

Articles (see buttons →)

• Reflection and Assessment Syllabus, about our assessment policy
• Summary feedback-feedforward-feed-up, the role of reflection
• Constructive alignment, reflection, behavior and language use in the group and information about how to write a studio brief

Henri Snel 
Education Manager 
February 2025