Teaching through urban sensorium: urban spatiality as a smart learning environment

Title

Teaching through urban sensorium: urban spatiality as a smart learning environment

Creator

Jayagopalan G.; Mukherjee S.

Description

This paper qualitatively analyses the implication of urban sensorium as a pedagogic mode in the teaching of Urban Studies. Underpinned by the frames of smart learning environments, the paper reiterates experiencing urban ontologies as spatial learning environments. By drawing from a range of transdisciplinary and experiential modes of learning, this paper maps how an undergraduate course on Bangalore city in India served learners to critically engage with and experience spatial urban ontologies both digitally, and in real-world experiences of learning, furthering learner autonomy and reflection. The methodological prisms of this paper are autoethnography and critical reflection. It is organised around enabling learners recognize the experiential, embodied urban spaces through the urban sensorium via real-life engagements with urban spaces, and creation of digital portfolios that map this learning. Findings from the learners knowledge of sensory learning, the citys intersectional aspects, and the students embodied and emplaced self in built environments and digital spaces are analysed via cognitive and affective-reflection levels; the course instructor's reflection is analysed via a process-reflection level. These reflections hold implications for the pedagogy of urban studies in undergraduate classrooms by foregrounding spatiality and urban sensorium as significant critical and affective pedagogic tools. The paper has also accommodated critical engagement with an external faculty member as a co-author, in order to manage any bias or researcher subjectivity in the design. 2022, The Author(s).

Source

Smart Learning Environments, Vol-9, No. 1

Date

2022-01-01

Publisher

Springer

Subject

Emotional intelligence development; Reflective pedagogy; Reflective research; Smart learning; Student self-oriented learning model; Urban sensorium

Coverage

Jayagopalan G., Department of Language and Literature, Alliance University, Bangalore, India; Mukherjee S., Department of English and Cultural Studies, Christ University, Bangalore Central Campus, Bangalore, India

Rights

All Open Access; Gold Open Access

Relation

ISSN: 21967091

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00186-x

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85122965640&doi=10.1186%2fs40561-022-00186-x&partnerID=40&md5=0260604df6994c1970aba721958f30e0