title: Exploring the role Live Projects play in the employability of architecture students
Creators: name: Smith, Sebastian G
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: architectural pedagogy
subject: live projects
subject: employability
subject: curriculum design

description: The increasing convergence of educational policy with economic and industry needs has shaped the prioritisation of employability within Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) (Bennett, 2019; Bennett et al., 2019; Coaldrake &amp; Stedman, 2016; Jackson, 2016; Krause, 2017). This doctoral thesis investigates the impact and efficacy of Live Projects (LPs) in Australia's architectural education system, focusing on their role in enhancing the employability of architecture students. Employability has become a pivotal metric for evaluating HEI quality and securing future funding (Bennett et al., 2019; Smith et al., 2018). Architectural education is not immune from these employability developments. This research analyses current practices to ascertain the extent of LP utilisation, the specific skill and competencies taught and developed, and their alignment with professional practice requirements. The central research question guiding this thesis is: How do LPs in Australian architectural education enhance the employability of graduates? To address this question, the research primarily adopts a qualitative approach, supplemented by basic quantitative analysis.. A two-year action research study was conducted across four LPs at Australian universities, utilising student surveys, practitioner interviews, and reflective journals to assess the impact of LPs on the development of professional competencies (Stringer, 2014; Creswell, 2014). The findings demonstrate that LPs foster a wide range of competencies essential for architectural practice, including collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability, and technical knowledge. Moreover, LPs cultivate pre-professional identities, a crucial aspect of employability beyond the traditional skills and competency paradigm. In addition to enhancing employability, LPs have the potential to provide a scalable and flexible framework for embedding professional practice within architectural education. While traditional LP has been widely regarded as an effective pedagogical tool in architectural-encompassing areas such as experiential learning, project-based education, student agency, and community engagement (Smith et al., 2022), this thesis advances the discourse on architectural pedagogy by proposing a rigorous model for integrating LPs into architectural curricula. This model seeks to harmonise educational objectives with industry standards, advocating for assessment methods that reflect professional practice's collaborative and negotiated nature. This thesis addresses a critical gap in the literature by offering practical insights into how LPs can directly impact students' employability in architecture. Beyond architecture, the broader implications extend to HEIs seeking to enhance employment outcomes through experiential learning, where bridging the gap between education and employment remains a pressing concern (Bennett et al., 2019; Jackson, 2016; Tomlinson, 2016). This thesis demonstrates that LPs offer a great opportunity to do so.