Many middle school students have no experience with clay, additive construction methods, roof design, and group collaboration. Three out of four groups in this research made rectangular buildings, thus copying the models. We can't assume that students are lazy or that the teacher did a poor job of explaining and motivating. We must examine the evolution of their form-making. Similarly students tend to borrow a familiar three dimensional model when building as well.
Students explore new formations as well as materials through practice.
Technically difficult materials and construction . What researchers and teachers forget is the evolving difficulties working with clay construction. Studio learning involved tacit understanding of physical problems, technical skills, and natural building materials, and diagraming. Most students must struggle to learn the tricks of the three dimensional construction trade. Some groups also learned about proportion because they made little men to fit into their houses.