Studio units at CEPT University aim to develop students' design abilities through exploration of problems selected by tutors within defined limits. Small groups of 12-15 students work under one or two tutors. Studios serve as learning communities where students learn from peers through observing and discussing each other's work, and tutors act as coaches. Course outcomes must specify the type of work students will produce. Students choose from multiple studio offerings to customize their learning trajectory. Units are repeated regularly to improve over time, with an emphasis on studios that consolidate 70% of student time and focus on design exploration the final four weeks of each semester.

1. Teaching and Learning in Studio Units at CEPT University
Teaching and Learning Center, CEPT University
Teaching Framework for Studio Units
1

2. Studio Unit framework
1. The prime purpose of a studio unit is to develop student’s abilities
2. Tutors offer studio problems that they are interested in and have a certain level of
proficiency in. … hence, they are not for unlimited exploration but exploration within
limits set by the tutor.
3. A unit is not a space for unlimited exploration, but exploration within limits set by the
tutor.
4. Size : Small groups of students (12 – 15 students) work under the tutelage of one or
two tutors
tlc@cept.ac.in
2

3. Studio units serve as a Learning Community
 Enables Peer Learning:
• Studio units for 2nd and 3rd years will be integrated to enhance peer to peer learning…
• Studios function as a learning community….Students learn by observing one another’s work
and by discussing with one another.
• Students tackle problems on their own; tutors are expected to play the role of coaches,
actively guiding students in their learning quest..
 Clarity of Outputs:
• In order to clearly and unambiguously demonstrate the outcome of learning, course syllabii
must include examples of the type of work that students will produce at the end of each
course…
• We need not fear that this will lead to students imitating the example rather than developing
their own language or solutions…
• Many times, imitation is a (necessary) step in the development of ones own voice or
approach.
tlc@cept.ac.in
3

4. Units must state clear learning outcomes
Unit briefs must state what students will learn rather than what teachers will teach...
....they must state what a student will be able to do as a consequence of the learning
– “The student will be able to visualize how a space will appear from a given position and draw a two point
perspective of how it will appear
....they must avoid verbs that are vague or not observable or measurable....
– If you want students to "understand" something, think more closely about what you want them to be able to
do or produce as a result of their "understanding
– Avoid verbs like: understand; appreciate; know about; become familiar with; learn about; become aware of
tlc@cept.ac.in
4

5. Choice Based - Students choose what they want to learn
1. CEPT’s curriculum and programs provide for multiple studio offerings at L2 & L3 that
students can choose from, based on their preference. This would also enable the
trajectory of each student to be unique.
2. Students learn best when they decide what they want to learn and with whom they
want to learn. Hence, rather than setting a fixed studio for the whole batch, an array
of studio units are offered for smaller groups of students to choose from.
tlc@cept.ac.in
5

6. Continuity
1. Unit will be repeated every semester or every alternate semester
2. Unit tutors may teach the same unit each semester, or they may choose to vary the
type of unit each semester.
3. CEPT shall seek a long term commitment from its Unit Tutors
4. Tutors are encouraged to see the unit as a long term project, the outcome of which
should be publishable as a monograph ..
5. Repeatedly offering the same unit also helps tutors improve the unit over time and
build a body of work that can later be published.
tlc@cept.ac.in
6

7. Learning is consolidated through studio units
 Studio units at CEPT consolidate student learning through significant allotment of time
and credits. Students are expected to spend 70% of their time towards studio units.
Per semester student credits:
Total Credits 20c Studio 14c Mandatory courses 4c Elective Courses 2c
Total Hours 50hrs 35hrs 10hrs 5hrs
1 credit = 2.5 study hours per week
• How much study-time do we have to build students’ abilities?
• Let’s say students study for 6 days / week @ 8 hours per day= Avg 50 hrs per week?
• Each Semester of 16 weeks x 50 hrs = 800 hrs per semester
• Studios take up 70% of study-time - 560 hours per each studio!
tlc@cept.ac.in
7

8. Focus on Studio : Semester Calendar
1. Length of each semester is 18 weeks
2. 16 weeks of study, 2 weeks for
juries/grading and exhibition
3. Courses (inclusive of exams) to run
for only 12 weeks
4. Last four weeks of study exclusively
for studios
5. Semester to culminate with exhibition
tlc@cept.ac.in
8

9. Time Table tlc@cept.ac.in
9