Cultivations of cross-cultural experiences via a collaborative and cooperative approach for sustainable learning from communities in Si Satchanalai, Thailand

Abstract

In 2018, a group of faculty members and students from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology, Ladkrabang (KMITL), and Royal College of Art (RCA) organized workshops and field trips to Sukhothai province in Thailand to explore the livelihood along with cultural heritages, social practices, and sustainable learning by the inhabitants of communities in Si Satchanalai district. Conceptually informed by Spencer Kagan’s notion of Cooperative and Collaborative (C&C) sustainable learning approach employed by the KMITL-RCA collaborations, this research examined the 2018 workshops and excursions for their roles in 1) advancing tacit knowledge on the artistic and architectural heritages of Si Satchanalai; and 2) bridging a horizon of understanding between Thai and foreign students. In order to assess the pedagogical efficacy of the C&C approach, the upcoming evaluative discussions encompassed a series of dependent sample t-tests, utilizing several questionnaires, surveys, and personal conversations for collecting data to construct a content model in terms of comparative studies between the KMITL and RCA participants. Not only did the statistical inquiries: 1) validate the methodological applicability of the C&C edifying model but also 2) demonstrate its merits in promoting cross-cultural learning in architectural and design discipline.

Keywords

• architectural and design education
• cross-cultural studies
• collaborative and cooperative learning
• sustainable learning achievements
• cultural heritage of si satchanalai
• thailand