امیر طیبی

In this study the relationship between learning styles and academic performance of the students in theoretical courses and architectural design workshop is addressed based on one of the existing theories in learning styles that belongs to "Felder-Silverman". Theoretical basis of Felder-Silverman theory is based on the duality structure (lateralization) of brain processing which composed of left and right hemispheres. They used a five dimensional dichotomies including the perception (Sensory-Intuition), processing (Active-Reflective), input (Verbal-Visual) organizing (Inductive-Deductive) and understanding or apperception (Sequential-Wholistic) dimensions. In order to study the relationship between the academic performance and learning styles two types of tests were selected that the first one classified students in learning styles based on "Felder - Solomon" questionnaire and the second one analyzed and integrated academic performance of the students in architectural design workshop and theoretical courses. The results of this study showed that the number of 4th year students compared to 1st year students in intuitive, visual and wholistic styles was significantly higher. The assessment of student performance indicated that the first year students had the best performance in introduction to architectural design I course with reflective and visual styles and the 4th year students had the best performance in architectural design IV with wholistic, visual and reflective styles. Also the first year students had the best performance in construction materials (which is a theoretical course using written material) with verbal and reflective styles and the final year students had the best performance in Introduction to Islamic architecture II (presented descriptively using PowerPoint) with visual and sensory styles.

Problem: 

This article unfolds a collective educational journey that while initially faced by serious doubts, ultimately received positive feedback from the students in an online urban design workshop.  During a rampant global pandemic, one of the two instructors communicating from overseas, who is experienced in teaching face-to-face courses, raised initial pedagogical concerns.

To remedy these, the two instructors dedicated the first part of the workshop to theorizing urban complexity.  Exposure to theory, while less common if not uncommon in design studios, removed the students’ initial misgivings.  Gaining student confidence boosted their spirit in crafting idiosyncratic interpretations based on personal memories, and paved the way toward assuming agency, and subsequently integrative learning.

This technique enabled students to connect discrete structural learning domains to produce more complicated outcomes, and by doing so experienced three states of mind.  Melting away initial doubts coincided with thematic arrangement.  Boosting confidence through conceptual connectivity and self-discovery, then, resulted in ebullience in designing through purposeful action.

This article contributes to the scanty literature on coping mechanisms in the face of looming uncertainties both for students and instructors in teaching studios.

As the rampant pandemic unfolded and spread around rapidly, it institutionalized new obligations and reactions, one of which involved setting up online educational platforms. While the whole world is indeed experiencing new conditions, it has arguably, brought about new opportunities for revisiting the business-as-usual most fields including urban design have encountered. “Practice makes perfect” sounds like a familiar mantra in urban design problem-solving workshops, where students typically work in teams, get feedback throughout their desk crits, revise and resubmit projects in multiple iterations. Translating this premise in an urban design workshop boils down to spending hours in the field making key observations on the land use configuration and diversity, street network make-up, existing building conditions, and distribution of open/green space. These key layers, then, give some food for thought to any designer who attempts to craft solutions based on areas that need redevelopment or redesign (i.e., tearing down dilapidated or run-down buildings or retrofits), and then coming up with new design for areas slated for construction or requiring retrofit.The urban design pedagogy and studio literature underlines the gap between theory and practice. Epistemological and ontological concerns surrounding the discipline further complicate matters. To narrow this gap, this paper focuses on a recent workshop taught online at the Jundishapur University of Technology. While the COVID-19 pandemic imposed certain restrictions, the outcomes seem promising. Theorizing the five episodes of urban discovery (walking, observing, encountering, perceiving and interpreting), enabled nine urban design graduate students to engage in an integrative rather than a synoptic learning experience. This approach not only boosted the students’ self-discovery and confidence in observing, analyzing and designing their projects (plan evaluation, plan making), but also helped them to learn from peers rather than rehashing their instructors’ pedagogical intentions.As it eventually turned out, the students unanimously confirmed that those five episodes significantly affected their preconceived notions of observation, and analysis as precursors of creating urban design alternatives. For example, they alluded to the fact that they customarily observed land use make-up, building conditions, construction materials, development density, etc., in any given site. This mainstream modus operandi of practicing urban design has deep roots in the canons of the profession, ensuring that students can put together masterplans that translate the local needs into certain land use types, or quantify density, per capita and so forth.One of the key takeaways in using an integrative learning, as opposed to synoptic strategies focuses on motivating students in a dynamic atmosphere of learning by doing, “storytelling” (Sandercock, 2003), and reflection (Schön, 1983). In this particular study, the students spent a lot more time than expected doing fieldwork, observing and analyzing. The students, unanimously and enthusiastically, stated that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, they willingly spent exorbitant amounts of time (in some cases five to six hours a day), during the week to observing and engaging with the five episodes of urban discovery. Even the female students who might face cultural limitations acknowledged their extensive fieldwork. Despite some expected cultural limitations, especially during the rampant pandemic, spent equal if not more time compare to male students in the field. Compared to men, women face more difficulties spending time in the public realm, take notes and photos—especially in cities or urban districts where men dominate women in the first place. But against these actual limitations, women willingly spent time even during the afternoon and evening hours to complete their fieldwork or reflect by, at times, following their own instincts. Some of them stated with details how or whether they noticed any significant differences observing community engagement in the public space. With all upsides and downside, the students’ enthusiasm and passion promise future utility in using and incorporating these five episodes into urban design thinking and studio teaching. Surprisingly, instead of receiving pushbacks from the students, the instructors received positive feedback about incorporating theoretical debates in future studio/workshops. Contrary to expected attitudes typically observed in studio courses hoping to start the design stage as quickly as possible, the students in this workshop behaved surprisingly differently, and not only did not shy away from exposure to theories, but indeed, insisted on its undeniable benefits in boosting their design outcomes. Feedbacks like these reassure scholars wanting to recognize and reduce the theory vs. practice gap facing urban design both as a profession and an academic discipline.

Tourism has a positive effect on the economic, cultural and political development of a country by increasing income, reducing the socio-psychological distance between nations and peoples, creating friendship, maintaining stability and strengthening the national image. Various factors contribute to the development of tourism. Among these factors, especially in the urban tourism sector, is the role of open urban spaces in attracting tourists. One of the most important factors affecting the perception and behavior of tourists in urban destinations is their mental image of those destinations. Few studies have addressed the mental image of tourists of open urban spaces. In this study, the role of the tangible dimension-artifact of open urban urban spaces in the mental image of tourists of these spaces was investigated by interviewing 24 domestic, repetitive and young tourists in Isfahan. In this qualitative study, content analysis was used and also purposeful sampling method was used to achieve data saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field observations. Inductive content analysis was then used to analyze the collected data. The results show: 5 main categories were obtained from this study: functional richness, visual richness, uniqueness of physical elements, furniture and space elements and access and communication with Space. This study showed that various tangible-artifact factors affect the mental image of tourists of open urban spaces. Based on the findings of this study, more research is needed on the mental image of tourists of open urban space.

Throughout the Safavid era, Armenians from various ethnic groups and minorities were in Isfahan and built numerous churches, which a few of them have remained. The Orthodox Christian denomination has certain doctrinal principles and rituals, some of which have influenced the body and architectural arrays of churches. The purpose of this research is comparative comparison and identify the impact and manifestation of these principles and rituals on the spatial structure of architecture and arrays of Orthodox churches in Isfahan and Armenia. The research method is qualitative and is based on descriptive-analytical method between the common Armenian churches and new Julfa churches. The data were collected through library studies in the field of principles of belief and rituals of Christianity, and field studies in the form of direct presence of researchers in the churches of Isfahan, and then have been qualitatively analyzed. The results show that the architecture of the Armenian churches in Isfahan is a combination of Iranian and Armenian architecture. East-west orientation, rectangular geometric shape, spatial hierarchy, having at least one large dome all follow the architecture of Armenian churches. The arched dome, the material, the type of large windows of the domes and the type of minaret are modeled on Iranian architecture. Also, some of the additional extension arrays of Armenian churches, such as rose, clover windows and three-part windows, have been removed. And the arrays that belong to the inside of the church are like murals, and some of these arrays, such as the cuckoo pigeon, the triple domes, the Bible reading table, the cross or crucifix, the window or the images of the sufferings of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of Christ, have been used in the interior of churches. Arrays representing Christian Religions are the arrays of the Devil’s Exit, the Last Supper, the Sanctuary, the Priesthood, and the Porch which can be seen in all churches

Recognizing and interpreting the urban spaces as a tourist destination is the main objective of this study, so it can provide a way to modify or repair this mental image by identifying the environmental features involved. This research is one of the first research in this area (urban tourism) that places urban space as the subject and destination of domestic tourists. This is interpretive research and has used Grounded Theory. Participants of the study included 30 domestic tourists visiting Isfahan urban spaces. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview method. Then they were analyzed based on the structural analysis of the Grounded Theory and according to open, axial and selective coding. The central issue is the mental image of domestic tourists from the urban spaces of Isfahan which is presented in two dimensions of cognitive and emotional with regard to the causative, contextual, and interventionist conditions, strategies, and consequences, the final model was presented.

Understanding interactions between the host society and tourists is an important factor in tourism cognition and management. Part of this matter is the effect that the host society has on the mental image of the guest (traveler) of destination. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of host society on the mental image of tourists about the urban public open spaces. This qualitative study has been conducted using content analysis approach. The participants were 24 domestic tourists in the city of Isfahan who had experience of visiting this city and its spaces. Data collection was done by semi-structured interviews and continued until theoretical saturation. The five main categories of data analysis were: 1) vitality, 2) host emphases on space, 3) self-introduction of host, 4) tourists’ sense about the host and 5) food. The results of this study will help the experts, tourism managers and urban designers and managers to better understand the tourists’ image of urban spaces and accordingly provide the context to improve the level of urban tourism. Tourism is a social phenomenon involved interactions and relationships between individuals, organizations and various interested groups especially between tourists and local residents (McGehee & Andereck, 2009; Sharpley, 2014). Interactions and relationships between local residents and tourists can affect their attitudes, expectations, beliefs and lifestyles (Sharpley, 2008). One of the most important issues influenced by the interactions between the host society (local residents) and tourists is the tourist's image destination.
Few studies have examined the effect of host society on the tourists’ image of urban public open spaces qualitatively. To meet this particular lack of literature on the subject matter, this qualitative study examines the impact of host society on tourists’ image of urban public open spaces. A qualitative study with content analysis approach has been used to examine the effect of host society on the tourists’ image of urban public open spaces. Content analysis is a systematic approach to code and categorize that can be used to verify a large amount of textual information and determine the processes and patterns in the data (Gbrich, 2007). In order to ensure the accuracy of the data the long-term engagement with the data was considered by the researchers by which the depth and familiarity needed to extract the main themes would be provided. To ensure that codes are consistent with the experiences and mental images of the participants, the member- check was used. Interviews, initial codes, and themes were also judged by peer-check and expert- check. Discussion and Results: The purpose of this study was to understand the effect of host society on the tourists’ image of urban public open spaces. In this study, by analyzing the statements of tourists in public open spaces, 5 categories were extracted as the dimensions of the effectiveness of the host society on the tourists’ image of urban public open spaces. These five categories include: vitality, host emphases on space, self-introduction of host, tourists’ sense about the host and food. This research was one of the first qualitative studies that examined the effect of host society on the tourists’ image of urban public open spaces in Iran. In this study, concepts related to the effect of host society on the tourists’ image of urban public open spaces were identified. These concepts included 5 categories and 11 subcategories. Since urban public open spaces (such as streets and squares) are among the most important destinations for urban tourism, understanding the effect of the host society on tourists’ image of these spaces is advantageous for groups involved in the management of urban spaces (such as urban designers) and in tourism management.
This research is one of the first qualitative studies to examine the effect of host society on the tourists’ image of urban public open spaces in Iran. However, because the data have been collected from limited sample and based on purposeful sampling, generalization to other tourists and dissimilar places (environmentally, culturally, and psychologically) is not possible. This study provided valuable information about tourists’ image of urban public open spaces. Given the fact that other dimensions affecting the tourists’ image of urban public open spaces are still not well known, the grounded theory approach is recommended for further research.

‘Tourist destination image’ is among the most significant concepts in knowing the perceptions and behaviors of visitors. The objective of this study is to explore the Iranian tourists’ image of Isfahan’s urban spaces by way of a conceptual model. The study follows a qualitative approach using grounded theory. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 30 Iranian visitors of Isfahan, 24 of which were tourists and six of which were tourist guides. The data were analyzed using Corbin and Strauss’s approach. Data analysis revealed five categories including search for meaning, sensory-physical dimension, hosting community, discovery of space, and contextual factors. A conceptual model was then developed to explain the inter-relationships of these categories. The results of this study can help urban designers and tourism experts to understand the needs and perceptions of visitors of urban spaces.

In the spaces of Iranian cities that have been formed under the influence of rational and artistic teachings and patterns of Islam for many years، the formic and semantic factors associated with qualities related to human activities and behaviors، have been their main shaping factors. Amid these، urban squares as the most important spatial container of social living in open spaces of cities have had a very prominent role in attracting people and their presence and also in gaining human presence quality in cities. This article with the adoption of a descriptive-analytical approach to the literature of this subject and through the structural analyze of concepts and components of the subject، has expressed the synopsis of these topics which are useful in explaining the relationship among the triplet of urban area (Square)، human presence and Iranian-Islamic city. It also emphasizes on the ruling principles in the formation of squares. It is worth mentioning that presentation and selection of these materials have been such that they could be close to presenting a prescription on the topic. Although in this article، no attention is paid to presenting any strategy and policy in connection with the human presence in urban squares، but themes and pivots have been provided for this purpose.