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Volume 36, Issue 3 (2026)
IJAUP 2026, 36(3) |
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Sedaghati A. Reimagining Architectural Education through Interactive Simulation:
A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of Academic Motivation in Building Structures Education. IJAUP 2026; 36 (3)
URL: http://ijaup.iust.ac.ir/article-1-858-en.html
URL: http://ijaup.iust.ac.ir/article-1-858-en.html
Department of Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran , a.sedaghati@iau.ac.ir
Abstract:
Academic motivation is a critical determinant of students’ engagement, learning effectiveness, and academic achievement. In architectural education, technically oriented courses such as Building Structures are often perceived as more challenging and less engaging than design studio courses, which may negatively affect students’ motivation and learning experiences. Consequently, identifying innovative instructional approaches that enhance students’ academic motivation has become an important objective in higher education. This study investigates the effectiveness of interactive computer simulation-based instruction in enhancing the academic motivation of undergraduate architecture students enrolled in a Building Structures course. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design with a control group was employed. The study involved 50 undergraduate architecture students at Urmia Islamic Azad University, who were assigned to either an experimental group (n = 25) or a control group (n = 25). The experimental group received instruction through an interactive computer simulation environment, whereas the control group was taught using conventional lecture-based methods. Academic motivation was assessed using the Hermans Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (AMT). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The findings revealed a statistically significant increase in academic motivation among students who participated in simulation-based instruction compared with those who received traditional instruction. In addition, students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores on the final examination than their counterparts in the control group. These findings indicate that interactive computer simulation can serve as an effective pedagogical strategy for enhancing both academic motivation and learning outcomes in Building Structures education. The study contributes to the growing body of research on technology-enhanced learning in architectural education by providing empirical evidence from a technical course context that has received comparatively limited attention in previous studies.
Keywords: Academic motivation, Architectural education, Building structures, Interactive computer simulation, Technology-enhanced learning
Type of Study: Research Paper |
Subject:
Architecture
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