MODULAR
(and fit for purpose)

—
^{“Once we had the ‘fit for purpose framework’ it proved to be quite useful not just in the output end – but also in the input end. It truly works in the way Tikvah explained with cadasters – we can incorporate changes, epiphanies and more transformations from the research team, whilst the whole of the framework stays intact, and we can easily create modules. It’s quite clever!’}Project manager collaborating with StudioBlended

^{‘The need for modular programs and personalised learning paths that cater to the needs and interests of students, is becoming increasingly apparent. This development leads to the creation of more flexibly designed learning environments, both physically and virtually. These approaches enable students to pursue their education at a time, pace of study, and location that suit their own needs and interests.‘}
Future Campus (2040) trend report 2023.

^{Adaptability is our ability to bend and come back to center over and over again, increasing our flexibility each time.}
Esther Perel

Are you curious for more? Would you like to get in touch? Feel free to contact our lead directly for any questions or inquiries you may have. tikvah@studioblended.com +31 6 42 47 29 69

Photo: An open building framework for a house in Japan, Tokyo by Shigeru Ban (1995). Staib, Gerald, Dorrhofer, Andreas & Markus Rosental 2008, Birkhauser. Edition Detail. Components and Systems, p. 132. With thanks to the Netherlands Architecture institute’s library.

Modular

A modular approach offers both flexibility and student agency. It can also lead you to identify clear individual products and boost the financial health and resilience of your course/training. For instance, when every new (academic) year you need great adaptability to a new financial reality, such as the number of participants enrolling. Our Studio has embraced modular design for over a decade, as a form of experimentation and innovation that goes beyond trends.

With a modular approach, you will have the ability to reassemble modules into certain learning tracks instead of always having to develop a tailor-made design which requires more time and expense. For instance, you may want to use the ‘flipping the classroom’ approach as part of your blended or bichronous course/training and work with online knowledge clips to couple a workshop face to face. This requires only short time slots for each module. A topic can be taught in 6-9 videos, or a 20 minute podcast, or even 30 second video clips. We never see time as a straightjacket though, but approach is technically sound and playfully.

We see modular design as an integral part of our value system, offering simplicity and cutting edge green design - low-tech internet, low data footprint. Our philosophy is not only to ensure technical resilience, but also to achieve human resilience for you as course/training coordinator and for your teaching staff intentionally.

An essential challenge with modular approaches to a curriculum is to ensure the overarching direction of the course is clear to students (and to you as coordinator). What is the main program?

When you have robust technical resilience, you can reimagine your course or degree in modular ways. This resilience ensures the clarity of the main program. You are ready to explore the playfulness of flexibility.

Design and development approach

Contrary to more traditional project managment approaches you often see in academia, we follow a rapid development process per module in your course with you (r team). Basically, the idea is that we do a draft of Module A in your course. Whilst that is being reviewed, we work on Module B - and so on, successively. We cannot stress enough the importance of a clear and rapid review process, especially in academia or projects where there are a lot of (content) stakeholders involved in giving feedback and deadlines tend to be prolongued. Curious on how a rapid development process can work effectively for you? Feel free to contact us for more details.

Key projects

As early as 2013, the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) was an early adopter of MOOCs, and invested in experiments. 
Upon invitation by the head of Education, our independent senior advisor (then staff member) delivered a proposal called ‘Training as a product - A suggestion’. The proposal included:
- A handful of problems identified in current trainings delivered overseas
- Suggestion for an ‘open building’ training product offered by this institute for capacity building/development
- Concrete suggested formats which could be used directly to implement the proposal
- A model in which the curriculum could be built up in a modular way, including going blended
- An illustration of how to schedule in senior and medior staffmembers, both remotely and on-site
The proposal dates back to 2014, but is still decade strong and relevant today. Have a look under ‘financial health and resilience’ for more about this approach.

Have a look at a module design we created for a course in land policy and -economics. You see our module design for a game. The module fits within the overall fit for purpose ‘open building framework’ we designed for the course, partnering with the coordinator. It can also be used as a stand alone ‘product‘.


Image: click to expand, and get a full illustration of how open building can work in modular ways, within the ‘fit for purpose framework’ for a curriculum. Find the respective framework below. This image shows a module that fits the coordinates of the fit for purpose framework.

Image: click to expand, and get a full illustration of our ‘fit for purpose‘ framework for technical resilience in your course curriculum. Such a framework allows for ‘open building’ such as with modular approaches to education.

Our Audio Podcast

🎙 Keynote: Big ideas and modular curriculum design.
Prefer to read? Transcript
Listen on: Acast Spotify Apple
Release summer ‘24  

Today’s technical keynote comes in two parts:
-       The first part aims to open up your imagination to better grasp modular approaches to curriculum design and grasp why it is possible to design time robust curricula. Throughout the keynote I will draw from my own academic background in urban land to give you examples. If you come from the field of architecture, you will also recognise open building systems as an analogy.

-       The second part of this keynote takes you right into how you can design for effective and resilient education that stands the test of time, briefing you through our unique fit for purpose framework for curriculum design – which leads to an educational output of just 2-3 pages.

For more background see our page on technical resilience.

Today’s keynote was delivered [in a 20 min. form] on the kick-off of the new academic year with the academic teaching staff of the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Studies (AMS) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Friday August 30, 2024.

Related publications

Our lead and founder, takes a lively interest in architecture, and made an extensive exploration of the open building approach in architecture (with distinction) at the Institute for Housing and Urban Management (IHS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam.


Future Campus (2040) trend report 2023.

More design angles we use

Technical resilience
Human resilience
Modular
Time dimension
Evidence-based design
Financial health and resilience by (re)design
Innovative and deep pedagogy
Assesment / evaluation
Multi- Inter- and transdisciplinary
Blended
Bichronous
MOOC
Designed to be green (and technological simplicity)
Nature and aspirations
Flexibilisation and personalisation
Simplicity and decluttering



Curios? Feel free to contact our senior advisor and teacher trainer directly:
tikvah@studioblended.com

We are here especially for you as unique professional, to come alongside you and partner with you, as you work on a (architecture / urban / land / water / climate) curriculum, so that you can offer effective and resilient education in its simplest form.