Abstract
It is widely hypothesized that the problem-based learning approach is effective for learning and teaching practice-oriented professions. In architecture, which is highly practice-oriented, there is a serious and continuous search for new pedagogical approaches and educational practices to improve communication and understanding of architecture in general and its backbone design education in particular. There is not enough research about the effectiveness of the problem-based learning approach and how to employ and optimize it in teaching architectural design praxis. Furthermore, little is known about how the approach guidelines can be explicitly articulated and systematically applied to creatively and effectively solve practical design problems. The project discussed in this article is set out to fill this particular void. It is an experimental pilot that incorporates emergent design concepts about animated four-dimensional design and visualization that is carried out in a digital architectural design studio into a problem-based learning approach to determine whether or not this method of learning is more effective for design knowledge building than the traditional methods. The pilot employs computer aids not only to integrate different data and to communicate online, but also to emphasize concepts that are typically considered difficult to visualize in design generation and representation such as responsive metamorphosis of architecture.