A Web-Scaffolding GIS Method of Spatial Planning with Rural Buildings for Teaching/Learning in Higher Education Research

In higher education research, computer and information technologies are getting increased consideration and attention. These technologies can be integrated into the design education through taking into account a scaffolding mechanism, which will support activities of teaching/learning in a distributed environment. This research presents a digital-based scaffolding geographic information systems (GIS) teaching/learning strategy to support architecture, urban and landscape design undergraduate students’ spatial planning in a distributed design environment, especially for suitable site selection of rural buildings as an approach in higher education research. The aim of this work is to investigate the measurement and verification of the strategy proposed, which would support architecture, urban and landscape design undergraduate students to have more understanding of spatial planning in a collaborative learning context while having communication with teachers and/or experts. In a collaborative teaching/learning context, it supports learning outcomes and interaction effects of architecture, urban and landscape design undergraduate students. Here, the web model proposed adapted a spatial planning methodology and its examination for integrating a rural building in a case study area (Hervas, Spain). Using the web-based GIS model, architecture, urban and landscape design undergraduate students can correctly plan and design a rural building as using various categorized factors and taking favors from them. Moreover, the web model can support architecture, urban and landscape design undergraduate students who request communication from teachers and/or experts in a dispersed location. Hence, the web-based scaffolding GIS information model can be an approaching method to assess the competence and efficiency of using scaffoldings in encouraging teaching/learning activities for architecture, urban and landscape design undergraduate students. It is to improve meta-cognitive consciousness and in addition to knowledge achievement with regard to spatial GIS planning processes in a disseminated design environment. Thus, it is to satisfy a mix of architecture, urban and landscape design undergraduate students with different requirements in a collaborative learning project context.