Redefining Critique Session as an Assessment Tool In Architecture Design Studio Class (A case Study of 2 Year Design Studio in Architecture Department of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia/ The National University Malaysia)

The architectural curriculum has been based on the design studio class model which focuses on learning by doing and all processes and procedures of problem solving are transmitting trough lectures and critique sessions. The tutorial system in design studio classes is same as masterApprentice. So students learn during a communication between students and teachers and also between students. By this way each student will have a chance to express his/her own perceptions and ideas and make a dialogue with experts (teacher) and peers and expose him/her self to their judgments. According to John Dewey, a 20th century American philosopher, criticism is judgment and also Criticism is a very useful tool in the communication of ideas and evaluation of designs.The current model in studio classes is based on ancient model. In some cases the traditional design studio class in a school of architecture consists of a teacher telling students what to do and student doing what they are told.This traditional model must be redefined and be made clearer in order to improve both learning and teaching methods. This paper tries to analyze studio class types and implemented methods of critique in them in order to find their weak and strength points and also to identify procedures and tools that can be used to support the studio based pedagogy in architecture. Key-Words: critique (crit); design studio class (studio); Architecture; assessment tool; evaluation.