Fall 2018: Graduate Media I

ARC 681 - Media I - Prof. Kyle Miller

BODIES: These strange little images represent designs produced using several different software platforms. These included Rhino3D modeling tool, the associated VRAY rendering plug-in, and Adobe Photoshop. These were just three of the many tools I guided graduate students through during the course of their Media 1 semester.

ARC 681 Course Description / Responsibilities / Reflections

My position as a teaching assistant for graduate level Media I (ARC 681) consisted of in-class student support, providing comprehensive class notes and project guidance, overseeing student work sessions, assisting students as-needed outside of class, and a majority of the grading. The topic of this class was very conceptual, but employed digital tools to explore and master the architectural theories presented. The primary objective of this course was to explore a range of architectural media and their employment across the field of today, while concurrently mastering the fundamental technological skills required to develop those concepts.

This class was technology intensive, wherein we expected students to become confident in using a multitude of digital platforms. These tools included three-dimensional modeling software with various plug-ins, several components of the Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop), and digital fabrication equipment including laser cutters, CNC Milling Machinery, and various 3D printers. Many students enter the course with no prior architectural background and minimal knowledge or experience with these tools.

The faculty member with whom I worked, Professor Kyle Miller, provided most tutorials, while I assisted students throughout each class, and created detailed class notes for the students to use after class. I developed the TA-provided class notes concept in response to the intensity and fast-paced presentation of the material. I felt it was critical for the class to focus their attention on learning the material and following his instruction than trying to take comprehensive notes. As I continued to create these notes over the course of the semester, I enhanced them by emphasizing key points, including links to access more information or resources, adding my own personal tips from having completed similar assignments. I received feedback from the students that they found this very helpful outside of class, as it often anticipated what questions would likely arise.

Media 1 met for three-hour sessions twice per week, which included faculty-led lectures and tutorials, as well as unstructured work sessions. I led these work sessions on my own, following a lecture or tutorial provided by the professor. The professor and I felt that providing in-class work time on assignments would encourage students to engage their work in a more collaborative manner and to encourage them to inform us of challenges they were facing so we could assist them. During these sessions I often engaged students one-on-one to tackle design questions, software problems, and as a graduate student myself, I often advised these students on how to balance their work across the graduate program on a larger scale.

As noted above, the professor provided me with the opportunity to teach my own class. He had noted needing assistance with providing a Photoshop Tutorial, and allowed me to lead the class because of my proficiency with the program. This was a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the project the professor had planned for the students, so I created a Photoshop tutorial detailing the work-flow and best practices for creating a realistic image using 3D objects that they had designed in another program and incorporating them using Photoshop.