Lecturer İbrahim Erol from Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) Fine Arts Faculty (GSF), Interior Architecture and Environmental Design and the english course of the department, answered our questions about how the Graphic Expression Techniques course is taught.

Dear Sir;
 
Can you evaluate the importance and functioning of Graphic Expression Techniques in a few sentences?

-Of course, within an applied course in which the technical drawing principles and methods that an interior architecture and environmental design student will need both in school and in his professional life are transferred to the students. This course aims to convey technical drawing principles to students through computer-based design applications. This way, students can grasp the logic of traditional hand drawing and use CAD software, which is widely used as drawing tools in the industry today.
 
As an educator who teaches students about computer aided drawing in architecture, how would you evaluate the importance of hand drawing?

-Hand drawing is one of the most effective methods in providing brain-hand coordination in practice. However, technical drawing is now predominantly carried out in the computer environment. Integrating this course directly with CAD software and transferring it to students allows them to gain momentum in their project courses, during their internship or in the future of their professional business life and also to stand out. In addition, elements such as line types, line thicknesses, colorings and most importantly line qualities that directly affect the drawing quality in hand drawings are explained by comparing them with CAD drawings within the scope of our course.
 
With the beginning of the semester, distanced education turned into face-to-face education due to the pandemic. Do you think it got easier or more difficult? What are your thoughts on the subject?

-Actually, the only thing that changes within the scope of this course is our teaching technique. We can compare this to hand drawing and computer aided drawing. However, I can still say that there are some advantages and disadvantages of conducting a face-to-face training in a laboratory environment online. It cannot be said that there is not much difference in terms of lectures because we both draw in a computer based environment. However, thanks to the keeping of course records in online education, it allowed students to watch the lessons over and over again, this helped them to understand the commands better, and make drawing applications more practically. In addition, since the comments of the students' projects in online education can be discussed by sharing screens, they can exchange information while discussing each other's applications about almost every situation and difficulty they may encounter. In face-to-face education, this environment does not occur because it is a more individual application process. However, as an advantage of face-to-face lessons, I think that the face-to-face communication that students establish with each other will contribute to the meetings and interviews they will hold with the project stakeholders in the future. If we look from the perspective of the educator, I can say that there is a motivating aspect of being able to teach, with students in a laboratory environment.
 
You are also an official in the Turkish version of the same course. How does it feel for you to teach in a foreign language? Is it easier or more difficult? Can you evaluate it in a few sentences?

-As a person who already took this course in English at the time of undergraduate education, I can say that I have adapted quite well. The fact that the interfaces and commands of the programs we use are already in English makes it more effective for students. I can also say that it is enjoyable because there are many students from foreign geographies in this course, creating a more colorful atmosphere.
 
What advice would you give to those who are already taking this course as well as to those who are planning to take it in the future?

I see this course as the first step to have a technical point of view. There is already a second and third part of this course in the curriculum. Of course, they will have slightly different gains in those lessons. However, I learn that some of my students have dreams about design, some about implementation, and some about project management. In this context, as an advantage of computer aided design, I recommend them to learn CAD applications where interdisciplinary studies can be done easily. For example, I recommend my students who want to see him/herself as a project partner in public projects in the future with architects, civil, electrical, electronic and mechanical engineers, especially to take BIM (Building Information Modeling) training and educate themselves in this field. Of course, I recommend them to specialize in various CAD software depending on the positions in which they want to take part in the projects. I advise all students who want to improve themselves in any field, to deepen their research on the fields they are interested in and to always follow the innovations.
 
Thank you very much sir for your contribution and valuable opinions.

-You're welcome, and I thank you very much for your interest as well as your questions.