A framework for social networked architectural education

Students engage in Social Networks (SN) as a form of interaction with friends and tutors, as news or learning resource, to make their voices heard or to listen to other views and many more. Online SN work in close association with offline SN to form a blended social environment that greatly enables and enhances students' learning. Some Schools of Architecture have struggled or failed to engage in the potential of SN or their respective University's online Learning Management Systems (LMS). Despite efforts to facilitate blended learning environments or to engage students in problem-based learning activities architectural education often fails to tap into the rich resources that online social learning environments offers through their collective and social intelligence of its users. This paper proposes a framework for SN architectural education that provides opportunities for linking the academic LMS with private or professional SN such that it enhances the learning experience and deepens the knowledge of the students. The paper proposes ways of utilising SN supported learning environments in other areas of the curriculum and concludes with directions of how this framework can be employed in professional settings.