School of Design

This study was conducted to identify; a) How effectively and interactively can lectures be planned with videos to support active learning? and b) How a planned video lecture can maintain the ‘time on tasks’?
‘Interactive and Planned Video Lecturing’ (IPVLec) is a system of facilitating active learning....
IPVLec system can be used as a technique to facilitate ‘active learning’, and recall and convey the ‘must know’ things according to ‘learning onion’. Further IPVLecs helps to plan and maintain the ‘time on tasks’. Students will be motivated by watching an in-house video and will actively engage with the lecture thus improving their memory retention. Research put forward practicing IPVLec appropriately considering the context (subject domain, technological matters, etc.).

Objects used to assist posture were associated with socio-cultural values of social status and hierarchy as well as cultural values ever since man began to utilize objects for functional purpose. The colonial Sri Lanka is characterized by emergence of new social categories, culture and identity. The mingling of traditional caste with a new concept of class and role played by newly introduced Christianity was crucial in this regard. These social changes resulted in a change of perception towards material objects creating a seminal change from the earlier practices built upon Buddhist culture. Accordingly, this article examines how seating used for preaching in Buddhist context changed with this socio-cultural change. A literature based study on pre-colonial and colonial usage of furniture was carried out with special emphasis on non-secular contexts. Existing examples from the late 19th century when the changes became clearly apparent were studied in detail. Influence of pulpits and celebrant chairs used in Christian preaching is observed. New meaning was derived from integrated design elements borrowed from Buddhist culture and prevailing forms of Christianity. Additionally, colonial chairs of authority and the new role of the preaching monk as a ‘leader’ seemed to have been aligned in creating new meaning for seating.

The broader research objective is to understand the material culture utilized in the Kandyan period in Colonial Sri Lanka by observing temple murals of the specific period, and to understand how Sri Lankan’s perspective on furniture (especially on Seating) had been changed through the centuries, by examining the ‘established and rejected’ design styles, and also with the colonial idea about the furniture.

By studying the significance of stylistic qualities utilized in colonial Sri Lanka, I also seek to understand how people interpret another cultures and alien practices in their own social and cultural terms.

Research Questions:
* What was the nature of ‘seating’ utilized in Sri Lanka in 17th, 18th and 19th century?
* How was the past of usage and ideology of furniture used for seating?

Hypothesis:
The following study of the furniture (seatings) depicted in the paintings in Colonial period in Sri Lanka is based on the hypothesis that the artists, while depicting the life scenes of the Buddha, Jāthaka stories, etc., on the wall, had their mind on the contemporary persons and things around them. Although they provided the figures and the backgrounds in accordance with the requirements of the texts, in painting Jāthaka stories on wall, the artists were conscious of their limitations. They had to work within certain limits, showing, for the most part only what the stories required. However, the artists have taken that much liberty as would not come to conflict with the general trend of the texts.

It is just possible that they replenished the exact parallels with those occurring in the Jāthakas and other life scenes from amongst their society and environment. Thus, according to Dr. Krishna Murthy (1982, p.2), who describes early Indian furniture depicted in Indian murals, the furniture like the many other items found in the wall paintings may have been indigenous to the land which they formed part. Anyhow, in the particular era we are look into is a Colonial period, where indigenous art might get influenced.

... a critical comparison of furniture used for preaching in Buddhist and Christian religious contexts is presented in this paper. It is argued that such furniture from both cultural origins transform to take new form and meaning under the influence of each other. ...

... this study critically argues some notions considering furniture as a social apparatus, through the perspective of Design Analysis and Material Culture Studies in order to identify the cultural transformation flourished through revolution of furniture...

This is my portfolio which contains reflections about me, my preparation to academia and my professional developments, teaching and learning experiences, and extended services to the society and the nation. This portfolio endeavors on capturing continues development ‘process’ which I am going through in academic practice. This is a product of my commitments to CTHE (Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education), whose aims are to support its participants in exploring and developing methods and techniques of teaching, learning and assessment, and provide its participants with opportunity to reflect on and develop their skills and abilities as a teacher in a university process and a format in the spirit of the SEDA Professional Development Framework. CTHE was conducted by the Staff Development Centre of the University of Colombo.

According to Biggs and Tang (2007, p. 145), “the job of a teacher is thus not to help students ‘be’ creative, but to help [or facilitate] them create works, products, outputs, that are founded in the discipline or area and that add to it in an original way”. In design pedagogy, Problem-based learning (PBL) and Outcome-based Learning (OBL) are extensively used. Consequently, in this study, in the project given to students, the outcome is itself an open-ended process, the product not being pre-determined at all. Subsequently, this study investigates the research question of “How might we facilitate students in creative problem-solving skill?”

The colonial period of Sri Lanka was characterized by the emergence of
new social categories, culture and identity. The role played by religion and religious ‘preaching’ in this regard was crucial. Accordingly, in the latter half of the 19th century a new ‘Neo- Buddhist’ identity was being created in response to religious pressure imposed by the spread of Christianity. This article examines how furniture used for preaching in the Buddhist context; dharmasana, changed in order to conform to the Buddhist revival movement and the Neo- Buddhist identity, creating new cultural meanings. Furniture in pre-colonial and colonial Buddhist buildings and colonial Christian furniture were examined in this regard. Study samples were chosen from the South- West region of Sri Lanka, where Christianity had its stronghold and the Buddhist revival movement had its roots. This region was also home to the best established furniture workshops of the colonial period. Two case studies of surviving examples from the period were studied in detail. In comparison with pre- colonial dharmasana, change 􀂯􀂼􀀃􀂨􀃁􀃎􀂻􀄯􀀃􀃒􀃗􀃬􀂵􀂝􀀃􀁿􀂼􀂚􀀃􀃜􀃒􀁿􀂩􀂝􀀃􀃦􀁿􀃒􀀃􀃁􀂒􀃒􀂝􀃎􀃥􀂝􀂚􀄮􀀃􀀲􀂼􀃸􀂵􀃜􀂝􀂼􀂓􀂝􀀃􀃁􀂨􀀃􀃌􀃜􀂵􀃌􀂯􀃗􀃒􀀃􀁿􀂼􀂚􀀃􀂓􀂝􀂵􀂝􀂒􀃎􀁿􀂼􀃗􀀃 chairs used in Christian preaching was also apparent. New meanings from design ‘metaphors’ were derived by integrating elements borrowed from
traditional Buddhist culture and prevailing forms of Christianity. In addition, colonial chairs of authority and the new role of the preaching monk as a ‘leader’ seemed to have been aligned.

In design analysis it is important to have a clear understanding of the
psychological condition of the user of a particular object. The unique
relationship between people and the objects they use could interpret their sociopolitical and cultural development through application of theories drawn from disciplines of history, archaeology, and anthropology. In a domestic environment apart from clothing and food, furniture can be 􀂯􀂚􀂝􀂼􀃗􀂯􀃵􀂝􀂚􀀃􀁿􀃒􀀃􀂻􀃁􀃒􀃗􀀃􀂨􀃎􀂝􀃍􀃜􀂝􀂼􀃗􀂵􀃬􀀃􀃜􀃒􀂝􀂚􀀃􀃁􀂒􀂱􀂝􀂓􀃗􀃒􀄯􀀃􀃦􀂭􀂯􀂓􀂭􀀃􀃌􀂝􀃁􀃌􀂵􀂝􀀃􀂻􀁿􀂯􀂼􀃗􀁿􀂯􀂼􀂝􀂚􀀃􀁿􀀃􀂓􀂵􀃁􀃒􀂝􀀃 relationship with. This has developed over the years to be questioned to a point as to why a person sits on a particular chair? Does it appeal to him?
Does this piece of furniture suit his lifestyle? Hence a constant conversation builds up between the object, user and the society. Sri Lanka, a country that has been under European dominance for many centuries has resulted in a scattered indigenous culture. Due to political changes, the social structure of society has drastically and selectively changed to what we know of, in present day as ‘caste’ to ‘class’. In such a social structure, objects began
􀃗􀃁􀀃􀂚􀂝􀃵􀂼􀂝􀀃􀃁􀂼􀂝􀅍􀃒􀀃􀃒􀂝􀂵􀂨􀀃􀃥􀁿􀂵􀃜􀂝􀄯􀀃􀁿􀂼􀂚􀀃􀃁􀂒􀂱􀂝􀂓􀃗􀃒􀄯􀀃􀃦􀂭􀂯􀂓􀂭􀀃􀃒􀂝􀃎􀃥􀂝􀂚􀀃􀁿􀀃􀃌􀃜􀃎􀂝􀂵􀃬􀀃􀂨􀃜􀂼􀂓􀃗􀂯􀃁􀂼􀁿􀂵􀀃 purpose, became commodities of commercial value. In such hybridization of 􀂓􀃜􀂵􀃗􀃜􀃎􀂝􀄯􀀃􀃒􀃁􀂓􀂯􀂝􀃗􀃬􀀃􀅋􀃁􀂒􀂱􀂝􀂓􀃗􀃒􀅍􀀃􀂚􀂝􀃵􀂼􀂝􀂚􀀃􀃗􀂭􀂝􀂯􀃎􀀃􀃁􀃦􀂼􀂝􀃎􀃒􀀃􀁿􀂼􀂚􀀃􀂚􀂝􀂓􀂯􀂚􀂝􀂚􀀃􀃗􀂭􀂝􀂯􀃎􀀃􀃌􀃁􀃒􀂯􀃗􀂯􀃁􀂼􀀃􀂯􀂼􀀃
􀃗􀂭􀂝􀀃􀂭􀂯􀂝􀃎􀁿􀃎􀂓􀂭􀂯􀂓􀁿􀂵􀀃􀂵􀁿􀂚􀂚􀂝􀃎􀄮􀀃􀁦􀂼􀂵􀂯􀂳􀂝􀀃􀁿􀀃􀃒􀃁􀂓􀂯􀂝􀃗􀃬􀀃􀃦􀂭􀂝􀃎􀂝􀀃􀃒􀃁􀂓􀂯􀁿􀂵􀀃􀂭􀂯􀂝􀃎􀁿􀃎􀂓􀂭􀃬􀀃􀃦􀁿􀃒􀀃􀂚􀂝􀃵􀂼􀂝􀂚􀀃 through inheritance and the state, commercial positioning of objects began
􀃗􀃁􀀃􀂯􀂼􀃸 􀂵􀃜􀂝􀂼􀂓􀂝􀀃􀃒􀃁􀂓􀂯􀁿􀂵􀀃􀂭􀂯􀂝􀃎􀁿􀃎􀂓􀂭􀃬􀄮􀀃􀀔􀃜􀃗􀀃􀃗􀂭􀂝􀀃􀃍􀃜􀂝􀃒􀃗􀂯􀃁􀂼􀀃􀂯􀃒􀀃􀃦􀂭􀂝􀃗􀂭􀂝􀃎􀀃􀃗􀂭􀂯􀃒􀀃􀂯􀃒􀀃􀁿􀀃􀂓􀃁􀂻􀃌􀂵􀂝􀃗􀂝􀀃 or partial transformation. Hence this study critically argues the above
notion considering furniture as a social apparatus, through the perspective of design analysis and material culture studies in order to identify the cultural transformation brought about through the revolution of furniture.

Competing demands between diverse considerations and the benefits sought make urban street tree species selection an extremely complex and challenging process for municipal land and tree managers, influencing urban greening initiatives across the world as well as in Australia. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study with tree managers and other relevant officers from local municipal authorities in South-East Queensland, Australia that examined factors influencing street tree selection and planting. Participants outlined three predominant motives for planting street trees: environmental (100%), visual and aesthetic (92%), and statutory (92%). In contrast, participants identified species characteristics (100%), site factors (100%), costs (92%), and management and maintenance issues (83%) as the most important governing factors for street tree species selection. Only half of the officers noted ecosystem services (50%), along with visual and aesthetic benefits (50%) as species selection factors. Economic, health, socio-cultural and community benefits were not mentioned among the species-selection criteria. The interviews with municipal officers revealed that the parameters governing street tree species selection in South-East Queensland do not conform to the environmental and aesthetic reasons that were cited as the primary motivations for planting street trees. Local research focused on the benefits and problems of Australian street tree species may empower councils to revise their street tree policies and integrate ecosystem services and disservices as part of the process of selecting appropriate species.