IN-PERSON MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY. SECTION A

Abstract

This paper presents X-Scapes, an experimental pedagogical model for Landscape Architecture History, designed to respond to contemporary teaching challenges, including limited attention spans, shifting learning habits, and the growing importance of interdisciplinary dialogue. Traditional chronological lectures increasingly struggle to engage learners who benefit from varied modalities and active participation. X-Scapes fosters creative teaching and learning among a highly interdisciplinary cohort, balancing innovation with pedagogical value from traditional models. The model pursues three aims:1.replace passive chronological delivery with a stimulating thematic framework; 2.diversify learning modalities to sustain attention and curiosity; and 3.position students as active participants shaping their learning environment. Historical inquiry is structured around sixteen thematic “-Scapes” offering conceptual entry points that spark curiosity, accommodate diverse disciplines, and introduce deliberate moments of surprise to reawaken focus. Short lectures, student-curated videos, rapid discussions, and creative assignments emphasize synthesis, reflection, and collaboration. Weekly postcards (diverse visual media)encourage concise expression of complex ideas, while mind-mapping exercises reveal connections across historical and conceptual terrains. Student-initiated activities further contribute to a dynamic, evolving environment. The capstone “final letter” reframes assessment as personal interpretation and outward communication, and a concluding exhibition transforms individual work into a shared interactive space. By combining thematic inquiry, multimodality, and student agency, X-Scapes empowers learners as active protagonists, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and engagement. This presentation shows how this hybrid model offers a prototype for reimagining history teaching across art, design, and spatial disciplines, exemplifying experimental pedagogy in action.