Surveys/Polls/Quizzes

UNIT 1

Often online quizzes can be relatively trivial and in more ways than one provide no real substantial evidence of their supposed outcomes. While this is relatively common knowledge, there are cases where online quizzes/surveys can be quite informative, with a thoughtful purpose and set of inquiries.

In this test, a previously devised online quiz was implemented to test Syracuse University architecture students on their knowledge of architectural terms and history. The quiz was developed by Filip Mazurczak through the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and is duly titled, How well do you know architecture? The quiz is devised of nine questions pertaining to architectural terms, history, and ideology, which some might claim are no longer reviewed as much in contemporary architecture schools. After taking the quiz myself and receiving a score of 8/9, the quiz was turned on my classmates in an effort to understand how much Syracuse architecture students really know about the basics.

The scores are as follow,

1. 5-9
2. 5-9
3. 6-9
4. 4-9
5. 5-9
6. 5-9
7. 2-9
8. 5-9
9. 4-9
10. 3-9

The outcome, while fairly even, raised some questions for students studying architecture, information that used to be more prudent in our field, seems to hold a far lesser appreciation than in past classes. While a conclusion can't really be pulled from such a small test group, the evidence is either coincidence, or there is a real lack of interest in facts that helped define the practice today.

While a small set of slightly uncommon questions is hardly proof of a trend, this particular online quiz provided an interesting point with well throughout questions providing a real form of challenge, even for architecture students.

The link for the quiz is provided below, see how much you know.
https://savingplaces.org/stories/quiz-how-well-do-you-know-architecture#.W5gKxehKhaR