THE USE OF DECISION MAKING MULTI-MEDIA COMPONENTS IN ELUCIDATING THE CONSTRUCTION METHODS OF THE ST. GEORGE CHURCH IN LALIBELA, ETHIOPIA

摘要

The proliferation of computing devices in the classroom, such as laptops and desktops, has significantly impacted how students learn; according to the Teaching with Technology survey conducted by Campus Technology, Traditional laptops and desktops most common form of instructional technology used in the classroom, both of which are used in 82 percent of learning environments. For this research, a Microsoft Windows based multi-media graphical system was developed to enlighten interested individuals about the possible construction methods likely employed in the creation of the St. George Church in Lalibela, Ethiopia, an ancient Zagwe Dynasty monument created between AD 1137 and AD 1270. St. George's Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is often touted as the 8th Wonder of the World. Through the media program created by this research, students can explore the possible construction methods used in the construction of Saint George's Church from an engineering perspective. This program has potential for demonstrating construction techniques and other engineering concepts in the educational field, bringing the full detail of historical methods into a modern setting. Reliable information regarding the construction of St. George's Church is relatively sparse, but based on known literature, two distinct possible methods have been developed to describe the erection of the church: MEOI (Measure, Excavate, Outside, Inside) and MSOI (Measure, Simultaneous excavation, Outside, Inside). Using the multi-media system, students can select the relative hardness of volcanic tufa from which the hypogea could be fashioned. The students can then select whether they want to "virtually build " St. George's using ancient, or modern tools; select a construction method of their choice, and choose the size of the construction labor force while receiving information about the selections made. Such a multi-media system may potentially inspire students and researchers to not only look into ancient construction more closely, but also develop sustainable modern construction methods based on the ideas used back in ancient times.