Primer Tasks: Workshop 1 + 2

Posted on 16th April 2024 by Holly St Clair

1. Intersectionality

Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Colour

I have engaged with Crenshaw’s work previously, but not this essay due to it’s content about domestic violence and sexual assault. This was a difficult one, but important. In particular, I found the examples of structural oppression and how using ‘norms’ to determine resource allocation negatively impacts minorities resonant. Below are some highlights:

“… intervention strategies based solely on the experiences of women who do not share the same class or race backgrounds will be of limited help to women who because of race and class face different obstacles.”

Part I: Structural intersectionality, A. Structural Intersectionality and Battering

“…racism as experienced by people of colour who are of a particular gender – male – tends to determine the parameters of antiracist strategies, just as sexism as experiences by women who are of a particular race – white – tends to ground the women’s movement.”

Part II: Political intersectionality

“… race and gender converge that the concerns of minority women fall into the void between concerns about women’s issues and concerns about racism.”

Part III: Representation Intersectionality

Privilege Walk

I’m quite familiar with the concept of a privilege walk, I have taken them many times in different institutions. This has had the benefit of highlighting that ones ‘privilege’ can wax and wane. When I did the walk as a child, I was able-bodied, straight and unaware of negative depictions of mixed-race or Asian people on TV. (Although, I was definitely aware from my peers.) As a teen: no diagnoses, living with an elderly relative, unsure of gender/sexuality. As a young adult: disabled, queer, no caring duties, in a heteronormative relationship. Now (and I mean Very Now): still disabled, resolutely single, and with a parent needing care after an operation this week. If I take the test again in a month it will be different again! It makes me think about the common sentiment that most people as they age will develop some kind of disability, so we should all be involved with disability activism. It also highlights the limitations of essentialism.

2. Persona Pedagogy

What are the benefits of PP for learning about and developing inclusive practices?

  • Persona pedagogy helps participants to practice empathy and to broaden their world view
  • Participants feel less pressure to disclose potentially stigmatising information (identity threat) when using persona profiles
  • Scaffolded analysis of a lived experience
  • Encourages critical reflection (reflection with action), problem solving, and application of cultural learning
  • Personas can be co-designed by minority participants so that lived experiences are reflected but anonymised

What are its limitations or downsides?

  • Facilitators must be experienced in delivering the sessions
  • Requires a safe or neutral space – do those exist?
  • Participants may fall back on stereotypes if the personas are not properly developed
  • The ‘identity threat’ still remains, participants may feel they need to add their lived experience if similar to the personas as ‘evidence’ of their argument

3. Positionality Statements

A positionality statement or reflexive comment is a statement of a researcher’s worldview, acknowledging biases, values and experiences.

For example: I am a lecturer with many students from mainland China. I am half-Asian, I acknowledge there are both commonalities and differences in our experiences. For one, I was born in the UK and speak English as a first language. My understanding of Chinese culture is through a Western lens, whether I like it or not! To tackle this, I listen first and draw conclusions later (or never).

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Unit 1: Theories, Policies and Practices Index

Posted on 1st April 2024 by Holly St Clair

Blog Posts

  1. On String and Staircases: Reflections on Workshops 1 + 2
  2. Smelly Chicken: Object Based Learning
  3. Fight Me: Reflections on Workshops 3 + 4
  4. Comic: Planned + Safe Anxiety

Observations

  1. Record of Observation: Tutor
  2. Review of Teaching Practice: Peer
  3. Record of Observation: Peer

Microteach

Case Studies

  1. Case Study 1: Movement Breaks
  2. Case Study 2: Experiences with Mentoring
  3. Case Study 3: Role-play and Assessments

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Case Study 3: Role-play and Assessments

Posted on 1st April 2024 by Holly St Clair

For this case study, I would like to use a specific example of student formative review and propose an alternative approach.

Context

The students have produced a piece of editorial illustration to accompany an article. All of the students were expected to use the same dimensions and layout, but could make or draw in any manner they liked. They had to produce ‘roughs’ (sketched options) as part of their process.

Current Review Format

The whole year group are in attendance. Works are printed and displayed on the studio walls. Students are given worksheets asked to do the following tasks:

Worksheet 1.

Work in pairs and answer these questions:

What do you think the illustration is trying to say in response to the article?

What is the mode of communication in the work? 

How well does the illustrations ability to communicate match the makers intentions?

Is there something you think could improve the images communication or realisation?

Repeat the task in a new pair.

Worksheet 2.

Walk around and view the work.

Find 2 pieces of work that you think best respond to the article. Write down why.

What are the similarities between the 2 pieces you chose?

Teaching materials, BA Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts, 2023.

Evaluation

While these questions do help the students to reflect on the work produced and relate to the learning outcomes, I believe there are areas for improvement. 

The tasks rely on written communication, and the worksheets have limited space. For some students, this much writing will limit the amount of time they have to converse and evaluate.

When reviewing the written responses, many of the comments were not meaningfully evaluative. Many included comments such as “nice” or “good style”, without going into detail. Cultural differences should be noted too. For some students, any criticism of another’s work is impolite. Others may find a supportive tone difficult to communicate.

Finally, the brief mimicked a ‘real life’ scenario an illustrator may find themselves in. The feedback worksheets do not relate to professional practice, this may have provided a useful grounding for evaluative critique.

Moving Forwards

I propose the use of role-play to improve this formative assessment session. In ‘Making marks: assessment in art and design’, Professor Susan Orr posits that identity is ‘fully implicated’ in art and design assessment practices. (2010.) Role-play may allow us to shed identities and put on new ones. We could even play with the idea of costume, perhaps a level of silliness to remove the anxiety of the critique. The roles may be as follows:

Reader: You are the target audience. Did the illustration catch your eye? Did it persuade you to read the article? What did the illustration add to your experience reading?

Art Director: You have been tasked with commissioning an illustration. What sketches did you see? What changes did you ask for? Are you satisfied with the final results?

Author: You are the journalist who wrote the article. Do you see your words reflected in the image? Does the tone feel appropriate? Do the people represent who you had in mind?

We understand that an effective review allows students to practice scenarios in a supportive environment without the pressures of the real world. (Dr Bernadette Blair, ‘Perception/Interpretation/Impact’, 2007. Nicol and Macfarlane‐Dick, ‘Formative Assessment and Self‐regulated Learning’, 2006.) I believe role-play would facilitate this further. It may even open up students to future roles they can pursue!

Bibliography

Dr Bernadette Blair. ‘Perception/Interpretation/Impact’. Networks Magazine, no. 1 (May 2007): 10–13.

Finnigan, Terry. ‘Reducing Referrals and Resubmissions: Using Make the Grade’. Academic Enhancement Model Toolbox. University of the Arts London. Accessed 21 February 2024. https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/190155/AEM-Reducing-referrals-PDF-304KB.pdf.

Nicol, David J., and Debra Macfarlane‐Dick. ‘Formative Assessment and Self‐regulated Learning: A Model and Seven Principles of Good Feedback Practice’. Studies in Higher Education 31, no. 2 (April 2006): 199–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070600572090.

Professor Susan Orr. ‘Making Marks: Assessment in Art and Design’. Networks Magazine, no. 10 (2010).

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Case Study 2: Experiences with Mentoring

Posted on 1st April 2024 by Holly St Clair

Note: For this case study, I will be speaking from lived experience.

Returning to education has forced me to reexamine many aspects of learning. Particularly in regards to identity, before I was a teacher and now I am a student. I am also a student of colour. And a queer student too! There is one area, however, I have struggled to identify with: I am a disabled student.

At university, the first time round, I received accommodations such as extra time on assignments. My contact with UAL Disability Services was short and sweet: I got some time off and a bit of sympathy if I emailed in sick to my lecturers. This time I was also offered something new to me: specialist mentoring.

Supplied by Randstad, these mentors provide individualised student-led advice and support. They are not counsellors or health care workers. (‘Student Support | Randstad UK’, 2021.) My initial reaction to the idea of mentoring was, ‘Do I look like I need help?’ I have always thought of myself as very capable, this was a service for someone else and not me.

I also worried about ‘wasting’ the limited time available to me, I work as a lecturer, a freelance illustrator, and have a part-time job as a dog walker on top of everything.

At first, I only consented to a session out of academic curiosity. I wanted to know what resources my students had access to so that I could give an informed recommendation.

My first session was an overview of what makes studying difficult for me, particularly in relation to my long term illness. My mentor and I spoke at length and in detail, as I described my circumstances, I made a series of realisations:

First, all my life I have been praised for persevering through the pain my illness causes. When I grit my teeth I am described as ‘strong’ and ‘resilient’ for ‘fighting’ my disability. (Combative phrasing that suggests at the end of the day there will be a winner and loser.) I have received negative feedback when advocating for my body. Rest is laziness, self-advocacy is inconvenient, boundaries are stubbornness. 

Secondly, while I intellectually understood the social model versus the medical model, I did not apply the same logic to my own disability. Barbara Lisicki, a disabled comedian, describes the model as:

Disability is created by physical, organisational and attitudinal barriers and these can be changed and eliminated.

‘The Social Model of Disability Factsheet’, Inclusion London, 2013. 

I viewed my body the barrier to study. Accepting it for what it is and treating my body with care – not kicking it’s butt in hand to hand combat – would be far kinder. I needed to deconstruct my internalised ableism.

UAL’s Disability Service follows the social model too, which is why I was able to receive mentoring at no cost. The mentoring sessions have been truly eye opening. We speak holistically and don’t compartmentalise. It has made a noticeable shift in my attitude towards my disability and my studies.

Many of my students will have gone through this same process. I will recommend mentoring to my students with disabilities and I would like to, where appropriate, share my personal experience with them.

I would like to leave you with this quote below from Thomas Shakespeare, a sociologist with achondroplasia:

When it comes to disability, patient empowerment can be beautiful. I notice how people sit differently after I explain to them that many of their problems are down to social barriers, not the disability itself. They leave the room differently from how they entered because of the power of this understanding of disability.

‘Recognising Lived Experience Is Essential to Empowering Disabled Patients’, 2022.

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Case Study 1: Movement Breaks

Posted on 1st April 2024 by Holly St Clair

Contextual Background

I am an associate lecturer on the Illustration BA (Hons) at Camberwell College of Arts. One of my main duties is to deliver teaching in a studio environment. We have a significant minority of students with learning differences. The self-reported diagnoses include dyslexia, autism, and ADHD. These diagnoses effect many aspects of student engagement, including attention and focus.

Evaluation

The current strategies in supporting disabled students focus on the Individual Support Agreement (ISA). (Disability Service, ‘Individual Support Agreements’, 2023.) These agreements follow the social model of disability and give guidance to lecturers on reasonable adjustments and inclusive teaching strategies. Plans usually include flexibility with regards to attendance, student-regulated breaks during classes, and adjusted assessment. 

The ISA relies on students having accurate diagnoses and engaging with disability advisers. We know that women and people of colour are under-diagnosed for learning differences, therefore, we can assume actual numbers of neurodiverse students are higher than reported. (O’Nions et al., ‘Autism in England’, 2023.)

With this knowledge, I would suggest implementing strategies to improve focus and engagement that are beneficial for all students, in particular neurodiverse learners. 

Moving Forwards

I was introduced to the concept of movement breaks through a colleague working in Special Educational Needs (SEN). They use the ‘Busy Brain Breaks’ intervention: short periods of movement used to either break up long periods of concentration or as transitional activities. (Cline et al., ‘A Process Evaluation of A UK Classroom-Based Physical Activity Intervention—“Busy Brain Breaks”’, 2021.) An example break is embedded below.

Busy Brain Breaks #1., 2020.

While the ‘Busy Brain Break’ may not be appropriate for our learners, I believe movement interventions can be adapted to our specific context. There are fewer studies in this area, however ‘Classroom Movement Breaks Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Increase Concentration, Alertness and Enjoyment during University Classes: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study’ (Peiris et al.) suggests that university students experience similar positive outcomes to their younger counter-parts when movement is introduced to lectures. The movement break activities from this study included squats, step lunges, and brisk walking. There is an immediate issue of accessibility with all of these activities, so I would look to adapt the movement or allow students to choose their own movement. 

It is important to note that illustration, the specific subject area I teach, is particularly physically involved. My experience as an illustrator is that the practice is a whole body experience, particularly the act of drawing. Therefore, drawing itself may act as a movement break. We often engage in short ‘warm-up’ drawing exercises at the start of a session. Perhaps a way of integrating movement into a session is to add short drawing tasks at intervals. A 2015 article from Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal examines the effectiveness of drawing as a way of encoding memory. The ‘Drawing Lab’ sort to answer whether ‘the physicality of drawing, as sensory information, might serve as an efficient mnemonic tool.’ (Michele Salamon, ‘Drawing Laboratory: Research Workshops and Outcomes’, 2018.) The feedback from students participating in their workshops indicated that the drawing techniques taught enhanced not only their recall but also concentration.

Finally, chronic wrist pain from illustrating is a known risk. Students in particular are often engaged in long periods of intense drawing and making. I believe with movement breaks there js an opportunity here to introduce movement to lessons that not only improve engagement but also teach students how to prevent injury. Simple hand and wrist stretches can become short interventions or transitions between activities.

In order to begin exploring movement intervention, I would like to implement the following reflect on the effects:

Re-Locating: briskly walking or moving to a new location within the studio space

Drawing: short drawing exercises interspersed in sessions

Stretching: hand, wrist, and arm stretches done whilst sitting or standing

Bibliography

Busy Brain Breaks #1, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH–H3zs_s4.

Cline, Alice, Gareth Knox, Luciana De Martin Silva, and Stephen Draper. ‘A Process Evaluation of A UK Classroom-Based Physical Activity Intervention—“Busy Brain Breaks”’. Children 8, no. 2 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/children8020063.

Disability Service. ‘Individual Support Agreements’. University of the Arts London, September 2023. https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/168404/Individual-Support-Agreements-September-2023.pdf.

Michele Salamon. ‘Drawing Laboratory: Research Workshops and Outcomes’. Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal 3, no. 2 (2018): 131–41.

O’Nions, Elizabeth, Irene Petersen, Joshua E. J. Buckman, Rebecca Charlton, Claudia Cooper, Anne Corbett, Francesca Happé, et al. ‘Autism in England: Assessing Underdiagnosis in a Population-Based Cohort Study of Prospectively Collected Primary Care Data’. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe 29 (1 June 2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100626.

Peiris, Casey L., Gráinne O’Donoghue, Lewis Rippon, Dominic Meyers, Andrew Hahne, Marcos De Noronha, Julia Lynch, and Lisa C. Hanson. ‘Classroom Movement Breaks Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Increase Concentration, Alertness and Enjoyment during University Classes: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study’. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 11 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115589.

‘Why Women with Autism and ADHD Are Underdiagnosed’. Accessed 24 March 2024. https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/health/wellbeing/why-women-with-autism-and-adhd-are-underdiagnosed.

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Microteach: Going on an Adventure

Posted on 1st April 2024 by Holly St Clair

The session was inspired by a life drawing project created by Lucia Vinti during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020. (Lucia Vinti, Google Maps Travels.) The digital artefact the participants were asked to engage with was a StreetView location on Google Maps, provided via a URL. This was an opportunity to try out an idea for our cohort of second years. While we would not have time to explore every aspect the activity would touch on, the microteach held valuable feedback. 

‘We are going on an adventure!’

The students are transported to ‘Happy World’, a mysterious theme park. They cannot move, but they can turn and zoom in and out. The first task is an attempt to situate themselves.

The intention was to encourage the participants to be curious and open to the unexpected. This was received with a mixture of anxiety and positivity.

I loved all the twists and turns and not really knowing why we were on google maps in this unfamiliar place and then everything being revealed afterwards.

– comment from Jess B.

This is an example of ‘safe anxiety’, a concept I am exploring in my teaching practice.

The participants wrote their initial impressions and I read them out loud as a way of familiarising myself with names and dissuading nerves about presenting ‘incorrect’ information. In my experience, if I ask a group of students a question that has a firm answer I am less likely to get a forthcoming response. This decision was received positively by the participants.

I wanted the participants to embody a character: an explorer gathering information. I find that roleplaying in this way can open students to consider new perspectives. Role-play is something I am exploring in my case studies. 

“I also appreciated your description of us being time travellers – it takes us out of our lived biases and experiences and makes us look at the world in a bare lense [sic], more open to the wonder and excitment [sic] of random places.”

– comment from Kitty B.

Returning to Happy World, they were tasked with gathering information. Initially, this caused some students to freeze:

… at first I was daunted by the open endedness of “collect information” but I ended up really enjoying the freedom to look at whatever I wanted and the lack of pressure to do something specific or follow strict instructions

– comment from Kitty B.

I gave three ways to gather information: writing, taking ‘photographs’ (screenshots), and observational drawing. The way I delivered these prompts could have been improved, I have a tendency to throw ideas out in order to meet the student where they are, rather than offering clear steps and waiting for the student to meet me half-way.

‘Photographs’ by participants (Google Maps, 2024.)

My choice of location was meaningful to me. I am Burmese on my mother’s side, and have not been able to visit Myanmar for some time now due to the ongoing civil war.

I wanted to touch on the politics of maps, and technology. I showed two screenshots, one with the street view routes highlighted and one without. Thailand and Bangladesh, Myanmar’s neighbours, light up in blue. Myanmar is a desert in comparison.

Myanmar (Google Maps, 2024.)
Myanmar with Street View (Google Maps, 2024.)

This was the ‘twist’ of the workshop. (As an illustrator I often think of things as narratives, I love a twist ending.)

I loved all the twists and turns and not really knowing why we were on google maps in this unfamiliar place and then everything being revealed afterwards.

– comment from Jess B.

I wanted to speak clearly and with empathy about conflict and separation from family, but this microteach was too short to really give this reveal space to sink in. In fact, it’s quite problematic as noted by Tim. It is more thoughtful to give a warning before jumping into these topics. In our feedback tutorial, I was reminded of a time I received a news notification of a particularly violent incident in Yangon, and how distracted and unfocused that made me when teaching. I will be much more careful in the future.

After sharing this personal history with the place we have explored, I asked the students to think of and find a place of their own. We spent the last moments of the activity visiting each others links and speaking about topics such as home, wanderlust, and family.

What went well?

  • Roleplaying to induce safe anxiety
  • Workshop planning as storytelling (using a twist ending for memorability)
  • Immersive and exploratory learning
  • Image gathering as research, using alternative techniques

Areas to Improve

  • Sensitivity warnings
  • Giving space for conversation to breathe
  • Time management, restructuring to prevent rushing or pushing students before they are ready to move on from a task
  • Practicing with technology before the session

Bibliography

Lucia Vinti. Google Maps Travels. 2020. Pencil drawing. https://luciavinti.com/google-maps-travels.

‘Myanmar’. Google Maps. Accessed 25 March 2024. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Myanmar+(Burma)/@18.7158842,86.0119698,5z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x305652a7714e2907:0xba7b0ee41c622b11!8m2!3d21.916221!4d95.955974!16zL20vMDR4bl8?entry=ttu.

Sanjay Kumar. ‘Happy World Amuseument Park’. Google Maps, July 2022. https://www.google.com/maps/@16.7943306,96.1499252,3a,75y,287.49h,78.38t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPEfUwvGJZb9dZPZD0Mt8pccPxcRqpAofbNiXEK!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPEfUwvGJZb9dZPZD0Mt8pccPxcRqpAofbNiXEK%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya100.82141-ro-0-fo100!7i6080!8i3040?entry=ttu.

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Record of Observation: Peer

Posted on 1st April 2024 by Holly St Clair

Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: ‘Unit 4 Methodology Workshop: Comics’ 

Size of student group: 30-45  

Observer: Holly St Clair 

Observee: Peony Gent 

Part 1.: Context

What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum? 

  • Within this Unit students are at the stage of writing a project proposal, inspired by a theme or idea they discovered during the previous unit. 
  • This workshop I am leading is part of a set of ‘methodology workshops’ where students try out a series of new mediums and methods of working. 
  • The idea is that these new mediums/methods may inspire a new line of enquiry or create new potential for their future project. I was briefed by the Unit Leader to create a workshop that allowed for exploration of a new form, whilst also letting students apply that form to their personal unique project idea/theme.  

How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity? 

  • I have been working with this year since September 2023, as one of their primary tutors for the Year 1 students.  

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes? 

  • Students will build knowledge around different comic genres and experiment with new formats of comic making to generate potential ideas for their Unit 4 project proposals. 

What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)? 

  • Students will look at examples of a variety ways they can use the comics form: 
  • Comics as fictional storytelling 
  • Comics as reportage 
  • Comics as autobiography 
  • Comics as visual essay 
  • Comics as poetry 
  • Students will generate ideas for each of these comic forms relating to Unit 4 theme. 
  • Students will look at 3 different comic formats that require no binding materials. 
  • Students will make at least two rough versions of a comic using one of those templates. 

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern? 

  • There is a potential that students may not be sure of their Unit 4 theme yet, and therefore find it difficult to generate content for their comic roughs 
  • The knowledge base about comics may differ widely for students – the introductory short ‘lecture’ on different comic genres may therefore feel unnecessary or ‘basic’ to some. 
  • Some students have previously expressed dislike for our workshops containing too many short and quick exercises – which this workshop contains some element of.   

How will students be informed of the observation/review? 

  • Peony will inform students at the beginning of the session and introduce Lindsay/Holly 

What would you particularly like feedback on? 

  • Clarity – I always find it useful to hear feedback on whether my sessions have clear instructions that can be easily followed. 
  • Pace – my desire for clarity also means I sometimes fear the pace of my workshops is too ‘slow’, as I feel I can spend too much time going over simple concepts to ensure all understand. Feedback on this would be appreciated!  
  • The ‘lecture’ element – could there have been a more engaging way of introducing these different comics genres to students without it being so didactic?  

How will feedback be exchanged? 

  • On this form or in person if a time can be arranged post-session. 

Part 2.: Observation

Your presentation was very detailed with excellent examples. The sources were diverse, and each offered a different perspective to comics. Breaking up your presentation with small tasks (notation, ideas generation) was a simple but effective way of keeping engagement levels up.  

Overall, students were listening and making notes while you were speaking. I would aim for less text on the screen, particularly when students are engaged in a task. Perhaps, only the core instruction is on the screen while they’re responding. 

Some of their attention was lost later in the presentation, I think this was due to the introduction of making materials. They are clearly enthusiastic and can’t wait to get started, but it meant some of what you explained was lost – including some key instructions about how to cut the paper. You could present all the zine layouts with cut examples prepared, then hand out the materials. It could act as a movement break! Students could stand and come to you to receive the materials rather than sitting and passing them along the tables. This could be a signifier that the activity is changing from listening to making.

Part 3.: Reflection

All of these suggestions are excellent, I will definitely be taking all of these on board. 

In particular the idea of a ‘movement break’ is a term I’ve not heard used before, but makes excellent sense. The signifier change from ‘listen’ to ‘making’ is also a very useful one and will help add clarity to the session.  

The note regarding too much text on the screen I also agree with – I have reflected before that I often ‘overexplain’ tasks, or my worry about clarity means I give too many prompts or suggestions rather than trusting in the students to bring themselves and their own ideas to a task. In coming sessions I will try to edit further, and leave additional instructions or suggestions to be added verbally if necessary.  

A massive thank you to Holly for the feedback!  

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Review of Teaching Practice: Peer

Posted on 1st April 2024 by Holly St Clair

Artefact to be reviewed: Unit 8 Mapping Workshop

Size of student group: approx. 60 students

Observer: Peony Gent

Observee: Holly St Clair (Meade)

Part 1.: Context

What is the context of this session within the curriculum?

The students are at the start of their Unit 8, Critical Practice Project. The students are asked to map a private, public, or institutional site of their choice. The definition of mapping in this project is not limited to cartography. Students are expected to use thematic patterns to make a statement about their chosen site.

How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?

I have been working with this year group since the start of the academic year. I am an Associate Lecturer. I have a tutor group who I assess and tend to.

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?

Students will learn methods of primary research and building a visual reference gallery.

What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?

A collaborative visual resource and an illustration of an emotion.

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?

Collaborative work has a negative connotation to our cohort, due to Unit 6, but we have been developing some closer relationships and camaraderie through Unit 7. There can be shyness about working in front of others.  

How will students be informed of the observation/review?

This is not applicable.

What would you particularly like feedback on?

Do the planned timings work? How do you think students will respond?

How will feedback be exchanged?

In person or on this form!

Part 2.: Observations

  • This is a session plan for a sensitive and nuanced workshop, that is broken down into manageable tasks in achievable time slots. 
  • The workshop does well to blend practical tasks and a theoretical basis – introducing some basic theories of psychology for the students and providing references to those who may wish to research into the topic further. It also does well to provide an interesting alternative form of mapping they may never have encountered before. 
  • The workshop is also well scaffolded to aid any students who may need additional support, or for those who have never encountered the ideas of pareidolia or depicting emotions. 
  • The inclusion of a ‘definitions’ section is an excellent idea for supporting students unfamiliar with the provided terms. 
  • Not having anything other than this workshop plan – I ask the question of is there any additional resources or references you show the students in this workshop? Do you share examples of pareidolia with them?
  • Some of the ‘cue ‘ questions are very interesting – is there space within the workshop for the students to discuss them? In particular the question of ‘how do illustrators reflect the intangible’ and ‘why do illustrators use empathy’ are excellent prompts for widening knowledge and understanding of illustration. Are these questions ever linked back to professional practice, within a presentation of other illustration references for example? As a follow up, could there be a section unpacking the ‘use’ of this kind of emotional mapping after it has been made? How can students see the relevance of relating this task back to their own practice? 
  • I would also be interested to hear some reflection on the differences of responses created for task 3 and task 4. Task 4 is very open, and has little guidance compared to the other tasks. Do students ever retreat to visual cliche or stereotypes for this task, compared to the more subtle imagery and ideas presented in the rest of the workshop? Or do the other tasks usually prepare them enough that they are able to respond with newfound sensitivity or originality?

Part 3.: Reflections

The main area needing attention is ‘Task 4: Respond’. While the student will have been scaffolded through the day, this task is quite unspecific and could be a step too far after a day of challenging concepts. To remedy this, we will now unpack how to use the map we have made as a group discussion before they begin the illustration task.

I will remember to reiterate that this workshop is about exploring a method of researching that is active, not just ‘looking’ at resources but creating them. They have just finished a month long project where they undertook a similar process (creating a visual archive and producing work from that resource) but on a much longer time scale. I will remind them of this to boost their confidence!

For the drawing task, I will try to facilitate a space to experiment and try something new, not to fall back on reliable image cues. I initially thought about asking students to place their work back on the framework, I think this will be a decision made on the day depending on the confidence of the students in their outcomes. 

Regarding references, the themes of this workshop are core to my own practice, but I’m conscious about just talking about myself…! I am actively seeking out examples of illustration practices to diversify the examples. I intend to use lots of image references as you suggested.

Thank you, Peony for the useful feedback! 

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Record of Observation: Tutor

Posted on 31st March 2024 by Holly St Clair

Session observed: Unit 7 Publication Workshops

Size of student group: approx. 120 students

Observer: Tim Stephens

Observee: Holly St Clair (Meade)

Part 1.: Context

What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum?

The students have just finished making films on a subject they have chosen using found material. They have been engaging in visual research. They will now be producing a publication to accompany their films at the end of unit screening. We are in the second part of their Unit 7 project, designed by George Mellor. 

How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?

I have been working with this year group since the start of the academic year. I am an Associate Lecturer. I have a tutor group who I assess and tend to.

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?

Students will learn methods of book making through object-based learning. They will handle publications that use unusual or innovative formats.

What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?

They will use materials to practice different techniques, creating dummy books. They may begin to draft their publication. Students are encouraged to use the staff working as resources for information.

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?

There is a theme of anxiety amongst this year group, especially around making in front of others. There can be a hesitancy to ask questions. We want to foster a studio environment to tackle this.

How will students be informed of the observation/review?

They will be informed at the start of the studio session in a large group. They will be reminded when joining my break-out group.

What would you particularly like feedback on?

Communication, whether students are focused and engaged. If they understand the intention of the day’s workshop. 

How will feedback be exchanged?

In person or on this form!

Part 2.: Tutor Observation

H: you

St. students

T: other tutor

I do Teaching Obs., by noting the sequence of events…this will help you recall the session and reflect on what you think is happening and what you did at the time, based on your memory of the session’s events.

Book-publication display, workshop. Artefact exploration and production, show and tell (new) event.

Set up of the session, wide range of publications laid out on tables. Friday workshop. Plus Film Club afterwards, with popcorn!

H: Morning, what’s your name..?

H: What’s your film (?) about….

St. Explains a bit about her project…

H: Amazing…I’ve organised these in themes…entirely hand drawn and written…

St. Browses…

H: these three here [you explain and discuss informally with student 1:1]

Very positive, encouraging, manner.

Talking about journeys and explorative work…

H: This book’s really special to me, autistic…designer, diarist…all sensory, soft…

A group of students arrive.

H: I’ve tried to group these in themes…embroidery…hand made…one on toilet paper…these all unusual paper choices, sizes…

H: This is a project I did when I was studying here….

You explain the studio, project, children’s issue based work… Yeah, it was fun while it lasted!

H: This is lovely…by J. he also studied here….he went on a walk….I love it…

[T: Find a new table – announcement!]

H: If you have any questions…they’re not all immediately accessible, what they are…

St. [immediate question re: the large A3 format book]

You circulate around the table to the opposite side.

[I browse the publications]

You structure various discussions, about forms of the publications, their types and projects behind them.

St.’s disclose things about their interests and on-going projects, which you discuss with them.

The conversations are prompted in all sorts of ways by the stimulus material.

e.g. This one is one of my projects, it’s an activity book…you have to be aware of which side you cut out, because there is something on the other side…

This one gets bigger and bigger as you unfold it…

[I get distracted!]

You continue with the 1:1 conversation format, approach new arrivals to the table, comment on what they are browsing, rearrange and keep the space of the books on the table.

St.s are also talking to eachother, sharing their interests, opening the tiny packet book, and flicking through pages.

You move with St. to show the Egypt booklet publication and he is very enthused. You talk about the other related publication.

H: Contrasts the western lens on …

[Jingle to move on]

H: time to move on folks

St Thanks

H: have you looked at J’s books

H: [you explain the various colours/grades in one booklet]

St: Wow!

They explain how they like the break in the sequence

H: Yes! The interruptions….

You continue to circulate with new arrival students.

One hour – over so soon!

This was a very interesting, and somewhat unusual, untypical, activity to observe, not least because the materials laid on about 5-6 table across two large rooms, including a live illustrator/showing their own works, staff personal collections of an historic archive of exceptional examples of booklet, publication, illustration, and various book concepts…that were each so interesting in themselves.

Such resource-rich environments, which could be called ‘immersive’ in one sense, ‘exploratory’, OBL (object-based learning), object handling, exemplar stimulus material, also a type of diverse, curated exhibition are an interesting context to teach in. We are more demanded, by the context and materials to be ‘facilitative’, ‘conversational’, ‘friendly-open-welcoming’ (each tutor was stood beside their specific collection, like a host, or in a market-stall type environment. This set up in some ways already determines the type of interaction we have with students, as visitors….However, as educationalists, this allowed you to be ‘experts’ and share your ’expertise’ on the collections in front of the students. In a very specific way.

This is very similar to the role of archivists and museum-object curators and professionals. They often take a very purposeful backward step, not to impose readings, interpretations or specific narratives as these might exclude others; and they can be very reticent. You were very good here at ‘allowing’ student to find their own meanings, ask their own questions and you started to elaborate and open up the teaching from this point.

You seemed to effectively have some meaningful interactions all stemming from either a) asking a good question about their interest or practice or b) disclosing something about the object or c) disclosing something about your own practice interests or insights into the objects. This was wonderful to see and helped to ‘calm’ or ‘focus’ those potentially embarrassing or slightly uncomfortable moments…as if we are at a sale, or display and we are not sure whether to just look or to communicate further with the person that is there hosting, make sense? In a highly defined scenario such as this, the teaching itself, as I said, is kind of structured by the situation-activity.

It may seem that ‘successful’ teaching in this context is only where someone’s interest/project is sparked by the object/your disclosure and we have a ‘good’ conversation! 

However, let’s just imagine that’s not the case. Let’s say that wandering in a market in a foreign country is a perfect learning opportunity. Why would that be? What is learning in this context…? If it is learning through looking, touching, exploring, naming, identifying, absorbing, comparing, noticing, attuning, and so on. What types of pedagogies, actions/acts could you as facilitator, make? This might be one way for you to think about this situation, and as you recall the session through the description above. What possibilities are there for you, apart from simply being there as host.

You might have to step outside of what was expected of you as tutors in this scenario, but let’s imagine…

Welcoming – you did a great jo pf being friendly and welcoming at the table.

Encouraging –  you did a good job of encouraging people to look, touch and explore (this is known as permission giving, and students often need a lot more than we think! To be brave, and to learn).

Noticing – write down five words related to what you see, tell me three things you notice about,

Thinking – tell me one thing you don’t know about what you are looking at, ask one question about an object you have picked up.

In a sense these are all types of ‘play’ used in ‘exploratory’ or ‘discovery’ learning in the above scenarios I listed earlier. Hence reading up on this context would help to work out more possibilities.

For what I saw in the ‘event’ itself it was a great session in which students were almost overwhelmed by the richness of the scenario, this in itself is a wonderful thing to be part ot, and I hope the idea takes off and becomes really popular.

The making part, which was the student response element would have been super interesting to observe so I’m sorry I missed that, as that would be where things like formative feedback could come in. You may also want to reflect on that aspect of the session that was unobserved.

Thanks Holly, great session and wonderful experience for me!

Part 3.: Reflection on Feedback

Thank you Tim for your thoughtful observations! I’m very glad you enjoyed the session. Below are some of my reflections:

The session format was one I had done variants on before, on other occasions I have brought my philately collection and printed posters. While I enjoy the intimacy of this act, there is an element of trust and vulnerability. If I were to ask my students to bring in personal collections I would describe them as brave for doing so. Sharing can be scary!

This is very similar to the role of archivists and museum-object curators and professionals. They often take a very purposeful backward step, not to impose readings, interpretations or specific narratives as these might exclude others; and they can be very reticent.

This is an interesting observation for me, I have worked in three previous roles in museum and gallery spaces! Two of these were casual student roles (namely: stopping children from eating the artwork and grown ups from breaking things) where I often had to engage with a member of the public asking questions or wanting to discuss the artwork. As my role was to sit in the gallery for hours, I learnt to listen instead of offer my interpretation straight away. I always kept an ‘Easter egg’, a fun fact, in my back pocket to really ‘wow’ the visitor. I’ve never considered how these experiences might re-emerge in my teaching until now!

It may seem that ‘successful’ teaching in this context is only where someone’s interest/project is sparked by the object/your disclosure and we have a ‘good’ conversation! 

I love the conversational style of teaching we often engage with on our course, but it does have limitations. It can be difficult when a student is particularly lost with their project, how can you guide them when they don’t know where to go?! If we continue the metaphor, I would like to orient the students in these situations. Not a host but a guide. (This might be stretching the metaphor to it’s breaking point, but perhaps the objects can act as maps. Or the terrain. Or land marks.)

I would not like to overwhelm the student if good conversation feels distant, I think offering one good object and really spending time to analyse – do the object based learning – would empower the student more than if I offer them a hundred different trails to follow. The wonderful thing about books is that if you don’t have content, you can focus on form. The format of a book can feel much more tangible and accessible if the content is more obscure. After you left, the next task was to try this and make dummy copies of the books they had seen. I noticed some students without a strong direction went back to exploring book forms and found a grounding in making and playing.

Thinking – tell me one thing you don’t know about what you are looking at, ask one question about an object you have picked up.

I love this prompt. Not knowing can feel disempowering, writing ‘I don’t know’ in an exam gets a big X next to it. This turns not knowing into a big green tick instead.

One final take away from me: We have a very large year group, with many students joining on exchange programmes, and so it’s easy to feel disconnected/discombobulated. The format of the workshop allowed me to be introduced to new students, and check up on those I haven’t seen for a while!

Overall, I’m glad my enthusiasm for zines and book making translated. A positive day!

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Comic: Planned + Safe Anxiety

Posted on 30th March 2024 by Holly St Clair
The tutor places a pencil on a blank piece of paper.
The student starts drawing with the pencil.
The student's pencil grows bigger.
The student starts to climb onto the table to draw.
The student draws with a giant pencil.
The student is falling! The tutor is there to help!
The student is triumphantly holding the pencil, now as big as a catfish above their head. The tutor is giving a double thumbs up.
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