6th February.
What an amazing day, such wonderful learnings for us all to experience different methods of teaching & learning. From this session I learn about object based & transparent learning, the importance of silence and how we can negate our position of authority.
Eleni Papazoglou creates a interactive session. We work in pairs, creating with the use of camera phones and framing of the image. Participants acquire knowledge by doing. It feels informal but we are learning & exploring, by introducing a method that allows us to present. She uses good time management, physically connecting people in the room – great as an icebreaker for the day.
We learn to crochet in teams with Peju, who uses nonverbal communication as a form of teaching. It allows us to see who is engaged and who isn’t. Could we apply this to very dry teaching such as coding? Following instructions to achieve a result. Closed, exploratory learning, using silence to teach – I would never think to do this, conscious that I feel the need to be ‘teaching’ is this connected to feeling students deserve their ‘value for money’? – perhaps a lack of confidence or experience in me. I learn this is ‘transparent pedagogy, being yourself as a whole person in the room.’
Ben Hirt uses a conventional didactic way to teach, a tradition of over 100 years. As the ‘expert’ tutor, standing in front, giving us information. There is a power dynamic but by handing us his camera and slowly revealing more information he cleverly creates participation and engagement. Setting up a scenario where we become the expert punctures this dynamic, asking us as the students on a scale of 1-10, ‘What do you know?’ We can update the traditional ways of learning by gamification, he gives us information, through practice there is learning.
Kyinat Motla tells us the story of her grandmother, using her jewellery as a symbol. In Pakistan gold is gifted for protection, allowing the owner to sell if it required as a silent feminist movement. She reflects on her personal history, asking us all to spend a finite time considering who we are & where do we come from. It was an incredibly powerful, simple exercise that had great meaning, I draw the view I saw as four-year-old child, from the huge windows in Birmingham children’s hospital, where I stayed on my own every night while I learnt to be a diabetic. This appeals to a diverse level of skills and ability; we could all relate and participate as a practical experiment. The experience broke the wall between the tutor and student. We all had space to be vulnerable, it was incredibly moving. Her story was personal, humanised the teaching and learning experience, opening emotions. Tim reminds us to be aware, that teaching based on experiences can be very upsetting, if people don’t get to share it can lead to unresolved learning. We all become part of the narrative. Consider the ethical question of depth. The more students we must teach the less students have the space to bring their lives into learning. Consider the way we manage boundaries, through physical learning.
Michiko Oki. This is a theatrical learning experience, exploring myths & folklore in Japanese culture. She integrates theory with practice, teaching authentically through story telling as it is her cultural heritage She used silence well, allowing us to think while we draw – something new to the space. My concept – drinks bottles are no more, in 100 years’ time we access water by swallowing a tablet. ‘Rehydration’ my speculative design. Michiko speaks of the importance of climate, forms of injustice, aligning motivation & content. Our drawings become a procession moving from the physical to theory. What framework do you put in place to to bring in different cultural experiences? The question of decolonising the curriculum – could we ask students to bring in their cultural references? – Ask the question ‘Can you think of a version of this in your cultural context?’ The session connects teaching and theatre – embodiment is another teaching method. How does an object ‘feel’ structure and dramatisation.
Francesco Mazzarella asks us to consider a series of questions about ourselves, reflecting on our own design practice. We have the student experience of what is it like to be a teacher and present. Franceso confides in us that he feels over prepared, with too many questions to focus, this is an opportunity for us to experiment. Being overprepared or underprepared can be a form of protection. Introduce boundaries to the group. Be clear – what is the focus, ‘What do you want me to do?’ Tim tells us that sometimes we give students more choices because we think we should, but a focused, orientated task allows students freedom. We can feel imposter syndrome. Consider the pace of tasks, dialogue in the room, everyone is both the teacher and learner. Handing an object, learning involves contact with something.
Rachel Jenkins creates something out of what she has, the theme of everyday is accessible, symbolic, creating an openness in the room. She uses a ball of wall to create a doorway for us to step through. Using physical drama to facilitate learning. We can redesign the everyday, sometimes we worry about handouts and over complicating learning. Simple activities can create the strongest response. It feels as if all activities in our session are building on one another.
Silva Hravbar-Owens used polarity to teach with, defining a narrative. This dramatised conflict in the room, starting with a personal story, creates a relationship, contextualises debate and how data could be used to aid sustainability. This causes anger and disagreement but the key in teaching is to structure the discussion. according to the different roles – the lecturer has the power to give everyone a voice, be aware that by being at the front you can polarise discussion.
Ekaterina Luzgina specialises in psychoacoustics and aura diversities, working with the intangible we experience a sound bath meditation. We sit with the noise, considering where it can take us – there is no right or wrong answer. A moment of reflection for all of us, Our technical difficulties allow us a learning opportunity. The shared experience opened us up as a group. Tim reminds us – when you take students into an ‘experience’ tell them how long it will last, how to sit, what will happen. Depth of experience, how do you manage that? Ekaterina also uses slides we can interact with.
Kalina used object based learning and transparent pedagogy, allowing us to sit and examine a series of artefacts. beautiful objects as pieces of art with no reference to scale or location, our imagination was our only limit. What changes when you spend time with an object? We can give students the space to ‘play’. Create a logical structure, multisensory experience, ideation & imagination. Asking cognitive questions incorporates our thinking. Informality as a methodology, this can also shield imposter syndrome, Transparent authenticity – bring yourself as a person and a teacher putting more responsibility on the learner. The opposite of spoon feeding
‘Interaction with artefacts deepens students’ learning.’ (Schultz 2012, p.185)
https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/wow-power-objects-object-based-learning-and-teaching
