Session 2
Monday 15th May
We are reminded this is a journey of self-discovery – where we are biased or not. This dialogic space is supported by pre- and post-tasks which inform what we do in the session. We discuss trigger warnings – a statement at the start of the video, or piece of writing alerting the reader or viewer to the fact that it contains something possibly upsetting. Our tutor muses – ‘Does not dealing with things reduces our ability to deal with things? How and when would I be safe to deal with this?’ Self-analysis, introspection and reflection. The aim is to demonstrate an understanding of Intersectionality with a focus.

I found the second session much more engaging, as a group I felt we had more understanding of how to get the most from the day. We had made time for the pre-tasks; key to the session and got involved in the discussions both in the chat and by turning on our microphones. It felt very different from the first session. It was a comfort to me that others did not understand some of the key terms we were asked to definite, I am learning through every task we are challenged with in this unit. Key points for me were about intersectionality and how disabilities can be unseen. Also, how we either want justice and equality for all or not, there can be  no in between.

Reading – empathy is lifelong work. ‘Some’ racism is not my problem or real – supporting the uncomfortable nature of the honesty, use these moments to move your thinking on, keep thinking, trying, it’s complicated and very difficult physically and emotionally – Stacey out tutor tells us. 

Task 1 – Review of Session 1
Learn, teach and assess – engage in the bigger picture in society. I didn’t enjoy the session – too many pre-tasks, we had to take in the learning listening to the verbal while also trying to navigate the information in the class ‘chat’ it felt excessive. It was also a shock to be back online. Learning about Positionality & bias was very interesting and made a lot of sense but it also felt overwhelming, I missed being in person. We are encouraged to ask questions & get feedback – we all get something from the session. The content is brilliant, but the format of long online sessions, is not very inclusive. The context feels very personal yet learning online is not. The pace has a negative structure.

Task 2 – Key Terms
Which did you find hard or easy? This is fascinating especially completing within a short time frame, there are many I am familiar with but others I find harder to define – ‘Politically black, Whiteness Intersectionality.’  We discuss definitions – A ‘refugee’ is someone who has to leave, a ‘migrant’ didn’t have to leave – immigration adds up to diaspora. ‘Politically black’ – arises from black political groups in the 1960s and 70s. Communities came together to deal with race politics – the black arts movement in the Midlands in 1980s was self organised – social, political climate & race politics of the 80s and 90s. People had different ideas of what this means. As tutors we are encouraged to figure out the tools for how to be inclusive in our practice. In our teaching, research and practice, we must engage with people of diverse ethnicities, gender, abilities and faiths and reflect on this through our blogging groups, peer-to-peer sessions. Be involved and engaged in social justice. We must understand that our students have experiences, characteristics. race, gender, religions, physical abilities, cultural backgrounds, beliefs), learning styles and needs which need to be considered and supported when devising and creating our learning environment and curricula. Bringing this self-awareness to our teaching and our work.

Positionality and the correct term to use – what are the correct terms to use? Some people prefer black some prefer colour – if you are unsure, it is best to ask people what they would like to be called. If you can’t ask someone when writing, select the term you feel is best, explain why you use that term and your positionality in that context, if your positionality factors into your use of the term.

Intersectionality – Kimberly Crenshaw coined the term, originally used in a legal context 30 years ago.  Kimberly is an American civil rights advocate who wrote about Intersectionality.  A black woman’s place in discourse, not art and design context. After George Floyd a lot of people wrote about racism, but Kimberly started this conversation. How has she written about this? How do we feel about it into the art and design context? How does this feel within my working in our context and teaching in art and design? She highlighted the structural disadvantages for black women in comparison to her colleagues such as white working-class men. As a black woman she wasn’t represented, who do I align myself with? How does disability come into these specific, unique struggles compounding disadvantage? A framework for disadvantages – structural, continue black and female and disability etc What does this mean within art & design? How might it be helpful? Inclusivity and social justice – relevant as art educators. Empathetic assessment for s students and the issues they might be dealing with. I loved the analogy my classmate gave, it was incredibly insightful: “Think of these as a series of rooms linked by doors. For some students the doors are already open, for other students, they have to push hard at every door to get it to open so that by their time they arrive to learn they are already very tired”. Intersectionality compounding – “the idea that the student might be pushing two thick doors together rather than just one. We are not all equal but starting from different places in the room. We add thickness to certain doors.” I am taken by the visual description of this statement that so clearly depicts the inequality of a student’s starting point dependent on so many different factors.

Task 3 – Case study on Race/Gender
With the case study we discuss sitting in silence is also doing a lot, not calling out and not stepping in is condoning an individual’s behaviour. If your choice is silence you are with the oppressor – wow! I had not thought of this but of course, so true. The article felt uncomfortable to read, the author expresses remorse about the situation that occurred, yet he was still passive, he didn’t own his guilt. I wonder how long after the event he went back to apologise. The behaviour was racist, ‘white fragility’ – we feel uncomfortable being called out. We are in a system set up like this. Desmond Tutu “If you’re neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of the mouse, you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality”. Something terrible must have happened but it took the person a long time to apologise and they still didn’t accept that it was racism. We discuss the importance of self-care, consider how much energy you put into things, choose which battle you are going to fight. We are one person each, collectively we make up society, however small the action if you can, you must take it. Stacey reminds us Inclusive practice is not easy, be creative and work the system. I would have called out the racism, it is good that he apologised. The tutor handled it with grace, power and dignity. I hope that I would do the same. The apology was a start, it’s never too late to try and change. He came forward – which is growth. The difference between not being racist and being anti-racist – it is not enough to just be not racist you have to put in the extra work through action. His apology was guilt rather than to protect & uplift the tutor.

Task 4 – Not all Disabilities are Visible
We reflect on the ‘Invisible condition’ – sometimes having to draw attention to difficult moments, what happens at work when you have to say ‘I can’t do this to stay well’ but maintain professionalism – I have a disability people can’t see, there is little empathy or understanding of it, yet I live with it and it affects me, my ability to perform every moment of my life, I never get a day off from this. I hope it makes me more understanding to others. Burn out – at what cost? Horizontal despite hierarchical system. How will we do this or change this? There is a value to how productive we are, impact on work – you don’t look sick. Disability rights movement, forced into working, change the way we work, centered care to inclusivity, inaccessibility and exclusive. A culture that is killing us – I get this from personal experience. Some are considered lazy when they are managing multiple health issues, sometimes we have to choose not to progress (which is seen as a measurement of success) for health care decisions. ‘Busy are the noises from my body.’

Disability
We meet Ual disability professor, educator and coach – Carys Kennedy. I’ve attended courses with her previously, she is an amazing font of knowledge on the subject. We discuss that not all disabilities are visible. Intersectionality – disability is very anti-capitalistic. Be aware that students coming late may have had to put other peoples needs first. As someone with a disability she reminds us – you don’t have to apologise for self-care. I adjust myself to ‘fit in’ with a work schedule. UAL like most work institutes, rest is not allowed for health. We must prioritise our own health. A capitalist framework – the power of rest as a form of resistance. The social model of disability 30 years on. Consider the positionality: disability is not something we have, it’s something done to a person – attitudinal or environmental such as a flight of stairs as a disability barrier, lack of computer equipment or simply too much noise in the classroom. We can come across attitudinal barriers, social & economic – diagnosis helps with this experience, some students end up supported but not all. Social model of disability is Marxist theory. Capitalism is a disabling barrier – a normal working week. putting themselves at risk due to fulfilling working requirements. With hidden disability – flexibility is needed, we can often spot people who need help. It is important to notice the unseen – we don’t always know who our disabled students are. Anticipate what the barriers might be, how do we foster an environment, share resources in advance, organise breaks. Unseen disability – Intersectionality and international students only 5% tell us they are disabled versus 30% home students. We rely on students telling us before we can take action. Different types of disabilities can include caring for disabled family members. A classmate points out that Dyslexia funding at UAL isn’t friendly for international students – the wording comes across that it’s just available for home students.

Approachable, what practical steps can we make so that students can tell us? Race, gender and sexuality are all discussed yet we don’t discuss disability at UAL. We are labelled – how can we be handled? The university owns every moment of your time, empathy & respect is lacking and leads to burn out or a feeling of failing. You can speak to your Line manager and get support from HR. Look at the workplace adjustments procedure, get an occupational health consultation and an Individual Support Agreement. Course administrators should let us as staff know which of our students have these. Be as inclusive as possible.

Task 5 – Intersectional Identities
‘They’ is a gender-neutral pronoun. Non-traditional pronouns all are equal and as valid as she/her and he/him. ‘Pale, male’ status is not inclusive of diverse class and cultural backgrounds let alone respecting marginalised folks, language & politics. Through gender politics we need to reassess the singular they –  more identifying as gender neutral. Gender is complicated but respect is simple. Non-traditional genders and gender identities need to be taken seriously and we need to decolonise our minds. You can have more than one pronoun. It is important to ask: What pronouns do you use?  What are your pronouns? If you misgender apologise.

Task 6 – Key Data
I was shocked by the statistics that I found. Particularly the percentage of both male and particularly female prisoners with documented mental health issues. I also looked at schools’ exclusion policy for SEND students, it is deeply disturbing. Students with ADHD are more likely to be excluded from college and SEND students ‘account for almost two-thirds of all exclusions.’ My own experience in the primary schools of my children is completely different – I have only seen supportive staff and 1-to-1 assistants for those with ADHD but I realise this may be unusual. I plan to investigate these statistics verses my reality further. 

‘A Guardian report (Ramesh, 2010), found black offenders were 44% more likely than white offenders to be sentenced to prison for driving offences, 38% more likely to be imprisoned for public disorder or possession of a weapon and 27% more likely for drugs possession. Overall black prisoners account for the largest number of minority ethnic prisoners (49%).’

Intersectionality
Miraz – ‘What is the purpose of identity?’ You can’t talk about feminism without talking about race. You can’t talk about one without talking about the other. For example – in class don’t assume anything, treat everyone as equal. Female, able-bodied, non-binary, transgender etc. Accessibility for a deaf student such as a well-designed Moodle page, make sure digital content is available, students sitting face-to-face with staff so that they can be lip read. The operating system is not designed for everyone, find creative ways to challenge the system and destabilising its power – it is all our responsibility. Continue learning and refreshing our thinking as everyone has a role to play, rest and pick your battles do the privilege walk – we are not all equal, we are all starting from different places in the room. The white position is universal. How do we include disabled people in our design choices? Guilt is individual, try to be compassionate and respectful.

Stacey reminds us – ‘You can’t pick and choose you either want justice and equality for all or you are not interested in any of it – that is how oppression works.’ Privilege: comes from the Latin privilege, a law for just one person – a benefit or privilege beyond what is available to others, an advantage.

We discuss equality and diversity in art and design, the challenges of increased group size. The atelier method of the master training the assistants, one-to-one teaching is no longer possible. We need to consider issues such as studio access for disabled students. Also, potential sites of conflict: students creating pieces of art relating & reflected sexuality and death that might be offensive to others due to their religion. These are all the things we need to be aware of and find a way to navigate. Consider the financial constraints for students on low incomes and access to study on art and design courses.

There is a lower number of staff of colour employed to teach art and design although the numbers of students are rising. There is also a disparity in degree attainment between white home students and students of colour. A large number of students now disclose disabilities such as dyslexia and choose to disclose mental health issues, especially post Covid which can have a long-term impact on their ability to study. This year I have had students caring for family members who have been really unwell which also affects the time and space they have to make & discover. Many things linked to disability such as access to healthcare hospital appointments, blue badges et cetera can all be very time-consuming.

Finally, we are reminded that as the unit progresses consider your artefact – how are you going to incorporate this into your practice? How are you taking all this knowledge and new reflection and apply to your teaching? Make a change in your teaching practice, design, plan it & try it out with colleagues, share with students and get feedback. Assume that you can’t actually teach it so do something I can do anyway such as a session plan, reading list, an aspect of teaching, a tool or a resource.

References

Discussions around trigger warnings
Gersen, J.S. (September 2021) What if Trigger Warnings Don’t Work? Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-if-trigger-warnings-dont-work

Social Justice/Buddhism/Queerness from Higher Power: Religion, Faith, Spirituality & Belief pp. 34-36

Shades of Noir (2017) Inclusive Practice: Alchemy – Transformation in Social Justice Teaching. Available at: https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/inclusive-practice/

Barnwood Trust.
Waterman, J. (2020) Not All Disabilities Are Visible. Available at:

https://www.barnwoodtrust.org/blog/not-all-disabilities-are-visible/

Finnigan, T. (May 2017) Ual Inclusive attainment case study: Make the Grade. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/19391/Incl_Attainment_Case_study_make_the_grade_PDF_410KB.pdf

Miraz, H. S. (1997) Black British Feminism. Routledge. Chapter 9 p70 -77. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GdSqaz6NBMIC&pg=PA70&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false

Garrod, J. Silas, D. (2021). The Good Schools Guide. Available at:
https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/special-educational-needs/your-rights/school-exclusions

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales Annual Report 2018-19. Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13tWueHEGiXMCrvMYhpbu3Dsxpzac2D90/view

Cunniffe, C. de Kerckhove R, V. Williams, K & Hopkins, K. (March 2012) Ministry of Justice Research Summary 4/12. Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FjpGpvzXUO-YjvVY6gJc9d2v0Wk_EPZX/view

The Horizontals. TEDxBrum. Not all disabilities are visible. (2018) Available at:

(Accessed all 2023.)

Directed by Shalini Kantayya. 2020 Netflix.

Wednesday 26th April
I find this film fascinating; it examines the use of algorithms and how at their foundation they are imbued with unconscious bias because they were created by a limited pool of white males. We are introduced to Joy Buolamwini who loved computer science growing up, especially as coding seem detached from the problems of the real world. She went to MIT and made art projects that would use computer vision technology. In her first semester she took a class called science fabrication where the brief was to read science fiction and try to build something you are inspired to do. She created the ‘aspire mirror’ which you would look into each morning, it would inspire you by projecting onto the viewers face, images of inspiration people, such as Serena Williams. Joy used a camera with computer vision software that should track her face but surprisingly she found that it didn’t work – until she put on a white mask. Then the software worked perfectly and easily detecting her face. I learn that we often teach machines to see by providing training examples of what we want it to learn. For example, for a machine to learn what a face is, you must provide lots of examples of faces and lots of examples that aren’t faces. The data sets being given were majority men and majority lighter skinned individuals. This highlights the issues of bias that can creep into technology. AI ideas come from science-fiction. Narrow AI is just maths. The first AI was created at Dartmouth maths department. As the founders the male professors there, got to decide what AI would be. They decided that intelligence could be demonstrated by the ability to play games, specifically chess. Intelligence was defined by the ability to win at these games. Yet we know that in reality, intelligence is much more than that, there are many different types of intelligence not just a single version. The programming of AI was created by a small, homogenised group of men. All affected by unconscious biases. The ended up embedding their own biases into technology. The algorithms now perform better on male, lighter faces.

‘Data is destiny.’ Data is what we are using to teach different machines to learn different kinds of patterns, skin and data sets gives skewed results. Data is a reflection of our history. The past dwells within our algorithms. This shows the inequality. What does it mean to live in a society where AI is starting to govern the liberties we might have and what does it mean if people are discriminated against? We meet Cathy O’Neill the writer of ‘Weapons of Maths destruction.’ She believes that algorithms can be destructive and harmful. Mathematics is being used as a shield for corrupt practices as it is ‘Using historical information to make a prediction about the future.’ Algorithms use a score system to rate us – the power of the algorithm is in who owns the code. There is no appeal system if the algorithm says ‘no’, no accountability. The algorithms can be racist, sexist, ablest in their behaviour – because they have been programmed by humans who can have all of those biases. We need to monitor the process for that bias. Be aware that it exists.

The film moves to the UK where we learn that there is systematic bias and issues with the police. Who will be hardwired into new technologies – creating a shift to authoritarianism? There is a huge CCTV network in this country, there are Six million cameras operating in the UK – China style surveillance. Computers feed it data; it digests it. We are being watched; our faces scanned against a data base to see if we have committed a crime yet this facial recognition is often inaccurate.

In Hong Kong surveillance is used to track down those causing problems. In the USA 117 million people have their face on a facial recognition system without regulation of accuracy. 

The future of AI is being created by nine companies that are building the next applications of artificial intelligence – six of these are in the USA: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, IBM, Google and Microsoft and three are in China including the company Tencent. China and the USA are taking wo very different tracks – the Chinese have access to all data to maintain social order. In the USA, AI is being developed for commercial purposes, to earn revenue.

In the USA Key fob entry is being replaced by a biometric security system of facial recognition. However, the recognition system is then used to watch residents and send warming letters if they are pictured conducting behaviour that those who own the housing system deem inappropriate. It is control without the occupant’s agreement which is a frightening path to tread.

I learn about social media platforms and how the automated AI decision making – what you see in your feed, what is highlighted is powered by AI enabled algorithms. Your view of the world is being governed by AI. These algorithms also decide whether you get into college or not, get a credit card or not, whether you get a mortgage or not – how do you get justice when you don’t know how the system works? How does the algorithm work? We don’t know!

The example given is an Amazon recruitment tool, the company discovered it was biased against women – it rejected all received resumes from women. It was making mathematical not ethical decisions. The fear is that Civil rights could be rolled back under the Justice of machine neutrality. We are living with the awareness of being watched. Internet increasing inequality through data collection and surveillance. A company can double guess what you are thinking. Machine learning – we don’t yet understand what the data is capable of predicting. Marketing is not just for products, it can also market ideas. It has been discovered that Amazon has a racial and gender bias in some of its AI services. They created Amazon recognition. An open source facial recognition system which was going to be used by the police in some states until it was highlighted the inequalities the service was embedded with. ‘When you are an outsider, you always have the perception of the underdog’ Cathy O’Neil. She talks about the financial crisis in 2008 caused the largest wipe out of Black wealth in history of the USA, it was quite simply discrimination.

what are the social implication implications of AI? The value-added model – teaches no observations. AI model, what is the constitutional right to due process? Such as HR resume analytics – this is potentially a big problem, if candidates are not given a fair chance to apply for a job because the screening is done by an algorithm, we must bring ethics on-board. We need to recognise our differences and make the system more inclusive.

In a more extreme realisation China’s citizens have an individual social credit score – if you speak about the Chinese government this will affect your score, your family and your friend’s score. It’s obedience training. Those who’ve lost credibility will be restricted, loosing access to travel on trains and planes. The interviewee says ‘You want to behave because your face represents the state of your credit – you trust someone based on their credit score’. How frightening to be controlled in this way by the authorities.

Yet in reality throughout the world, we are all being scored all the time – you might be shown better items on Amazon or pay a different price for toilet roll etc. In the UK we have some protection in the form of GDPR – the misuse of information. We need Algorithmic Justice – this is a large civil rights concern. AL has the potential to run people’s lives through their liberty, their finances or their livelihood – reducing their options through the decisions that are automatically made. We need AI to work for society & be fair, not be racist or sexist or discrimination against people with disability status. We need intelligence and ethics. Joy founded the Algorithm Justice League to begin the fight back! She speaks about ‘Supremely white data and the coded gaze’ taking her concerns to Congress who listen and take onboard the information and concerns she presents to them.  Including the harvesting of face data – no one should have to use their face data to access a platform, economic opportunity or basic services. Facebook has 2 .6 billion people on it which is incomprehensible. Awareness is a beginning – I have learnt so much from this movie but we must be concerned about our futures and the mathematics that holds the potential for so much power and control over our lives the more digitally we choose to exist.

Reference
S Kantayya. Coded Bias. January 2020. Available at Netflix. 

Monday 24th April
We meet our Academic support tutor Hamish – a British South Asian who did his pg Cert in 2019. He talks about the lack of representation in the institute. The blog tasks are about reflecting on ourselves, minimise interpretations, it’s about my critical thought, engagement & reflection, create dialogue, an understanding of what we are being introduced to, what we feel prompted in us, to have the more difficult conversations. Navigate those conversations, present those ideas back. What do I choose to bring to the table – so that Hamish can understand my positionality as a white, female, heterosexual, diabetic, mother of 3.  Put it into context, get your ideas in line and signpost – consider what I want to say to myself as a writer. Apply to ourselves what we say to students, especially as we’re going on the same journey as them. ‘We don’t want to go where we are tolerated, I want to be included’ Terence B Leicester. Reflect on my positionality. Consider my expectations and individual diaspora as a ‘disabled’ diabetic. For my reflective report, create an artefact, something I identify with. Look at Bell Hooks & Freire – The challenge is to take into consideration how you reflect on what you are being introduced to. Also take into consideration, interact with each other to engage with other ideas & interpretations via comment on each other’s blogs. This unit is rooted in reflection via the people who work at UAL. Take into consideration their thoughts, ask questions, comment, have a conversation, agree or disagree – to challenge creates discourse. This is transformative work for a reason – confront & consider, reflect on this, interact with bias as an acknowledgement. Maintain motivation and independent learning – How do you want to learn? What do you want to get out of the pg cert? The expectation of requirements, how do you facilitate this learning? Bell Hooks ‘thinking is action’ find the answers to those external questions. What do you prefer to study? Do you use your time efficiently? Consider your mental physical health. Take into consideration the work that’s been asked of me. Intrinsic motivation – involves performing a task because it’s personal. Extrinsic motivation – involves participating to meet the unit requirements, I am motivated by both and keen to begin!

Monday 24th April
1. How could you apply the resources to your own teaching practice?
2. How could you integrate the research/work your students do on this subject into your teaching/professional practice?
3. Can you cite examples? You will share your thoughts within your groups and comment and share further resources you use in your own context.
N.B You are expected to engage with your blogging task groups

UAL Disability Service Webpages
The website clearly presents a range of resources the Disability Service offers students, including help to arrange reasonable adjustments, support and funding for studies. Disclosure and advice about how to contact the service and all they can offer is something I can support students through and advise them that we are here to help. Having been through this process myself, as an insulin dependent diabetic since the age of four. I understand how students might experience this, the help that is available to them, how to access it and the process they might go through to gain support. However, I do wonder how this information could be communicated to students who are yet to receive a diagnosis or are not even aware they have a disability, which is what happened to me. Personally, I was emailed the Disability Service details prior to starting my Pg Cert but having never considered myself to have a disability before working at Ual, I did not access this service until I had a health crisis. I plan on speaking to Becky at the Disability Service to find out if our undergraduates also receive an email without much explanation of who they can help. If so, I will make sure my students are aware of this fantastic service and that it is available throughout their time at Ual if required, In September, I will be teaching year 1 for the first time – this is something I could mention to all students as part of their first unit briefing, so that they feel they could talk to staff for reassurance or go directly to the service to take the first step on this journey.  I feel as tutors, we should all have knowledge of this service, so that we can empower students to get the help that is available to them, in terms of resources, support and even a disability mentor. I will also mention to my Line Manager that we would benefit from a talk from the service about their offer and how we can communicate this to our students to develop this relationship.

In my teaching practice, I try to be aware and inclusive by making my lecture slides available pre sessions. Checking the work, I write & design through the accessibility scoring system available on Moodle, looking at closed captions for image references, colour contrast & legibility. I offer a variety of ways to experience my lessons, such as taking time out to discuss the individual needs of my students, they can often access a lot of learning through my lecture slides and the activities they are asked to participate in, if there is a reason, they have been unable to attend a session. I offer online tutorials if coming into college is a challenge and also check in on a regular basis, with the students who are supporting family members at home through various health conditions. Having attended training courses through Ual such as ‘Core principles in disability inclusion’ & ‘Deaf awareness’, I try to always face my students, speak clearly and avoid bombarding them with too many layers of information. I keep in mind the social model of disability at UAL and try to be aware of the barriers my students may face and how I can support them in a world that doesn’t always consider who we are or what we need.  If a student comes in late, I keep in mind the visible and invisibleness of disability, I don’t judge or make assumptions but try to be supportive & kind through acts of compassionate pedagogy. Such as taking the time to review with them what they have missed, as we have no idea what may have caused them to be late.

I was the unit lead for a Self-Initiated Project for my third-year students this year on GB&I BA (Hons) and began by asking everyone to present something about themselves they were happy to disclose that no one in the class knew. During this session I shared my diabetes diagnosis and showed them a picture of closed loop insulin pump which often alarms during class – I hope that by sharing some of my positionality, I am making my sessions more inclusive and expose students to see that even with a long-term health condition, you can have a successful career. From what I have learnt during this unit I also need to consider intersectional identities and how I can make a space and sense of belonging for all as a community of learners.

Film by Christine Sun Kim
The film begins with beautiful layers of sound that are engaging and enticing, it is only later that as the viewer we understand that the artist, Christine is deaf. Reminding us of the visible/invisible possibilities of disability. She speaks about the ‘ownership of sound.’ I’ve never thought about sound not belonging to everyone, perhaps that is because I take it for granted that I can hear. I feel we all have a notion of the idea of ‘otherness’ especially coming to university and all the new experiences we encounter. Children tend to learn their mother tongue from listening to those around them speak, but if that is not accessible to you, how do you learn what sound is? How might you explore this as an artist or graphic designer? Sound becomes a object, rather than a series of feelings, Christine’s work deals with the physicality of sounds, taking something familiar and making it unfamiliar. Using her experience of sound to communicate and connect, the constraints she felt as a child become freedom of expression through performance. Sound becomes a physical experience for her. I love the idea of ‘listening with our eyes’ her exploration & experimentation, she seemed so free. I would use this video as as a starting point for a discussion with my students, introducing them to the idea of positionality, getting them to think about their own and creating a project using somebody else’s, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zone, to explore another world and create something new in a different direction to the one they had imagined, perhaps involving speculative design.

I created a workshop this year where my students listened to different types of music, using letterforms as image they were asked to explore and express what they heard visually – to ‘make’ based on what they experienced and felt through listening. I think this connects with Christine’s idea of ‘listening with our eyes’. As graphic designers I wonder how my students can explore communication, type and language through the positionality of some international students who face language barriers in terms of expression. By using nonverbal language such as the act of making, we can gain an understanding of experience from a different point of view with the hope to build a strong sense of community through this shared learning. ‘The educator must engage in critical thinking with the students in the quest for mutual humanisation. They must be partners with the students in their relations with them. (Freire 1970.) ‘Education must be a force for opportunity and social justice, not for the entrenchment of privilege.’ (David 2011.)

#DisabilityTooWhite article/interview with Vilissa Thompson
This article is about the hashtag campaign highlighting the disability community and facilitating dialogue about the lack of visibility and representation of disabled people of colour. I have recently watched several series on terrestrial UK TV and experienced far more diverse disabilities represented than in previous generations of programme making, for both adults and children’s television. Initially, I was impressed however, when I began to think about this in relation to my own white privilege and from reading this article I did think, ‘yes – where are the disabled people of colour represented in this story?’ Disability activist and blogger Vilissa Thompson says in the article ‘There is a lack of representation and diversity within the disability community from the organisations that are supposed to empower us as individuals.’ This is another article that would facilitate a fantastic discussion with my GB&I students, asking ‘what can we do to participate and elevate the voices of disabled people of colour? We need to pay attention to the images that we use in our designs and our representation of people of colour. As creatives, who will help build and participate in the future of the design industry, we must have these conversations so that it is something we all think about when making and embed these issues as part of our future creative process. Vilissa Thompson says ‘A starting point is to talk, to be inclusive and accepting, to have those conversations about disability and what it means to be of colour and disabled, and some of the disparities surrounding that’. I had an international student this year who created an independent wedding dress service to offer free dresses to those with a long-term health condition or disability, the project contained some excellent thinking however the imagery on the website featured all white representation with only a single image of a woman in a wheelchair, the chosen imagery lacked a genuine representation of the audience it was aimed at. Vilissa Thompson says ‘there is a great need and a great desire to diversify disability so that everybody can be included. That lack of representation really affects one’s self esteem and one’s ability to connect with all of their identities. It affects their ability to feel like they’re not alone and feel included in their disabled identity, in their “of colour” identity, in their other identities they have.’ It is really important for students to understand that positionality is about multiple elements of one’s self. In terms of discussion, we need to have the conversation about disabled characters being played by able bodied actors – ‘is it better to have accurate representation or is it better to have more representation that is not the ideal, that is not as inclusive or as empowering as it could be, because of these factors?’ A discussion about the discourse surrounding this in terms of a sense of understanding white privilege, able bodied privilege and being respectful to peoples individual truths. The activist asks us to ‘we need to figure out how to magnify their voices and their existence in the world’ as creatives we have an amazing opportunity to work in the commercial world and take this call to action onboard in the work that we create.

‘Deaf Accessibility for Spoonies: Lessons from Touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee’ by Khairani Barokka
Khairani Barokka writes about her experience, learnings and reflections on her touring show about pain & fatigue presented in various forms in the UK, Austria and India.  As a performer she wanted to make the show as accessible as possible in different cultures, while struggling with her own needs. The piece examines the intersections of accessibility and framing disabled performers from non-Western backgrounds in Western contexts. On an individual basis, Khairani explores the misconception of the experience she had with pain and what was perceived by others – we are all capable of doing this, assuming we know what life must be like for someone else yet in reality we know. very little. ‘The absolute facts of miscomprehension, the inability to transfer someone into our bodies to experience what we feel, were at the root of both the extreme chronic pain and fatigue.’  We must not make assumptions with our students or colleagues in terms of visibility/disability but be open and willing to listen, if the individual wishes to share.

Her PhD work involves – pain, visuality, art and the empathy gap. ‘The sheer impossibility of human communication is why we attempt to bridge it anyway, by writing, speaking, creating, by existing in groups, by sustaining ourselves for the attempt to bridge gaps.’ Through the show she created and performed Khairani both embraced and protected her disability speaking about pain and allowing it to be visual, touching on these intersectional issues.

She tried to make the work as inclusive as possible, deaf & hearing-impaired audience members were given iPads or iPhones with which to read the poetry and she only performed in wheelchair-accessible venues. The script was put on a Google Document with an accessible, shortened link projected onto a wall in some locations so that everyone could read her script. She wanted people to know academia and the arts, but it came at a cost to herself. ‘I’d paid such attention to how accessible the show would be for other disabled people who might want to attend, and because there had been no option of dedicated care given to me, I’d given up on my body being allowed to be free of pain.’

She reflects on all she learnt and proposes an intersectional, disability-aware exercise for her students, asking how, if they lived with chronic pain, they could continue to perform and produce whilst placing a premium on holistic self-care in sometimes complex circumstances, whilst maintaining an artistic practice? Asking for ‘understanding and catering for audience members, artists, producers, and all others involved who are disabled, including those who are disabled in multiple ways, within the framework of making a production accessible.’ An interesting premise we must consider at Ual. Accessibility for all including those with disabled identities and more than one impairment for both students and our staff. I also think it is important for our students to see themselves in our staff employed – I always briefly talk about being diabetic when I introduce myself with the hope that it will inspire students of what is possible inspite of a long-term health condition, and make accessibility and inclusivity an integral part of everything we do at Ual.

What does it mean to be a ‘disability practitioner’?
by Annabel Crowley. SOAS/UAL.Terms of Reference Journal from Shades of Noir p122-123
I found this article interesting because Annabel speaks of her desire for disability not to be seen as other. I hope that as a disability practitioner myself – an insulin dependent diabetic, along with other team members teaching on GB&I – I have a colleague who is dyslexic and neurodivergent, we show our students a diverse creative community that is inclusive. Annabel is interested in the language we use around disability especially in her role as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion/Organisational Development interventions to policies, processes and institutional culture in the area of staff access and inclusion. Where her research explores critical pedagogy and inclusive learning and teaching practices. For both my students who have a ‘disability’ – this is such a huge diverse area of requirements for example wheelchair access, deaf students, ADHD needs and thinking about inclusive creative practice, I feel it is important that we promote design for inclusion not exclusion, but have discussions about what that might mean, setting project briefs that allow students to explore these issues such as the year two project Brand Futures: creating innovative campaigns on social issues utilising emerging technologies. In terms of language, Annabel’s concern is that the words we sometimes use are inadequate to describe what is really happening. Such as the term ‘adjustment’ implying that our overall environment is good enough. Adjustment places the burden on disabled people to know how to navigate complex processes or even to know is ‘reasonable’ as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The word ‘reasonable’ is hugely loaded in itself – it has a legal definition, but its opposite unreasonable, implies that people’s requirements tor access and inclusion can go beyond the limits of acceptability.’ These are complex, intersecting factors that make our experiences of disability vary so widely.  Access to mental health services can be particularly difficult for ethnic minorities and there is often discrimination in those services, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community who are more likely to experience inequality of healthcare provision.  As visual communicators we must be aware of these factors when designing and thinking about the language we use to communicate. 

Extended Activity:
Key Advice for tutors. Words by Tiff Webster
Terms of Reference Journal from Shades of Noir p28-29
This article by Tiff Webster gives 9 suggestions of practical processes and actions tutors can put in place to assist students from diverse populations & backgrounds in terms of handling their mental health. She talks about the impact of being in Higher Education on her well-being, the over analysing and self-doubt that crept in, alongside health issues and money worries that eventually lead to counseling to help alleviate all she was struggling with. Tiff realised that the burn out she experienced was reflected in her peers and through conversation & collaboration, wrote a list of recommendations for tutors to assist students from diverse backgrounds to help them with the mental health.

I already have some of these actions in place such as talking to students about their experience, especially if there is a sudden decline in attendance. She recommends spending time to find out why attendance has been lacking, is the student struggling with mental health we need to ask, ‘Are you ok?’ If the answer is yes ask again, are you sure you are ok? If help is needed, I need to offer options for support – services where students can really get help. I need to make sure that my knowledge of these services is up to date. Tiff recommends promoting the peer mentoring scheme at Ual – I did not know about this until reading this article but I will certainly find out about this service and mentioning it in future tutorials. This feels similar to talking to students about the Disability service in group sessions which doesn’t currently happen. Remind students of the Arts SU and other groups they can join to make connections and feel less isolated. I feel i build a good rapor with my students who have shared their caring duties for family members this year. ‘Just wanted to say how much love and support you gave me, just like an English mom here!’ ‘I just wanted to say a massive, massive thank you for everything you have done for me throughout third year, you were a teacher but also a friend to me and I am super super grateful for you always checking up on me each lesson and being super understanding about my situation with my father.’ I try to check in with them on a weekly basis, to make sure they are ok, if they need any help and what can I do, such as offering an online tutorial if getting into college is a challenge. I will certainly look into using Shade of Noir as part of my teaching practice. This article has been very helpful and I will look to sharing this with my teaching team.

References

(August 2021) Access, Support and Facilities for Disabled Students at UAL. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/30767/Access-Support-and-Facilities-for-Disabled-Students-at-UAL-PDF-302KB.pdf

Cannon, H. NAAP. (Autumn 2021) Disability at University: guidance and a glossary of terms. Available at: https://nadp-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/School-vs-university-a-glossary-and-explainer-1.pdf

UAL Disability and dyslexia. Available at:
https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/student-services/disability-and-dyslexia

Barokka, K. (2017) ‘Deaf-accessibility for spoonies: lessons from touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee while chronically ill’, Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 22(3), pp. 387-392. Available at:
https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/16580/7/KBarokka%20Ride%20Article%20Edits%20Draft%20Jan24.2017%20edit.pdf

Thompson, V. (2018) ‘The Overlooked History of Black Disabled People’, Rewire News Group, March 16. Available at: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/2018/03/16/overlooked-history-black-disabled-people/

Hooks, B. (1994) Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. London: Routledge

England, K. (1994) ‘Getting personal: reflexivity, positionality, and feminist research’, The Professional Geographer, 46(1), pp.80-89. Available at: https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10214/1811/18-England.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 

(Accessed all 2023).

Session 1 Monday 17th April

I’m nervous about this unit now I understand what’s required, but this this term will be really interesting & challenging. On a personal basis, I have never considered myself to be disabled. I always ticked ‘No’ on job applications, but it turns out diabetes, which I’ve had since the age of 4 is a long-term chronic condition which Ual considers to be a disability. When applying for my job as a 0.6 I ticked ‘Yes’ to a box with ‘Diabetes’ – an autoimmune condition put in the same category as having cancer or being HIV positive, I’m not sure how I feel about any of this but it does make me relook at my aspects of my life. The form also asked if I was pregnant – I found this surprising and intrusive, I didn’t think you were allowed by law to be asked questions like that. It’s also so interesting to think about visibility and invisibly in this, and about the decision to share/not share as an emancipator moment.

As a group we struggle, adjusting to the new learning experience of being online.  As a group in unit 1 we became very close, I loved meeting such an incredible group of educators and getting to observe several in their teaching practices at Chelsea School of Art and the London School of Fashion – I learnt a lot from these experiences.  The Session is challenging, discussing heavy ideas in context, I missed the joy of being in person, meeting colleagues and learning from them.

No one has understood or managed to do all the pre-tasks – it was too much work.  We discuss this and are advised to start with the ones that interest us, the more you are able to do, the more you will get out of it. This is social justice education, from multiple viewpoints, to learn to be more inclusive. The pre tasks are part of the learning to digest difficult & uncomfortable learning content without an audience.  We find it hard to converse online and read the chat – the session feels unfamiliar and initially we don’t enjoy this experience – it feels quite uncomfortable, but the session is packed full of information that I digest and take onboard.

We are told that no one is here to catch you out, learning is about making mistakes. We exist in a work culture where we are expected to know everything.  All sessions are dialogic spaces, engaging with the resources to benefit from the discussion. We are being given the gift of time – to process the information & discuss, this is where the learning happens, with the opportunity to share our perspective. Consider multiple ways of looking at things. ‘This is your day to better your practice’ – brilliant. We are told ‘Give yourself time to digest it, the content is heavy and sensitive – theory, behaviours, beliefs, be gentle with yourself.’ I appreciate this advice.

This unit is about transforming/changing an aspect of what we do in terms of diversity as Art & Design practitioners, we are asked to consider – What can you do to make a change in inclusive practices for your teaching context? How does critical pedagogies relate to UK HE and to your own practice? What are the central concepts of critical pedagogy?At its core to fulfill the values of the professional standards framework – identifies education as being inherently political and therefore, not neutral – seeks to empower students through enabling them to recognise the ways in which dominant power operates in numerous and often hidden ways. 

Shades of Noir

• How does this influence your current teaching practice?
• How does your participation on this unit affect every aspect of your personal & professional relationships?
• What is inclusive practice and what are the benefits?
• The challenge we are being tasked is to embed social justice pedagogy into an Art & Design school.
• Student led campaigns to decolonise – inform your teaching practice and the learning experience.

Critical Race Theory
A theoretical framework in the social sciences focused on the application of critical theory, a critical examination of society & culture, to the intersection of race, law and power. White supremacy and racial power are maintained as true, the law may play a part in this – investigate how the possibility of transferring the relationship between law & racial power.

Our need for change
Students and educators engage in dialogue and facilitate change through learning & teaching each other. How will I put that into my space? Switch the teacher/learner hat.

The pedagogy of ambiguity in Art & Design
Participating encounters through the whole journey of education. Teaching practice to apply and re-evaluate my teaching practice.

Cultured capital
Devalue certain ethnic, working class groups. Dominant groups.

Social Justice
Equal justice in all aspects of society People have equal rights & opportunities.

Paulo Freire 1970
Inclusive pedagogies – creating individual inclusive spaces – developing student centered strategies. Application of inclusive practice.
Raise awareness of intersectionality etc. It’s an ideal, small steps.

Task 1 – Positionality
We learn about Positionality – social, political, the context that creates your identity in terms of race, class, gender, sexuality and ability status. It describes how your identity influences and potentially biases your understanding of and outlook on the world. Shaping the scope of your study, defining your world view on your research topic.  As researchers we need to be conscious of our background, experiences, values & assumptions: how they will affect our research, being conscious of our own biases, making them explicit within our research papers through reflective/reflexive comments. This positionality is known as reflexivity/positionality statement.

I must consider my positionality – how my background shapes my view of my research. As a white woman from a middle-class family. I completed a 2-year BTEC, a 3 year undergraduate degree and 2 year post graduate course in the Netherlands. I was the first in my family to go to university. and received a grant to support my studies the last offered in the UK. I didn’t have to worry about how to pay for my studies – we were paid to learn which looking back is just incredible. In acknowledging who I am, my limitations and how they affect the research I conduct, I illuminate my biases by recognising, talking about them and try to eliminate them.

I have multiple hats as a teacher, maker, pg cert student and can see from multiple viewpoints – be aware. ‘Examine who I am in relation to the community that I live in and lead me to consider how I’m commenting on that through my personal practice’ says Joe during our session online. I must write my narrative and consider why my role is important. How can I use this to be more inclusive with my students? As academics we don’t often get the time to think and better our practice, we fortunate to have the opportunity to do so.

We learn that you can acknowledge your positionality within your paper as a statement wherever it fits – introduction, method section, discussion, throughout your paper. or at the end of your study as a conclusion, a personal vignette – before you begin your paper, talking about your positionality, as an introduction to you as a personal statement. We can be standing on the same planet but from very different viewpoints.

Task 2 – Critical Pedagogies. Racial & Social Justice
The educator must engage in critical thinking with the students in the quest for mutual humanisation. They must be partners = a cycle of teaching and learning. There is no such thing as a neutral education process. Banking concept of education – Freire 1970 experienced growing up. Teacher confuses the authority of knowledge. Freire says it’s not a neutral process, power. Practice being, articulating professionally in those difficult spaces with students and colleagues. Race, fragility, white. Equality act 2010 – protected characteristics of age, disability, race & gender.

Task 3 – Intersectionality
We’re asked to refer to the protected characteristics, we experience & are reminded that we can easily make judgements that are incorrect: identify presumptions or biases. I found this very uncomfortable. It made me examine my ocular bias, decision making based on limited visual information supplied by an image versus face-to-face with conscious or unconscious bias to make assumptions based on our positionality. The questions are impossible to answer. How we see people – we must make an effort to avoid relying on an ocular bias, we want to find out about people rather than presuming. Thinking about the protected characteristics – this exercise feels like a trick, some in the group are angry about it. As an educator how can I be more aware of those characteristics and provide an intersectional approach? Regardless of sharing what you think, you are still making those assumptions, we do that with students – be aware of the decisions you are making – delivery, content I engage with or not, why does it matter? Think about what is happening in your mind in terms of your position as an academic. All the images we were given to ‘read’ are those of senior academics including the Vice chancellor at UAL and the race & class activist Akala. ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover cover’ ‘everyone has biases and it’s important to be aware of them’ are some of the comments in the chat during this session. Try not to make assumptions outside the reflective context of working. UAL has made me much more aware of this practice, its part of how our brains work, is this need to know someone’s heritage linked to our own positionality? Ask students what is important for me to know about you in and outside of UAL that might impact how you experience and move through the year? What support do you need from me? Create a speculative framework. Speculating through this exercise enables us the freedom to share assumptions that still let all our different biases and preconceptions surface. Dismantle this – what makes it uncomfortable? – It makes you realise other people judge you. There is also the fear that we will be judged for the way we think or make assumptions. Making statements about others when we should be listening without assumption. ‘Disability is often hidden’ We are not aware of how much of this we do this. Interconnecting nature of social catergorisations of race, class and gender. How they apply to a given individual or group. Create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage – through the awareness of intersectionality, we can better acknowledge and ground the differences among us.

Task 4 – Case study A. Jaydin – A Mature Students Experience. Shades of Noir: Journals p191-193

• What do you take from the case study? How would you have dealt with it?
• Do you know if there is an institutional policy to refer to this scenario?
  Jayden had a lack of support from tutors, this was a failing of the university, despite the situation being escalated into every aspect of student’s life. We must support students directly, Jayden started to feel so uncomfortable that they stopped coming to class. There should have been one-to-one support much earlier on. Set ground rules – how do students take responsibility, not put pressure on other students? This student had a terrible experience and was then penalised for it. They used her for her skills of organisation, ability to meet deadlines and understanding of what was required on the course. The student interaction felt like bullying, as a tutor to talk to the tutee, decide to intervene, make sure the student feels supported. The tutor and course leader need to get involved. Read guidelines. We are advised to tell someone if there is repeated bullying and harassment, this can be done anonymously by staff and students – report racist, misogynistic homophobic behaviour. Always push it up to the next level, speak to your line manager, there is a process for grievances but it’s very stressful. A university must believe in inclusive pedagogy but must do something when problems occur. Shades of Noir – integrated in the curriculum but it’s no longer part of Ual. Created and directed by Aisha Richards but she’s since left, it is now its own company. We must make some room and do the work. Using the case studies, we can look at the approach that was taken and use it to see how we would respond to difficult situations. In this case study some students were not integrated, I see it a lot with our Chinese students and consider what I can do to improve this.

Mixed reactions, this reminds me of the experience I have wearing a closed loop insulin pump for the last year. It alarms when my sugar levels go out of range, it’s very loud, everyone asks if it is a fire alarm? I’ve had people copy the noise in shops, not realising what it indicates. I feel self-conscious but more annoyed now than embarrassed. I own my disability and make sure people can see it – I want them to question me in the hope of raising awareness to always be kind and see the benefit of the doubt.

Case study B. It Started with the Teacher. Shades of Noir: Journals p158-160
Students claimed ‘there is no such thing as racism anymore’ the student was left to defend herself, with no staff support, she was undermined in her opinion. Poor facilitating of the session: set up/outline ground rules/house rules students should reflect & be respectful of other thoughts and opinions. The staff came across as well educated in the area but by allowing the student to educate the class, they invalidated and diminished that person’s views. The teacher could have challenged other students to question: why don’t they think? – provide evidence, unpack the more uncomfortable question of ‘why?’ Gain an understanding of other people’s opinions.

Case study C. Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones… Shades of Noir: Journals p105
Appropriate action was taken. It took a while to get there. The students knew how to get help, staff member was ignorant. Cams – academic misconduct.

Task 5 – Ual data
Explore the links – Data dashboard. Make observations that you feel are significant. Consider how they impact your professional practice. Ask WHY it does and WHY it doesn’t? Develop an understanding of key concepts, theories, the law which shapes this unit and the stories/her stories/his stories attached. Give yourself the time & space to make this a meaningful experience.

References

Shades of Noir. Inclusive Practice: Alchemy – Transformation in Social Justice Teaching. Available at: https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/inclusive-practice/

Crenshaw, K. (July 1991) Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review. pp. 1241-1299 Available at: https://is.muni.cz/el/fss/jaro2016/SPR470/um/62039368/Crenshaw_1991.pdf

Goodwin, P. The Research Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAIN). Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/research/research-centres/train

Ual Decolonising Arts Institutes. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/ual-decolonising-arts-institute

Ual: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2021/22. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/?a=389423

(Accessed all 2023.)

22nd March.

What a journey it has been, at the beginning of the unit I had no idea how to log onto Moodle as a student or set up a blog. It’s given me a greater understanding of the new student experience and a sense of what it is like to enter a scholarly community – something I have thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve learnt to write about my reflections, developing my academic vocabulary along the way. I’ve gained so much from the lecture series and feel honoured to have met such an incredible group of educators, peer learning providing the space for us all to learn from each other’s experience and expertise. I’ve had the opportunity to test & develop my ideas with an audience. I’ve learnt from Tim that even our tutors don’t always get it right – our microteaching day was packed full of emotions. I’ve enjoyed the experience of watching others teach at the London School of Fashion and Chelsea School of Art. I am determined to visit the Museum & Study collection at Central St Martins from our object-based learning session. It’s reassuring to realise that I already do a lot of named teaching practices – I had no idea of the concept ‘object-based learning’ when I took my students to engage with the Zine collection at LCC. I’ve also explored and gained knowledge on many pedagogies such as the importance of knowledge sharing and silence as a teaching practice, I’ve been able to try & evaluate different modalities for facilitating group learning – large & small groups verses 1 to 1, influence participation, motivate & support learners and present information through experiencing my own and others microteaching sessions. I have a greater understanding of the importance of implementing the Ual policy of climate, social and racial justice into all levels of our course. I’ve learnt new methods & techniques such as transparent pedagogy. I’ve been able to evaluate these from the perspective of a learner and made many connections between my own experience and that of my students. I’ve also been able to situate my academic practice within the wider context of the HE sectors and the art school environment. Helping me to consider how I present my ideas and explain my work to different people and evaluate that process. I’ve also explored ways to refresh my teaching practice through the design and delivery of my content. Evaluating learning sessions to positively impact my student’s experience. It’s been an incredible experience; I cannot wait to see what next term brings.

Areas of interest to consider
– How to equalise assessment/non graded feedback?
– Compassionate pedagogy.
– How to get Chinese students to be more vocal and integrated in the course.
– Presentation skills as key area for course development.
– How to decolonise and integrate the reading list into the curriculum.
– How might we integrate & engage the library as a source for learning & research – more engagement.
– How might we facilitate library resources into object-based learning as part of the course curriculum.

15th March – Judy Willcocks, Jacqueline Winston-Silk & Georgina Orgill.

I attend this session live but online, learning about the teaching collection at CSM. Historically, aesthetic appreciation was a learned experience. In the late 19th century, a collection was formed. A number of governments funded art schools gathered objects to inspire generations of makers to challenge the perceived design hegemony of countries across Europe. CSM collected a wide range of materials such as German film posters, medieval manuscripts and rare books, hoping to inspire students to behave in a different way. The idea was to engage with objects in a studio environment and unpick them. In the 1970s, with a rise in the popularity of teaching art history and critical studies, collections were rediscovered. It was decided that the CMS collection should tell the story of the students, alumni and staff, it’s now used to support learning & teaching throughout the university. Question: how do you take a collection and use it in a way relevant to current teaching practice in terms of the curriculum? Historically museum learning was for primary schools and an older, passive audience. At CSM students are very proactive. I created an Attainment workshop with our course librarian where my students investigated the Zine collection at LCC, at the time I did not realise that this was the teaching technique of object-based learning. Could this technique be at the heart of curriculum development?

It’s importance to recognise the use of space to display and learn as part of this experience, where you can communicate your offer and engage with your audience. How might we display the course reading list in out studio space or show examples of previous sketchbooks to highlight examples of the learning outcomes such as show ‘evidence of enquiry’? The early 20th Century phycologist John Dewey and Jean Piaget established ‘learning as a communal & democratic process’. Bruner states ‘interest & curiosity are key motivations for learning.’ David Kolb considered education practice post 1992 was to prepare students for the world of work. I need to consider the importance of experimental learning particularly in art and design is about what we read and do.  I worry my students don’t read enough; I wonder how I can inspire them?

Object based learning is an academic discipline within HE. The meaning of the object is held in the transition between the object and the learner. Philip Jana Wine & Abigail Hussan considered visual thinking strategies. They looked at what happened when students engaged in object-based learning, they used transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, research and analysis leading to richer, deeper learning experiences. Being able to handle the object and feel, being a key part of the embodiment experience. This was thrown by lockdown and something we experimented with in the session. We were asked to write and then share our thoughts on the experience from viewing objects we had at home in person and then online. The object becomes as a focal point for meaning making and self-reflection. Students are encouraged to explore their research practice, habits of mind and frames of reference through this experience – fantastic to get them away from constantly using google for research purposes. I created a workshop for my third-year students where we brain stormed and created a primary and secondary research check list they could use as a starting point and inspiration for any project brief. Discussion points guide students. Questions can lead to assumptions that will drive all the thinking behind the research. A framework methodology Jules Prone ‘material culture’ 1980s examination of objects through description, deduction and hypothesis. Again, this reminds me of the importance of ‘noticing’ as with our earlier lecture in the unit. The experience creates collaborative meaning making, a framework for students to engage with objects more deeply. respecting difference and an understanding that peers all see objects differently, everyone brings something to the table. There is no right or wrong. Make sure your practice is based on the student experience. Museum lead projects are embedded in the courses at CSM, how might we do something similar at LCC? OBL is written into the learning and teaching enhancement strategy for Ual 2015-2022. Consider the challenges – decolonise a white western collection, policy to acquire objects that speak of race and gender. Teaching collections in the UK important part of current teaching practice.

Object-Based Learning and Well-Being Exploring Material Connections Edited By Thomas Kador, Helen Chatterjee 2020.

Jerome Bruner’s Theory Of Learning And Cognitive Development

Postmodern Sophistications: Philosophy, Architecture, and Tradition Hardcover D Kolb May 1990.

https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/wow-power-objects-object-based-learning-and-teaching

27th February. A group reading activity.

We participate in a group reading activity, after a discussion, we summarise it and present our feedback to the other half of our group. I read ‘Race and the Neoliberal University’ from last week’s suggestions. ‘Students should regard their education as an investment in human capital with an eye to its returns in the labour market.’ Marketisation of full student fees since 2008 financial crash. There was a shift from higher education as a social right to personal responsibility – privatisation. Looking back after the war, public higher education was developed as part of a process to democratise, offering full participation for all. Neoliberal privatisation is ‘structurally racist’ while projecting ‘neutrality’ the idea that higher education as a personal responsibility would seem to reinforce existing socioeconomic inequalities, that would appear to be based on merit but are actually ‘status’ Universities claim to be race blind dissolving characteristics involving differential treatment but the neutrality of universities is a mirage. It is necessary to decolognise universities, democracy and membership in the political community that HE is located. Historically, universities began as private/religious foundations in the USA many ‘Ivy League’ colleges were formed from endorsements of wealth, sometimes from plantation slavery. Many state universities denied entry to African American students, ‘Jim Crow’ subverted equality after the Civil War. Segregated public education in the US did not end until 1954. (Brown & Bond of Education.) In the UK, Research Universities interconnecting with the wider economy & society. Expansion and the numbers of students increased the importance of higher education to provide credentials for the job market – this gave universities an important role, in securing ‘equal opportunities’ elite universities sought to transfer status to research activities and present themselves as providing access to superior employment opportunities. HE provided a skilled, trained workforce. ‘The system must be judged as deficient unless it provides adequately for all.’ Robbins report in the UK inaugurated abolishing fees and introducing means tested grants. The expansion of a free, public higher education believed to mitigate the effects of mixed system of public and private secondary education however the reforms didn’t discuss access for women or disadvantaged minorities. The US equivalent was elite universities with high fees alongside a robust public higher education offering. We discuss this piece and what we agreed/disagreed with.

We talk about the division of our overseas students through economics, a point of interest 50% of overseas students use Business class flights to come to the UK.  The Chinese students in GB&I are very wealthy. Our British students are becoming the minority, sometimes working 2 jobs to pay for accommodation. Is one group getting more from the course than another as they are financially protected? The enormous cost of fees, housing, education, visa.  Are international students buying a degree? Why? Privilege. Our students are now customers, it’s not their fault. What is the purpose of HE? Who are the stake holders? What is the long-term vision? Universities were about the empire, colonial influence in the 60s moving to the UK, it was felt education was a right. We are a framework, public university education UK/US contradictory, meritocracy, social rights to individual responsibility, decolonisation and public education, privatised and privileged. ‘diversity’ consists of overseas students from elite privileged background giving them economic freedom. We have students coming from all over the world. division. The article explains how this happened, racism, colonisation, slavery and the Ivy League. We can ask – what is the purpose of education? To make the world a better place. Governance, stake holders originally publicly funded after 60s and 2000s changed. Subjected to neo liberalisation, market forces but is the market correct? It is highly skewed towards the wealthy. The inequality is a new liberal model for education. It has become capitalistic fueling only 1% who will be able to afford a university education. Making them richer, getting the top jobs in powerful positions, causing more inequality. International students can ‘buy’ a degree to get them a better job at home. Policy makers – do they really know the purpose of HE? Networking, to build relationships, how you get a job later on, the ‘who you know’ public school education could network. There was a time in the UK when you didn’t pay fees, statistically students didn’t come from wealthy backgrounds, how many amazing students might we miss as this becomes reality? Free market model. Ual values social justice yet are attracting the top 1% earning families. We talk about sustainability, but our students are flying back to Tokyo for the Easter break. The whole model could collapse at any moment. Capitalist model is inherently selfish, its about imbalance. in the context of education, we should say no.

Holmwood, J. (2018) ‘Race and the Neoliberal University.’ In Bhambra, G. K., Gebrial, D. and Nisancıoglu, K. (eds.) Decolonising the University. London: Pluto Press, pp.37-52.­

20th February. Cohort seminar.

In this session we discussed the impact of a formal verses informal learning experience – its general characteristics. I feel that teaching has changed a lot in 20 years due to consumerism. I feel I need to deliver more. Attendance is as issue, students see it is optional which I find surprising, especially when you are paying for a service, I would take every opportunity offered. We are asked to think about a positive educational experience from our past that remains memorable and vivid. I had a wonderful art teacher who encouraged me to go to art school and a brilliant physics teacher who taught us practically by doing experiences. She was electrifying in her enthusiasm, and we learnt a lot from the experience. We are asked to think about what we bring to teaching & learning. We require knowledge, professional policy and guidelines. UK PSF – values associated with advanced HE.

What knowledge do you need to teach?
– What do we need to know in order to teach well?
– Knowledge in your subject.
– An idea of what students already know – prior knowledge, who are your students?
– Contextualise your experience/practice – apply it to the industry
– The ability to communicate
– The ability to be flexible – read the room & accordingly
– Adjust the class when needed
– How much time you’ve got – timing & pacing
– Space
– Comfortable with the subject matter
– Customisation to access for individuals
– Equipment & resources
– Lesson plan, materials, strategy
– Empathy, compassion & understanding
– Collaboration with the teaching team
– Knowing what’s happening in the industry and in the future
– An awareness of what’s happening in the real world

What values inform the way we teach?
– Empathy, compassion
– What do you care about? Sharing knowledge
– A sense of community
– A policy
– Diversity in the teaching team – beyond case studies
– Transparency
– Collaboration
– Personal growth & development
– Community of students & tutors

Consider how knowledge and value interact, look for commonalities and alignments.

Values in education policy
Values are more difficult to pin down as we might hold conflicting points of view. Consider our tacit values – not what we teach by saying but by doing. Students observe how we behave and will adopt similar behaviour such as how we interact in a workshop, no running, carefully using equipment based on health & safety training.

What is the difference between values, beliefs, ethics, duties, morals, principles and guiding principles? Your values might actually be your ethics, but it is good to distinguish between them. Is it possible to order them in some way?

Differences in articulated values and tacit values. How these relate to each other in the educational context of teaching & learning. (thereby relating to/including practice based processes and/or disciplines. Belly & Salina.

We look at the UKPSF 2011: Globalised, Education, Values?
Knowledge & values side by side. What does this body add to our own beliefs? We are asked to critique what they have included, what have they added that we’ve not thought about, in relation to our case studies? How do we meet, match or exceed these professional expectations? Limitation of your own knowledge. the importance of interaction between teachers and students co-creates art education. We are not staff as the font of all knowledge, filling students up. Staff have professional experience, but students also have enormous knowledge.

Areas of activity, design, planning, teaching & assessment.
How do we define our core knowledge? Professional values. I teach from my own knowledge of design but also my professional experience – we discuss if you haven’t worked for 10 years does your relevant experience have a time limit? especially in a world of emerging technology that has huge implications for our creative students. How do we teach students something that may not even exist by the time they graduate? Students have changed, they now want something very personal. How will Chat IP affect their career choice? Are we doing the right kind of assessment? Teaching methods. We put trust & value in our students. There is a hierarchy in design education if someone stays in a job for 20 plus years, do they still add value? Contemporary teachers – VPs and ALs tend to be younger, possibly exposed to more up to date practices and technology?

Consider the language behind policy framework, refining key terms and utopian thinking. Policy relates to the work I am doing with students, tutorials, student health, disability.  Ethics, risk assessment, quality and inclusion. Academic misconduct, read with a critical eye. we look at Ual guidelines, tutorial policy as a framework on canvas Creative attributes framework. There are legal documents to protect the university and me as a tutor. How do they connect? Sustainability? Climate justice page. a framework for the university strategy principles, and how they are implemented for example in the course handbook, course description, in the unit briefing and in the learning outcomes – the issue of sustainability & climate justice could be embedded and addressed across all of these touchpoints. Look at UAL 22-23 strategy and 3 guiding principles. Climate, racial and social justice principles framework and suggestions for embedding these. We could create a min utopia if everyone followed these it would be fantastic.

– Policy
https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/306577/UAL-Awarding-Body-Complaints-and-Concerns-policy.pdf

– Framework
https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/sustainability-at-ual/sustainable-learning-teaching-and-research

https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/204330/Creative-Attributes-Framework-OVERVIEW-2020-FINAL.pdf

– Strategy
https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/strategy-and-governance/strategy

https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/12839/UAL-Strategy-2015-22-Summary-Spreads.pdf

– Code
https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/43333/Code-of-Good-Conduct-in-Research-2017.pdf

https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/course-regulations/student-rights-and-responsibilities/disciplinary-code-for-students

– Principle
https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/climate-action-plan

– Guide
https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/293511/UAL-Student-Guide-2021.pdf

Framework
We consider what is a professional framework. how could you map a teaching practice using the framework? Could you use those steps to elevate or improve? How could they connect to a tutorial or marketing policy? Or mental health? I put the policy of climate justice into teaching, consider environmental, economic, social, cultural sustainability

1. Baseline
Brief students, acknowledge sustainability, what works and what doesn’t. Contextualise climate, racial and social justice principles.

2. Awareness
Talk to them about current methods of design practice, teach sustainability, identify issues, awareness leads to actions being taken, relevant visable knowledge, application of principles from the climate justice policy.

3. Ideation
Ask students to research sustainability, brainstorm concepts, competitor research. Create a course design manifesto written by the students on the issues they feel are important, everyone on the course signs it, creating a new sustainable network. A monthly newsletter written & designed by students for students highlighting key projects, exhibitions and news related to climate justice and sustainability. Hold a yearly college event with an exhibition and guest speakers. Consider current world views. Create work based on sustainable principles, reflecting the new relevant knowledge they have learnt, documented in sketchbooks and project outcomes.

4. Shift
Apply the principles you have created as part of your ‘process’ to all future design projects, manifesto annually reviewed & signed. Embedded in the course culture – handbook, course units, design briefs and briefs and marked against the learning outcomes.