pg cert blog

15th February. Neil Currant.

I watched a recording of this session rather than attending it live. This was a different experience, enabling me to pause while making notes but I missed the interaction of my classmates. In this session Neil asked us to consider how we could make our assessment and feedback more compassionate. How could we reimagine assessment practices for a social justice orientated, relational approach. Consider the impact on students such as the narrative enquiry the experience of students of colour.

Outlines
1. Why – wider assessment context
2. Assessment context at Ual – motivation and affect
3. How? Compassion, trust – the practical

‘Compassion means the noticing of social & physical distress to others and the commitment to reduce or prevent that distress.’ (Gilbert 2017:189) ‘Motivate to act/alleviate suffering’ (Shauss et all 2016:15) We learn that compassion is not kindness, it is not about lowering standards. This approach was accelerated during the pandemic. Students still wanted rigour and to maintain standards but to minimise suffering & trauma, during this period a pass/fail model for level 4 was introduced. This was a natural experiment to explore assessment and grading. QAA reports available – look up.  A trauma informed policy – to what extend do the assessment policies of creative art institutions acknowledge the interaction between assessment and student’s whole self, representing a compassionate and more useful approach to assessment? How can we enact compassion on feedback for assessment as a learner journey? The value is understanding why you got a grade and understanding what you could do to improve it.

While our assessment practice remains we are not being compassionate but causing our students distress. How can we do this without lowering standards? What does a grade mean without feedback – in an arts university the feedback is more important? In the industry job offers and recognition come through your portfolio not degree result. Consider, do we give better grades to encourage or lower as a wakeup call? From personal experience when benchmarking i have fought for higher grades when I know the journey an individual student has been through etc. Trust is very important.

Why do we assess?
Value of education, employment, to monitor student progress. To gauge learning, understand where we are at amd give students pointers on how to improve. Check understanding – what students know and can apply, to moderate engagement, to motivate, accord qualifications, evidence metrics outside Ual. Compare nationwide. Validation of course and teaching success.

Feedback and learning is useful to measure student progress and to understand if our teaching is working. alongside the legal metrics.

We can categorise these in two broad categories;
1. For credit/to award: Assessment of learning, quality assurance.
2. Learning: Assessment for and as learning, formative assessment.

We assess to award and to feedback on learning. The grading system can force students into grade chasing, they are not really learning, when they ask, ‘what do I need to do to get an A?’ The government complained about grade inflation during Covid.  Assessment allows us to check how well our teaching is going. What happens if the teaching is so good, all students got an A? We would be in trouble; the unit would be considered too easy. Lowering of standards, cheating? An external examiner would notice. The teacher would not be trusted. The rhetoric is that this shouldn’t happen. Our teaching can’t be this good.  Again, the issue of trust, grades have to be justified. Disparity between units. Quality, Assurance mechanics. University policies. From the criteria we can see how important assessment is.

– Marking scale, degree algorithms
– Assessment criteria
– Adjusted Assessment (ISA)
– Extenuating Circumstances
– Academic misconduct
– Feedback turnaround
– Anonymous marking
– Failure & retrieval
– Marking, moderation & external examiners

Documents, policies and guidance are what allow us as a university to award degrees. How can we embed social justice in the curriculum, representation? There is no training for assessment when you start as an AL – I have asked for some. Assessment is important (McAuthur 2013:19) Fairness as procedure. ‘Get the right procedures in place and we can be assured that our assessment practices are fair.’ Such thinking underpins what many take for granted but we must consider students should be assessed in the same way, assignments should be submitted at the same time. The same rules should apply to everyone. We asess from a quality model not an equity model with the assumption that everyone starts from the same place, this is not true or inclusive, everyone has challenges while at university. Assessment should not disadvantage students because of characteristics or abilities to the outcome being judged. Ajani (2023:1) While all students must meet the core standards, they may not be able to do so in the same ways or in the same circumstances. There is an inequity yet we assess all students against the same learning outcomes – what to mark for a student with a great outcome but poor documentation of enquiry? (Bound & Falchikov 2007:3) ‘Assessment, rather than teaching, has a major influence on students learning. It directs attention from what is important. ‘What is useful for students the assessment or the feedback and learning? There is a tension between the two.

Part 2. We also look at the importance of tone and the difference between written and spoken feedback. Written lacks the nuance of language. We know that being assessed is emotional, there is a huge difference in feedback critiquing work or in person. Motivation, a shift from grades to pass or fail, less stressful. Key finding of Ual research from Summer 2021.

– Impact of grading on stress & anxiety
– Influence of grading on learner, self – identity
– Impact of grading on effort & motivation
– Impact of grading on creativity & assessment output (Self-censorship)
– Impact of grading on collaboration (peer interactions)

Does learning & being creative get lost when the focus is on grading. Some students want to know ‘how good am I?’ Motivation effort = grades. In an arts university how useful are grades when you could argue they are about taste? Grades make more sense in a subjective science rather than art and design. Grades can shape thinking instead we want students to work because they want to learn and show an interest in the subject. Grades and assessment can shape student’s effort, motivation and thinking. An absence of grades can lead to more risk taking. Students can use grades to rank themselves against their peers creating competition rather than collaboration. Fixed/growth mind sets. Question: should assessment be done by the same person who has taught the unit? (Carol Dureck – Mindsets) In school students must get certain grades.

Align our understanding of what assessment is with students’ expectations of how they can use assessment to benefit them. If we don’t give grades how would that affect their (un)employability? Learning can take time, but we expect students to do everything at the same pace, in 15-week units. Peer assessments build connections, we enforce a process such as iteration, reflect, do it again onto students that may not be their way of making.

Part 3. Towards more compassionate assessment processes
Assessment for Social Justice ‘The theme of fairness through procedure is strong. The importance of maintain standards, rules and procedures rather than on students engagement with complex knowledge and on implications for their lives’ McArthur 2018 (24.36/47.13)

McArthur lists 5 practice, Trust; Honestly; Responsibility; Forgiveness; Responsiveness.
For example, at Ual to apply for an EC you must have a good reason and provide evidence, this suggests a lack of trust. Academic misconduct policy speaks of mistrust rather than academic good practice. Awarding differences – some staff mark students differently. Build more trust through formative feedback. Honest about the illusion of objectivity, taste in art and design. We can moderate- get lots of different opinions to come to an agreement, as a form of subjectivity. We recently had a student who created a set of icons as a live brief for SIP, he was downgraded for not creating a branding project which I disagreed with and also felt responsible for, questioning, how many times if ever had I reminded him to make sure branding was included as part of his submission?

Students perceive assessment is ‘done to them’ how in my practice can I give students more power? Authenticity through assessment. The process of iteration, we learn from failure, yet our system is unforgiving, not allowing students to make mistakes. Penalties for late submission. How can we respond? How might students submit work being genuinely creative? More flexibility?

Formative assessment
– Helps you get to know students
– Helps student learning

Student choice – Flexible Assessment
Where appropriate
– Choice of topic
– Choice of format
– Choice of media

Students often submit sketchbooks on Miro or padlet rather than as a photographed physical book or Indesign document pdf. How could we give GB&I more freedom in submissions? Give them a sense of responsibility, allowing choice where possible, to showcase their strengths. Internal feedback (Nicol & McCallan) We naturally compare ourselves to others. Demystify internal feedback by a combination of peer & self-assessments to help students accurately make judgements about their work. Help students develop internal feedback. For example, why do we ask students to write an essay when they will never be asked to do this in industry – a report or strategy document would be more relevant. Make assessment have a purpose. 

Authentic assessment in a creative context
– Assess knowledge, skills and attitudes needed in the professional sphere.
– Address social needs – climate, social issues – relevant to student interests.

Think about what students will do after university/in employment – replicate working in industry.

https://compassioninhe.wordpress.com

Compassion in higher education: Vikki Hill with Dr Theo Gilbert

https://belongingthroughcompassion.myblog.arts.ac.u

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

23rd January with Chris Rowell, Linda Aloysius and Tim Stephens.

Our first session in person, it was lovely to meet my classmates. Having introduced ourselves online, I felt an immediate familiarity through the conversations we had already had. They felt like colleagues rather than strangers. As an icebreaker we were given quotes on different aspects of education to discuss. Posing the questions – Who do we imagine saying it? What does it mean to me? In what ways do I agree/disagree? What do you think are the implications of this belief for teaching practice? ‘Teachers, like their students, have to learn to love the questions, as they come to realise that there can be no final agreements or answers.’ We discuss, there are no right or wrong solutions especially in an art institute. It’s ok for teachers to say ‘I don’t know’ open debate, this is not necessary expected by students. We agree the importance of questions, how do we encourage international students to question, mix cultures – smaller groups? There are no teachers & learners – we are all in this together. Students may have different cultural experiences, non-Eurocentric, it’s interesting for the whole class to hear & discuss their point of view. We can use fear as a driver for critical thinking, to get out of our comfort zone. It’s part of the process of being human. Find a balance – what is ‘risk’ – it’s different-to-different people, create psychological safety in the teaching space. What is ‘love’ in the context of teaching? It’s a risk to show a passion. something you feel strongly about, creative risk as a metaphor for growth. Attention to the learning environment can nurture growth. There is an element of trust in getting to know your students. ‘Love is running towards’ Create a safe space so students feel they are able to take risks, and trust us in that process. How do you do this especially with online teaching? We discuss sensory learning, artefacts building knowledge through the senses: touch, sound, smell give a broad learning experience, not just reading. The practice of making and co-creation as a model for development.

We focus on selecting examples from our teaching practice to illustrate and evaluate our approaches to planning, teaching and assessment. Planning for learning across several levels: whole course, session and individual activities. We are asked to bring an activity, lesson plan or artefact to discuss. I took in my Moodle page for the Self-Initiated Project I run with half of the final year cohort for GB&I BA (Hons). As a course we redesigned our Moodle pages during the summer period so that rather the facing ‘the scroll of doom,’ students could see each week as a block of colour to ideate where they should be in their learning journey throughout the unit. The structure of this is based on the framework for innovation – the Design Council double diamond approach. The four pillars of Discover, Define, Develop & Deliver to structure the creative journey through the unit. I also took in a thumbnails storyboard of one of my Attainment workshops, breaking down a four-hour session and a template I put together from a session I hosted brainstorming primary and secondary ways to conduct research. As a class we filled in a template with ideas that the students can use as reference for future design projects. Along with an Attainment worksheet I created for students to complete ‘How to name a brand’ as my artefact. We discuss Ben’s course and the lack of self-awareness first years have, they are assessed on technical skills, free thinking, originality and voice. Critical reflection, there is a single moment in their learning journey where something changes for them. We discuss improvements for the LSF brief Kyinat shares with us containing complex language – could a peer group glossary of terms be included, that students add to on Moodle? 

Learning Design Workshop
We are asked to work independently, creating a mockup poster presentation of the possibilities for redesigning our artefact. Referencing the Design toolkit with a focus on the redesign of the question or assessment outcome. My SIP structure is student centric but requires them to do all the work. Narrating the journey, sensory as a methodology. It’s a critical, theoretical framework for their practical assessment, but poses questions – What is research?  What can we use as research? How can it be documented? – The answer: play, investigate, explain a curiosity. a student journey requiring physical planning, Use padlet to define your experience, What do you know? We discuss the shock of independent learning for students entering higher education. Could we promote this further? I remember a colleague gave our students a talk about his MA experience at Ual. He created a visual diagram to show timetabled classes and then superimposed a second slide showing independent study and how much he was doing on a weekly basis – it was a lot, brilliantly conveyed for the students to gain real understanding of the time they would need to commit to a course. Independent study is hard without semi-permanent studio space to use as one’s own. Learning from other students in an invaluable experience. Within the double diamond students love research but need time to take risks and be able to fail.

We discuss the gamification of learning about finance. As an educator in my group is looking for a more engaging way to teach her fashion students. We suggest presenting case studies of businesses that have failed. pre priming, asking students to do a task before they come into the classroom as a pre session activity.  Students primed before a lecture, think about session before participating they learn a lot more, priming – such as bringing something to the session, collaborative. Post session is also valuable. Consider how I could use this in my teaching. We have a discussion on others posters presented. Remember the importance of constructive alignment, what I propose must be followed up in assessment. The process from assessing documentation, holistic – written & portfolio of evidence. What is research and how do we document it? Show knowledge. A personal experience will always resonate with someone. As teachers we are here to guide. A UK art education system encourages individual thinking whereas Chinese students will not have had that experience. The importance of transparency in marking, criteria, think about your method. Think critically how you are studying/learning – this is interesting as both a teacher and now a student. I write a lot of notes by hand, then reflect as I type them up. This process helps me review my position, but it is very time consuming. We discuss how the double diamond is linear which is not the experience of creating a design project, there are many ups and downs – perhaps the model could be 3D to show how messy and nonlinear the process can be. Show that it’s also ok to loop back into research. My unit structure needs to reflect on the peaks and troughs of the process as more circular than linear and reflect the importance of independent study.

Teaching formats & strategies.
We go on to consider the benefits and challenges of different teaching strategies for both a lecturer and student.

1. Teaching in large groups.
2. Teaching in smaller groups.
3. Teaching 1:1
4. Critique.

Large group teaching a workshop or seminar, capture a larger audience, less interaction, harder to keep engaged. Need to build in elements of student interaction to help them understand. How do you get students to speak up – ask them directly, rather than hands up? Pick someone, once someone has spoken others will join in.  As an icebreaker ask how is everyone feeling? I only started teaching during lockdown but noticed my colleague would get the class to post an emoji to communicate their emotion in that moment – it was a light way to engage and start a class online. Use simple questions. Students can fear being judged, an anxiety of being asked as question in front of everyone, it’s easier for them to speak to their peers, avoid the hierarchy of the tutor standing, students sitting. Language can also be a barrier. Historically in a lecture students are expected to listen. Value interaction, the importance of the layout of the room, can everyone see the person delivering the lecture. Instant feedback, memetic tools such as online the anonymous whiteboard, how could this work in the real world? With paper? Split a group into 2? Provide snacks? In person teaching has the benefit of the energy of the room, feeling part of a collective community. It’s humanised, make the experience personalised to explain why something is of interest to me, can make it more interesting for students. Get students to laugh with you, online you need strategies to keep everyone going. In LCC the unplanned moments, conversations in the corridors, can spark a starting point for a project that is impossible to recreate online.

Small group, learning: you can’t always measure your peers, how have they communicated/interacted? Use post it notes, feedback, present their work, replicating professional experience with a client or job interviews. Plan experiences such as no speaking, look at each other’s work and write feedback as a framework. Reminder: feedback needs to be constructive. You could ask students to write the rules, be kind, don’t make your responses personal. As an educational framework consider what worked or could be improved. Small group teaching, contains an intimacy, focused on collaboration, easier to change your teaching approach & subject. Students have agency with more accessibility to the tutor. It’s easier to raise issues. Challenge group dynamics, it can hinder the seminar experience if you have a group of close friends – a challenge as the teacher. You may have a group if international students, with one isolated, consider cliques and friendships. As students have more access, we can feel overwhelmed with out of hours emails.

Somethings don’t get taught for example, how do students learn independent study? teachers are not taught how to manage small or large groups.

One to one is more bespoke and personal, getting to know each other. pastoral care, issues that can affect learning. I had a wonderful email from a student last year after she had graduated “I just wanted to thank you for the constant support this year, and for all of your help. I have really enjoyed having you as a tutor, and your kindness has really helped me through all the hardship I have faced this year! Aside from that you have been super helpful with feedback and critiquing my work and it has been a pleasure to be able to take your advice and better myself as a designer.” It was the most wonderful gift.  Its less intimidating, students must respond, they can’t hide behind a group. build their confidence and self-esteem. Presentation skills allow for tailored feedback. But its time consuming, lack of parity, time limitations, loss of peer learning, can blur the tutor student dynamic, it’s good to balance 1:1 with group chats. Can benefit expert knowledge if the tutor has it.

We discuss that the tutorial policy is not pastoral but that is what it has become. CSM bias women will take on more pastoral care duties. Be vigil how much you are being asked to do. On some courses, pastoral tutorial is separate from work, seen as ‘well-being’ tutorials, we have to create boundaries, students trust us but we don’t always have the skill set or training. You can invite a member of the counseling team to offer student support. Mental health first aiders. I feel a duty of care as part of my professional responsibility but others in our session are very opposed to this. If you are unsure, we are advised to send an email to our line managers or course leader to document what is happening, – be transparent in communication, something told in confidence. Have a buddy for difficult conversations. Where do you draw the line? Students email problems on a Saturday night requiring urgent action. It is a grey area and down to the individual. Personal decision or choice. each on a professional, individual judgement.

Critique – flexible, allowing for outside feedback. Students get multiple opinions, assessment criteria, develop pitching and presentation skills as part of their professional practice. but can make student feel pressure to feedback in front of their peers, which can be on their presentation rather than the work.

On reflection a combination of these approaches seems to offer our students the best learning opportunities but be open to considering them all.

https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/skills-learning/tools-frameworks/framework-for-innovation-design-councils-evolved-double-diamond/

Assessment criteria in art and design. What’s the recurring problem?

23rd February.  Preparatory work. Allan Davies, Independent Consultant. 

Allan Davies led UAL’s Centre for Learning & Teaching in Art & Design. He writes about a balanced critique of outcomes-based learning and assessment. 

Add reflections on this from my notes.

18th January.
Add reflections on the case study from my notes.

(Teaching with Integrity: The ethics of higher education practice. Routledge 2003)
(Responding to feedback. Bruce Macfarlane 2004)
(Evaluating Teaching. Macfarlane 2004)
(Enacting the Penitent Self. Macfarlane & Gourlay 2009)

18th January BDI session with Jason Copley & Adrienne Tulley.

I was invited to join this session looking at current academic frameworks including accountability, policies & practices. 

We reviewed 5 key areas;
1. Teaching and Learning.
2. Assessment Process.
3. Signature Art and Design pedagogies.
4. UAL and LCC Priorities.
5. Working with Students.

Pedagogic Research in the Arts University
11th January with Lindsay Jordan, James Corazzo & Catherine Smith.

The aim of this session is to demystify research through sharing two projects in progress. This will help me to consider the potential of relative methods for researching questions that I want to explore. I need to start thinking about what aspect of my creative practice to investigate as part of this course. Start ‘noticing’ – looking closely & carefully will influence the way I think, such as: how our international students always sit together, often translating for each other. How could I make them feel more integrated & be confident in presenting? What activities could I propose without singling them out? The discipline of noticing can be a way into research as a reflective practice, deciding, choosing a subject as both method & theory. Our guest lecturer James reminds us that we are already carrying around questions, interests & curiosities. “The things that stay with you can be a starting point to your research. “I have never thought about this, how a small observation could grow into a blog post, an academic paper perhaps even a published article or book. I need to keep my eye on things. people and the relationship between the two. Educational research use social science methods, cases studies and narrative enquiry. I can use my skills, visual practice and capabilities in terms of the way I think in the context of an Arts university.

James talks about the importance of space and how to facilitate students learning.  We begin with an ice-breaker: ‘What are your feet touching? What is touching your feet?’ The materiality of getting in touch with our entire self.  The activity & drawing exercise helped us to feel connected as a cohort despite attending the lecture online. He speaks of ‘material noticing’s’ – ‘Thing-Power: the curious ability of inanimate things to animate, to act, to produce effects dramatic and subtle.’ (Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of  Things. J. Bennett 2010) For example, tutorials on a sofa as a subtle way to create dialogue & discussion on an equal level. The relationship between learning and space is rarely talked about but we learnt that pedagogy is inherently a spatial practice.

Our studio spaces for GB&I are not conjusive to staying and working beyond the taught session. How could we change this? Encourage interaction and general use? Also consider what gets ‘said’ in learning spaces? Educational research priorities discourse. ‘Theory is a vehicle for ‘thinking otherwise’ offers a language for challenge & modes of thought other than those articulated for us by dominant others. The purpose of such theory is to defamiliarise present practices & categories and to open up spaces for the invention of new forms of experience.’ (Intellectuals or Technicians? The urgent role of Theory in Educational Studies. Stephen Ball 1995) Consider humans, materials or things and the interaction between them, how that can change the education experience.

We learn about his research – the ‘side by side’ sofa tutor.  A ‘faux’ room set within the studio space and a pair of sofas became the archetypal signifier of ubiquitous learning. They became the center for teaching and learning by legitimatising informality. Allowing more vulnerable conversations, less confrontational almost therapeutic, to occur. I experiment with my own version of this during a class this week. When only a small group of students attend my Attainment workshop on Communication I sit ‘with’ the students and encourage another staff member to do the same. We have an open dialogue as colleagues and tutees about branding, our professional experiences and that of students from a non-European background. It’s enlightening and engaging for all of us, discussing different cultural norms & learning from this shared experience.

Catherine asks – ‘What happens when workshops happen?’ ‘Education is the kindling of a flame not the filling of a vessel.’ We are helping students fulfil the potential that is already there in them, ‘Studio education is not delivered. Studio education is forged.’ (Art and design pedagogy in higher education: knowledge, values and ambiguity in the creative curriculum. Orr, S. and Shreeve, A. 2018) Her working research question also considers how knowledge production is constituted through Socio-materiality: the social (people) and the material (things) relations in arts higher education. The session concludes with us being asked to draw something we’ve noticed at UAL that interests us. Introducing us to ethnographic mapping – graphic elicitation ­as a method for research, a useful way to understand the world. Things are slowly becoming clearer to me, consider what is still ‘muddy’?

 

20th January with Tim Stephens.

Meeting my tutor for the first time was really thought provoking. We discussed my professional career & experience. During this time, I’ve worn ‘multiple hats’ – those of designer, educator and manager which all influence ‘how’ and ‘what’ I teach now. I tell him about my experience during Covid, using my time to return to all that I had enjoyed as a student – attending lectures and workshops on graphic design in a broader context. I wanted to increase my knowledge base and decided to re-educate myself from the Eurocentric perspective I had experienced throughout the education I had received in the UK & Holland, embedded throughout my career since. Prior to even thinking about a return to teaching, I was able to attend online lectures all over the world. It was electrifying to see the diversity of graphic design that exists. I am mindful to now share this understanding. I constantly ask my students their perspective & experience in relation to the environment or location they have come from to study at Ual – as a group we gain a lot from knowledge sharing through class discussions and debates. 

Homepage

Home

Home

https://www.letterexchange.org

https://www.typocircle.com

https://www.sodabaltimore.com

2021

• TypoCircle x Naresh Ramchandani: Creativity for Social Change. 4th February.
• Atkinson Hyperlegible: legibility and accessibility. 16th February..
• Genius on Display: Tré Seals. 25th February.
• Nüshu, a script created by self-educated women in a remote region of China. 16th March.
• The Political Posters of Thomas W. Benton. 16th March.
• TypoCircle x Pali Palavathanan @ Templo. 25th March.
• Conversations on Design & Race: Getting Back to Our Roots. 7th April. 
• Exploring Language, Politics and Typography: Kelly Walters. 22nd April.
• Can Art Stop a War? The Power of Posters. 27th April.
• Letter Exchange lecture by Nancy Ouchida-Howells. 16th June.
• The top-heavy g: Julius Klinger’s lettering and type design with Paul Shaw. 18th June.
• Letterform Lecture:  A Script That Pleases The Eye with Iyad Naja. 22nd June.
• Ella: The Typographic Link Between Calligraphy & Brutalism w/Laura Meseguer. 28th June.
• Fight the Man: Posters & Politics of the 1960s & ’70s. 13th July.
• Letterform Lecture: Elementype, a practical guide to typographic use by two award winning Mexican designers.13th July.
• Posters, Politics, and Satire: A Conversation. 22nd July.
• Jewish Identity & Advertising: Posters in The Third Reich. 29th July.
• An Exploration of Angel DeCora’s Design and Lettering Work.19th October.
• The History of the Afro with Michele Washington. 17th November.

2022

• Writing Around the World: Trends & Observations.15th February.
• Enric Crous-Vidal, a character in typography with Andreu Balius. 28th February.
• For a Labor History of Typography. 1st March.
• Type, Money, and Power:  The First 5000 Years.15th March.
• Untangling Japanese Type. 29th March.
• Stick More Bills:  An analysis of Indian posters in Film, Politics 31st May.
• Genius On Display: Johanna Toruño of The Unapologetic Street Series. 8th June.
• Oleksiy Chekal: Theological Aesthetics of the Letterforms. 15th June.
• An Exploration of Hong Kong Type Design. 13th July.
• The Tactile Book: Embossing Systems for Blind Readers. 9th August.
• It Takes a Village: Unsung Women and Their Contributions to Silent Film. 12th September.
• Typography at VKhuTeMas, the Soviet Union’s Revolutionary Art School. 14th November.
• Notes on the History of  Writing. 5th December.

2023

• A Byte Sized History of Computer Typography. 14th February.
• TypoCircle Presents Maso Heck – There’s Nothing Comic About Dyslexia. 16th February. 
• Growing Up Underground. 16th March.

9th January.

I was nervous for our initial session but the breakout activity was interesting & made me feel relaxed. It was wonderful to meet such a diverse & interesting group of academics with impressive credentials  I look forward to sharing this experience and know I will learnt a lot from them.  Areas of particular interest to me included Ben Hirt who oversees year one BA (Hons) Animation at LCC. He proposed the importance of a customised, unique experience with tailored content for students that becomes impossible once course numbers increase. Reflecting on the relevance of students learning from each other. Dr Francesco Mazzarella discussed the values of critical thinking, participatory & interdisciplinary place based learning in the local community. Kyinat Molta lived & worked in Pakistan before teaching at Ual, she was interested in story telling & cultural narratives, curating a fascinating project ‘Unlearning transitional spaces’, questioning & exploring how creatives utilise the studio space they work in. Another discussion point was the pragmatic effects of our beliefs and behaviour on our teaching. Believing in potential creates potential, if we encourage everyone to work together, all will create better work. High expectation = motivation = retention = confidence. The importance of confidence and self belief in learning,  how encouragement sticks with you. 

I spoke about my own professional experience working as a graphic designer for more than 20 years, specialising in retail design for most of my career.  My passion for compassionate pedagogy aligned with the group. I introduced the work of Dr Theo Gilberts micro skills of compassion and the educational developers Vicky Hill & Liz Bunting at Ual. As mother of 3 and an insulin dependent diabetic pastoral care & inclusivity influence my work as a teacher. I feel if you aren’t in the right head space it is impossible to be creative. I had positive feedback on my presentation, being reminded that some disabilities are invisible and how our position can impact our practice, we must acknowledge and leverage that. 

Questions asked;

Kyinat Motla Does the formality of a traditional classroom space really work within creative courses? 

Ben Hirt On customising the learning experience for large student numbers: How can we facilitate each student and their unique learning experience in order to maximise their creative output and outcome? How can education enhance a more customised learning experience when implementing a pedagogical approach?

Dr Francesco Mazzarella How could fashion design education address European colonialism. economic and environment exploitation and social injustices?

Having posted our specific areas of interest interest – mine were voted fourth out of the cohort, the first three were selected. We then split into groups for further discussion, This was led by myself and Ben as I felt a connection in our interests & concerns for students. We discussed the importance of creating a sense of belonging through social events, cultural visits, movie nights, Christmas parties and individual tutorials so that students feel heard & cared for. This feels particularly relevant post Covid and the displacement that some students now feel in their education & university experience.

https://compassioninhe.wordpress.com

https://belongingthroughcompassion.myblog.arts.ac.uk

https://tle.myblog.arts.ac.uk/compassion-in-higher-education-vikki-hill-with-dr-theo-gilbert/

 

My name is Sarah Mansell. I’ve worked as a graphic designer for 23 years, graduating from Kingston University and studying for a post graduate laureate at the Jan van Eyck Akademie in the Netherlands. I began my career in corporate branding & literature while teaching at LCP. I’ve specialised in retail design for the last 15 years working as the deputy to the Head of Design at Marks & Spencer. My professional experience informs my teaching on Graphic Branding & Identity BA (Hons) and Professional Pratice a cross-school unit undertaken by all second year students at LCC.

As a Mum to three young children I am particularly interested in compassionate pedagogy and how to implement it into my teaching practice. I am also an insulin dependent diabetic since the age of 4 and feel passionate about disability, inclusivity & access for all.