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ARP – Notes on readings
Recently I’ve been reading a lot about the psychology around lesson structure, and more specifically self-directed learning. I find it really interesting how validating this whole process has been, especially because I’m reading papers that affirm what I naturally do when I teach. Self-directed or student-lead learning places the overall importance of education on independence and self-sufficiency, because, “at its best, teaching aims to achieve at least two essential goals for students: to (a) increase knowledge with respect to particular content and (b) develop skills that will serve students well, even beyond the content of a specific course.” (Dynan, Cate and Rhee, 2008) The second point – increasing knowledge beyond usage in a specific content area, is what I care most about in my teaching practice. I want student to be capable people beyond what they can achieve in a rigidly structured educational setting.
I’ve also been reading about the intersection of creativity and “fun” and learning, as Supervised Studio sessions do sometimes evolve into quite the casual environment, with music playing and joking around. Sometimes this feels like being a bad teacher, because how can students actually learn if I’m making them laugh with my descriptions of process or materials? Finding research that argues that having fun is actually important to learning has been very eye-opening to my own preconceived notions of what learning “is” or “isn’t”. As Petrich, Wilkinson, and Bevan (2013) argue, “”the visual amalgamation of “fun” and “learning” disrupts so many people’s foundational assumptions about what counts as learning”. It’s important for students to enjoy what they’re learning as this creates positive mental associations and can help to cultivate a desire for deeper knowledge. I’m glad that we have informal sessions such as Supervised Studio to offer to students, I want them to feel welcome and comfortable in the workshops, and being able to cultivate an environment where they can relax and have fun yet still learn and practice is clearly more important than I thought.
Dynan, L., Cate, T. and Rhee, K., 2008. The impact of learning structure on students’ readiness for self-directed learning. Journal of education for business, 84(2), pp.96-100.
Petrich, M., Wilkinson, K. and Bevan, B., 2013. It looks like fun, but are they learning?. In Design, make, play (pp. 50-70). Routledge.
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ARP – Bibliography
Ames, C., 1992. Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation. Journal of educational psychology, 84(3), p.261.
Domen, J., Hornstra, L., Weijers, D., van der Veen, I. and Peetsma, T., 2020. Differentiated need support by teachers: Student‐specific provision of autonomy and structure and relations with student motivation. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(2), pp.403-423.
Schmidt, H.G., 1994. Resolving inconsistencies in tutor expertise research: does lack of structure cause students to seek tutor guidance?. Academic Medicine, 69(8), pp.656-62.
Dynan, L., Cate, T. and Rhee, K., 2008. The impact of learning structure on students’ readiness for self-directed learning. Journal of education for business, 84(2), pp.96-100.
Brookfield, S.D., 2009. Self-directed learning. In International handbook of education for the changing world of work: Bridging academic and vocational learning (pp. 2615-2627). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands
Boyer, S.L., Edmondson, D.R., Artis, A.B. and Fleming, D., 2014. Self-directed learning: A tool for lifelong learning. Journal of marketing education, 36(1), pp.20-32.
Perna, L.W. and Odle, T.K., 2020. Recognizing the reality of working college students. Academe, 106(1), pp.18-22.
Fife-Schaw, C., 2020. Questionnaire design. Research methods in psychology, pp.343-374.
Epperson, W.V. and Peck, R.C., 1977. Questionnaire response bias as a function of respondent anonymity. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 9(4), pp.249-256.
Midanik, L.T. and Drescher‐burke, K., 2010. Surveys and questionnaire design. Addiction research methods, pp.95-107.
Cobb, E.A. and Patton, B.A., 2024. Clear Communication and Lifelong Learning. NATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE, p.124.
Sachdeva, A.K., 1996. Use of effective feedback to facilitate adult learning. Journal of Cancer Education, 11(2), pp.106-118.
Värlander, S., 2008. The role of students’ emotions in formal feedback situations. Teaching in higher education, 13(2), pp.145-156.
Emerald, E. and Carpenter, L., 2015. Vulnerability and emotions in research: Risks, dilemmas, and doubts. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(8), pp.741-750.
Lenette, C., 2022. Cultural safety in participatory arts-based research: How can we do better?. Journal of Participatory Research Methods, 3(1).
Verenikina, I., 2008. Scaffolding and learning: Its role in nurturing new learners.
Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D. and Bjork, R., 2008. Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological science in the public interest, 9(3), pp.105-119.
Azuka, C.V., Wei, C.R., Ikechukwu, U.L. and Nwachukwu, E.L., 2024. Inclusive instructional design for neurodiverse learners. Current Perspectives in Educational Research, 7(1), pp.56-67.
Ashcraft, N., 2006. Overcoming language barriers in content-area instruction. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, 3(1), pp.20-30.
Hu, M. (2024). International students’ feeling of shame in the higher education: An intersectional analysis of their racialised, gendered and classed experiences in the UK universities. Sociology, 14(1), pp.69-89.
Brahms, L. and Crowley, K., 2016. Making sense of making: Defining learning practices in MAKE magazine. In Makeology (pp. 13-28). Routledge.
Gauntlett, D., 2011. Making is connecting. Polity.
Ingold, T., 2010. The textility of making. Cambridge journal of economics, 34(1), pp.91-102.
Petrich, M., Wilkinson, K. and Bevan, B., 2013. It looks like fun, but are they learning?. In Design, make, play (pp. 50-70). Routledge.
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ARP – Questionnaire data
The questionnaire has now been out for 2 weeks and I have only had 8 responses – I have pushed it twice and even printed out QR codes and left them around the studios, so at this point I am going to assume that these 8 responses will be all I will get. This is much fewer than I would have liked, as the year group is about 30 students, but I can’t fault them for being busy with the final project designs or outside lives.
Interestingly, I did also have 3 responses from people who were very evidently members of staff. I’m not sure how they thought the questionnaire was for them as it was included in a very specific email written to students, but somehow I was not clear enough in my intentions for the survey. I knew they were from staff as when asked “What do you use Supervised Studio sessions for?” there were three responses about using it as a way to check on student’s processes and timeline in an informal way. Whilst this is very true, it’s not the opinions or feedback I was looking for.
Thankfully, I did have some very honest and helpful responses from students. The open responses to question 10 – How could Supervised Studio sessions be improved, gave some especially helpful answers:
Student E – “Able to organise specific workshops with technicians for specific techniques”
Student B – “Maybe making some sign up sessions for the people who may have missed or couldn’t make the timetabled session.”
Student G – “Maybe not making them mandatory so you can attend if needed and have set knowledge of which teacher are around and in the session”
Interestingly, all of these idea that the students mentioned are things that already exist – meaning that we first and foremost need to deal with our communication issues!
Below are some screenshots of the data and responses collected in the questionnaire.
These open responses are in response to the rating they chose for Question 8, above.
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ARP – Questionnaire
Link to questionnaire – Supervised Studio Questionnaire – Fill out form
- Do you consent to take part in this study?
- Yes I consent
- No I do not consent
- To the best of your knowledge, does Supervised Studio have mandatory attendance?
- Yes
- No
- I don’t know
- Do you attend Supervised Studio sessions?
- Yes
- No
- I don’t know
- How often do you attend Supervised Studio? Please select from 1 to 5 – 1 being “I do not attend Supervised Studio sessions” and 5 being “I attend all Supervised Studio sessions offered”
Rating 1-5
- To the best of your knowledge, what is the purpose of Supervised Studio?
Open response
- What do you personally use Supervised Studio for?
Open response
- Please rate how you feel about the amount of Supervised Studio sessions offered on your course. Please select from 1 to 5 – 1 being too few sessions and 5 being too many sessions.
Rating 1-5
- Do you find Supervised Studio sessions helpful? Please select from 1 to 5 – 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being very helpful and integral to your learning.
Rating 1-5
- Please explain why you chose the above rating for Question 8
Open response
- How could Supervised Studio sessions be improved?
Open response
- Would you find Supervised Studio sessions more useful if they included: (Please select all that apply)
- Specific topics per session
- Short demos / “tips and tricks” sessions
- Bookable tutorial slots with specific technicians
- Peer reviews and activities
- Multiple technicians with different specialisms
- Is there anything else you would like to mention regarding Supervised Studio?
Open response
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ARP – Questionnaire Consent Question
You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide to take part it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the information above carefully and discuss it with others if you wish.
Ask if anything is unclear or if you would like more information.
· I understand that I have given my consent to be surveyed about my thoughts on Supervised Studio sessions.
· I fully give my consent to take part.
· I understand that I have given approval for my opinions to be included in the research outputs. Anything I say may be used in academic papers relating to the project, although these quotations will be anonymous.
· I have read the above information about the research project, which I have been asked to take part in and have been given a copy of this information to keep.
· What is going to happen and why it is being done has been explained to me, and I have had the opportunity to discuss the details and ask questions.
· Having given this consent I understand that I have the right to withdraw at any point until the questionnaire is submitted, without disadvantage to myself and without having to give any reason.
· I hereby fully and freely consent to participation in the study, which has been fully explained to me.
Do you consent to take part in this study?
A. Yes I consent
B. No I do not consent
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ARP – Questionnaire Information Sheet
About this study
This study is part of my research on the PgCert Academic Practice in Art, Design and Communication at UAL.
I am conducting an enquiry into technical Supervised Studio sessions and am interested in student experiences, opinions and feedback on the current model and usage of Supervised Studio sessions on the BA (Hons) Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Performance course at LCF.
My research will document and analyse student feedback. The methodology will be qualitative: taking a responsive evaluation approach. This will consist of a questionnaire for students in their second and third years, who have experienced the highest amount of Supervised Studio sessions. Responses will be analysed thematically.
What does it mean to take part?
If you take part you are consenting to taking part in an anonymous questionnaire. The form may take between 5-10 minutes. I will record all responses anonymously, and the data will be used as the basis for academic analysis. You can withdraw at any point until the questionnaire is submitted and you will not be obliged to give any reason for deciding not to take part.
Will my participation be kept confidential?
Your anonymity is very important. No information about you will be recorded when you submit the form. You will not be identified individually anywhere in the research. If I quote anything you have said in an open response box, it will be anonymous. An example might be: ‘Student A said ‘…’.’
What will happen to the results of the research project?
Analysis from the questionnaire – including quotations from you – will contribute to an academic dissertation. Your words may also be used in academic and technical reports. These may appear online.
Thank you for your contribution and participation in this study.
Contact for further information: Kitty Eyes k.eyes@arts.ac.uk
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ARP – Ethical Action Plan
Linked above is my Ethical Action Plan, detailing my proposed question of “Supervised Studio sessions – Why do students not attend and/or potentially not understand the reasons behind why technical teams offer them? What can we do as technicians to make supervised studio more accessible and approachable?” and my proposed method of surveying our final year students on BA(Hons) Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Performance.
I found the process of completing the EAP to be very straight forward, the only details I was missing upon my first submission to my tutor was the clarification of my formal vs informal data collection methods and making sure to include written confirmation that I would be using an information sheet and consent form due to my chosen method of a questionnaire.
Initially, I actually wanted to do a physical questionnaire, but after conversation with my tutor and a quick demo of how Microsoft forms works, I have decided to pivot and do a digital form. This is reflected on my EAP, specifically in the section about data protection, as an anonymous digital form will provide more safe keeping that physical copies.
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IP Unit – Reflective Report
Introduction and Context
I am currently working as a Support Technician on BA Hair, Makeup, and Prosthetics for Performance, working specifically on the hair and wig-making pathway. I no longer teach any formal lessons and I do not have any influence or access to assessing student’s work, which means I interact with students in a mostly informal way, and spend the majority of my time guiding them through their making.
As a previous and slightly recent (2019) graduate, I have a unique viewpoint of the student experience and have noticed parallels in my experience on the course and my experience as an educator. I can remember being a student and being taught incredibly finnicky, detail-oriented skills and struggling to be able to pick them up from just demos and verbal instruction. I feel this puts me in a unique position to build on a stock of physical samples of wig-making skills so that students have multiple different methods of learning – I’m seeing the “other side” of learning and can now see what I perceive to be gaps and missed opportunities to use alternate methods of teaching.
Additionally, as a neurodiverse person, I can now view miscommunications and gaps in my learning from my undergrad learning experience as further evidence that visual examples of mistakes can be crucial to ensuring methods and techniques are thoroughly explained.
As my role is student facing and specialised in a specific technical skill, I am one of the people that students come to when in need of assistance with making their projects, meaning that it’s incredibly important that I can not only identify but also cross any barriers the student may have, like a learning or language difference.
For the last few years, I have noticed that we have a large gap in knowledge retention of wig-knotting and wig-making skills. I believe this is due to the low number of dedicated lessons to the craft, combined with an overload of other skills that the students also need to learn. As a result of this realisation, I have been slowly making physical samples of different knotting skills and collecting a stock of what I like to call “bad examples”.
Currently I use samples of work I made as a student as examples of what a first attempt looks like, and as a visual aid to explain what can go wrong and to help students understand the “why”. These samples include full wigs I have wefted and knotted, including the first knotting I ever did, my first few attempts at hand-weaving wefts, and my first few wig foundations. These samples are kept with my current knotting samples which are a learning resource of different knotting techniques, and when placed next to each other are explicit examples of my growth as a maker.
I would like to create a more solid, robust, and accessible resource for students so that they do not need to come find me to see the samples, allowing them to grow their agency and independence within their making. My current idea is a “glossary” or index of terms and common issues or problems, paired with photos of examples that can be left in classrooms or handed out to students, alongside physical, tactile samples of work for them to touch and inspect.
Inclusive Learning
At UAL, we have a very diverse student group – The UAL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report shows that 39% of students are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (B.A.M.E.) groups, and in total, 18% of students have declared themselves as disabled. These statistics show that even within the singular course that I work on, there will most likely be barriers that some students will have to face to be able to access a fair education.
It’s important to recognise that international students and students who speak English as a second or additional language will individually be at different points in their English comprehension skills, and so accessibility will need to reflect that. As Nikki Ashcraft states (2006), “classroom language, both written and spoken, needs to be made as comprehensible to students as possible for content learning and language learning to reinforce each other.” Because the broad spectrum of language abilities that current and potential students may possess can vary wildly within the individual, I feel a glossary of wig-making skill specific terminology accompanied by visual images will be incredibly helpful. This not only helps students with language barriers, but also students who have different preferred ways of learning.
There is also a cultural aspect to consider when viewing language barriers, specifically with the emotional toll of being an international student and how educational styles vary across the globe. I have personally noticed that students from other countries who don’t speak English as a native language can experience shame and embarrassment over their language barriers. The social pressures of attending university in a western country with a student base that is majoritively white and British can impact a student’s ability to attend lessons and feel confident in asking for help from teachers and staff (Hu, 2024). It is very important to me that by creating a glossary that students can access independently, they potentially can forgo some of the social shame and pressure that they may feel from having to approach someone in person.
Additionally, considering neurodiverse students leads me to the same conclusion. Neurodiversity can have a large effect on a person’s ability to learn in a traditionally structured institution, such as a university, making it imperative that not just lessons but learning resources are adapted to accommodate differences in processing, communication, and concentration (Azuka, et al, 2024).
Reflection and Action
After learning more about the barriers that students may face when learning an intricate physical skill, it is becoming more and more apparent that I need to focus on making less of a physical sample book, and more of a digitally accessible glossary or index with both written and visual definitions and examples. Feedback from peers was primarily focused on making the learning resource as accessible as possible, and the most effective way to do that is to make it digitally on a UAL based websites like Moodle and SharePoint. Students can not only access it without needing any permissions, but can also ulitise accessibility tools like immersive readers, colour and font changes, and translators. It was also brought up to me that I will need to think about how students will be made aware of the resource. My solution is visual signage in the classrooms, and email reminders to the students of their existence, specifically when they are having wig-making based lessons.
Having a glossary of technical wig-making terms should help alleviate the issues mentioned above, in the introduction. Not only will it pair with lessons, but it will also remain available to students throughout the duration of their course, hopefully building individual confidence in their abilities and practices.
Evaluation and Conclusion
Throughout the course of designing this intervention, I have learned not only a great deal about the theory behind inclusive teaching, but also about what I personally value in my own teaching practice. Putting the students first and attempting to “meet them where they are at” instead of forcing them to “come to me” is something that I have always subconsciously done. I assume this is a direct result of my experience as a student at this university, but now I have a much deeper and well-rounded understanding of how that can help my students learn. I am also now more conscious of the language that I use when I verbally instruct students, and how that can inadvertently create barriers in real time, and how it is incredibly important to make sure that I offer options, like writing things down, searching for images, or even making drawings.
My only real goal as an educator is to give my students confidence. I want them to feel confident in themselves and their abilities as well as instill independence as they become professional practitioners. This would be evidenced by students in their final years needing less individual tutorials and feeling strong enough in their skills to make their own informed decisions. The creation of a glossary as a learning resource for wig-making would allow students to not have to always rely on me – directly improving their independence and control of their own educations.
Ashcraft, N. (2006). Overcoming language barriers in content-area instruction. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, 3(1), pp.20-30.
Azuka, C.V., Wei, C.R., Ikechukwu, U.L. and Nwachukwu, E.L. (2024). Inclusive instructional design for neurodiverse learners. Current Perspectives in Educational Research, 7(1), pp.56-67.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (2025). Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2024. University of the Arts London.
Harris, J.A., Harris, I.M. and Diamond, M.E., 2001. The topography of tactile learning in humans. Journal of Neuroscience, 21(3), pp.1056-1061.
Hu, M. (2024). International students’ feeling of shame in the higher education: An intersectional analysis of their racialised, gendered and classed experiences in the UK universities. Sociology, 14(1), pp.69-89.
Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D. and Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological science in the public interest, 9(3), pp.105-119.
Verenikina, I., 2008. Scaffolding and learning: Its role in nurturing new learners.
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IP Unit – Blog 3 – Race
When speaking about race in a country built from imperialism, it’s very hard to be able to move away from the concept of white normativity – that whiteness is the baseline, and everything else is “other” (Winings, 2017). This concept pervades every aspect of our culture here in the United Kingdom, and all of our cultural structures have been built on it. Using white culture as the standard of which we base “cultural practices, attitudes, assumptions, and ideologies” creates a world in which every institution is biased towards whiteness (Winings, 2017).
Asif Sadiq speaks about how white normativity effects inclusion policy is his TEDx Talk Titled “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Learning how to get it right” (2023). He made a very important point regarding diversity trainings and campaigns, arguing that the training is inherently bias and perpetuates stereotypes. In my opinion, this is because training is unconsciously built for the white view, most likely by white people, and so lacks intersectionality and depth.
At UAL, there is a campaign/scheme to pivot away from white normativity and white centrism called Decolonising the Curriculum. The crux of the issue, as pointed to by Sadiq, is that education, especially in the United Kingdom, is built around a singular viewpoint – whiteness – that often perpetuates racism. The process of Decolonising the Curriculum at UAL is not only meant to involve staff but also students, as students can often bring the most diverse opinions and additionally should be the ones steering the ship that is their education.
When reading about diversity and inclusion policy and critical race theory, I found it very interesting how Alice Bradbury argues that “policy is not an outcome, but a process” (Bradbury, 2019). This speaks to me and my practice in the sense that, as stated above, I do personally believe that in higher education, students should have a hand in driving their educations. As an educator, specifically as a white, USAmerican person, there is only so much that I can personally bring to the table due to my privileged status and the culture that I was raised in. This means that it’s incredibly important that I diversify my teaching as much as possible. This is not always that easy, and often I do turn to students for their opinions or suggestions, specifically when it comes to the examples I use in my haircutting lessons. In my opinion, examples need to be as relevant to the students as possible to actually “sink in”, and even with my own research, students will still show me images or references from their own cultures or backgrounds that surpass what I am able to find. On the other hand though, I don’t think it’s fair to expect the marginalised group to bear the burden of educating the privileged group. Although, I do feel that making sure that marginalised voices and opinions are amplified is more important to me and my teaching practice.
Bradbury, A., 2020. A critical race theory framework for education policy analysis: The case of bilingual learners and assessment policy in England. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(2), pp.241-260.
Nijhawan, A (n.d.). Debunking Decolonisation: a resource for students and staff. University of the Arts London.
TEDx Talks (2023). Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Learning how to get it right | Asif Sadiq | TEDxCroydon. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR4wz1b54hw
The Telegraph (2022). Revealed: The charity turning UK universities woke. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRM6vOPTjuU.
Winings, K., 2017. The challenges in addressing white normativity. Applied Unficationism.
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