Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Unit 02: Visualisation tools, datasets and data stories. Term 02, Session 05
Size of student group: Approximately 20
Observer: Chris Rowell
Observee: Jesse Cahn Thompson
Part One
Observee to complete in brief and send to observer prior to the observation or review:
What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum?
The full-group workshop session is the fifth of a ten-session unit that I lead this term. They have just completed their first portfolio activity/microproject and are going to be introduced to the second portfolio microproject today. These projects (among others) will be part of a website portfolio they submit at the end of Term 03 for holistic grading.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
This is my fourth workshop activity day with the group as course lecturer. I have also met each student over the past two weeks for our first round of ongoing, one-to-one tutorials supporting the development of their Final Major Project proposals due at the end of this term.
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
Explore the pipeline of information visualization from data collection, analysis, development, design, and communication. To introduce new design tools and methodologies (object-based analysis, Datawrapper, descriptive anaylsis). To explore art and design practices and projects (given last week via and explored in presentation at the start of workshop) relevant to the activity and the field of information and data visualisation that also spotlight practitioners from diverse backgrounds and approaches.
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
They will bring in their own dataset in any form (screenshots, tallies, emails, physical objects, etc.). They will conduct initial research in small groups using emotional reading/object-based analysis forms (Judy Wilcocks). They will use digital tools (e.g. Datawrapper) to generate a descriptive analysis of their data and the emotional response to their data. They will develop/design a 2D visualisation of their “Data Self-Portrait” and in day-three of the activity, they create a short proposal for this output in an exhibition setting of their choosing.
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
My hope it they have read the brief/overview and prepared enough data to work with in class today. I sent them an email after our session last week to remind them, but some students are quiet and I’m not yet sure if they are afraid to ask questions about things they aren’t clear on.
Many of the students struggle when things aren’t prescriptive (e.g. telling them exactly what data to use or exactly how the design should look). I want to continue to encourage them to find ways to express themselves that excite them and explore those possibilities early on in an activity.
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
We will informally share the outcomes with each other after two weeks. They will then be given time to further develop this project next term before submitting it as part of the website portfolio that will be assessed with written feedback and a grade.
What would you particularly like feedback on?
Is there a more effective way to communicate the task? Any suggestions on way(s) to actively foster a rewarding, playful, experimental session atmosphere? Are my expectations reasonable? Reasonable balance of the passive-active states in an all-day workshop/learning session. General observations and helpful notes.
How will feedback be exchanged?
Teams, email, or in-person as our schedules allow.
Part Two
Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
Good sense of ‘buzz’ and anticipation at the start of the session.
Great visuals on the screen – really caught my eye [and] also allowed the students to ‘ease’ into what the lesson was about…I liked how you then made the link into the today’s topic, reworking and reconstructing sounds and images – really good way to start the lesson.
Good to have a quick overview of the day (Agenda). Good use of slides. Early slides were easy to read even from the back of the class.
However when you got to the ‘Critical thinking’ slide which was a more complex concept.I think this could be a basis for a warm up activity for the class. I had a sense the students weren’t really grasping what this was all about and as you noted some of the students were using translation apps. Maybe the activity could have explored these words in more detail. The Brain and Levin quote could be deconstructed in much more detail…something that students discuss and report back to you…something that the students have to articulate verbally (this would be useful for you to gage their level of understanding).
Again, you gave a really good explanation of the small group task.(maybe these slides could be shared before the class starts). I couldn’t really see the questions but I think the students could. I just wasn’t really sure that ALL the students were really understanding what they were doing.
I think it might have been better to work as a whole class on the first activity. So for example, you showed them a data set (whatever that was images, videos etc) and then you worked through the questions as a whole class, answering the questions as a whole class and showing how you wanted the answers recorded.
Group work:
I’ve highlighted this as something you could develop further and it relates directly to the issues you wanted feedback on. I think it is both a cultural and linguist issue you are trying to cope with (and its very difficult). From a language perspective I was shocked by the number of students using translation tool on their laptops – Ok this is great but it does mean they are more concerned with looking at their laptops than actually looking at you and the screen. You are doing an excellent job in terms of using very clear and simple language but the students are struggling.
So, I think you need to structure the small group activities a bit more. When you set the small group activity in class it didn’t really turn into a collaborative task – it was really just individuals working on their own with occasional chats with their neighbors (this might be a cultural issue) the class was exclusively Asian students who are often not used to working in the way you asked, partly because they don’t know how to. Paradoxically, introducing more structure to the group activity might be helpful in getting the students to be more playful and experimental so getting them to follow some structured steps, e.g.:
- Put the students in Groups i.e have their names printed out and put on the tables (get them to get out of their chairs and move to another table)
- Give the individual groups members some roles e.g. Chairperson, note taker, spokesperson who reports back from the group, timekeeper – even these jobs need to be explained
- Have the task on the screen (and maybe even printed off)…with the amount of time they have to complete it. And maybe give them a structure worksheet on what you were expecting them to do…remember these are quite young and inexperienced students…they were largely on task and enjoying what they were doing but I think you could actually be a little more challenging in your expectations on what they doing.
- Give instruction on how you want them to feed back to the group (maybe in the form of 2 or 3 short questions they answer)
Overall this was a good lesson Jesse – it had a good structure, clear objectives and some well-prepared resources. You are dealing with multiple issues in the classroom whilst maintaining the interest and engagement of the students. Well done and thank you for letting me come and observe.
Part Three
Observee to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:
Thanks so much for taking the time to observe and give such helpful feedback. I’m glad to hear that the session started with good energy and that the selected visuals seemed to resonate well with the students. It’s always helpful when they’re engaged from the get-go, and it’s fun to set the tone with examples/projects that might fall outside of the discipline but get the imagination flowing in the desired direction.
I think the suggestion about using the “Critical thinking” slide as a warm-up activity is spot on, and I can see how breaking down complex concepts like that could benefit from more interactive engagement. Deconstructing the Brain and Levin quote in detail with student input sounds like a great way to deepen understanding.
I’ll definitely consider sharing the slides before class in the future. That is something I have done in the past, but I was starting to wonder if that was possibly enabling some of the passive behaviour during class – it being repeated info. But I think I will start doing it again so students can review them at their own pace and hopefully come prepared.
Your point about ensuring everyone understands the task during small group activities is well taken. Structuring the groups more explicitly with defined roles and tasks, like you suggested, seems like a practical solution that I will try out. It’s essential to make sure that all students, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, feel comfortable and engaged, so I will continue seeking ways I can nudge the overall trend in a positive direction. This is something I will explore more in at least one of my Case Studies as this is one of the biggest challenges I am facing in my current role.
Your suggestion to work through certain material, like the first activity in class, is also something I’ll take on board. It makes total sense to model the process before diving into smaller group work, especially with complex tasks. I’m happy, and relieved, to hear that the students appeared to be largely on task and enjoying themselves, but perhaps I can challenge them a bit more by seizing more opportunities to provide clear instructions and expectations. I think maximising such opportunities, along with some additional structured feedback mechanisms/interactions, should help elevate their learning experience. I’m excited to start putting these ideas into action in future sessions, and it all feels somewhat manageable with the current bit of downtime between terms to plan and adjust accordingly.