Contextual Background

Nearly all current students are learning and living outside of China for the first time, and English is an additional language. They also tend to be accustomed to a more passive learning dynamic than I aim to foster.  

Challenges/opportunities: Gaining and maintaining a clear sense of how well individuals understand my guidance and instruction. Leading discussions around complex topics related to art, ethics, and data. Knowing when/how to adjust my delivery to student needs.

Evaluation

Current strategies for meeting student needs:

• To address potential language challenges, we organise weekly sessions for students with a Language Development staff member during the first term.
• We guide students through several drafts of their first written submission during Unit 1, providing written feedback alongside clearly outlined assignment dates and expectations.
• Examples of past student work are shared throughout presentations and on Moodle for modelling outcome expectations.
• Students are given several opportunities to present outcomes to each other as well as work together on small group assignments to encourage open, constructive discourse about ideas and course work.

Effectiveness of my approach(es):

• Written submissions tend to be very strong.
• The students establish social dynamics relatively quickly during the first term and get comfortable with each other.
• The resulting dynamic often leads students to primarily speak Chinese to each other in class, which makes it difficult for me to know how they are progressing with projects and understanding concepts.
• Students tend to remain passive learners and rely on written guidance, translation tools, and/or a peer to clarify what I am saying/presenting.

Moving Forwards

These were challenges I highlighted in my ROT form. I received great advice from both my tutor, Chris Rowell, and my peer, Priscilla Pang after observations. I have started implementing some of these suggestions, and this is how it will continue to look in my practice: 

• Shake things up by assigning groups. Students will have their names printed out and put on the tables, which will also get them to get out of their usual seating pattern (Rowell, 2024). 
• Assign and rotate roles like a chairperson, note taker, spokesperson, and timekeeper that are clearly defined (Rowell, 2024). This could reduce the social behavioural patterns that reinforce a closed system of working and promote more lively conversational dynamics. 
• Provide a printed worksheet that includes the task, amount of time to complete it, and expectations (Rowell, 2024). This will help keep them on task and boost confidence as they check things off the list and feel a sense of accomplishment. 
• Give instructions on how to provide feedback to each other in the form of 2 or 3 short questions they answer (Rowell, 2024). 
• Embrace silence. Don’t be afraid to allow more time for silence after asking the group a question (Pang, 2024). This “may mean re-defining some longstanding notions regarding power, participation and passivity” (Harris, 2022) in ways I can’t fully predict, which will be challenging but vital. 

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References

Harris, K. (2022) ‘Embracing the silence: introverted learning and the online classroom’, Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal, Issue 1 (2022), pp. 101-104.

Pange, P. (2024) ‘Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice (Peer)’. Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice. 23/24 Theories, Policies and Practices. University of the Arts London. Unpublished.

Rowell, C. (2024) ‘Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice (Tutor)’. Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice. 23/24 Theories, Policies and Practices. University of the Arts London. Unpublished.