Group tutorial for students feeling ‘stuck’ – Year 1 Fine Art Photography
Contextual background
This was an optional session I ran for students who were struggling to identify a self-directed project for their forthcoming assessment. Many of the participants had less experience working independently, some had learning differences and were struggling with the ‘openness’ of the brief and some were lacking confidence in their own decision-making.
Evaluation
My intention for the session was to help the students feel supported, increase their confidence to make independent decisions and demonstrate they were not alone in the difficulties they were having. One by one, students were invited to show their most recent finished work and then discuss the obstacles they were facing in moving forwards. With a little encouragement, most issues were successfully troubleshooted by the student peer group, and conversations were concluded when students were happy and knew what their next steps were. A student impacted by anxiety and a number of learning differences did not feel able to take part for long and unfortunately declared himself to be “still stuck.”
Moving forwards
I timetabled the session as ‘optional’ to ensure a small group, and encouraged students to come that I thought would benefit. We spent the session around a large table in the studio. I made sure not to sit at the ‘head’ of the table, so it felt more like an informal, group discussion with all members an equal party. Orr & Shreeve (2017) describe the studio itself as a ‘Signature Pedagogy’, where there is ‘no central focus for the lecturer to hold forth, but rather students create a social learning environment discussing amongst peers’.
Danvers (2003) writes that creativity ‘thrives in an environment where the individual feels psychologically and physically comfortable, in an atmosphere of trust, security and openness’. I judged this to be successful by how all-but-one students came away with new ideas. I was happy to see new social bonds being established, particularly between some home and international students, who had previously not engaged with one another. A neurodiverse student who customarily sits at a separate table by preference, gradually brought their chair closer to the conversation, and by the end of the session was sat amongst their peers.
It was unfortunate that one student did not feel able to join in fully and did not consider the session to be a success, though this was true to their previous pattern of engagement on the course, where they have been greatly inhibited by anxiety and difficulties in comprehension. I have been in dialogue with colleagues in the Disability Support team to find ways to better support this particular student and we are hoping to arrange weekly mentoring to help them approach the course with greater confidence and understanding.
Bamber & Jones (2015) discuss the joint responsibility for engagement between student and tutor, stating that ‘some aspects of this are difficult to change (such as student background), but students can be helped to understand what is required, and taught how to meet those high expectations… For the teacher, this means being clear about aims, objectives and expectations and communicating this to students in ways they will understand.’ I will be working closely with this student moving forwards and will endeavour to keep in mind what I am able to change, and how I can support them with clarity and encouragement.
References
Bamber, V & Jones, A 2015, Challenging students: enabling inclusive learning. in H Fry, S Ketteridge & S Marshall (eds), A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice. 4th edn, Routledge , Abingdon, pp. 152-168.
Danvers, J. (2003) Towards a Radical Pedagogy: Provisional Notes on Learning and Teaching in Art and Design. Journal of Art and Design Education, 22(1). Pp. 47-51
Orr, S. & Shreeve, A. (2017), Teaching practices for creative practitioners. In Art and Design Pedagogy in Higher Education : Knowledge, Values and Ambiguity in the Creative Curriculum, Milton: Taylor & Francis Group.