Contextual Background
I am a design lecturer in the BA Womenswear program at the London College of Fashion, where I work with a large cohort divided into three groups, each consisting of roughly 20 students. This cohort is exceptionally diverse, spanning various backgrounds such as nationality, age, race, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity, mental health, language proficiency, communication styles, external responsibilities beyond university, and participation levels from part-time to full-time commitments, among other dimensions.
Evaluation
In my role as a designer, an experience that significantly influences and informs my teaching approach, I promote more responsible and collaborative design methods. This entails dedicating myself to researching and experimenting with aspects of equality, diversity, and inclusivity, actively engaging marginalized communities of artisans and creatives in Brazil. (The groups that I work with are diverse in age, race, nationality and gender, mostly – requiring flexible and diverse communication styles). This engagement has enabled me to become a better listener, understanding people’s expectations, negotiating their aspirations, and building bridges—an ethos I strive to embody every day in the classroom with the diverse range of my students commented above.
Therefore, my research efforts have focused on developing and implementing a diverse range of techniques to address the needs of my students. One such technique involves integrating opportunities for students to explore their cultural identities within class activities, thus enriching their learning experiences. By incorporating recognizable cultural archetypes, students have demonstrated increased confidence, enabling them to take greater academic risks. Additionally, it has fostered a lasting understanding of garment archetypes across a diverse range of backgrounds within the classroom.
Another effective strategy I’ve implemented involves revising presentations with straightforward examples and employing a variety of approaches to cater to students of all levels. As a unit leader, I possess the flexibility to adjust lesson plans as necessary and adopt a “blue sky” approach to teaching, ensuring that instructional materials promote a balance of perspectives, representation, and individual recognition. By involving students in this process—soliciting examples and encouraging them to provide evidence of good practice in their portfolios—I also make strides in decolonizing the curriculum in practice. This approach, which mirrors my design practice (referenced in the article on 1 Granary), has proven successful in motivating students to enrich their research by presenting them with role models who share similarities with their backgrounds.
A third example, directly related to addressing a barrier on verbal communication in the classrom, is the use of apps to record conversations and provide prompt translations. This has significantly improved communication and comprehension for students whose first language is not English, facilitating clearer ongoing feedback.
Moving forwards
Looking ahead, I plan to implement several other initiatives which have sparked from content and conversations on the PgCert course to further support my students:
1. Research Collaborative Boot Camp: Providing workshops focused on research processes, separate from project pressures, to allow students to develop their knowledge in a more relaxed setting. I will also foster students’ engagement with some methods I use when working alongside artisans in my design practice, such as collaboration and co-creative research development.
2. Communication Focus Group Sessions: Addressing communication challenges by creating an environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves, drawing inspiration from Arao and Clements (2013) to establish discussion guidelines that foster trust and safety. Numerous barriers arise from the contrast in standards and methodologies between the UK and overseas education systems that becomes apparent in the classroom, particularly concerning the ability to question and critically reflect on students’ own practices. Such skills are of significant importance for individuals to effectively engage with their positionalities within industry as they progress in the course.
3. Paired Tutorials: Drawing from the insights gained through the PgCert program, I aim to create opportunities for students to learn from each other, identifying and sharing their individual skills to collectively build knowledge. This approach aligns with the idea of promoting student agency in their learning journey, as discussed by Pascarella et al. (2005).
Reflecting on my progress, I have already successfully implemented the first strategy, and I am eager to continue exploring innovative ways to support my students’ diverse needs.
References
Arao, B. & Clements, K. (2013). From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces: A new way to frame dialogue around diversity and social justice. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Kaethler, Michael. (2020). Social Matter, Social Design. For good or bad, all design is social.
Kennedy, Gabrielle. (2020). In/search re/search: imagining scenarios through art and design. Sandberg Instituut.
Maraschin, Joao – Would you share creative credit with your artisans? Joao Maraschin built his business model around it – 1 Granary