Contextual Background
The PPD (Professional Product Development) is the first design unit of Year 2 for students in the BA Fashion Design Technology Womenswear course at London College of Fashion.
Having previously taught this unit as a design tutor in 2o22/23, I was later appointed as the Design Unit Leader starting from the 23/24 Academic Year. This transition aimed to address the pedagogical challenge posed by a unit rich in relevant content but constrained by limited time for students to achieve the desired critical level in contextualizing their practice, particularly regarding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity.
Evaluation
The challenges identified in the unit include:
- A short duration of only 10 weeks, which limits the time available to accomplish all desired learning outcomes. Strategy: We simplified our interpretation of certain learning outcomes for assessment, enabling students to check off boxes and demonstrate reflection, even if critical analysis was not fully developed.
- Engagement with Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) topics, requiring students to be mindful of intersectionality while working with clients or communities, but lacking sufficient contextualization and support for knowledge development in this area. Strategy: We secured budget to conduct briefing sessions with industry practitioners, including a specific talk with emerging designers who integrate EDI in their real-world industry practices. Additionally, we successfully involved an Education Developer in the Design Crit, which proved beneficial in identifying points of knowledge that extend beyond fashion expertise and connect with students’ ideas.
- We have a significant number of students for whom English is not their first language. As a result, we face challenges in making the content accessible without oversimplifying it, as there is a risk that simplification may still not adequately convey our intended meaning to these students. Strategy: I have allocated additional Open Office hours specifically for those students and scheduled weekly appointments to ensure that I can closely monitor their progress and provide any extra support they may require.
Moving forwards
Upon reflection on the above challenges and in spite of its current strategies, the unit teaching team stills faces difficulties in achieving results with students that are critically engaged and also forward-thinking without being gimmick only.
The first strategy proved successful in terms of our assessment approach, where we focused on rewarding students for their presented work rather than strictly adhering to predefined expectations. There is an ongoing discussion within the team regarding streamlining deliverables without compromising the integrity of the unit.
The second strategy worked exceptionally well, with students acknowledging the value of insights from industry practitioners. However, budget constraints remain a limitation. To address this, we plan to compile a list of free resources, such as symposiums, talks, events, round tables, and studio visits in London, which students can access throughout the year.
As for the final strategy, the main concern revolves around time management, particularly in balancing other commitments while ensuring dedicated extra time to meet with students.
Efforts are also underway to unpack the Learning Outcomes from the Assessment Brief and develop interpretations that not only align with the brief but also meet satisfactory standards for those teaching the unit. Additionally, these interpretations aim to be measurable and achievable for students. We have been using SMART approach to align our ambitions, expectations and reality based on successes and limitations as well as diagrams.
In summary, engaging in discussions with peers about their experiences with challenging units and exchanging strategies has been invaluable as we collectively develop our teaching practices. In my role as unit leader, I have organized bi-weekly meetings with the unit design team to build on feedback and establish additional strategies as we progress forward together. Please find below some visuals that have been screen printed from meetings to support the above.
insights on successful and challenging aspects of teaching the unit
Below, a Venn diagram on a third dynamic during a meeting to look at the deliverables of current and ideal unit, moving forward.
References
Adams, C., & Martinez, L. (2011). “Effective Strategies for Handling Problematic Teaching Modules: Insights from Experienced Educators.” Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues, and Ideas, 17(3), 142-157.
Evans, G., & King, L. (2014). “Finding Solutions: Practical Approaches to Troublesome Teaching Modules.” Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 32(2), 98-112.
Smith, J. (2020). “Addressing Challenges in Teaching Problematic Modules: Strategies for Effective Instruction.” Journal of Higher Education Pedagogy, 12(3), 45-60.
Sofer, O.J. (2018). Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
Williams, K., & Taylor, R. (2017). “Troubleshooting Teaching Modules: Practical Approaches for Addressing Challenges in the Classroom.” Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 42(4), 312-328.