Formative assessment: Intervention summary proposal 

Posted on 27th May 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff
  • What aspects of diversity do you want to consider and why? 

“I Can’t Stand Up for An Eight Hour Shift, But I Can Bend Over for One” Elizabeth, M. (n.d.)

“People with disabilities face rampant workplace discrimination (Harlan and Robert 1998; Schur 2003; Schur, Kruse, and Blanck 2005; Vedeler 2014; Dick-Mosher 2015). Visible cues of disability often prompt discrimination from employers, managers, and co-workers, and employers sometimes outright refuse to hire people with disabilities (Vedeler 2014)”. (Jones, A. 2022)


Therefore, aspects of diversity I want to consider are the lived experiences, and attainment and graduate outcomes of students and graduates who are either: Women or other marginalised gender and/or Disabled, or any mixture of those characteristics, who may consider, or already engage with, Sex Work (SW) alongside or after their studies. This may be out of desperation or empowerment, either route uncovering a sense of alienation from the scholarly world propped up by traditional frameworks of student to professional pipeline, which is not prevalent for a proportion of UAL students and graduates, of whom 18% declared disabled, 76% identifying as female (University of the Arts London 2024).

“Alice (not her real name) started this line of work when she was at university – it was a way to make some extra cash to top up her student loan. She had always intended to quit sex work after graduating… Upon leaving university, she struggled to retain a job. Traditional employment – with a boss and set working hours – proved impossible during depressive episodes and her job came to an end for that reason. (Ryan, 2019)

  • How does it link to your practice? 

    “Students with disabilities face a range of barriers when transitioning into employment from higher education… Unable to work in many of the sectors that young people typically go into between graduation and their ideal career, some find it difficult to obtain the experience that many employers require.” (Prospects Luminate, n.d.)

As studies suggest, for those who do not adhere to the western ideals, they are underrepresented in the workplace, overlooked for progression, and struggle to gain traditional employment. What with the UK Creative industries being highly competitive, rife with unpaid /underpaid internships, and for those who operate in an expensive city such as London who also embody intersecting marginalising factors, through that logic, would find it hard to start or develop in industry without huge sacrifice or experiencing barriers and debilitating micro-aggressions:


“Research by Comic Relief in 2017 found that as much as 50% of the work disabled people perform is in low-paid, short-term and part-time roles, meaning female disabled workers are contending with the impact of both sex and disability. Even cuts to disability benefits are, in some ways, gendered.” (Ryan, 2019)

Paradoxically, while SW has many occupational hazards, modern modes mean it can be more accessible for those with disabilities, and be a lucrative alternative to traditional employment by taking advantage of the ‘othered’ characteristics, which are often in-turn fetishised.

“As the UK recession and the subsequent austerity measures kicked in, I began to speak to a number of disabled women who had turned to sex work in order to get by… Many of her friends with disabilities and chronic illnesses started sex work for the ease and flexibility it offered to those who are too unwell for traditional employment – or, as she puts it, whose energy levels are sometimes too low to function properly but “who need money to survive in the world”.” (Ryan, 2019)

(Jones, 2022) states “There is a dearth of research at the intersections of disability and sex work studies… there is also a paucity of published academic research about sex workers with disabilities (Erickson 2015; Fritsch et al. 2016; Piper 2019; Tastrom 2020; Jones 2020).” Therefore, taking time to research and spotlight this demographic of the university and graduate cohorts, where the data and realities are unknown and therefore previously ignored, can help to uncover how likely SW is for UAL students and graduates, and what the university can do to understand and support.

As a Graduate Employability Specialist working in the central Careers and Employability team for UAL, my approach to promote inclusive learning in my practice would be to:

  • Gather the data on UAL student and graduate SWs, and where possible, how that reflects attainment and graduate outcomes of students and graduates,
  • Build awareness of the SW industry and possible route into it,
  • Platform voices of the community and lived experiences,
  • Highlight the links between disability, gender, and other possible intersecting marginalisations in relation to SW,
  • Create a learning resource and staff training so UAL can be better informed in order to support SWs pragmatically and without prejudice,
  • Dismantle stigma and negative attitudes towards SW and those who partake in it.

For my practice specifically, my role requires me to have awareness of graduate career journeys and outcomes in order to best support them. So, using the findings from UAL student / graduate EDI data, we cannot ignore this potential income stream, especially during a cost of living crisis, in one of the most expensive cities in the UK, still recovering from a global pandemic with an unstable economy and largely inaccessible Creative Industries.

I aim to create a learning resource and training for UAL staff to become more aware of SW and the wider sex industry, and link it to the realities of UAL student and graduate body. In my work, I support UAL graduands and graduates in their early career. My aim would be for them to know that UAL staff are trained and aware of this line of work so they can speak openly about the support they need to enter or thrive in their chosen industry, whether that be SW, or other, seeing as UAL Careers and Employability’s slogan is: ‘What a Living Doing What You Love’ (University of the Arts London n.d.)

  • How feasible do you think it would be to implement? 

I think it will be hard to implement. This is down to the stigma, misconceptions and prejudice attached to this line of work. After seeing the knee-jerk reaction UAL had to the change in UK supreme court policy making change for trans and non-binary folk, I can see how UAL may also be resistant to considering SW as a reality for its students and graduates as it strives to be progressive, but operates within conservative views enforced by government and senior individuals. But if we are to truly decolonise the curriculum, which ‘seeks to challenge colonial and imperial legacies, disrupting ways of seeing, listening, thinking and making in order to drive cultural, social and institutional change’ (University of the Arts London, n.d.) and create a welcoming learning environment for all, we should work to dismantle this archaic and rigid perception, and take a pragmatic approach to supporting students and graduates who may consider, or already engage with, Sex Work (SW) alongside or after their studies.

Through this process, my practice I hope can positively benefit those who embark on SW as a means of survival or artistic expression, and highlight how SW plays as a test of attitudes an institution such as UAL has generally around workers’ rights and women’s rights combined.

“Often local authorities include sex work under their Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (VAWG) due to the idea that sex work is intrinsically violent and degrading to women even though they might not have consulted sex workers themselves and considered whether they share this notion and how they consider sex work in relation to other income livelihood options available to them.” (UK Parliament, n.d.)

I am aware of previous attempts to focus on SWs in the context of university training though University of Durham, and the backlash from the UK press: “The training’s target audience is those who support students, so they understand the legal, safety, and wellbeing concerns of students and how to respond to disclosures sensitively. I am glad the minister agrees that we need to be “raising awareness”, and that is what this training achieves. Anyone who cares about the safety of students should support this training, and educate themselves about its actual content before making poorly judged comments… The vast majority of universities don’t have formal processes in place that staff can follow when they encounter a disclosure – a fact that could be harmful for students. Student sex workers are a fact of modern life, to deny them support in higher education is a grave mistake with real world implications for the students I represent. I am proud of my students’ union for pushing for support, and proud of my university for offering this training.” (Graham, 2021) This response shows that dominant western society is currently not able to accept the compounding realities of students that results in SW.

  • Initial discussions about interventions with your peers, and what do my peers think about the ideas? 

I have presented to my colleagues at UAL Careers and Employability an overview of the law around SW in the UK, and possible routes into this and the wider industry from creative subjects and skill set. This was well-received, with a discussion about next steps and ways UAL staff can learn and contribute.

I requested that colleagues let me know of any interactions they have with people who engage with SW, however more would need to be done to clarify with the SWs how that knowledge and data would be stored, and what would be included, and what for. This proposed intervention for change would act as the moment that this clarity and process is put in place and developed, with guidance.

Having been rejected twice for the UAL Education Conference, Tim Stephens Educational Developer Curriculum gave feedback on the applications of the same theme: that due to its sensitive nature, it would need more thought to realise the idea before taking it to a more exposed arena such as the conference.

Speaking with Arts Student Union, we collaborated on the Student Sex Worker guide, however it was never published.

I have not yet spoken to my course mates about this idea yet, but look forward to their thoughts.

Prospects Luminate (n.d.) Employment levels among graduates with disabilities. Available at: https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/employment-levels-among-graduates-with-disabilities (Accessed: May 2025).

Ryan, F. (2019) Crippled: Austerity and the Demonization of Disabled People. London: Verso Books.

Jones, A. (2022) ‘“I Can’t Really Work Any ‘Normal’ Job”: Disability, Sexual Ableism, and Sex Work’, Disability Studies Quarterly, 42(3). Available at: https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/9094/7750 (Accessed: May 2025).

UK Parliament (n.d.) Written evidence submitted to the Women and Equalities Committee: Written evidence from Changing Lives (MIS0056). Available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/105729/html/ (Accessed: May 2025).

Elizabeth, M. (n.d.) Sex Work & Marxism #2: Disability & Self-Determination. Interviewed by Revolutionary Lumpen Radio [podcast]. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/revolutionarylumpenradio/sex-work-marxism-2-disability-self-determination  (Accessed: May 2025).

University of the Arts London (n.d.) Careers and Employability. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/teaching-and-learning-exchange/careers-and-employability (Accessed: May 2025).

University of the Arts London (n.d.) UAL Decolonising Arts Institute. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/ual-decolonising-arts-institute (Accessed: May 2025).

University of the Arts London (2024) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion data report 2024. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/472836/UAL-EDI-data-report-2024-PDFA.pdf (Accessed: May 2025). 

Graham, J. (2021) Coverage of student sex worker training “wildly untrue”. Durham Students’ Union. Available at: https://www.durhamsu.com/articles/jonah-graham-coverage-of-student-sex-worker-training-wildly-untrue (Accessed: May 2025).

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Blog Task 1: Disability

Posted on 22nd May 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Intersectionality reveals how overlapping forms of structural oppression shape experiences of marginalisation (Crenshaw, 1991). Originally rooted in Black feminist thought to explain how race and gender intersect, it now encompasses additional characteristics such as disability, class, and neurodivergence that compound exclusion within dominant white, ableist societies. 

University of the Arts London (UAL) adopts the social model of disability, which “seeks to remove unnecessary barriers which prevent disabled people participating in society, accessing work and living independently. The social model asks what can be done to remove barriers to inclusion. It also recognises that attitudes towards disabled people create unnecessary barriers to inclusion and requires people to take proactive action to remove these barriers.” (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, n.d.). With 18% of UAL students declaring a disability in 2024, a 3% rise from 2022 (University of the Arts London, 2024; 2022), this growth may reflect students’ increasing agency in seeking support and accessible environments. As Spaeth and Pearson (2023) emphasise, “With the increasing recognition of the number of neurodivergent students in higher education, it is essential that we understand how to provide an inclusive educational experience that facilitates a positive learning experience.” 

Moving away from the medical model towards the social model is vital, particularly for those with non-visible disabilities. Yet support systems such as Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) continue to rely on medical diagnosis, which remains inaccessible for many. From personal experience, this requirement creates significant barriers—some students may only realise they are disabled through academic struggles or stress-induced symptoms (Ormel et al., 1997). While UAL offers a range of assistive technologies (Fernandez, n.d.), government-funded support often operates within the medical model and relies on clinical gatekeeping. 

Chay Brown, speaking from his lived experience, shares: “I’m a trans man with mental health difficulties, and I’m probably not neurotypical” (Brown, C. 2023), illustrating how neurodivergence and mental health challenges are often entwined. Emotional regulation difficulties are common among neurodivergent people: “Differences in emotional processing might make It more difficult to regulate the emotional impact of perceived challenges. Many ND people struggle with emotional dysregulation (feeling emotions particularly intensely and finding it hard to control them” (Motti, 2019; Webster, 2018, in Spaeth and Pearson, 2023). Long NHS waiting lists for autism or ADHD assessments, the cost of private routes, and stigma all deter individuals from pursuing diagnoses. UAL’ states “Change buildings, courses, and attitudes” — is constrained by a government model that “focuses on the impairment and what can be done to ‘fix’ the disabled person or provide special services for them as an individual” (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, n.d.). 

Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory helps unpack these layered barriers. Class and gender inequalities are evident in UAL’s own demographics: “34% of home undergraduate students enrolling in December 2022 are from higher deprivation areas,” and “76% of all students are female; 24% are male” (University of the Arts London, 2024). Showing many UAL students face compounded marginalisation due to class, gender, and neurodivergence, further complicating potential access to support, and attainment and retention gaps.

Chay Brown acknowledges his privileges within the LGBTQ+ community —being white, cis-passing man—allows him to mask some challenges. In contrast, figures like Ade Adepitan cannot mask his visible disabilities or race. Using the visibility of the Paralympics and the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement, Ade spotlights how structural barriers prevent people from thriving. “With the correct support, coaching, and equipment, great things can happen.” As a Black British-Nigerian wheelchair user, Ade envisions a future where race and disability are not obstacles to success, prompting a collective reimagining of societal norms. 

UAL’s own attainment data reinforces this potential. “For 2023/24, degree awarding has increased by 4 percentage points for students declared disabled and around 2 percentage points for students declared not disabled. As a result, the gap between the two groups has increased slightly to 4 percentage points in favour of students declared disabled. This continues the now long-term trend of disabled students having higher degree awarding rates.” (University of the Arts London, 2024). Echoing Ade’s message, this suggests that with the right support, disabled students can outperform peers—challenging assumptions of deficit and need. 

Nationally, disabled educational attainment is improving: “The proportion of disabled people who had a degree or equivalent as their highest form of qualification increased by 9 percentage points between the year to June 2014 and the year to June 2021… In comparison, the proportion of disabled people with no qualifications has decreased steadily in recent years.” (House of Commons Library, 2023). UAL contributes to this shift, exemplifying how inclusive practices and accessible learning can drive educational equity.

Image 1: UAL Active Dashboards 2024/25 Available at : https://dashboards.arts.ac.uk/dashboard/ActiveDashboards/DashboardPage.aspx?dashboardid=5c6bb274-7645-4500-bb75-7e334f68ff24&dashcontextid=638681486282992055 ( Accessed 13 May 2025) 

Image 2: House of Commons Library (2023) UK disability statistics: Prevalence and life experiences. Briefing Paper No. CBP-9602. Available at: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9602/CBP-9602.pdf (Accessed: 13 May 2025). 

References

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (n.d.) Introduction to the Social and Medical Models of Disability. Available at: https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/sites/default/files/FDN-218144_Introduction_to_the_Social_and_Medical_Models_of_Disability.pdf (Accessed: May 2025). 

Fernandez, C. (n.d.) Assistive tech tools: quick and easy accessibility apps and extensions. Padlet. Available at: https://artslondon.padlet.org/cfernandez190/assistive-tech-tools-quick-and-easy-accessibility-apps-and-e-cvrv23tcnvjsvnp6 (Accessed: May 2025). 

  1. In a representative sample of the UK population we found that common mental disorders (as a group and in ICD–10 diagnostic categories) and subthreshold psychiatric symptoms at baseline were both independently associated with new-onset functional disability and significant days lost from work at 18-month follow-up. Subthreshold symptoms contributed to almost half the aggregate burden of functional disability and over 32 million days lost from work in the year preceding the study. Leaving these symptoms unaccounted for in surveys may lead to gross underestimation of disability related to psychiatric morbidity.  
     
    Ormel, J., VonKorff, M., Ustun, T.B., Pini, S., Korten, A. and Oldehinkel, T. (1997) ‘Common mental disorders and disability: a longitudinal study’, The British Journal of Psychiatry, 171(6), pp. 507–513. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/E9637621B55F1B8251570BBE28E46C49/S0007125000253555a.pdf/common-mental-disorders-subthreshold-symptoms-and-disability-longitudinal-study.pdf (Accessed: May 2025). 
  • Crenshaw, Kimberle´ Williams (1989 and 1991) “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.” University of Chicago Legal Forum 1989 
  • Brown, C. (2023). ‘Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during UK Disability History Month 2023’. Interview with Chay Brown. Interviewed for Parapride, 13 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yID8_s5tjc ( Accessed April 2025) 
  • Adepitan, A. (2020). ‘Ade Adepitan gives amazing explanation of systemic racism’. Interview with Ade Adepitan. Interviewed by Nick Webborn for Paralympics GB, 16 October. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsxndpgagU ( Accessed April 2025) 
  • Spaeth, E. and Pearson, A. (2023) ‘A reflective analysis on neurodiversity and student wellbeing: Conceptualising practical strategies for inclusive practice’, Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 11(2). Available at: https://jpaap.ac.uk/JPAAP/article/view/517/662 (Accessed: May 2025). 

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Reflection post 4: Responding to ‘“Could do better?”: Brooks (2008) Students critique of feedback in AD  

Posted on 8th April 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

What did you select and why? 

Ahead of the in-person workshop on Assessment and Feedback, I chose Brooks (2008) “Could do better?”: Students critique of feedback in Art & Design to share my reflections during the session. The pre-context reading enabled some understanding of curriculum assessment ahead of the in-person workshop. 

In my practice, I am exploring how I can improve my graduate employability teaching and career support offer, but currently lack feedback from those I interact with. Reading this article gave some accounts on students critique of feedback, which in lieu of my own practice’s feedback, served as a speculative basis to work from.  

What did you find interesting?  

The research results outlined the value of one-to-one tutorials and dialogic feedback for fostering belonging and engagement, which is an important factor in my work. This intense interaction offers a wider emotional dimension than just written feedback, so the added input from the tutor sews the rewards through heightened trust and appreciation from the learners. 

During the workshop, we covered:  

  • Constructive Alignment 
  • Formative vs. Summative Assessment 
  • Authentic Assessment: Emphasises real-world relevance and application of skills 

The most intriguing was the small mention of ipsative assessment, which evaluates individuals based on their personal progress, rather than comparing them to external standards or peers. To me, incorporating this into employability teaching practices encourages graduates to focus on their own development trajectories rahter than suffer from ‘comparisonitus’ Channer, A. (2020), which often thwarts them rather than encourages and inspires them in their early career journey. 

Actively engaging with available tools and resources demonstrates a commitment to learning and adaptability, a more meaningful learning arc. This proactive approach is often more valuable than a more experienced professional who remains stagnant and resists further development. 

Miller and Konstantinou (2022) speaks to how authentic assessments that mirror real-world tasks can effectively embed employability skills within higher education curricula, which helps prepare them for the graduate career market by the time they enter my support. This article also corroborates the notion that learners are more likely to engage with assessment if they see how it links with other modules or goals. Advance HE. (2023) covers how these types of assessments challenge students to apply their knowledge in practical scenarios, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving abilities essential for career advancement.  

What action has it inspired you to take? 

My graduate learners are at varying stages of career development and industry awareness, therefore what is important to my assessment approach is that they showcase significant progress in their engagement, and in-turn build self-reflection skills and confidence in their abilities to best compete in the graduate job market. 

This can look like ipsative assessment, mixed with more organic peer reviews, and stakeholder input informing their support programme. Barrow (2006) explores how design students engage in self-evaluative assessment practices that develop personal narratives and self-awareness. This aligns with the principles of ipsative assessment, as learners are guided to track their development over time, measuring success in relation to their past work and evolving self-concept, rather than strictly external benchmarks. By prioritising personal growth through ipsative assessment, myself and other educators can better prepare graduates to manage their careers proactively. This approach not only enhances individual employability but also contributes to a workforce that is adaptable, reflective, and continuously evolving. 

References 

Barrow, M. (2006) ‘Assessment and student transformation: linking character and intellect’, Studies in Higher Education, 31(3), pp. 357–372. 
https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070600680544  

Miller, E. and Konstantinou, I. (2022), “Using reflective, authentic assessments to embed employability skills in higher education”, Journal of Work-Applied Management, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 4-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWAM-02-2021-0014  

Brooks, K. (2008) ‘“Could do better?”: Students critique of feedback in Art & Design 

Hughes, G. (2021) Ipsative assessment: measuring personal improvement. ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350287547_Ipsative_assessment_measuring_personal_improvement (Accessed: 4 April 2025). 

Channer, A. (2020) The Comparison Game and Mental Health: How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others. LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/comparison-game-mental-health-stop-comparing-yourself-channer/ (Accessed: 4 April 2025). 

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Reflective post 3: 28 Feb 2025 – Workshop 3 theme on Assessment & Feedback, Experiences / Insights / Expectations, Assessment in the Arts, and Crits

Posted on 8th April 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Reflection on Workshop 3: Assessment & Feedback – Experiences / Insights / Expectations, Assessment in the Arts, and Crits. 

Summary  

We read a handout: Supporting inclusive and developmental crits: a guidance for staff at UAL document, sharing our thoughts with peers. Followed by designing an Inclusive Critique process by deciding on a teaching scenario, identifying a common student challenge to respond to, considering a range of participation strategies, incorporating at least one principal from each category from the handout guide. In groups, we presented or observed the critique designs of different teams, sharing feedback.  

Reflection  

For the Inclusive Crit design, the challenge we chose to address was providing a healthy balance between peer reviews and tutor / teacher checkpoints, to foster a sense of independence and progress alongside, and separately, from the course leaders.  

This is best supported by focusing on ‘A’ principle:  

“Ask the individual: Personalising discussions by asking what an individual would find most helpful in terms of feedback helps ensure focused and constructive comments. This also recognises their agency in the space and help flatten the hierarchy.”  

Our design incorporates 2 tutor crits, supplemented by 3 incremental peer checkpoints, to offer several touchpoints for comprehension and progression, and slow down the process and widen the scope for a variety of voices and viewpoints to input each other. This was a focus on ‘B’ principle’:  

“Build up: It can take students time to build confidence in and understanding of the crit process. Provide scaffolding for students, in terms of how to present and give feedback, and support them to build up skills incrementally over time.”   

Brooks (2008) highlights how feedback that feels vague or impersonal can alienate learners—prompting my decision to embed personalised checkpoints into critique structures. 

By creating the opportunity for students to create their own peer review platforms throughout the process, this allows them to choose their preferred format and methods, and self-organise for regular peer checkpoints using these as a basis for complimentary groupings. Barrow (2006) frames assessment as a tool for reflexive self-development—this resonates with my growing interest in post-university learning spaces where identity, confidence and direction continue evolving. Principle ‘C’: 

 “Choice: Equality Act 2010 requires us to make anticipatory adjustments. Proactively offer students a choice of ways to participate in Crits. This might include the choice of presenting in groups, online or via video recording, or providing a text summary over verbal description. When feeding back, this might include allowing students to feedback in Post-its, in pairs or online.”  

Presenting and answering questions about the design helped to formulate a better understanding for myself, as well. Being put on the spot to declare thoughts and decisions and possible development brought my confidence of the subject matter and design-thinking skills to a higher level.  

Next steps to apply learning  

Being in an extra-curricular, opt-in service for people who have finished their university degree, I feel detached from the concepts around assessments seeing as I associate them with grades. And so do the graduates I interact with. “Danvers (2007) argues for the value of formative dialogue in creative disciplines—an approach I now see as highly transferable to post-course employability learning.” By doing this exercise I saw that I could utilise assessment practice for post-university learning too, to mirror the learning experiences from course level into graduate employability. The principles facilitated pinpointing concepts helpful for me to introduce into peer-to-peer learning, which I have identified is a gap in my learning content and delivery, based on the workshop and readings around the positives of assessment. As Race (2001) outlines, peer and self-assessment practices enable students to build ownership of their learning journey, and gain insight into the criteria that define quality work. The first trial of this approach has been to organise professional portfolio crits, making it clear that it is not a space to develop creative practice, but instead have peers critique and learn about producing and presenting portfolios for the job market, not for graded coursework.

References 

Ellis, M., Sherwood, C. and Tran, D. (2024) Supporting inclusive and developmental crits: a guidance for staff at UAL. University of the Arts London and Arts Students’ Union. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/381364/Compassionate-feedback-prompts_Final_November-2022-3.pdf [Accessed 4 Apr. 2025]. 

Danvers, J. (2007) ‘Perspectives on creativity in visual arts education’, Journal of Art & Design Education, 26(2), pp. 232–241.  

Race, P. (2001) A Briefing on Self, Peer and Group Assessment. LTSN Generic Centre.

Brooks, K. (2008) ‘“Could do better?”: Students’ critique of written feedback’, Networks, 11, University of the West of England.

Barrow, M. (2006) ‘Assessment regimes and technologies of the self’, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 19(1), pp. 63–79.

Examples of Inclusive Crit designs
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Reflective post 2: Online Lecture: Jheni Arboine & Siobhan Clay (UAL’s Academic Enhancement team) on ‘Data-informed practice’

Posted on 8th April 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Summary 

UAL Academic Enhancement presented how student data on UAL dashboard is interpreted to understand the impact of teaching and assessment on attainment gaps, informing their work and relevance in the curriculum. 

Starting with warm-up activities, we then looked at examples from the data dashboards, discussing terminology and sources used to compile the results. The session ended with a declaration of an action each of us will take to apply the learning, and further questions. 

In the ‘Data-informed practice’ presentation, it was revealed that the attainment gap has been growing since previous years, but improved during Covid pandemic years. We discussed possible reasons for this, but also how the basis is speculative and ought to remain anonymised to stay detached from personal experiences clouding objective truths. 

Reflection 

It was re-iterated that closing the gap is the responsibility of everyone working at UAL, which was important for me to take on in the context of the national ‘Graduate Outcomes’ survey. Given the national importance of Graduate Outcomes data in shaping university reputation and policy (Office for Students, 2023), understanding how attainment gaps may echo into post-university trajectories becomes essential in supporting graduate futures. 

From my experience of calling graduates, I shared how some are classified as ‘Home’ but are in fact ‘International’. Therefore, our data and understanding of how many ‘B.A.M.E’ or underprivileged graduates we support is warped, and most likely larger than documented. 

As framed in the Professional Standards Framework (Advance HE, 2023), engaging with institutional data to inform and evaluate practice reflects a commitment to inclusive, evidence-based teaching 

Next steps to apply learning 

I declared in the ‘action pledge’ part that after the session, I wanted to ‘close the data loop’ with the graduates I support. Which to me means having graduates become more aware of how their input shapes and informs our delivery, which by design is responsive to their needs and the changing graduate job market, which I look further into in my case study. Closing the feedback loop with graduates also mirrors principles from Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2018), which advocate for the dynamic shaping of practice in response to learner experience and context. This idea aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL)’s emphasis on responsiveness and flexibility, ensuring learning environments adapt based on learner variability and feedback. 

However, it may also mean being transparent and sharing the UAL specific data results, and what that means when handling graduates from that course, or going into certain industries. Next steps will include presenting my ideas to management on the benefits of looping our stakeholders into our content design, and crediting them better, but also deciding how honest we want to be in sharing the Graduate Outcomes survey results to best represent the job market for UAL leavers and creative industries in general. 

The project leads for UAL’s ‘Rethinking Employability’, designed to embed employability into the curriculum to improve graduate outcomes results, may hold the answer on if there is a link between attainment gap and positive career outcomes, based on the data, and be open to devising ideas on how we may work together to combat this going forward. As Fry, Ketteridge and Marshall (2015) argue, curriculum design should be underpinned by both reflection and evidence, ensuring that employability is embedded meaningfully and equitably. 

References

Advance HE (2023) The Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2023). Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/teaching-and-learning/psf#psf2023 (Accessed: 4 April 2025). 

Office for Students (2023) About the Graduate Outcomes Survey. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-information-and-data/graduate-outcomes/ (Accessed: 4 April 2025). 

Sant, R. (2023) UAL Rethinking Employability. Available at: https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/documents/sppreview/d420e3c1-2726-47b8-8bdf-cd20281d1841 (Accessed: 4 April 2025). 

CAST (2018) Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Available at: http://udlguidelines.cast.org (Accessed: 4 April 2025). 

Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2015) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice. 4th edn. Oxford: Routledge 

Arboine. J, Clay. S (UAL’s Academic Enhancement team) on ‘Data-informed practice’ (March 2025)

Screenshot of the webinar slides including my quote on how our 'red grads' are more international than home classification, which changes the meaning of our data results, and therefore the graduate outcomes data.
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Case Study 2 – Planning and teaching for effective learning

Posted on 4th April 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Contextual Background

A consistent challenge in my role delivering graduate career support at UAL is the lack of direct participant feedback. This creates a gap in evaluating the effectiveness of the support offered. However, recurring themes from one-to-one appointments and email enquiries often serve as informal feedback loops. These interactions prompt the development of new workshops and resources to respond to commonly raised questions, demystify industry expectations, and support wider audiences. Visualising this could reinforce learner agency, cultivate a sense of belonging, and help graduates feel that their input shapes the support they receive.

Evaluation

I encourage graduates to follow up with email questions or book a one-to-one session after workshops. This supports the transition from student to professional by blending collective learning with personalised guidance. In these conversations, I aim to validate their concerns, offer relevant resources, and work with them to agree actionable next steps. I provide a career action planner and where appropriate, I refer to curated bank of internal or external content aligned with UAL’s Graduate Employability offer. Any gaps in resources or knowledge provided in this bank become opportunities for future development. However, a key limitation remains: lacking a mechanism to track graduate engagement with these resources, their career action planner, or implement the guidance provided or actions agreed. The absence of a structured tool to monitor progress—such as a shared checklist —makes it difficult to assess impact or support ongoing development.

One persistent, sector-wide issue is limited stakeholder feedback. The silence cannot be interpreted as satisfaction. As Boud and Molloy (2013) assert, feedback must be understood as a dialogic process—active and ongoing—not simply as a comment passed from teacher to learner. While peer observations of my teaching have offered valuable developmental insights from fellow professionals, graduate feedback remains the missing piece. Without it, I cannot be confident that the learning is effective or meaningfully applied.

As Race (2001) outlines, enabling learners to assess, reflect, and contribute to their own learning journey strengthens engagement and fosters deeper understanding. While formal feedback from graduates is limited, informal dialogue and queries guide the creation of new content, effectively positioning graduates as co-creators of the learning experience.

Moving forwards

Training on fostering a sense of belonging in online learning spaces, Ross, Lewis (2022) a key insight resonated with me: building a strong relationship with the facilitator often precedes confidence in peer-to-peer engagement (Thomas, 2012). This affirms the importance of relational pedagogy in career education, where trust with the facilitator can unlock learner participation. While I promote one-to-one follow-ups, engagement is inconsistent. Previously, I trialled requesting updates a few weeks after the initial session. Despite good intentions, the low response rates made the time-intensive nature unsustainable.

However, follow-up and feedback should not be omitted. Rather, signals the need to embed follow-up opportunities more organically into the graduate offer. Designing a development journey that inherently includes check-ins—perhaps tied to milestone moments or the structure of a learning programme—could make reflection and feedback feel like a natural part of the learning cycle.

Moving forward, I plan to trial a self-tracking checklist integrated into workshop resources, encouraging graduates to monitor their own progress while giving me a clearer view of their development pathway. This low-barrier tool may provide a more sustainable means of dialogue, accountability, and insight into graduate learning journeys.

References:

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Case Study 1 – Assessing learning and exchanging feedback

Posted on 4th April 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Contextual Background

Graduate employability support at UAL operates on an opt-in, extra-curricular basis. Participants span from final-year students to alumni up to five years post-graduation. This inherently creates a diverse cohort across disciplines, career stages, and levels of industry awareness. Many graduates face intersecting challenges: navigating a competitive and often inequitable job market, managing learning differences, balancing financial pressures, and, for international graduates, contending with cultural and linguistic barriers. These factors can impact their confidence, wellbeing, and motivation to pursue creative career paths.

Evaluation

To better understand participant needs, my webinar booking forms include a question:

“What do you hope to gain from this session?”

This helps me identify expectations and steer discussions accordingly. Despite encouraging learners to share needs before and after sessions, response rates remain low. In line with Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2018), I therefore strive to create inclusive, flexible learning environments from the outset, without requiring prior disclosure. In-session, I offer practical tools such as a career action planner, curated follow-up resources, and bookable one-to-ones for more tailored support and to assess individual learning outcomes.

Moving forwards

Inspired by observing a colleague from Academic Support Bowen, E. (2025), I incorporated a collaborative tool—Padlet—into a recent webinar. It added interactivity and offered examples of applying learning beyond the session. However, engagement was low. Reflecting on this, I recognised the task’s complexity as a potential barrier. Next time, I plan to simplify instructions, use it only live (not in recordings), and provide clearer scaffolding to support participation without overwhelming learners.

A peer observation in a physical classroom prompted reflections on group composition. A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (Fry, Ketteridge and Marshall, 2015) supports the idea that diverse groups promote adaptability and broader learning, yet also acknowledges that homogenous groups can feel safer and foster a quicker sense of belonging. This was particularly relevant for international graduates I work with, who often express urgency in demonstrating the return on their educational investment. Creating a psychologically safe space can be more important than immediate exposure to difference. In practice, this has led me to trial tailored support spaces—such as international-only networking events and one-to-ones—to assess whether this enhances engagement and motivation. The evaluation of this approach will let me know if it is a model I could echo for other identifiable groups of graduates, if proving to be successful.

Dall’Alba (2005) argues that teaching should move beyond skill acquisition to support graduates in developing ways of being, embracing their evolving identities. While I recognise the value of preparing learners for globalised and diverse workplaces, I also acknowledge the immediate pressures many face, and communicate to me through the support interactions and feedback surveys. Striking a balance between celebrating diversity and recognising shared experiences is key. Rather than “seeing graduates as one” who require a blanket support approach that currently pushes for immediate adaptability, I am exploring how shared identity—whether by nationality, stage, or discipline—can provide a launchpad for deeper learning and progression, catapulting graduates towards their achievable goals to help build foundations for confidence and progression.

This reflection aligns with the ongoing development of my practice: to design inclusive, compassionate, and context-aware learning environments that meet graduates where they are, while nudging them toward where they could go. This approach reflects Race’s (2001) emphasis on recognising the diverse ways in which students engage with learning and assessment, and the value of offering differentiated and adaptive strategies that support inclusion and ownership of learning.

References:

  • CAST (2018) Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Available at: http://udlguidelines.cast.org (Accessed: 12 March 2025).
  • Dall’Alba, G. (2005) ‘Improving teaching: Enhancing ways of being university teachers’, Higher Education Research & Development, 24(4), pp.361–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360500284771
  • Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (eds.) (2015) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice. 4th edn. Oxford: Routledge.
  • Race, P. (2001). A Briefing on Self, Peer and Group Assessment. LTSN Generic Centre.

Bowen, E. (2025) Researching skilfully through object reading, 31 January. University of the Arts London. Available at: https://academicsupportonline.arts.ac.uk/workshops-tutorials/110755? (Accessed: 31 Jan April 2025).

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Leila’s reflections on teaching observation feedback

Posted on 21st March 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Observations, suggestions and questions from Antonia:

Useful tips on how to join ahead of the webinar – we use Blackboard Collaborate which grads may be familiar with from their experiences during covid, or they may not be! Or they may be rusty on the particulars, so any clear and upfront pre-information I can give to help the session go smoothly is helpful for the time of delivery, plus creating a welcoming learning environment for a range of learner types. In the event booking stage, we encourage participants to contact us with any learning support requests, but I feel this is used as a cover-up rather than actively encouraging diverse learners to engage with us and let us know how we may adapt to best support them. My pre-email is the best I can do to reach out to potential attendees to ensure they feel encouraged to participate, know how to best troubleshoot technical difficulties to avoid frustrations, but also begin to create rapport with me and further any sense of belonging that can be born out of the session.

Fifteen recent graduates logged on and seemed engaged throughout the session, Presented the slides in a calm and suitable pace and created a lovely flow within the webinar, Left a good amount of time for people to digest the brief and work on it in their own pace. – I personally felt I lost the attention of some participants near the middle or end but possibly due to the repetitive nature of the task I was continually having them do when encountering job market research, and deriving possible skills from the findings. An hour is a long time to listen to 1 person speak, so I am happy the small group felt somewhat engaged through most of it and learned the basics at least that they can carry on in their own time, or unpack in a one-to-one appointment with me or the team, and apply it to their job searches. I can have a tendency to go too quickly when I am nervous, so even after a technical blip and having not delivered an online session in a while, doing a pre-recorded practice run helped me realise if I was confident with my slides and what changes to make before the event, and be more calm and collected on the day. When leaving time to digest information, it is hard to tell where people are as there is not real-time feedback unless in teh chat which can be delayed or under-utilised. I may try to see if I can bring in a visible clock to showcase how long we will spend on a task, or use the doodle function and chat for people to communicate to me if they need more time to read and reflect, if only I were to give them the prompt and space to do so. This could come in the form of more breaks, or a visual que.

Opening slide welcoming, personal greetings, and technical support at hand reassuring, staying calm and in the flow after losing internet reception for a minute. Moderator explained and covered the short break-out in very professional manner and all participants have been fully understanding. – Though it takes up more resources, having a helper at hand to take the register and answer smaller or technical problems on the side helps me focus on delivering content, and fortunately Caius was at hand to fill in while my internet cut out. I will continue to keep a bubbly and well-assured vibe in my sessions, and introduce the moderator so others can feel comfortable knowing who else is there to support and ask if they need help, especially if one of us drops out due to technical difficulties too! I had attempted to book a space on London College of Fashion campus in case I had internet issues, but I know now that it is not as easy to book as other campuses, I ended up not having it ‘approved’ so will have a different onsite back-up for next time. Internet dips happen and I am happy that my participants are aware and understanding about this when booking and attending an online webinar. This may not always be the case, and so I will include a caveat in my slides going forward along the lines of: if I dip out, do not worry, there are precautions in place such as moderator, slides and pre-recording at hand to fill in the gaps in case I do not return swiftly (for whatever reason).

Doodle board friendly and creative tone / speaking freely yet staying on script and by incorporating your personal voice and light-hearted jokes.- Delivering online poses many pros and cons, and one of the hard parts I find is creating personality and community building, which may happen more naturally in a regular group or class. Seeing as this is not how we offer our continuous, opt-in service, there is no predicting who will book and come on the day and therefore a community does not build naturally in that space. So what I can do is focus on making teaching employability and job hunting a little less boring and dry. Fostering a dynamic of light-heartedness mixed with pragmatism, I plan for participants to feel there is room to grow comfortable with me and build confidence there, and not get so weighed down or feel stuck in their graduate career path. Not having learning about employability to be a chore, I hope participants will come back for more sessions or engage with the other resources on offer, to aid their learning. I could do another doodle page later on in sessions, or in the middle of the session to ensure people are still paying attention, and feel they are included in the content and direction of their learning.

Clearly outlining objectives… The overall structure and amount of content provided felt appropriate given the hour-long session. In order to increase the clarity of the resources further I only wonder whether you could clearly denote the contents page further towards the beginning and share the slides including active links after the session. – I could recap the objectives again near the end of the session and in my recap email, to ensure learners are aware of their journey and can reflect on any gaps or confident areas. Plus to re-iterate the action plan and next steps which may include signposting to other resources, or encouraging to book a one-to-one. Knowing now that a pdf on Blackboard Collaborate does not allow participants to click on the hyperlinks tells me that I ought to continue to do as I did before: still share links in the chat too – even if it clogs up the chat box that could contain questions – and share the slides before and after the session so people can follow along in their own time, and access the links too for additional context and further comprehension on the subject and how to navigate through it. To still fit in a 1 hour session, I will look to simplify some elements, and allow more time for breaks, pauses, interactive parts, and questions as we go through the content.

Interactive elements, participants add their personal journey, Seamless addition of extra platforms, Discussing comments which were left on the Padlet board back to the overall cohort nicely made participants feel seen and increase engagement with the content of the webinar. – the doodle pages, collaborative Padlet, and participant questions slides where people declare their current situation seemed to work well for engagement and a sense of belonging. I will continue to keep using a link and QR code to any additional resources, but I wonder if a Padlet is the best learning space for a short session and whether I ought to stick to having people interact with only the session slides and utilise the doodle function more. This may not be relevant to anyone watching the recording afterwards, so maybe the ‘pre-recorded’ version is more valuable in this instance as it acts more like a timeless version of the content, but lacks the personality and interactive nature I can provide in-session. Word and phrases like ‘feel seen’ are interesting to me, who delivers mostly online, as my experience has mostly been having very shy people come to our online sessions and not want to engage beyond the passive learner. However this workaround could be a good alternative to anonymous and quiet participants to have a voice in this process.

You successfully explained the impact of political decisions on to the job market contextualising the post-degree situations they find themselves in. – Using industry research as a starting point to understanding the current and future job markets I hoped would ground the participants, uncover strategic approaches, and the workshop element of considering the skills surrounding the landscape to better help them to position themselves in it was designed to be pragmatic, but encouraging too. Offering a starting point of identifying skills to showcase, and then ones to develop, brings forward the wellbeing aspect I integrate into my practice, highlighting that as graduates they have achieved a lot already, and there are training programmes and modules to help upskill in a competitive graduate job market.

You clearly explained the difference between acquired skill and qualities/attributes, and how to elevate different skill sets on a CV especially relatable in order to help them enable them to reframe their experience and / or close potential skill gaps. – For those who do not have English as their native language, and even those who do, may struggle to know what is meant by these words (Skill, Attribute, Quality, Ability) and how they differ, and where best to use them when identifying and explaining their capabilities, and what they want to develop. Breaking it down to explain the interchangeability, as well as the differences, was my approach to avoid awkwardness for anyone who who want to ask but does not from a place of embarrassment, and in turn build confidence by covering the basics and clarifying. An attendee later asked “what is hybrid-working?” which prompted me to explain in session, related to my content. This helped me realise I should not assume knowledge for seemingly common-use or emerging words and terminology, and encourage questions for further clarity on my content.

Reflective slides towards the end which sent the participants off to consider short-, middle- and long-term goals and strategies to work towards them. – I had a theory that the graduate support team’s online sessions lack interaction, the participants seem passive in their learning, and therefore possibly their career / general life direction. I wanted to do more to make the sessions more engaging and interactive, within the constraints of online delivery, and have participants commit to develop their understanding of the subject, apply their learning, and take action towards their career planning. Encouraging this step in the session, along with filling out the feedback form, demonstrates to the group that this is an important step to take to summarise and utilise the session and their graduate career support offer generally. While it is impressive to have hundreds of participants in your webinar, it does not always glean the best results for interaction and creating a sense of belonging because it makes it harder to focus on individuals, or encourage each participant to be involved in this session for many, rather than a session for them.

You finished the session on time being respectful and mindful of commitments the attendees might have following the webinar. – Even with mishaps and questions, I should finish on time as that is the professional and respectable thing to do. This has prompted me to better incorporate breaks, more time for questions and digesting information in case I there are more mishaps in the future. Even though I managed this time around with everything considered, it would be less stressful for me to allow more time in my session plan for contingencies and not impact the delivery.

Observation and feedback from Kwame, tutor:

It was good to see that your welcome for the participants included an option of announcing themselves via chat, which supports those that are not up for saying something immediately. The session was well paced and your delivery (great voice) was pitched at a very good level. I would, however, ask if you to think about the occasional voice modulation to create a pause your delivery with a question, which would encourage group deliberation for a short time.

I thought the ‘Current situation’ was a very useful tool for participants to position themselves contextually. You provided knowledge of terms and how technology impacted the jobs market which is something that is often not accounted for when seeking employment. The Padlet interaction was a very good tool for there to be enhanced dialogue or questioning and it helped to create a pause in the delivery, but I think they were just mainly soaking up information. I perceive that more nuanced conversations might happen in the 1-to-1s.

Throughout the duration of the session I saw nothing but very sound professionalism. You provided the participants with depth of information, amazing resources and even forecasting knowledge about how they should focus on market trends, sustainability and ethics, work-life balance and much more. Also specifying the CV process was a really enhanced activity that supported graduates thinking about the range of jobs that match their different skills. Overall a very comprehensive and supportive session.

To recap, actions going forward:

  • Keep sending pre-session information to booked attendees
  • The welcome slides work well – add the date so people watching the recording know the timestamp of information relayed in the content
  • Continue to deliver at a calm, reasonable pace and leave time to digest information and slides
  • Modulate my voice to introduce natural pauses to support pace-keeping
  • Always have a helper / moderator to help with any mishaps, take the register, and answer chat questions so I can concentrate on delivery
  • Bring forward my personality while keeping to the point, doodles and jokes help keep participants engaged and involved
  • Do a pre-recording too in case I cannot deliver on the day
  • Doodles and interaction help the participants to feel they belong in the content and learning too, rather than taking a passive approach. Add more opportunities to discuss and doodle and feedback in the session, possibly at the middle to ensure attention is still present, and at the end to aid the recap
  • Consider the complexity of terminology and common words on the subject – continue to breakdown the basics to build confidence but also do not assume everyone knows other words, so check for comprehension and confidence in the language being used
  • Small groups of participants works better for building rapport, consider this model for workshops and working through more complex concepts and content with an individualised outcome
  • Ask more questions to the group to pass the thinking hat over to the group and encourage group deliberation
  • Continue to use: Introduce yourself in the chat / ‘current situation’ slide help ease into the session, participants to declare their positionality in the graduate job market to aid contextualisation, and in the session, and even helps me steer the conversations and examples to be more relevant to the attendees, growing the sense of belonging
  • Refer to ‘technology, market trends, sustainability and ethics, work-life balance’ plus other factors that impact the graduate job market and those navigating it, to help stay aware of struggles, challenges, and any possible support to rectify or ease the process of going from student to professional
  • Use a Padlet, or similar, for creating space for further discussion, enhanced dialogue and questioning, plus a break from delivery / reading slides / a chance to rest my voice. Consider saying ‘ feel free to pause here if you are watching the recording’ when entering the tasks
  • Bring the learning back to a real-life example – such as improving a CV, portfolio, job search, etc to better contextualise how to enhance the graduate journey and apply the knowledge
  • Focus on a recap, outlining learning objectives, confirming comprehension throughout the session not just beginning or end to clarify the recap and learning, and confirm confidence
  • Continue to encourage further discussion by emailing or booking a one-to-one for more nuanced and bespoke conversations, and independent learning through accessing related, curated resources
  • Allow time for questions, mishaps, breaks, tasks, feedback form, recap, engaging with resources, and action planner, as well as the knowledge content to be imparted

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TTP Teaching Observations: Antonia observes Leila

Posted on 17th March 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice   

Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Careers and Employability online webinar workshop

Size of student group:  30 maximum

Observer: Antonia Huber 

Observee: Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff 

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 UAL graduate employability support is extra-curricular, opt-in, and usually for graduates who have finished their course and embarking on the next steps after university, This session fits within a broader employability teaching framework designed to prepare creative students and graduates for real-world opportunities. It specifically addresses the current and future skills needed in the creative industries, supporting participant understanding of industry demands and fostering their readiness to navigate freelance and multi-hyphenate careers, which are common in the creative industries.  

How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity? 

Being outside of the curriculum, my attendees can vary and, in the past, have been up to 70 in attendance, with even more requesting the recording to catch up in their own time. This, along with our lack of CRM or graduate databased, means it is harder to know who is in the room, and if I have had touch points with them previously. The session is targeted to first degree graduates within their first year out, who will be surveyed at part of Graduate Outcomes, but open to final years, and anyone 5 years out of UAL. Therefore, the session is open to a mixed group of graduates across disciplines at different stages of their creative education or graduate career. Prior interaction may vary, ranging from detached encounters through other webinars and email support, to repeated engagements through smaller workshops, networking events, or one-to-one sessions. However, that level of individualised support would not be able to be replicated in the webinar space, and to create a sense of belonging for everyone in attendance, I would need to take every participant and interaction in that space at face value and fresh within the context of the prescribed context.  

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes? 

  • Develop an understanding of current trends, challenges, and opportunities in the creative job market (UK). 
  • Identify and reflect on key skills currently in demand within the creative industries, and generally. 
  • Create an action plan to address personal skills gaps and align them with career aspirations. 
  • Gain confidence in pursuing portfolio careers or freelance opportunities that could help develop exiting skillsets, or gain new established or emerging ones. 

What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)? 

  • Track the growing skills lists based on facts, figures, and discussions from the session. 
  • A collaborative list of future industry trends and skills discussed during interactive elements. 
  • Create a personal reflection or written skills gap analysis. 
  • An individualised action plan for developing relevant skills. 

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern? 

  • Ensuring engagement and participation, especially in an online setting. 
  • Addressing diverse needs and levels of industry experience, knowledge, and awareness within the wide-ranging group that could span from young current undergrad students, to mature PhD graduates coming up to 5 years out of university. 
  • Balancing general insights across the UK job market, with targeted advice for specific creative disciplines, plus responding to ones referred to by participants. 
  • Clarifying the London / UK-centric information and results may not be relevant to graduates based in other countries with their own set of cultural trends, economies, and different access to support or resources where they operate. 
  • Accessibility and inclusion challenges, such as adapting content for neurodiverse students or those with varying levels of digital literacy. 

How will students be informed of the observation/review? 

I am anticipating 30 or more attendees to join the online classroom. The nature of the bookings, and set up of the room, allows for participants to be fairly passive or anonymous, without it impacting the general benefits or flow of interactions throughout. I envision Antonia and Kwame to join as any participant would, and follow along in a detached way like many do, negating the need for a formal declaration that there is a review occurring, and operate in the background without impacting the mood of the online classroom. 

What would you particularly like feedback on? 

  • The effectiveness of the session in helping graduates identify and address their skills gaps. 
  • How well the interactive elements (e.g., collaborative lists, group discussions) work in fostering engagement, and gleaning answers beneficial for the rest of the group. 
  • Clarity and accessibility of the resources provided. 
  • Whether the session sufficiently addresses the diverse needs of UAL’s creative student body, and graduate cohorts. 

Part Two Observer 1 to note down observations, suggestions and questions:

I observed you during an hour-long online webinar which took place on Tuesday 4th of March 2025. The UAL-wide webinar has been well-attended; fifteen recent graduates logged on and seemed engaged throughout the session.

As I was joining the session (incognito) as a regular participant, I received a reminder email an hour ahead of the webinar. The email contained useful tips of how to join and stay focused during the session. I entered the online Collaborate Ultra webinar room early. There has been a welcome slide up on the screen stating the starting time and the person leading the session. You and your colleague Casius who has been responsible for technical support have already been in the online room welcoming people within the chat panel. Both, the holding slide and personal greeting, successfully reassured attendees that they are in the right place. Participants started to drop in and immediately used the welcome slide as a doodle board which set a friendly and creative tone for the session.

You started the webinar on time welcoming all participants and clearly explaining the objectives of the session. You addressed the attendees asking them to share directly on the slide which stage of their postgraduate career they are situated in which made the session nicely personal and interactive. You presented the slides in a calm and suitable pace and created a lovely flow within the webinar. I have been impressed how you managed to engage the participants by speaking freely yet staying on script and by incorporating your personal voice and light-hearted jokes. Also well done for staying calm and in the flow after losing internet reception for a minute. Casius explained and covered the short break-out you encountered in very professional manner and all participants have been fully understanding.

I have been impressed how seamlessly you incorporated the different platforms by providing links to a Padlet activity within the chat box as well as via a QR code. You also left a good amount of time for people to digest the brief and work on it in their own pace. Discussing comments which were left on the Padlet board back to the overall cohort nicely made participants feel seen and increase engagement with the content of the webinar.

The overall structure and amount of content provided felt appropriate given the hour-long session. You successfully explained the impact of political decisions on to the job market contextualising the post-degree situations they find themselves in. You clearly explained the difference between acquired skill and qualities/attributes. I found the detailed before-and-after example of how to elevate different skill sets on a CV especially relatable in order to help them enable them to reframe their experience and / or close potential skill gaps. I enjoyed the reflective slides towards the end which sent the participants off to consider short-, middle- and long-term goals and strategies to work towards them. You finished the session on time being respectful and mindful of commitments the attendees might have following the webinar.

In order to increase the clarity of the resources further I only wonder whether you could clearly denote the contents page further towards the beginning and share the slides including active links after the session.

How will feedback be exchanged?

· Make notes in the session

· Briefly talk through notes after the session

· Write up the review in your own notes,

· Set-up a meeting to talk through notes

· Send final written review after the conversation

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TTP Teaching Observations: Leila observes Antonia

Posted on 17th March 2025 by Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice

Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Classroom lecture and active task

Size of student group: 40+

Observer: Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff

Observee: Antonia Huber

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? MA Graphic Branding and Identity course sits within the Design School at London College of Communication and has been recently reapproved and has been shortened to 12 months. The student cohort has just finished Unit 1 called ‘Situating Practice‘. The intro unit consisted of a series of creative briefs as well as a set of academic writing intended to critically situate themselves as designers within the world; establishing their own value system within the field of graphic branding. The students have just started Unit 2+3 called ‘Professional Practice/Collaborative Unit’ which entails working on a set industry brief of their choice and working collaboratively on the briefs. Alongside the create competition briefs we also ask them examine different industry practices to identify design groups or branding agencies whose ethos or practice aligns with the declared values they established in Unit 1. You will observe the second Monday workshop session in this term’s unit during which we will introduce the students to different quantitative and qualitative research methodologies applicable to any branding process.

How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?

I have been teaching the student cohort as an Associate Lecturer every Monday since the beginning of term in October 2024. The Monday session is split into two parts with the first half taking place in the Lecture Theatre and the second half in the studio. During the former part we have students present their own position within an established practice or invite an established practitioner to present their commercial work, during the latter we either run hands-on workshop or offer 1-2-1 tutorials relevant to their current course work. I have done a ‘Practicespeak’ myself introducing the students to my work outside the university context, lead as workshop and held individual tutorials meaning all students know me well and in different capacities. The post graduate students won’t necessarily have all done an undergraduate degree in the creative field (we have students with a background in law and engineers as well) which creates a nice mix.

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?

· Identify different research methodologies, their purpose and procedures

· Examine the set industry briefs through the lens of the most relevant research methodology

· Reflect on research insights and how they could inform their creative ideation stage

· Identity different UK-based and global agencies and establish their value system and align them with their own

What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?

· A collaborative Miro board (or simply pen and paper, still tbc) unpacking the different quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and their individual purposes and procedure.

· A short crit at the end sharing their key insights

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?

· Ensuring engagement and participation as the methodologies can be quite abstract at first.

· Making the theory feel applicable to what they are working on creatively and distill a sense of fun and excitement.

· Some students will still be in the middle of choosing their industry competition brief and therefore might feel confused in general.

· Distraction through mobile phone / social media use during class.

How will students be informed of the observation/review?

I am anticipating around 40 students (out of an overall cohort of 62) to attend the in person class. I will be leading the session and I will mention your presence in the room at the start of the workshop. There will be two other tutors teaching with me on the day – Rob Mawbray, Senior Lecturer on the course and Namrata (pronounced Num-ratha), a new Associate Lecture to the course.

What would you particularly like feedback on?

· The effectiveness of unpacking complex research methodologies through a group exercise

· How general studio set-up of tutors given short prompts foster deep (or superficial) engagement with the subject matter.

· Clarity and accessibility of the resources provided.

· Whether the session sufficiently addresses the diverse needs of UAL’s creative student body, and graduate cohorts.

How will feedback be exchanged?

· Make notes in the session

· Briefly talk through notes after the session

· Write up the review in your own notes,

· Set-up a meeting to talk through notes

· Send final written review after the conversation

Part Two – Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:

Observations on:

· Ensuring engagement and participation as the methodologies can be quite abstract at first.

Eased into the session with a well-paced presentation led by the Lecturer. Effective at breaking down the terminology of the methodologies in a clearer way, for example application of reframing language to say ‘tools for revealing patterns for further research’, to aid comprehension. Giving practical examples of what is meant and what the process could look like in different industry briefs, to aid the possibilities of creative thought before jumping into the ideation stage.

· Making the theory feel applicable to what they are working on creatively and distill a sense of fun and excitement.

By giving permission to leave the classroom, being active in the outside world, I can see can foster a sense of excitement and agency by bringing to life the dynamic parts of this line of work and the process of responding to creative and client briefs. The surrounding theory is helping to back up the process, and actions following the introduction of this stage helped to contextualise within an academic environment.

· Some students will still be in the middle of choosing their industry competition brief and therefore might feel confused in general.

Referring back to the previous parts of this unit, and previous units, helped to present this stage as a progression and in relation to what has been accomplished already by individuals. The grouping via the Miro board seemed to help visualise the natural or possible groups, but poses the issue if some were oversubscribed due to overloading the options if participants did not stick to a set amount of options selected. Being on your feet and in a classroom environment helped to bring people out of a stuck position, ask questions in a fluid way, and not hang onto one person in particular for enhanced support.

· Distraction through mobile phone / social media use during class.

Some students were late, but the flow of the class was not disrupted and extra tutors were at hand to bring them up to speed with most students seeming confident in the positionality even with the lack of introduction to the session’s outline. Some students did not face the board during the presentation, which may be their own way of engaging if figurative delivery is distracting, the same students were part of a group who conversed in their own language which may deter the possibility of collaborative teamwork or community building outside of their regular peer group. If participants are prone to be distracted, that can be on the lecturer not being engaging enough, or there can be steps put in place to support the individual to digest information and confirm comprehension in the classroom, or later within the task.

Feedback on:

· The effectiveness of unpacking complex research methodologies through a group exercise

Bringing this task introduction and action to the classroom poses a blank slate for the creative springboard towards the possibility and implementation of collaboration. The dynamism of comradery, and energising tendencies of teamwork helps to mirror industry environments and expectations. I had concerns over homogenised groups forming or being instilled beyond adaptation to echo the industry mirroring notion. With possible justification based on a strong sense of belonging lending its positives within the shortened timeframe of the course design, putting pressure on prioritising this approach over encouraging diverse groups to work together on a collaborative brief. Flow of the course benefits from this format for this type of task.

· How general studio set-up of tutors given short prompts foster deep (or superficial) engagement with the subject matter.

Open studio appeared to create safer team dynamics. The use of extra tutors helped to shake up the pace, and instill the notion that there are no right answers, can be multiple avenues to pursue the task, and multiple voices and influences that can steer the conversations but not confirm or deny ‘right and wrong’ which can go against the needs of the task.

The active questions used when approaching the tables for queries included “Which brief have you chosen?” and “What are your first steps?” which supported a more active response. The declaration of the group, and saying the intentions out loud supported the notion that this is early stages, and creative ideas are beginning to flow, and the decisions are being formed if only they continue to be externalised and shared at this stage. Plus allowing the teams to hear from each other the rest of the participants’ comprehension levels of the brief and the collective, united decisions, or which ones are still to be clarified amongst themselves. The roaming tutors helped to create a sense of activity and energy, but also for the groups to not be married to one mind representing authority on the subject or how they should progress, and look to each other for the clarification after the lines of enquiry being supported and planted by the tutors.

· Clarity and accessibility of the resources provided.

Using Miro for selecting the groups provided a centralised and interactive place to self-organise in a visual way before the session. It is presumed that this method is agreed either unanimously or by majority before going forward as a way of supporting and coordinating the group in a way that works for them. The slides being available beforehand or on Moodle helps to solidify the learning and be an ongoing reference. The chance to ask follow up questions either as a group for the benefit of the whole class, and as individuals if it required a more private conversation, was a conducive method of meeting their engagement and confidence level and preferred learning approach. For those who were not present that day, possibilities of catching up and pursuing the brief is possible.

· Whether the session sufficiently addresses the diverse needs of UAL’s creative student body, and graduate cohorts.

Written instructions on the screen helped to set the tone and help the stages be clearer for the participants. Encouraged to bring their interests to the work and therefore classroom and course content creates a sense of belonging and ownership. Suggesting a mixture of laptop device, plus field research and active inspiration gathering not enforced but the value of the variety stimulated. Relating the session back to the briefs and course content helped to solidify this initiation as part of the wider picture they are all working towards. Clarity was given on how less text and instead visually driven presentation of ideas is a positive in this line of work, encouraging less studious application and more evidence of agile and responsive way of working which may help break up the more intense and text-heavy parts of the course. Offered paper but not used.

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