Background
As a lecturer at the BA Bespoke Tailoring course, I deliver the practical tailoring sessions to the first year students. The units involve independent work and formative reviews, which are an important stage for the students to receive feedback and guidance from their peers and tutors. These are conducted in groups of 4-5 students.
Evaluation
This is the first time our students undergo formative reviews, and many of them are nervous. We create a supportive environment, explaining that all feedback will be formative and not summative. We also emphasise that we do not expect to see finished work, both when briefing them in person and in the invitation email. Despite this, some students are too anxious to attend.
We schedule sessions of 15 minutes per student: 5 mins for their presentation, 5 mins for tutor feedback and 5 mins for peer feedback. The students bring in all their work in progress, which consists of samples, a garment, a technical resource and a design sketchbook. Often the presentation, the tutor feedback, and the following discussion takes longer, leaving little time for peer feedback. It also common that some students are more vocal than others and take up more time.
Moving Forwards
Using the UAL guide Supporting inclusive and developmental crits, there are several changes I want to implement to tackle the above challenges.
1. Offer different modes of presentation. I will offer different formats for the students to present their work, for example with a pre-recorded video or audio, or by providing a text summary. Though these alternative modes require more time and effort to prepare, I hope this will alleviate the pressure on students who are nervous about speaking in front of a group. My colleagues on the PGCert told me that their students felt relieved to have options, even when they did not use them. The Equality Act 2010 requires us to make anticipatory adjustments (UAL, 2024). By supporting different communication modes we also encourage the students’ agency.
2. Ask the student. I will ask the presenting student what they would find most helpful in terms of feedback. This will guide their peers, and also “recognises their agency in the space and help flatten the hierarchy” (UAL, 2024). It should prompt them to evaluate their own work, thus “strengthening their skills of self-assessment” (Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick, 2006). I could provide a list of areas to focus feedback on, in case the presenting students needs help articulating what would be most helpful to them.
3. Use post-it notes. In order “to ensure all voices are heard, maintaining time for all participants to engage” (UAL, 2024), I will give the students 1-2 mins to record their feedback on post-it notes after each presentation. They can write, record bullet points, draw and give the feedback verbally. This also has the benefit of giving the students time to reflect on their feedback, and providing the presenter with a record. Making sure all students get the opportunity to evaluate and provide feedback on each other’s work will help them develop skills to make objective judgments about their own work (Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick, 2006).
4. Longer sessions. If the space in the timetable allows, I would like to schedule longer sessions to allow more time for peer feedback and general discussions about the assignments. “Discussions with the teacher help students to develop their understanding of expectations and standards” (Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick, 2006), which is especially important at the beginning of a degree.
References:
Nicol, David J. and Macfarlane-Dick, Debra (2006) ‘Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice’, Studies in Higher Education, 31: 2, 199-218
UAL (2024) Supporting inclusive and developmental crits: a guidance for staff at UAL. Available at: https://www.arts-su.com/news/article/6013/Crits-and-Inclusive-Learning-at-UAL/ (Accessed: 6 March 2025).