Background
As a lecturer at the BA Bespoke Tailoring course, I deliver the practical tailoring sessions to the first year students. Many of our students have diverse learning needs, most commonly dyslexia and ADHD. In the current cohort, 20% have a confirmed Individual Support Agreement (ISA). Mental health conditions are also common, and some of the international students are not confident English speakers. My technical workshops are a mixture of presentations, practical demonstrations and the students working independently on their garments under my supervision. I find that the busy classroom environment makes it difficult for them to concentrate and filter information.
Evaluation
Noise: The new East Bank building has an open plan design. Our classroom opens out to the adjoining classroom, with only a thin sliding door offering a partial division. As a result, we can permanently hear the staff and students in the adjoining room. We also use industrial sewing machines and steam irons with suction pressing boards, which are very noisy. Students from other classes come in to use the iron in our classroom, even when I am delivering a demonstration or presentation. When working on their garments, the students are free to chat as long as they keep on working.
A flow of people: The architecture causes people to walk in and out of the room. There is a pressing room next door, and students and technical staff need to walk through our classroom to access the equipment there. There are storing cupboards along one wall, where technicians and students access materials and equipment. Students from other groups come in to use the ironing board or ask me for advice about their making.
Spread spaces: Due to insufficient equipment in the classroom, my students need to work across several spaces. For 18 students, we have 15 tables, 5 sewing machines, and one ironing board. A couple of students have to then work on the tables in the pressing room, where they also access more irons. They share sewing machines and use machines in neighbouring rooms (when available).
Moving Forwards
On the positive side, it is easy for students to meet peers from other year groups and chat to staff outside of classes. This encourages peer-to-peer learning and helps students feel part of a wider learning community, which enhances their engagement and results (Bamber and Jones, 2015). On the other hand, the flow of people and sounds can be distracting and inhibit concentration. For neurodiverse learners it can cause cognitive and sensory overload, leading to anxiety (Damiani, 2018, Armstrong, 2012).
Use tables in the pressing room: The pressing room is a smaller corner room, with only two tables. Though the equipment is loud and used by many, it feels more secluded than the main classroom. I am not allowed to officially reserve this table space, but I encourage students who struggle with environmental overload to set up here, providing a “positive niche” (Armstrong, 2012).
Headphones: The UAL health and safety rules does not allow the use of headphones in the sewing rooms. When wearing them the students do not hear me and I need to tap them on the shoulder to get their attention. They also miss out on informal communication and community building. More importantly, there is a risk of headphone cables getting caught when using the machinery. However, I know many of my students find it easier to concentrate when wearing them. Research has shown that “muffling sounds” can help students sensitive to noise (Armstrong, 2012). I would like to allow the use of headphones as long as they are wireless. As a permitted alternative, I will recommend earplugs, and will trial purchasing a supply of them to hand out to students in need.
Silence and agency: Silence can be awkward. Most students find that a bit of chat is relaxing, it puts them at ease and makes it easier for them to speak up and ask questions. However, it can also distract them from the task. I tend to find that unnecessary rules cause unnecessary stress and inhibit community building, but I would like to try an hour when the students cannot chat about anything that is not relevant to the session. I hope this will make them reflect on their environment, demonstrate their own agency and influence over it, and build consideration for their fellow students.
Communication: I politely ask students and other staff to be considerate when their activities cause distraction and noise in our sessions. However, a set of guidelines for shared spaces could be helpful for both staff and students. For example, a guideline that asks people to refrain from using noisy machinery during a presentation or demonstration.
References:
Armstrong, T. (2012) ‘First discover their strengths’, Educational Leadership, 70(2), Available at: https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/first-discover-their-strengths. (Accessed: 14 March 2025)
Bamber, V., & Jones, A. (2015). Challenging students: enabling inclusive learning. In H. Fry, S. Ketteridge, & S. Marshall (Eds.), A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice (4th ed., pp. 152-168). Routledge.
Damiani, L M. (2018) ‘On the spectrum within art and design academic practice’. In Spark: UAL Creatuve Teching and Learning Journal. (Vol 3/ Issue 1. pp. 16-25).