- Bias: Comes from me with an agenda
The agenda is a social one and based on auto-ethnographic experiences. I want that the detrimental experiences I experienced in my own educational journey while at a higher creative education institution are tackled within the institution I now work in (specifically student agency and the understanding of their liberatory role in diverse societies).
By structuring the interview, with distinct themes /questions, and leading from an empathetic stand point (sharing my testimony and experiences), I was able to frame the questioning to centre around student agency and what elements of their education (eg. curricula or timeframes) and supports (eg UAL Design Principles guide, assessment criteria, etc) they found challenging or important.
We discussed possible interventions that may negate the limitations of the given situations. For example, when discussing how ‘criticality’ is introduced in Y3 assessment criteria, the student stated their understanding of the concept/term was not yet confidently familiar or (intentionally) practiced. While ‘betterment’ or user-centred narratives were clear in previous years, the dimension of expectation/focus in tutorials around criticality and ‘rigorous interrogation’ was a step up from the previous academic year. Naturally aspects of the design process develop between stages, but it is still important to evaluate the understanding of the values of practice(s) and students feeling able to draw on lived-experiences to drive criticality, generating knowledge rather than ‘receiving it’. We discussed the value of possibilities to ‘make errors’ and the time to experiment (eg modelling exercise or create a fanzine), as students’ previous academic narratives ingrained a ‘right answer: good grades’ ethos. This could help to both develop understanding of value of explorative methodologies and build confidence to ‘take risks’.
In reflection, this opportunity to take time out of my day-to-day work environment and schedule to reflect and evaluate has been very valuable. We are convened in the institution on the premise that the students are seeking questions, ideas and skills to ‘create’. Our job as the university and staff is to provide a thriving environment where this can be done in a dignified manner (safely) and ultimately with the belief that it matters to us and the world around us.
It has been great to revisit the student experience and reflect on my own journey of studentship, seeing similarities and differences (positive and negative).
This ARP Project has given me the opportunity through time, academic support, evaluative skills, new references and networks to create a starting point.