Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice         

Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: CertHE: Preparation for Design, Media and Screen Studies – Skillspine

Size of student group: 25

Observer: Justyna Machnick

Observee: Lamprini Tzanaki

 Note: This record is solely for exchanging developmental feedback between colleagues. Its reflective aspect informs PgCert and Fellowship assessment, but it is not an official evaluation of teaching and is not intended for other internal or legal applications such as probation or disciplinary action.

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?

 Skillspine Session – Narrative Photography: Creating a tableau.

As part of the curriculum of the course, students have Skillspine sessions once a week to learn new skills and approaches to their practice so they can use them to develop their project as well as well as experimenting with new techniques.

In this session we will be looking into narrative photography and how to create a photographic tableau to tell a story.

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

I have been working with this group for two months helping them to prepare a portfolio to apply for BA Courses in UAL and outside of UAL, on 1-1 tutorials. The Skillspine session that it’s being observed, will be the first time that I deliver a workshop type session for this group.

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?

The students will explore a different approach to inform their practice. We will be looking into the genre of narrative photography and how other photographers and artists have used it so they will be able to develop more contextual awareness around the theme. We will also explore how they can use photography to tell and create story and all the different elements they will have to consider. The other part of the session will be to use different types of equipment such as Polaroid and pinhole cameras.

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

The students will produce storyboards and photo shoots plans as well as digital and/or physical photographs.

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?

Engagement is one of main concerns as students tend to lose interest and stop collaborating with their peers or interacting with the workshop. I think language barrier is also another issue which affects engagement as there are a lot of students in that group that struggle with the language. 

There’s also a lack of facilities with classrooms that they’re not equipped for the type of workshops that we run in the course as the more tutorial/lecture rooms instead of studios especially when teaching photography.

How will students be informed of the observation/review?

I will let the students know in the session before starting the workshop.

What would you particularly like feedback on?

Delivery of the workshop and structure, communication with students, engagement and classroom management. 

How will feedback be exchanged?

I’d like the feedback written.

Part Two

Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:

The session was effectively organized with all props ready to start and presentation titled displaced on the screen, with Lamprini initiating group formation at the start. Despite initial difficulty in getting students to cooperate, Lamprini used humor and a positive manner to persuade them, resulting in successful group formation. 

Once the attendees were settled, Lamprini delivered a highly informative, inspiring, and well-defined presentation on Narrative Photography: Creating a tableau. Students appeared engaged throughout the presentation, actively listening, taking notes, and asking questions about the examples showcased. Lamprini effectively used simple, approachable language and a variety of visuals to explain the concept of narrative photography and demonstrate how to craft a photography tableau to tell a story. At the end of the presentation Lamprini introduced students to the equipment such as: polaroid camera and pinhole camera that they could use for their activity, which she brief student on shortly after. 

Initially, students hesitated to participate with their peers, preferring to work independently rather than as a group. Lamprini positively encouraged collaboration by suggesting they create a mind map of ideas, considering elements such as space, story, and light highlighted in the presentation. Some students may have felt overwhelmed by the project’s scope and timeframe, as well as by the professional photography examples presented, which may have seemed unattainable. To alleviate this, Lamprini could have perhaps shared additional examples of narrative photography created by students at their level, making the task feel more achievable and less daunting. Nevertheless, Lamprini supported students throughout the task by suggesting ideas and sharing (verbally) examples of projects completed by students in previous years. This guidance helped students feel more confident and inspired as they worked on their own narrative photography projects.

Lamprini has exhibited exceptional communication and organizational skills, fostering an environment where students feel confident to ask questions and actively engage in the workshop tasks. Her approachability and clarity have encouraged and motivated student participation and eased a productive learning atmosphere; even though the physical space was not ideal for those sorts of activities. 

I found the session extremely interesting, even though I work in a different field of arts. I was drawn into the subject, just as the students were, and extended my observations as a result.

Part Three

Observee to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:

The feedback I received as part of my observation was constructive and helped me understand more about my approach to teaching and pinpoint things I need to work on. 

That group of students has been challenging to find ways to engage them as they prefer to work independently and struggle to understand the collaborative aspects of the sessions. The feedback made me understand that the way I approach and deal with the issue, students not wanting to form groups outside of their own, was positive and confirmed that. it was the right approach. In reflection, I should have included an outline of the session on my first slide as part of my observation to make it more accessible. I did give a verbal outline before the start of the session, but I understand that the students might need written confirmation to absorb the information.

In the course, we pay a lot of attention to contextual awareness so the examples that I use as part of my presentation is to help the students to understand further how they can use references to influence their ideas; helping with idea development and primary and secondary research. However, I agree with the observer that I should have included more attainable approachable examples which I will be doing in the future. I think I should explain further the reasons behind showing these kinds of examples and how they can use them as references for their project and how they can be used as part of the Skillspine session. I should have also included in the presentation an outline of the task with a timeframe so they could go back to while working on the task.

The lack of facilities is a big challenge as the students would have understood better the aims of the session and engaged more in a studio setting. They would have been able to explore and experiment with the different equipment and within the brief that was given as part of the session. 

In general, the feedback was positive, which made me feel more confident about my teaching and how I tackle the different challenges I come across in a class. It has helped me to see what I do right, and I should keep it as part of my teaching practice. Also, things that I should pay attention to and improve so the students have better learning experience and alleviate the challenges that I experience as an educator.