Session to be observed:
MSc Creative Computing:
Unit: Critical Computational Thinking
MSc Year
Week 14: Object Oriented Inquries
Date: —.01.22
Time: 14oo-17oo. The first hour is lecturing; then 1 hour group work, then student presentations.
Given that I have not received explicit consent for the students to be observed, please only review the section of the lecture that features me lecturing. The student’s microphone is turned off in the recording, but you can hear my response to the student prompts.
Link: https://ual.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=a050c630-dd13-4e37-909f-ae1601327078
Class size: 55-80 enrolled + auditing students
Observee: M J Hunter Brueggemann Observer: Kirsty Nevett
Observee to complete the following in brief and discuss with observer prior to session:
Context statement:
I have picked this session for observation post-hoc having held the class.
I am usually very happy and invigorated after teaching; yet this class exhausted me for several reasons. As this is potentially one of my weakest performances of the year, I think using this as a learning opportunity would be strategic.
What wasn’t ideal:
- I was physically very exhausted because my secondary job, which is finishing and the admin there is tricky to navigate. I am overdue with marking these student essays (from my secondary job); whilst lacking any input on what the feedback and marking criteria mean. (Not UAL).
- I also only had 28 hours notice of having to hold this lecture; so the slides are much worse than I would like them to be.
- Furthermore, the students didn’t have enough time to do the class readings or the homework because there was not enough notice. I usually rely on these readings to have a conversation and enable them to do their group work.
- The students have no prior education/training in philosophy, so I am relying heavily on the readings as basis for a meaningful engagement with the topics of the lecture.
- I also didn’t upload the slides before the class, which I usually do (48 hour notice for accessibility + language considerations), which frustrated me, as this is something I am committed to actively improve on.
- Having said all that; I am also aware that I have really high standards for my own lecture, and I think that – to the students – this lecture seems to have gone really well. In fact, I had 3 tutorials that week in which the students gave me really high praise which was lovely. (“I love the themes you teach”, “I could listen to you all day”, “I would love to listen to you talk all day”. I think I am really good at hiding how I feel internally whilst in lecturer/presenter mode. (One of the things stand-up comedy teaches you immediately!)
I am interested in your feedback on this session for the above reasons:
- I usually am very satisfied with my lectures; I would like to hear from you about this one because it went comparatively poorly.
- To address some of the weaknesses, after the lecture I revised the slides and made them much more accessible. (I told the students this in class that I would do this and circulated the new link.) The original slides from the lecture wouldn’t be useful for the students in the long run; so I uploaded a revised version which will be more meaningful to them in the long run.
I hope that these new slides are more useful to them in a few weeks (and could probably be re-used next year).
Revised Slides:
https://artslondon-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/h_brueggemann_arts_ac_uk/EXRmkOgJjjNJtvBpezED5yEBXsPy3Nf0jt4D2SUp2r5I3g?e=cEVoRq
Overall: I think there is a lot you can articulate re: constructive feedback on my lecture.
My line manager is particularly keen for me to develop the following skills:
- a) slide accessibility
- b) developing my ability to teach online.
As you will probably see, my lecturing style is quite interactive and intended to put the students into a particular emotional place of “inquisitive empathy”.
I want the students to associate critical theory with a feeling of interest and confidence. I am aware that this is not a philosophy degree, and I can’t teach them philosophy at any meaningful level; but what I CAN do, is give them the courage and confidence to engage with primary philosophical literature on their own – whenever they need it; be this during their studies at UAL or once they graduate.
HOWEVER: I am concerned that this approach and my skill-set are maybe not as effective when teaching through zoom/teams etc. Some pointers how to transfer my skills into the digital medium would be extremely helpful.
*** *** *** *** ***
- Why have you chosen this session for observation?
See above.
- What is the context of this session within the curriculum?
This session is dedicated to equipping the students with the tools to critically think about objects in new ways; grounded in the literature of the new material turn.
- How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
Since they began their MSc degrees. This is a double-term unit.
- Intended or expected learning outcomes for this session:
See slides.
- Anticipated outputs from the session (anything students will make/do):
Write an object-oriented inquiry. See slides
- Any potential difficulties or areas of concern:
See above.
- How will students be informed of the observation:
See above.
- What you would particularly like feedback on:
See above. (Accessibility and inclusion, particularly for non-native English speakers or non-Western students, or ISA students)
- How will feedback be exchanged?
However is most convenient for you.
As my line manager is keen to track my developments in this area, maybe let me know if you consent to share your feedback with her. Alternatively, I may ask you for a summary of your observation at a later stage for my probation review, provided this request is appropriate and you are willing to do this for me, (no pressure!). We can discuss this at a later stage and see what is comfortable for you.
Rachel’s response:
Usually, the OB1 form is completed in advance of a session (not essential though), rather than post-hoc. What is interesting here is the level of in-depth reflection on the session to be observed and already delivered. I look forward to hearing your further responses on the OB2 form once the observations from Kirsty and I are completed.
Also, you have consent from me if you want to share the OB2 form with your line manager. What might be best is to share your overall workflow portfolio with your manager once completed as it will give much more holistic insight into your learning experiences from the unit. Just an idea.
R