Introduction
On the BA Fashion Jewellery and MA Artefact course we have a diverse student group. Supporting the learning of international students who have English as a second or third language when delivering specialist technical workshops using technical terminology that they have not yet been exposed to can lead to gaps in understanding and learning. This barrier to learning is accompanied by different factors such as but not limited to previous educational experiences and learning styles.
Evaluation
International students, comprise most of the students on the two courses I work with. As Allan states “some students struggle with English…and find their taught sessions a challenge” (2016, p. 19). I have put in place reasonable adjustments to facilitate accessibility to resources, as Allan suggests on page 29, including sharing course content in advance (through Moodle), using a lot of images (in PowerPoints and handouts), highlighting in bold key words in text, providing a glossary of technical terms at the start of the course with corresponding images, providing clear guidance throughout the session. I still think that more can be done as some students still struggle with using the technical terminology, knowing the name of different tools and following demonstrations.
Moving Forwards
Provide learning materials in advance: I continue to provideall learning materials one week in advance, which is line with UAL guidance on accessibility. I would also like to create video content soon, such as recordings of demonstrations to share in advance. I do wonder is this will make a difference to how many students choose to access this information before class.
Provide a glossary of terms: Students are provided with an illustrated glossary of jewellery terms and tools as part of their jewellery workshop induction. I find that as with most handouts these don’t get looked at again after this session. It was highlighted in my microteaching session that I didn’t explain or give time for the handout to be looked at before starting the session, going forward I will implement this in my classes.
Provide examples of good work: I have samples for all the core skills sessions I deliver. These include samples of each step (when applicable) and of a finished piece/sample that meet all the learning outcomes set at the start of the class. I will include more examples of these samples on Moodle going forward.
Consider recording your sessions: Some students record part of my sessions such as demonstrations. Going forward I would like to try recording a session and making it available for students on Moodle, this is a long-term plan that requires co-ordination with other departments such as digital learning.
Conclusion
Following UAL guidance from the disability inclusion tool kit, I am responding to the diverse needs of my students and looking at better supporting international students. I will start recording demonstrations prior to classes and uploading these with the other updated resources as discussed above on Moodle when I resume teaching core skills classes next term.
References
Allan, B. (2016) Emerging strategies for supporting Student Learning: A practical guide for librarians and educators. London: Facet Publishing, p. 19-31.
University of the Arts London (2019) Canvas.arts.ac.uk. Available at: https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/documents/sppreview/3550bb2f-db31-4a28-8223-6a13d80001e7 (Accessed: 31 January 2025).
University of the Arts London (no date) Disability Inclusion Toolkit, Canvas.arts.ac.uk. Available at: https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/45680/disability-inclusion-toolkit (Accessed: 31 January 2025).
University of the Arts London (2019) Using Moodle for Access and Inclusion, Canvas.arts.ac.uk. Available at: https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/documents/sppreview/62ea1f01-8ad6-4691-a420-e90767dc280f (Accessed: 31 January 2025).
University of the Arts London (2019) Recording taught session, Canvas.arts.ac.uk. Available at: https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/documents/sppreview/7694686e-ff31-4cb0-a92a-ff3fe7e3d3c6 (Accessed: 31 January 2025).