Author Archives: Steven Johnson

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I would like to say a huge thanks to my tutors on this unit Rachel Marsden and Karen Matthewman, who have been patient, insightful and knowledgeable. Thanks also to all the Bespoke Tailoring tutors, in particular Daniel Poulsen for being … Continue reading →

This is the short version, to be used! This is the long version

While my Action Research Project has confirmed the value of integrating Analogue drawing into Digital learning environments, it also raised new questions about how to deepen its impact and measure its alignment with social justice goals. Straightforward Applications of using … Continue reading →

I found my Action Research Project topic to be larger than I could manage in the time available, but I did manage to investigate one part, the effect of Analogue Drawing in Technical sessions. This part is what I see … Continue reading →

Waiting for the lifts at East Bank in early November, I had a chance meeting with one of my colleagues who is a tutor on the Bespoke Tailoring BA course, Azleen Henry Masih. From previous conversations she knew that I … Continue reading →

I downloaded the raw data from Microsoft Forms, then I formalised the data using charts and percentages and including any comments for each question, then I analysed each question, then compiled an analysis of the questionnaire for each Year group, … Continue reading →

Although I couldn’t attend workshop 3a, I saw the recording and chose Semiotic analysis and Thematic analysis to compare. Whilst they are both qualitative research methods used to interpret data, they differ in focus and application. Semiotic Analysis Semiotic analysis … Continue reading →

The response rates for the questionnaire across Year 1 (21%), Year 2 (21%), and Year 3 (15%) were relatively low, which raises questions about the representativeness of the data and the potential for bias. A key concern is that the … Continue reading →

Reflecting on the practicalities of collecting data through online forms, I found that I needed to prompt students in person, as well as email, to fill in the forms. This included bumping in to them in the canteen, and also … Continue reading →

Having decided to use online forms for questionnaires, I contacted Mark Robinson from Learning Technology Support to ascertain the difference between Moodle Forms and Microsoft Forms. He was very helpful, and said that in Moodle Forms it is not easy … Continue reading →

Here is my BERA statement, added at the beginning of all communication with students regarding the questionnaire, as seen in the PDFs attached to the previous Post: I am studying for a postgraduate teaching certificate, and for the final part … Continue reading →

When designing the data-gathering process for my Action Research Project, I aimed to capture diverse perspectives across all year groups in the Bespoke Tailoring course while maintaining a primary focus on Year 2 students. To achieve this, I developed three … Continue reading →

So now to gather data. Why did I choose a questionnaire? From the initial workshop, ‘Methods Reading activity, I looked at all the suggested approaches. I discounted Collaborative Autoethnography as I was the only researcher, Document Analysis as the only … Continue reading →

My Ethical Action Plan went through a number of revisions. I have included them all here to show this. At first my project was too open ended. ‘How to increase student engagement for a series of sessions in which they … Continue reading →

I have turned my attention to how Action Research Projects can help me explore my Analogue Drawing exercises in sessions. The intention is that one person becomes self-evaluative in order to work better for others with whom they are in … Continue reading →

With Daniel Poulsen’s kind permission, I have been holding Analogue Drawing exercises at the beginning of my sessions with Bespoke Tailoring students since the beginning of the last Academic Year, 23 / 24. As I have mentioned in previous blog … Continue reading →

Another approach that I find has a resonance for me was the ‘Drawing Futures’ symposium at the Bartlett School of Architecture in 2016. This event explored the value of analogue activity and culminated in the publication ‘Drawing Futures: Speculations in … Continue reading →

I felt that the most underexplored and unexplained aspect to my IP Intervention Project, and indeed teaching pratice, is how I have found experientially that ‘Thinking through Drawing’ is a very useful activity for student understanding and learning in both … Continue reading →

By integrating Analogue drawing into my Adobe/Illustrator sessions, my research addresses Social Justice principles, making digital learning more inclusive, equitable, and accessible. I run the Layout and Adobe section for the ‘Introduction To’ unit across 4 courses, which is the … Continue reading →

Another large, related influence at this time was Fred Wilson’s ‘Mining the Museum’ (1992), an exhibition at the Maryland Historical Socity, commissioned as a collaboration by the Contemporary Museum, Baltimore in the US that examined curatorial practices and the politics … Continue reading →

My Action Research Project focusses on addressing the Social Justice issues of Student Inclusion, Digital Equity, Digital Literacy and the equitable broader access to technology and Sustainability, by increasing student engagement in sessions in which they learn Digital Skills such … Continue reading →

My intervention focusses on Cultural Appropriation, as outlined in a previous post: “To exist is to be called into being in relation to an otherness, its look or locus. […] The very process of identification, through which we project and … Continue reading →

The recent peer presentation and critique session was invaluable, providing insights and affirming that others are still shaping their Action Research Projects (ARPs). I found the discussion of Fflur’s ARP particularly compelling, as it aims to help first-year students express … Continue reading →

Bradbury and Garrett’s academic studies reveal the deep-rooted biases in educational policies and career trajectories, while Sadiq’s TEDx talk and Channel 4’s documentary highlight practical steps towards meaningful inclusivity. Alice Bradbury’s 2020 study, “A Critical Race Theory Framework for Education … Continue reading →

The Oxford English Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as the taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another, especially Western appropriations of non‐Western or non‐white forms, which carry connotations of exploitation and dominance. I worked … Continue reading →

UAL statistics regarding staff and students who have a faith, show a 10% higher declaration rate from staff than students. This made me wonder whether students might be more hesitant to declare their faith, but I need further investigation. In … Continue reading →

In this post I consider Intersectionality, and how my teaching in open spaces can impact disabled people. Intersectionality, a concept introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, explores the interconnected nature of identity such as race, class, gender, and sexuality. It … Continue reading →

Introduction and Background:Collaborative drawing sessions for Year 1 BA Textile Design students foster class bonding, teamwork and enhance creative skills. However, when students are not all fluent English speakers, providing effective verbal feedback and promoting teamwork can pose challenges. I … Continue reading →

Introduction and Background:Building on the analogue drawing exercises I use as a precursor to digital design instruction, I explore further the integration of analogue drawing activities in Adobe Illustrator Technical Skills sessions for Year 1 BA Bespoke Tailoring students, aiming … Continue reading →

Introduction and Background:In my Adobe Illustrator Technical Skills sessions for Year 1 BA Womenswear students, acknowledging and addressing varying levels of skill among students is paramount to fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment, and ensuring each student has a … Continue reading →

Enhancing Adobe Illustrator Teaching Through Object-Based Learning My session aimed to test a method of making the teaching of technical aspects of Adobe Illustrator more engaging to students by comparing the Digital Pen tool with Analogue pencil drawing. I wanted … Continue reading →

The Charismatic Lecturer article from Workshop 1, related to Teaching Digital Technical Adobe Photoshop Skills. Macfarlane’s (2004) exploration of “The Charismatic Lecturer” in “Teaching with Integrity: The Ethics of Higher Education Practice” delves into the multifaceted role of tutors in … Continue reading →

This was a very useful PgCert Workshop, number 4, in which discussion was centred around the effectiveness of setting Learning Outcomes. In the article I read, Nicholas Addison explores the role of Learning Outcomes (LOs) in higher education, particularly in … Continue reading →

I very much enjoyed discussing the article ‘Could do Better?’: students’ critique of written feedback’ by Kate Brooks in the workshop. Here are my main points: • Students’ Feedback Expectations and Experiences: The article highlights students’ perceptions of feedback in … Continue reading →

In this post I explore the application of Carl Rogers’ humanistic principles, as elucidated in his influential work “Freedom to Learn,” to the teaching of technical aspects of creating Fashion Technical Sheets (FTS) in Adobe Illustrator. I take the chapter … Continue reading →

Lars Lindström (2012): Aesthetic Learning About, In, With and Through the Arts: A Curriculum Study, The International Journal of Art and Design Education Given this article to assess, Lindström‘s radical ‘method of art’ challenged me to look at using different … Continue reading →

I teach Drawing, Visual Communication and Adobe Creative Cloud at UAL. I’m looking forward to my time studying for the PgCert which will help me explore more ways to teach Drawing and Creativity, with a particular regard to the gap … Continue reading →