Online tutorial with:
Kwame Baah, Jade Gellard, Jess Curtis, Adam Gibbons, Antonella Norris and me.
Apologies were given as I joined the meeting late. Format of the meeting was each student introduced their action research project, and then feedback was given.
Who: Jess Curtis: Lecturer in Design for Performance, School of Media and Communication London College of Fashion, UAL.
ARP Aim: Developing representation and creating a resource of figurative references for use relevant to the course. Ethical imperative to build a more global, diverse and realistic representation of images used in costume development relevant for course content
Methods: How would you collect data? Interviewing practitioners, questionnaire and consent forms participation activity for colleagues and students. How is data collection managed? Imagery use solely for academic purposes.
Feedback:
Jade: use scaffolding and handouts. what about participant effects and bias?
Antonella: voiced concerns about not getting enough participation or feedback – how would you move forwards if this was the case?
Kwame: Consider language requests – how would you plan and manage that? Jess stated that digital iteration of handouts might help translation.
SH: consider identifying key phrases to help with translation issues – although would need to check context.
My thoughts: Excellent research project that could add significant value to promoting global majority representation on the course and beyond. Very exciting, thoroughly explored and credible.
Who: Dr Antonella Nonnis Ph.D. Tangible User Interfaces, Autism, Play, Children, Self-regulation, Neurodiversity, Ableism. Lecturer in User Experience Design at the University of the Arts London | AFHEA. Design School | London College of Communication
ARP Aim: Exploring the role of technology in academia, intersectional inclusion and inclusive environments.
Methods: Has been planning participation activity for student focus group with a funded ‘reward or thank you for participating; issues with funding and thei has impacted the planning/scheduling of the activity.
Feedback:
Anotonella’s connection was glitchy, and I couldn’t follow what she was saying. I have no further feedback.
Who: Jade Gellard: Specialist Technician (Learning and Teaching) Contour.
ARP Aim: Developing a handout for use within technical workshops for Contour Students, that has improved imagery and messaging that is current and understandable by international students. Designed to be a portable element to fit any room.
Methods: Consent forms and questionnaire participation activity for colleagues and students. How is feedback data collection managed.
Feedback:
Kwame: Make the prototype and decide on specifics and map into a timeline. try to decide what is deliverable for ARP and what will come after?
My thoughts: Jade has put together such a robust and plausible research project that could add significant value to the technical aspects of crucial making techniques that could be lost in translation. Jade’s academic research is enviable! The project is very exciting, thoroughly explored and has great potential.
Who: Adam Gibbons: Lecturer in BA Design for Art Direction, Branding Design Innovation Programme Wide. LCC, UAL.
ARP Aim: Developing a visual ‘bank of memories’ and understanding of the local environment by the simple act of going for a walk.
Methods: Non-verbal participation activity for colleagues and students. How is data collection managed and analysed?
Feedback:
Kwame: Timeline
SH: whats the route & why? consider engaging and researching Guy de Bord’s psychogeographies and the derives (mapping) he and the situationists undertook.
My thoughts: I really like this approach, it’s quiet and gentle and can be an activity that could be undertaken at the beginning, middle and end of the course, engaging students in what they see and how it changes through revisiting. I recommended Adam to look at Guy de Bord’s derives and psychogeograhies – a fascinating participatory research process, that might suit ‘the walk’.
Who: Sarah Harkins : Associate Lecturer, Architecture and Spatial Design, 3D Design, UAL School of Pre-Degree Studies, Foundation in Art and Design.
ARP Aim: I was still formalising the question. I am interested in using the quote by Phyllida Barlow “space is something to be explored” Aiming to be more inclusive in the learning environments – how can the students inform change?
Methods: Posters? Questionnaire, participation activity for architecture and spatial design students.
Feedback: sadly, everyone (my peers) had to leave before I got to finish discussing my project.
Kwame: How is data collection managed and analysed? Consider/identify the methods I need to use. clarify the question, plan the activities on a timeline.
My thoughts: While it was disappointing not to get formative feedback from my peers, I understood why they couldn’t stay on the call (I was late to the meeting and they had to return to work). I noted that I would speak to Jess, Jade and Antonella at the next face-to-face workshop.
Next Steps:
- Firm up and formalise the aim of my ARP
- Research issues surrounding U18year olds consent
- Complete Ethics form
- What methodologies can I employ for researching?
- TIMELINE is key!
Above: Initial timeline! Harkins, S. October 2025