Case Study 1: Knowing and Responding to Your Students’ Diverse Needs
Contextual Background
I have the privilege of teaching a eclecticgroup of students who come from various cultural backgrounds and different levels of English proficiency. They each have culturally diverse learning styles in addition to some special learning needs and widely differing cultural perceptions of education. Some students are used to to top-down teaching methods and I think they feel unsettled when not provided with direct instructions, which gives us an opportunity to understand and address their expectations of the learning process.
Evaluation
Currently, I employ several strategies to address the diverse needs of my students. I use differentiated instruction to cater to varying learning styles and levels of English proficiency (Tomlinson, 2017). This includes providing materials in multiple formats (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) and offering additional language support for those who need it. I also encourage collaborative learning through group activities that promote peer-to-peer interaction. However, these approaches have been met with mixed results. While some students thrive in this environment, others struggle to adapt, especially those who are used to more traditional, directive teaching methods (Hattie & Clarke, 2019).
Moving Forwards
I have researched and observed several strategies that could enhance my teaching practice. One approach is to incorporate culturally responsive teaching, which involves integrating students’ cultural references into the learning experience (Gay, 2018). This can be achieved by acknowledging and valuing students’ diverse backgrounds in classroom discussions and materials, thus creating a more inclusive learning environment, we held hot pot eating group tutorials, and the power of food in making people comfortable to speak should also not go unnoticed (Ladson-Billings, 1995).
I plan to implement more structured scaffolding techniques. By breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps and providing clear guidance, I can help students who are accustomed to top-down methods gradually become more comfortable with student-centered learning (Brookfield, 2017). I find the freedom they get in UK universities as contrasting to Chinese or Indian or Latin American Universities quite a stark distance to breach.
I also aim to create a culture in which students see challenges as opportunities for learning rather than obstacles to avoid. This involves providing constructive feedback that emphasizes effort and improvement, helping students develop resilience and adaptability (Hattie & Clarke, 2019).
In order to reflect and iterate I will regularly collect feedback from students through surveys and informal discussions. This will allow me to make adjustments as needed and ensure that my teaching methods remain responsive to their evolving needs.
Reflecting on these experiences, I realize the importance of being flexible and open to experimentation in my teaching practice. By continuously seeking feedback and adapting my methods, I can better meet the diverse needs of my students and create a more inclusive and effective learning experience.
References
Brookfield, S. D. (2017). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. John Wiley & Sons.
Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. Teachers College Press.
Hattie, J., & Clarke, S. (2019). Visible learning: Feedback. Routledge.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). “Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy.” American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-491.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2017). How to differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms. ASCD.
Case Study 2: Planning and Teaching for Effective Learning
Contextual Background
In our course, we emphasize experiential and situated learning to engage students with concepts through real-world experiences but also their experience of the real world contrasted to positionality and an analysis of it. This approach includes workshops on design justice, field trips to spaces they might have never been to, and interactions with professionals, this (I hope) will drive understanding and retain concepts more effectively. A key challenge has been providing diverse learning opportunities that cater to different learning styles and preferences, which has led me to reflect on my teaching methods and their impact (Kolb, 1984).
Evaluation
To address these challenges, I organized a field trip to a botanical brewery. This experience was designed to allow students to engage directly with the concepts discussed in class such as working with non-humans, ecological, closed-loop, . During the visit, students listened to a presentation, toured the facility, tasted products, and interacted with the brewing materials. This was an opportunity for me to observe how experiential learning can facilitate deeper understanding, as students learned at their own pace and from their perspectives (Dewey, 1938).
Reflecting on the experience, I realize that while the effectiveness of experiential learning is difficult to measure quantitatively, the qualitative feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive. Students expressed feeling more connected to the subject and appreciated the tangible experience. They also enjoyed the informal setting of a picnic and walk, which provided a rare opportunity to discuss ecology and nature outside the traditional classroom environment.
Moving Forwards
This experience has motivated me to incorporate more experiential learning opportunities, such as additional field trips and hands-on workshops. Experiential learning theory suggests that knowledge is created through the transformation of experience (Kolb, 1984). The course that i teach on is not devoid of big complex concepts and wicked problems, students want to solve these and this from a desk based perspective. Encouraging students to learn by doing is integral to our MA.
We also encourage this action to be always already coupled with a investigation of positionality. Encouraging students to reflect on their perspectives and backgrounds in tandem has allowed me to help them understand how these factors influence their interpretation and understanding of new information (Haraway, 1988). We however could ask the students for more formal follow up reports on these activities to make sure this information sediments into learning.
I plan to collect more detailed qualitative feedback from students, focusing on their engagement levels and perceived learning outcomes.
References
Das, M., Ostrowski, A. K., Ben-David, S., Roeder, G. J., Kimura, K., D’Ignazio, C., Breazeal, C., & Verma, A. (2023). Auditing design justice: The impact of social movements on design pedagogy at a technology institution. Design Studies, 86, 101183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2023.101183
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. Macmillan.
Haraway, D. J. (1988). “Situated knowledges: The science question in feminism and the privilege of partial perspective.” Feminist Studies, 14(3), 575-599.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice-Hall.
Case Study 3: Assessing Learning and Exchanging Feedback
Contextual Background
Feedback could be a joyful celebration of student work and a dynamic discussion amongst student staff and peers but it often becomes a dreaded part of teaching which is tiring, draining and overall doesnt feel fair. We have recently tried different approaches to marking together on our MA and I wanted to reflect upon these.
Evaluation
Our current assessment strategy involves grading individual projects against learning outcomes and providing written feedback. While this process delivers constructive criticism, it often feels unjust. Then benchmarking easily becomes relative marking which can create a competitive environment, undermining the diverse practitioner backgrounds in the MA program (Brooks, 2008). This traditional approach to feedback fails to capture the holistic and collaborative spirit we aim to foster in our MA. We always ask students to reflect on what they did to bring in a bit of self-awarness and assessment into the mix.
The feedback we provide is formative, and intended to support students’ self-regulation and learning. According to Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick (2006), effective formative feedback helps students understand their learning goals, assess their progress, and take action to improve.
Moving Forwards
To enhance the feedback process, we recently experimented with a more engaging and communal approach. We organized an assessment afternoon with teaching staff, accompanied by drinks and food, to review student projects collectively. This celebratory atmosphere allowed us to genuinely appreciate students’ work and calibrate our expectations for more aligned feedback (Race, 2001).
This communal approach helped us see students’ work as part of a broader effort rather than isolated assessments. We engaged in discussions about constructive responses and celebrated the diversity of ideas presented in the projects. This initial step was more enjoyable and aligned with our values of care and collaboration in teaching.
I plan to make use of students more centrally into the feedback process by implementing self, peer, and group assessments by asking them to assess their own work as if they were us. This transposition of positionality should be very generative. In Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick’s (2006) principles of good feedback, emphasizing self-regulation in learning.
This collective and dialogical technique is further supported by Race’s (2001) emphasis on making feedback an essential part of the learning process. Workshops where students and faculty collaboratively discuss projects can offer insights and constructive criticism that enhance learning and understanding.
References
Brooks, V. (2008). Students’ critique of feedback in an academic context: A social and linguistic analysis. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(3), 231-241.
Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218.
Race, P. (2001). The lecturer’s toolkit: A practical guide to assessment, learning, and teaching. Kogan Page.