Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Finding Career Direction (recorded session)
Size of student group: 50 live additional 12 from recording data
Observer: Dr Almiro Andrade
Observee: Jacqui Rudd
Note: This record is solely for exchanging developmental feedback between colleagues. Its reflective aspect informs PgCert and Fellowship assessment, but it is not an official evaluation of teaching and is not intended for other internal or legal applications such as probation or disciplinary action.
Part One
Observee to complete in brief and send to observer prior to the observation or review:
What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum?
- This session is for all students across UAL in the extra-curricular context, supporting students at the start of the academic year to explore employability.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
- I support all students across UAL since I started at UAL November 2021.
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
- Creating an opportunity for more flexible mindset and approach to careers and ditch conventional career rules
- Identify some core values which will help guide their career direction and decisions
- Gain a better understanding of their skills and what skills interest them to pursue further and their skill development zone
- Combine values, purpose, skills and interests into a perfect workday to Identify some career goals
- Get ideas of how to test and prototype possible career routes, jobs and industries and build evidence of skills in action
- Consider how to communicate their career narrative and create a story for interviews and articulate them on different platforms
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
- Gain a list of their 5 core values
- Understand 3 of their values in context
- Map out a list of their skills
- Identify some skills for development
- Leave with a draft perfect workday
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
- Attendees range from undergrad students to alumni with years of experience and all could be from 100 different courses at UAL, so the session exercises have to be adaptable and flexible to many peoples contexts
- Online session with lots of reflective exercises, I worry students brains will switch off
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
- Online recording so no need
What would you particularly like feedback on?
- If they felt the sessions exercises were engaging enough for an online session
- If my teaching is clear and easy to understand
- If the session was practical enough or too reflective
How will feedback be exchanged?
- Written probably with a follow-up informal video call conversation would be ideal
Part Two
Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
Great start of the session, giving time for people to join in and catch as slides are about to start. Tone of voice is assertive but calm, which allows students/listeners to follow the content with ease and undivided attention (no flashy moving card/slides).
Fantastic prompt questions for the individual exercises; perhaps having more exercises based on breakout rooms for students to be in pairs, or small groups of 3-4, could have allowed for more engagement and enrich their discussions through the themes being asked for them to reflect on (specially such open concepts such as values and purposes). But again, it may have been designed that away to suit the class to be attended by students that are not necessarily attending/watching it together – so I would love to hear more of the contextualisation for the groups attending those sessions and for how long they are held online for the cohorts to access them.
The flexibility and adaptability aspects which were named as possible difficulties or areas of concern seem to have been thoroughly thought-out by tutor for this session, allowing for all participants to understand what is being asked of them, whatever their standing is in their career trajectory. Having said that, it would be interesting to experiment with prompts that could be more directed to certain demographics so, from the practical examples or prompts that you use during those sessions, they can feel they are in the right place to engage with this sort of activity and be able to discuss their own relationship with the themes explored be that in the chat box within the session or following my previous suggestion of breakout rooms.
The tutor acknowledges that participants are being asked to collect quite a large amount of data – which is reassuring and takes the pressure out of participants who might be feeling overwhelmed by the number of things they are being asked to reflect on throughout the session. However, it may be good to interweave those reflective exercises with practical exercises that allow participants to use the sections of data they are being asked to produce onto practical scenarios that are relevant to their own realities.
The storytelling technique format exposed is brilliant, giving participants a very useful and engaging way to structure their interview statements – be that in writing or verbally. That could have been one of the practical exercises (allowing participants to figure out, point by point, present, past and future of their career prospectus and goals as they go along) so when they reach that part of the session, participants can give more informed tries on creating that narrative (i.e. the tutor notices many participants have given short descriptive for their present positions, or discouraging the use of adjectives with the job they are doing such as “budding author” or “emerging artist”, and this could have been flashed out earlier in the session).
Overall, this a very successful lecture for a very wide audience (incredibly challenging) and the tutor has been able to engage an audience from different stages in their academic and/or professional career to think through their positionality within their job market and how they can understand the challenges and opportunities present in responding to the offers present in their respective markets. Well done!
Part Three
Observee to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:
Very detailed feedback covering many aspects of the session and my approach to teaching. It’s reassuring to know that my tone is calm and assertive, I worry I can be informal in my approach to teaching so it’s nice that my voice comes across as somewhat confident.
I have a very reflective approach to teaching and I am glad the observer was able to pick up on this and enjoyed the prompt questions chosen. They suggest breakout rooms which is something I have tried in the past but unsuccessfully as my attendees are so varied, sometimes 10 years after graduation, sometimes that brings benefits to the sessions but it depends on the topic and the exercise, but worth exploring further if it aids the students.
I am so glad that the observer thought it was clear that adaptability had been thought-out and that the session information was both clear and flexible to different viewers contexts. The suggestion of utilizing the chatbox or break out groups to articulate their individual perspective is a good idea, in some sessions I use white board function too if it’s an exercise that would benefit from anonymous responses.
I am really glad that it’s clear I am trying to reassure the viewers and reduce pressure, reflective exercises can be challenging and I don’t want them to be overwhelmed by it. I agree with the practical exercise to complement the reflective one it could help to ground the learning more. I worry that the session could become to exercise heavy and long, but it’s worth experimenting with and getting feedback from students.
I am glad the storytelling section was a highlight, I do think I could do an entire session just on this. I am glad the observer saw the value in it and I agree it does make for an excellent practical exercise which is aided by the formula.
It’s lovely to read that the observer understands the challenge I face having such a wide audience but feels the lecture was successful. This feedback has been really helpful and comes at a good time when I am starting to plan for next academic year and this will help inform how I adapt this session and others going forward.