Tag: Teaching and Observations

This post reflects on a seminar in which I was observed by a PgCert tutor, focusing on engaging students in collaborative innovation and critical thinking while facilitating rapid idea development and pitching. See the observation notes in this link.

Delivering a seminar for the MBA from LCF around Innovation and Fashion Business Futures was an enriching experience. This was my first engagement with this cohort – I will be supervising two students in their final Consultancy Project. My objective was to create a highly interactive and applied learning session that complemented the recorded lecture I shared a week before and they had previously watched. The seminar explored disruptive technologies and strategic innovation frameworks in fashion, with a particular emphasis on practical application and critical analysis.

Key Reflections on Engagement and Communication

A key priority was to foster student engagement and facilitate meaningful discussions. I sought to create an open and inclusive learning environment, encouraging students to actively participate by acknowledging their contributions and linking their insights to broader seminar themes. However, fostering critical engagement requires more than just participation – it demands the ability to challenge assumptions, question dominant narratives, and synthesise diverse perspectives.

My tutor’s observations highlighted that my communication style was effective in engaging students. By employing active listening techniques – such as non-verbal cues, backchanneling, and reinforcement through follow-up questions – I was able to establish rapport and maintain an interactive dialogue. A particular strength noted was my ability to bridge theoretical models, with real-world industry applications, ensuring that students understood both the conceptual framework and its limitations in practice.

One constructive piece of feedback was the need to manage participation dynamics, particularly in instances where a single student dominated the conversation. Ensuring equitable participation is essential, and I will adopt strategies such as redirecting questions to the group (e.g., “That’s a great question-what do others think?”) and setting clear expectations for time allocation during discussions. This also raises a broader pedagogical question: how can educators cultivate an environment where quieter voices feel empowered to contribute without the discussion being overly structured or constrained?

Refining Group Activities and Task Management

The seminar was structured around a group-based task in which students developed and pitched a future-proofing strategy for Nike. To set up the activity, I used a combination of slides and verbal explanations, incorporating structured prompts and brand imagery to provide context. While my tutor found the slides visually engaging, they also noted that certain aspects -such as font readability and colour contrast- could be improved for accessibility. 

This is an important consideration, and I will be more mindful of inclusive design principles in future materials. This feedback also prompted me to reflect on whether my reliance on visual stimuli was inadvertently privileging certain learning styles over others. Would a greater integration of alternative instructional strategies, such as concept mapping or case-based debate, provide a richer learning experience?

Additionally, verbal check-ins were an effective method for gauging student understanding of the task. However, my tutor suggested incorporating a quick recap from each group to ensure clarity before students embarked on the exercise. I find this a very useful recommendation, as it provides an additional layer of confirmation and allows for the early identification of any misunderstandings. It also raises a fundamental consideration about scaffolding independent learning -how much structure should be provided to ensure comprehension while allowing space for students to take ownership of their interpretations?

Supporting Student Collaboration and Critical Thinking

Throughout the session, I actively monitored student discussions, offering guidance and prompting critical thinking through targeted questions. My tutor noted that my approach – encouraging brainstorming, suggesting mapping exercises, and ensuring time management – helped keep students focused and productive.

One key takeaway for me is the need for adaptability in managing time during interactive sessions. I made real-time adjustments, such as encouraging concise, structured pitches, to align with the time constraints. This flexibility proved effective, but it also highlighted a potential tension: in prioritising efficiency, do we risk sacrificing deeper inquiry? Encouraging students to think critically about emerging technologies requires both structure and open-ended exploration – striking this balance remains a continual challenge in my teaching practice.

Key Takeaways and Future Improvements

This seminar provided a valuable opportunity to refine my teaching practice, and I greatly appreciate my tutor’s insightful observations. Moving forward, I aim to

• Implement strategies to ensure balanced participation, such as actively inviting diverse voices into discussions while encouraging self-regulation among more vocal students.
• Enhance accessibility in my slide design by improving colour contrast and readability, while also diversifying instructional materials to cater to different learning styles.
• Introduce structured group check-ins, where students recap instructions to confirm understanding before starting their tasks, ensuring a balance between guided support and independent exploration.
• Continue to integrate industry insights with theoretical frameworks, while challenging students to critically evaluate dominant industry discourses rather than accepting them at face value.

Overall, I am pleased with how students engaged in critically assessing innovation strategies in fashion. Their discussions demonstrated a strong grasp of key concepts while highlighting the need for continuous refinement in pedagogical approaches. Additionally, this session prompted reflection on my voice – not only in terms of student participation but also as a tool to stimulate creativity and critical thinking. The way I use my voice to assert ideas, pose thought-provoking questions, and challenge students to think beyond conventional solutions is instrumental in shaping the seminar dynamic. Given the task of developing and pitching an innovative tech concept within an hour, my voice played a crucial role in guiding students through uncertainty, encouraging them to embrace rapid ideation, and instilling confidence in their creative instincts. Striking the right balance between assertiveness and encouragement ensures that students feel both challenged and supported, enabling them to articulate and refine their ideas more effectively.

I look forward to further developing my vocal delivery as a means of fostering deeper engagement and innovation in future seminars.

This post is based on an observation of a session deck rather than a face-to-face session. As such, the level of detail and insight into actual delivery, student engagement, and facilitation techniques is not present. Additionally, as I am not familiar with the broader context of this course, my ability to fully grasp the depth of this brief deck is very restricted. Therefore, the following notes focuses primarily on the clarity, structure, and alignment of the provided content with the intended learning outcomes outlined in the same deck, rather than commenting its effectiveness in real-time. See the observation notes in this link.

The Responsible Design Unit Launch session deck appears to provide a well-structured introduction to ethical, inclusive, and sustainable design principles within the BA Graphic Media Design curriculum. It seems designed to foster critical engagement, creativity, and collaboration, while introducing students to key themes such as Equity, Futures, Ethos, and Systems. The combination of interactive activities, discussions, and reflection-based tasks supports different learning styles and encourages students to critically engage with their own design practice.

However, given that this is a briefing session rather than a content-based instructional resource, this review is necessarily structural, focusing on the clarity and formatting of the slides. Without insight into how discussions unfold, how students engage, or how facilitation supports learning, the observations remain focused on the design of the deck rather than its real-time impact.

Strengths noted:

Strong alignment with learning outcomes

• The session seems to effectively transmit and include all three intended learning outcomes (Enquiry, Communication, and Process) through hands-on activities and discussions.
• The “Becoming Material” and “Collective Library” activities particularly stand out in supporting exploration, articulation of values, and iterative development, which align well with the unit’s objectives.

Engaging and interactive activities

• The “Becoming Material” activity seems to be a unique and immersive way to introduce students to materiality, prompting them to think critically about its history, usage, and implications. The role-playing aspect (first-person narrative) adds a performative and reflective layer to learning.
• The “Collective Library” activity encourages independent research and knowledge-sharing, reinforcing students’ ability to contextualize responsible design beyond their immediate experience.

Clear structure and flow

• The session appears to follow a logical progression, beginning with introductory activities (settling in and welcoming), followed by active engagement (hands-on activities, research, and mind-mapping), then unpacking the unit brief in more detail, and finally concluding with reflective learning and extended discussion.
• Time allocations appear well-considered, ensuring that activities have a clear beginning, middle, and end without feeling rushed.

Encouragement of inclusivity and open dialogue

• The Session Etiquette slide at the beginning appears to set clear expectations around active listening, supportive responding, and inclusivity, which is particularly important given the potentially sensitive topics addressed in responsible design.
• The open-ended and exploratory nature of the activities ensures that students with diverse perspectives can contribute meaningfully.

Engaging slide design

• The slides are well-structured, visually clear, and engaging, making the key information accessible and easy to follow.
• The use of visuals, concise text, and a logical sequence helps maintain clarity while reinforcing the session’s main themes.

This session appears to be well-designed with a thoughtful balance of engagement, discussion, and active learning, making responsible design accessible and stimulating for students as a briefing session.

That said, my observations remain limited due to the nature of the deck provided, which serves as a briefing session rather than a content-based lecture. A more in-depth review would require observation of the live session, student interactions, and facilitation dynamics to fully evaluate its effectiveness.

This post is a reflection on a one-hour tutorial in which I was observed by a peer as part of my ongoing PgCert journey, focusing on facilitating team collaboration and conflict resolution. See the observation notes in this link.

Facilitating collaboration is never straightforward—especially when working with diverse teams where expectations, communication styles, and cultural understandings of teamwork can vary significantly. My most recent tutorial was a perfect example of this complexity, offering an opportunity to observe, reflect, and refine approaches to fostering effective teamwork.

This session formed part of a six-week collaborative unit where students from MA Innovation Management and MA Applied Imagination work in cross-disciplinary teams to identify an opportunity for collaboration with an institution from the Knowledge Quarter. The end goal is to present a future-proof idea or proposal, integrating research, strategy, and creative thinking.

Importantly, the observed session covered only one hour of a three-hour tutorial, and this tutorial itself was just one of many across the six-week unit. The broader learning journey includes multiple touchpoints, including structured team-building activities, reflective exercises, and conflict-resolution strategies.

Cross-Group Sharing: Creating Space for Reflection

We started the tutorial with a cross-group sharing exercise, designed to give students the chance to step outside their immediate teams and engage in an informal yet insightful exchange with another group. The activity took place outdoors, with snacks on hand to create a relaxed environment—small but intentional choices aimed at encouraging openness and reducing pressure.

Students were asked to reflect on their team’s collaboration dynamics and share insights with a peer from another team. They approached this exercise in different ways—some focused on solutions and workflow adjustments, while others expressed frustration over unresolved tensions. The challenge, of course, is to bridge these perspectives, ensuring discussions move beyond venting and towards constructive action.

One notable observation was that the presence of an external observer created some initial hesitation among students. I had deliberately not introduced the observer formally during this short activity (10min), as I wanted to maintain the authenticity of the discussion. While this decision led to some momentary confusion, it also allowed students to engage more naturally. In future, I will assess on a case-by-case basis whether a formal introduction is beneficial—or if a low-key approach helps students express themselves more freely.

DESC: A Framework for Addressing Tensions

As part of the preparation for this session, students were introduced to the DESC framework from Scott (Describe, Express, Specify, Consequences)—a communication model designed to structure feedback and resolve tensions in a constructive manner. While the observer noted that the group discussions could have benefited from additional reflective tools such as a SWOT analysis, I realised that I had not explicitly shared the DESC framework with the observer beforehand. As a result, the underlying structure of the student reflections may not have been immediately clear. 

This highlighted a valuable learning point for me as a facilitator: when inviting an external observer into a session, ensuring they have full context on the methodologies being used can provide greater clarity in their feedback and interpretation of student interactions.

Navigating Conflict: Strength-Based Approaches

Another recurring theme in the tutorial was conflict within teams—a natural, if often uncomfortable, aspect of group work. Issues ranged from differences in work ethic and commitment levels to interpersonal tensions and frustration over perceived imbalances.

Rather than focusing solely on problem-solving, I encouraged students to take a strength-based approach—recognising what was working well within their teams and using that as a foundation for addressing challenges constructively. One particularly effective tool for this was revisiting their original team charter. By reconnecting with their initial values and agreements, students were able to identify areas where they had drifted and make conscious decisions about what to adjust moving forward.

Beyond the immediate challenges of the unit, I emphasised that these moments of tension, negotiation, and recalibration were not just about completing an assignment but about developing critical life skills. The ability to navigate team dynamics, manage disagreements, and foster productive collaboration will be essential in their future careers—whether as leaders, innovators, or change-makers. I encouraged them to see team collaboration as a leadership skill in itself—one that, when mastered, will strengthen their ability to work across disciplines, influence others, and drive meaningful impact in professional environments.

Final Reflections and Moving Forward

This session reaffirmed the importance of structured reflection, open dialogue, and adaptability in collaboration. Encouraging students to articulate challenges, revisit their commitments, and actively engage in conflict resolutionnot only enhances their project outcomes but also equips them with lifelong skills for professional teamwork.

One area I want to further explore in future sessions is the power of voice in communication—how students use their tone, volume, and presence to assert themselves within a team. Effective collaboration isn’t just about what is said, but how it is conveyed, and I see great potential in integrating voice-awareness exercises into future tutorials. This connects with my previous reflections on the importance of using one’s voice wisely, not just as a tool for expression, but as a strategic instrument for influence, leadership, and fostering a productive team environment.

Facilitating teamwork is rarely linear, and there’s no single formula for success. However, by continually refining our approaches—both as tutors and students—we can create more resilient, adaptable, and engaged teams who are prepared not just for academic collaboration, but for the professional challenges ahead.

Stepping into my Microteaching session, I wanted to explore how voice shapes communication—not just through words, but through tone, posture, and movement. Voice and body are deeply connected; tension can weaken delivery, while openness enhances clarity and confidence. In teaching, this interplay sets the classroom’s energy and engagement. This session was a chance to experiment with harnessing it more effectively.

I designed two activities that aimed to bring this awareness to life:

1. Vocal Tone & Intent in Classroom Scenarios (a.k.a. The Imaginary Ball Game)
2. Exploring Narrative & Voice Through Storytelling (a.k.a. Describing a Peeler)

Activity 1: Vocal Tone & Intent in Classroom Scenario

I introduced the first activity without revealing much about what was coming next. Participants were asked to pass an imaginary ball around while calling out each other’s names. But there was a twist—each time the ball was passed, they had to embody a different intention or emotion:

• Throw it as if you’re angry
• Throw it as if you’re surprised to see someone after a long time
• Throw it as if the ball is very heavy

It was simple, playful, and immediately created a flat-shared experience. Everyone was in the same boat of uncertainty—no one knew exactly what was coming next. This, in itself, was a valuable lesson: when students feel equally unprepared, they tend to loosen up and engage more openly.

This type of warm-up, though seemingly small, serves multiple purposes:

✔️ Building group connection – A great icebreaker at the start of a course or unit.
✔️ Reducing performance anxiety – Since everyone is navigating the unknown together.
✔️ Enhancing voice awareness – As participants become more intentional with their tone and delivery.

Looking back, I realized this activity could have been expanded further. With more time, I would have introduced elements of body awareness, encouraging participants to notice how movement and posture shift when speaking with different intentions. We spend so much time seated at our laptops—why not bring in more physicality, allowing students to feel more comfortable in their bodies while speaking?

Activity 2: Exploring Narrative & Voice Through Storytelling

For the second activity, I shifted the focus to objects—specifically, peelers. (Yes, peelers. Stay with me here.)

I had kept them hidden in my bag all afternoon, so when I finally placed them on the table, there was a moment of surprise. After working with dice, a dramatic box, and artist boxes from the Netherlands, no one expected that their last task of the afternoon would involve… a peeler.

The task was simple: describe the peeler in three different ways to a peer with only one minute. However, I didn’t introduce all three prompts at once—I revealed them one by one, allowing participants to notice how their perception and expression evolved with each stage:

1. First minute – Pure Description: Objectively describe the peeler (no personal input).
2. Second minute – Personal Commentary: Describe it with subjective thoughts and opinions.
3. Third minute – Storytelling & Context: Place the peeler within a bigger narrative.

And then… the interesting part began…

At first, most people kept their eyes fixed on the peeler, even though we all know what a peeler looks like. Holding it in their hands seemed to anchor them—just like how having a script or notes can make us feel more secure in a presentation.

One participant noticed something about the peeler they had never paid attention to before: its waxed skin. A tiny detail that had always been there but had never been consciously observed.

Despite me clearly stating that the peeler now belonged to them, no one peeled or tasted the fruit. Why? This made me wonder—was it politeness? Hesitation? Or simply the ingrained habit of sticking to only what was explicitly asked?

Reflecting on this, I started making a parallel between holding onto objects and holding onto scripts in presentations. When we grip onto something—whether it’s notes, a remote control, or even a podium—how does it affect our body language, movement, and confidence? Would letting go allow us to engage more freely with our audience? Although we didn’t discuss this in the session, it left me with food for thought on how much physical presence impacts vocal delivery.

Final thoughts…

This session reminded me how much we unconsciously rely on certain habits—whether it’s fixating on an object when speaking, sticking to a script for security, or hesitating to push beyond what is explicitly asked. It also reinforced how voice isn’t just about words; it’s about how our body supports them.

I left the session with even more curiosity about the intersection of voice, movement, and presence in teaching. How can we help students (and ourselves) become more aware of how we use our voices—not just in words, but in energy and physicality? And more importantly, how can we create spaces where communication feels natural, confident, and fully engaged?

There’s so much more to explore—so stay tuned for the next step in this journey!