Continuing with the last intervention – I was keen to use the opportunity for session planning I had with the BA GMD Year 1 Unit, to try some more interventions around group work and if that could help facilitate a sense of community with the cohort.
What?
A workshop called Freeze as part of the same Two States project. Students work in groups to complete a 2 part task.
Part 1:
Produce a series of images that showcase a body in motion (scenario). Consider how changing and oppositional states can be used to depict the full range of motion (Raori, 2024).
Note* Here a body in motion could be any kind of simple action such as sitting, jumping or spinning around.
Part 2:
Produce 3 symbols that are generated from the images and showcase the action as a narrative sequence (Raori, 2024).
How?
Students are divided into 6 groups of 6 – assigned randomly using a numbering system from 1-6. This is something I’ve learned from the PG Cert – a useful way to get new people to work together.
Once students are briefed on the task, they are advised to adopt some roles within the group. This is what I included in the presentation: See below:
You can establish some roles within the team. 2 people can be photographing, 1 could be posing, 1 could be managing and 2 could be drawing symbols (Raori, 2024).
I’ve attached a PDF of the presentation below for reference:
Where?
In the LCC Design Block Studios
When?
Rotation 1: 23.10.24
Why?
In the previous intervention it seemed like students didn’t have a very clear idea of their roles in relation to each other. This was an attempt to address that. I figured if people have a very concrete sense of what they’re meant to do – perhaps it makes it easier for them to contribute and feel like they are part of the group. It reminds me of an activity we did in the the first unit (TPP) where we all had roles within a studio setting – the confident student, the arrogant tutor, the shy friend, etc.
Data Collected
Method of Collection: Observation from afar – Naturalistic Inquiry (Link to methods)
Data collected through images, videos and note taking. Also see link to Padlet of Student work from the session.
Reflection
-It was a task design to be fun and students immediately took to it. You always have the odd group that takes a second to get started; perhaps discussing roles within each other and facing some level of inertia. But a simple conversation to give them support; and they were on their way. Since this was a task where the students needed a bit more space than what the studio allowed, we advised them to expand into the corridors and Well Gallery of the Design Block. If you’re not familiar with the Design Block at LCC, the Well Gallery is a scooped out atrium space below the first level of the Design Block as you enter from the Upper Street. There is a corridor running above it (through the centre) that connects the Upper Street to the rest of the Design Block (Refer to Images and Video below).
-One major takeaway form this intervention came through observing that students naturally take to certain roles. It was clear from observing two of my groups (see below) that the manager role suited certain students and they were able to delegate tasks to the rest of the team. Initially, I thought great – that’s the point of the roles isn’t it!! To enable students to play to their strengths. But then I was discussing the outcome of this intervention with my colleagues Umi and she questioned whether I had considered if students were predisposed to certain types of roles in the studio. I realised that this was something I had missed. A relatively shy student (for example) may not gravitate towards a manger role. In some ways, I think it’s fine because of the point of the activity is to feel part of the group, not necessarily to ensure a parity between role types and personality types. But am I missing something? Would putting students outside of their comfort zones reveal a new group dynamic? Something to test in the next iteration, I suppose.
References
- Lincoln, Y. S., Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. India: SAGE Publications.
- Burston C., Tickler O., Harrison K., Baden-Powell U., Raori R. (2024). Two State-Creative Brief. BA Graphic and Media Design Year 1 Process and Methods. GMD2425 PM Unit Two States brief.pdf
- Raori R. (2024). Freeze. BA Graphic and Media Design Year 1 Process and Methods. https://raoriravin.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2025/01/Freeze_Rotation1.pdf