Intervention: Redesign of the delivery of CTS3 Route B unit (20 credit final year unit) to address the awarding gap and increase overall attainment
Context: All undergraduate students in the Design School at LCC are offered two options for their final year Contextual and Theoretical Studies units:
- 40 credit CTS3 Route A unit which consists of a longer dissertation of between 8000-10000 words
- 20 credit CTS3 Route B unit which consists of a shorter piece of writing (4000-5000) alongside which students take another 20 credit unit, usually where they develop a self-initiated project
Attainment on the Route A unit normally much higher than Route B, which I have been interpreting as being a result of various factors: Route A students normally ‘enjoy’ writing more than Route B students and are not intimidated by its higher word-count, they feel more comfortable with ‘academic’ research; they have more contact hours with tutors, as it is a 40-credit unit; they don’t have the pressure of 3 units, with 3 different projects and 3 assessment deadlines, within a single block which allows them to be more focused.
However, one issue that I have noticed is that Route A and Route B students are almost briefed in the same way as to the expectations for their CTS3 dissertation: which often results in ‘big projects’ that cannot be realised within the time-frame and scope of a 20-credit unit. This results in submissions that are often unfocused and lack depth, resulting in lower grades.
Intervention Part 1:
Therefore, the first part of this intervention will seek to address this issue: redesigning how the project brief is designed and what the expectations are for the CTS3 Route B submissions, making the distinction between Route A and Route B clear in terms of scope and focus of the students’ work.
Intervention Part 2:
The second key issue that I want to address with this intervention is the awarding gap and the support that BAME students, and black students in particular, get for their CTS3 unit. The need for this comes both from the data, that shows BAME students having lower attainment rates in CTS3, as well as through direct experience shared by our students. In CTS3, students can choose whatever topic they want to research, often engaging in themes that come from their own interests or personal backgrounds. Explorations of their personal and collective identities, histories and representation are often common in CTS3. As one student remarked this year, they enjoy the freedom of being able to find themselves and explore their own identity in CTS3 – not just produce work that will get them a job. However, students also often say that they don’t have the right level of support for such highly personal explorations. On multiple occasions, black students in particular have remarked that they don’t feel seen by tutors, that they need to spend a lot of time to explain the context of their research before they can actually engage in a meaningful discussion of their work with tutors. This means that often they feel like they are ‘doing the work’ for their tutors.
While at the root of this problem is the lack of tutors of colour in CTS, an aspect that is not easily resolved through a ‘designed intervention’ and requires a more in-depth, structural examination of UAL’s hiring practices, I want to use this opportunity to address some of this through interventions that may be possible within my current remit as CTS Lead in the Design School. This will draw on the knowledge gained through this unit to
Scope of the intervention:
The intervention will look at the scheme of work, mode of delivery and unit project brief. It will also review the assignment brief, within the limitations of changes that can be done without minor modifications to the unit.
Key actions to undertake:
Part 1
- Review unit project brief: give clearer instructions to make the shorter dissertation more manageable and help students narrow down the scope of their research. Clear parameters: theoretical framework + case study analysis
- Provide students with a clear outline of the structure of their submission: students can still develop their own structure, but for those who may have a harder time navigating a longer piece of writing, this may aid their research. The focus needs to be away from the ‘fear of writing’ to interesting research that is then presented in a written form – move away from the mechanics of writing (which can be a challenge for neurodiverse students) into a critical engagement with ideas.
- Review teaching materials to support student learning and help them manage multiple deadlines: provide weekly worksheets or similar to help them navigate the structure of their research and make them more inclusive for all students
- Review assignment brief: reconsider the language used in evidencing learning outcomes to make it more inclusive. Consider what we mean about ‘appropriate sources’, ‘intellectual position’, ‘critical debates’, etc. to ensure that different forms of knowledge, experiences, ideas can be valued within the project.
- Redesign the unit guide to include this information, making it easily accessible in one place ahead of time for all students
Part 2
Consider ways that students from BAME backgrounds can feel more supported and seen within this unit (particular focus on black home students)
- Create reading lists/subject guides dedicated to black art/design histories and decolonial approaches to design and culture
- Create optional reading groups led by students on the topics above to allow students to explore different ideas and knowledges with each-other
- Include samples of work from previous years that engages with diverse histories/identities/representations so that students have examples of what their work could engage with
- Develop a list of resources in terms of archives/collections etc. that students can draw upon and where they can identify sources that can support their research if this is unavailable from the UAL library/special collections
- Create peer group sessions as part of the weekly scheme of work where students can exchange ideas and experiences with each other and feel their experience is seen and recognised
Although these two areas are interrelated, I think it is too much to cover with a focused, single intervention. I will therefore focus on part 1 as part of this intervention, where my aims will be to redesign the project brief for this unit to support students who may feel less confident with academic writing.
Reflection and intervention focus
As part of this process, I will investigate what students lack confidence in research and writing, what they find challenging and why, to be able to design a focused intervention. Given the timing of this research, this will be conducted mostly by using existing unit survey data and secondary research.
Following this research, I will then redesign both project brief and the unit guide for the CTS3 Route B unit, to be implemented in September 2024. Feedback will be sought from CTS staff as part of this process.
Part 2 will form the basis of my ARP research into the role of writing in critical engagement with art and design practice.