Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Digital Skills Class Year 1
Size of student group: 15 – 25
Observer: Blythe Cheung
Observee: Omar-Andres Hernandez del Canto
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?
The Digital Skills class is part of the Illustration & Visual Media BA course and is designed to teach and enhance students knowledge of creating visual assets using creative software. Each session focuses on a specific tool or technique, such as How to Use the Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator. Sessions run every Wednesday for first-year students and are divided into tutoring groups. From 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, I conduct the workshop three times, each with a different group.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
Since the start of the 2024/25 academic year, I have been working as a Digital Skills Tutor for the Year 1 cohort. In this role, I teach and support students through workshops, one-on-one tutoring, and technical skill development, helping them explore the many facets of visual media.
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
The initial learning outcomes for the students are:
- Introduce specialised technical skills related to creative visual software.
- Reinforce specialised technical skills related to creative visual software.
- Understand the importance of software capability and potential..
- Create a line of enquiry or expand on knowledge for their assignment learning outcomes.
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
The students will usually make rough/concept digital art work that is related to whatever topic is being taught. Due to 1 hour time restraint this class will give the students the opportunity to create and make mistakes and figure out technological jargon. They will upload their work onto a Padlet board and receive informal feedback. I will facilitate and monitor the Padlet so that the student feel confident it is a safe space to upload their work.
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
Unfortunately Digital Skills Class is in a standard classroom with no dedicated computers. I request that the students bring in their own laptops or tablets for the session. If some students aren’t able to bring in any equipment I will then request for them to rent out a laptop from the Library. However, there have been a couple of incidents where some students are not able to log into the laptop or the laptop does not have the necessary creative programs installed on it.
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
I will introduce my observer to the class ideally before the session starts, with their name, our professional relationship and the intention of their visit.
What would you particularly like feedback on?
I would like to know if I am:
- Clearly communicating the important factors or elements of session.
- Highlighting the session is easy to digest and not too intense for any sort of memory retention.
- Is the workshop engaging and interesting, even if the subject is essentially boring.
- If I have taught a subject effectively and my approach to enhancing technical development was good.
How will feedback be exchanged?
I will like to have a discussion straight after the class if possible and get some realtime feedback. I will naturally start reflecting on what went well and what didn’t and an observer will give me additional or better perspective in that moment. I this isn’t possible a small document emailed to me with my feedback on it would also be appreciated
Part Two
Observer (Blythe) to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
Introduction
Omar delivered a well-structured and engaging session on infographics, focusing on how to extract and present dense textual information in a visually appealing manner. The session was compulsory for students and included a mix of theoretical insights, hands-on activities, and interactive discussions to enhance learning.
Engagement and Delivery
- Omar started the session by asking a question to gauge students’ prior knowledge, effectively setting the stage for learning.
- His vocal projection and varied tone kept the class engaged, making the session lively and easy to follow.
- He distributed both softcopy and hardcopy handouts, ensuring students could follow along and revisit the material later.
Interactive Activities
- A 10-minute drawing activity allowed students to immediately apply their learning. Omar provided blank paper to facilitate brainstorming and supported students with clarifications as they worked.
- He incorporated research-backed insights, such as MIT’s study on visual information processing and engagement statistics for image-based content, reinforcing the importance of infographics.
- Omar actively checked student progress, frequently asking, “Any questions?” to ensure comprehension.
- When a latecomer arrived at 12:18 PM, he accommodated them by directing them straight into the task but could consider offering a bit more context and materials for a smoother transition.
Classroom Atmosphere and Student Interaction
- Omar maintained a calm, encouraging, and approachable demeanour, fostering a positive learning environment.
- During the 5-minute review of the drawing task, he encouraged students to provide constructive peer feedback and introduce themselves, effectively breaking the ice and promoting collaboration.
- He reinforced the concept of retention, emphasizing the importance of retaining peer feedback for future improvement.
Digital Tools and Skill Development
- Introduced the Pen Tool mini-game (https://bezier.method.ac) to make mastering Illustrator’s Pen Tool engaging. Given that the optimal setup requires a keyboard, informing students in advance about necessary equipment could enhance the experience.
- Highlighted essential design tools (Pen, Type, and Shape tools) and encouraged continued practice beyond the session.
Final Activity and Wrap-Up
- The final 15-minute task required students to finalize their infographics and upload them to Padlet. Omar encouraged the use of familiar tools and regularly checked in with, “Any questions?” and “How are we doing?” to provide guidance.
- Played calming instrumental ambient music to boost creativity and maintained a well-paced session.
- Provided reference materials within the slides (books and websites) for further exploration.
- Concluded by encouraging students to upload their work to Padlet—not mandatory but beneficial for receiving additional support and reinforcing their skills.
Recommendations for Enhancement
- When handling latecomers, consider briefly summarizing key points or providing handouts to help them catch up efficiently.
- For digital tool-based activities, informing students beforehand about required equipment could optimize participation.
- Continue leveraging interactive activities and well-timed discussions, as they were highly effective in engaging students.
Part Three
Observee (Omar) to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:
Thank you Blythe for your detailed and insightful feedback in regards to my Digital Skills Infographic workshop. This is the first time I have had a tutor observe and give me feedback, and it was lovely speaking to you after the session and reflecting on moments and points of improvement.
In regards to late comers while a demonstration is happening; I have had this issue of how can I manage a late comer effectively without it disrupting the class. I will need to practice briefly summarising what the session is about or alternatively I will give clear instruction that its ok to come in late and that I will brief them individually after the demonstration.
On reflection the pen tool activity was a bit messy, due not considering time management and equipment management for students. I have decided that I will have to run a separate workshop dedicated to the understanding pen tool.
These 1 hour session classes have a lot of information packed into them and it has helped me plan out. I will keep managing my time so activity and discusion is part of the class
This has been very insightful and again I appreciate you taking the time to higlight these key moments for me to relefct on. I will be refining my approach to