In my previous post on the studio-based learning, one of my recommendations for studio subjects was to use big classes in collaborative spaces with many tutors, as opposed to various small classes with single tutors.
Having adjusted to mixed mode, we were looking forward to a return to campus so that students and tutors could once again be part of a noisy, messy, engaging learning space. What could be nosier, messier and more engaging than just under 300 students showcasing all in the same space?
The process
Prior to the showcase, students filled out an Assignment Learning Contract and Google Form for marking themselves and peers. They’ll have also created a short video as a trailer for their project, part of the scaffolded support that has led to the showcase. See this video for a more detailed look at the assignment steps in Canvas.
On the day, students were divided into tutorial sections where they each presented their own project; peers and tutors then added their marks. Here’s what the room’s layout looked like – each name is a tutor and each of the tutors’ groups have around 16 students.
When presenting, students had to illustrate how three subsections are attributed to their hardware within 6 minutes, including a 1-minute demo. It was a rapid-fire process, so students needed to come prepared and ready to answer any questions from their peers or tutor.
There were dozens of these groups in progress all within the same room, leading to a buzzing convention/hackathon vibe. It created a sense of energy and excitement – but was there any chaos and confusion that came along with it?
How it worked in practice – a tutor’s perspective
Head tutor Tony Le was in the eye of the storm and had this to say about how the day came together:
I was really excited about the showcase, and it turned out to be what I had hoped for and more. I could really feel the chaos and energy in the room. I noticed the students equally enjoyed demonstrating their hard work and discovering other creative projects that their peers worked on.
However as with live demos, not all goes to plan. When some of the students were bummed about their project not functioning, I had to remind them of how much progress they achieved. This is also where the previously-made learning contracts came in useful for marking, as well as the tutor group structure that allowed me to be more aware of the students learning journeys and not just the final project outcomes.
Ishan Melwani took the subject as a student when it was fully online and was a teacher as it entered its hybrid phase. He had this to say about the on-campus experience:
The environment was casual but still productive. It kept students accountable and I think they actually enjoyed it much more. The sheer number of students and teachers in the space brought a certain energy that I haven’t seen since pre-COVID.
What worked well
- Clear map layout and accessibility to learning contracts for peer-marking made it easy/quick to learn about the projects.
- The student project videos compilation playing on the big screen helped create a sense that things are constantly happening, even during the pauses.
- A great range of student projects that showed most students pushing their own learning with more challenging goals.
Lessons for next time
- The hybrid process could be a hurdle. It was hard for in-person students to watch the online demos unless everyone is logged into Zoom. The tutors also had to facilitate online students’ presence in the room by facing a laptop with webcam towards the current in-person speaker, which was cumbersome.
- More set-up time in the beginning to ensure everyone’s ready to fully engage would be beneficial.
- Allow for more free-roaming time at the end after marking, so that students could experience a broader range of projects.
Great article and work! As a 5+ year Casual Academic …Now subject coordinator, i agree on the great atmosphere of Hybrid learning in Large Collaborative Spaces offered at UTS.