Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice         

Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed:

Size of student group:                18

Observer: Sinead Koehler

Observee:Xunnan Li

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?

This session is week 2 of Unit 2 (Practice, Policy and Market) on MA Arts and Cultural Enterprise. It is an online session with the UK cohort. 

How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?

When this was recorded, I had completed just 1 weekly session with the students and an in-person face-to-face teaching weekend. 

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?

For students to have an understanding of some of the different arts funding models which I compare American and European situations. I by compare the two different arts funding system, I help students to locate UK in between. I use case studies to bring the examples to life. 

What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?

This should be useful content for their Unit 2 assignment in which they need to critically analyse the market competition in the UK. 

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?

Also there is the challenge of the students all having very different background and therefore some have greater knowledge of the content than others – it can be difficult to find the right level for the content at times. 

How will students be informed of the observation/review?

N/A

What would you particularly like feedback on?

My delivery, and the activities in class

How will feedback be exchanged?

Via emails, on Teams 

Part Two

Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:

I watched a recording of Xunnan’s 2nd session on the MA Arts and Cultural Enterprise – a course which is largely delivered online via Collaborate. This was a session delivered to the UK cohort of students. As I have previously been a student on this course and am now a tutor on Unit 5, I have a good amount of background knowledge. 

General Thoughts:

The session was interesting and well attended by students who engaged with the content and contributed when they were asked to. I really liked the introduction and how the session was framed. It’s interesting to observe the break-out session and how that worked. I noticed that you mentioned some students left the call when you were setting up the groups. I have also had this experience which can be frustrating. Those who did stay were clearly engaged with the question and gave useful feedback. You were warm and engaging and it felt very genuine when you said you were really looking forward to meeting students in person at the intensive weekend. 

Content of session: 

• I liked how you provided an opportunity for students to ask questions and really encouraged this. It felt very student-centered. 
• I also liked how you linked your points back to academic reports and texts. I feel this helps with authority and builds trust. 
• You made good use of polls and questions and also added a break-out activity which is particularly useful with this particular topic. 
• It was interesting to see how you selected students to contribute at times rather than awaiting volunteers and how this seemed to work well. It has inspired me to do this more in my own teaching! 
• As Bourdieu’s concepts are fairly complex, perhaps you could have spent more time on this. It felt more heavily weighted towards the other theorists. 

Things to think about: 

• When providing an introduction, could you include a slide which sets out what the session will cover. This may help those who are more visual learners rather than relying on the verbal. 
• I wondered whether it’s an option to use automatic subtitles for these sessions. It’s also something that I think could be useful for my own sessions. This may be particularly useful for the Hong Kong students or those who have English as a second language. 
• There was a lack of imagery on your slides and at times, the quotes selected were a little long. In general you could revisit the visual side of your teaching to make it more engaging. I feel this is particularly important when teaching online as the students lack visual cues otherwise. 
• When creating breakout groups, is it possible to give them a name so that students know which group they were in when it comes time to feedback? 

Part Three

Observee to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:

Here are my plans and reactions to the wonderful and kind feedback received on the session I delivered:

Introduction Slide and Formative Assessment:

I agree that adding an introduction slide outlining the session’s topics would provide clarity for students. Additionally, incorporating a formative assessment exercise, possibly using Mentimeter, to gauge students’ reflections on the previous week’s material and connect it with the current session’s content is an excellent idea. I will implement this to enhance student engagement and understanding.

Automatic Subtitles:

While I acknowledge the benefits of automatic subtitles, I’m unsure about the feasibility given the technology constraints. To address this, I plan to explore the functionality of the Blackboard Corporate online teaching tool further. I have scheduled a session with our unit technician to discuss the possibilities and potential solutions.

Slide Preparation and Image Inclusion:

I fully support the suggestion to upload slides with ample images to Moodle early on, allowing students to download and familiarize themselves with the material in advance. Additionally, I will endeavor to incorporate more images directly onto the slides to enhance visual engagement and aid comprehension.

Breakout Room Names:

Creating unique names for breakout rooms is an aspect I’ve been contemplating, and I’m grateful for the suggestion. This feedback has sparked inspiration, and I will dedicate time to brainstorming creative and relevant names for our breakout sessions, fostering a more interactive and engaging learning environment.

Overall, I appreciate the constructive feedback and look forward to implementing these suggestions to enhance the learning experience for our students.