I came to observe a class by Chuck for MA Performance: Screen on the 6th March. I provided written feedback in an ROT form and Chuck responded with their reflections.
Full ROT form here.
A summary of my feedback:
Engagement & Atmosphere:
- Students attended despite being at a critical project stage, showing strong engagement.
- Created a warm, non-hierarchical learning environment that encouraged creativity and participation.
Activities
- Effectively demonstrated key principles (e.g., gesture with unexpected sound).
- Group sound performance helped create an inclusive and reflective space.
- Could clarify activity duration upfront to manage expectations.
Slides & Accessibility: - Some slides could be redesigned for clarity (e.g., separating steps of paired activities).
- Music Concrete slide might imply incorrect genre classification—could be split.
- Full-size video playback would enhance engagement.
- Harvard referencing on slides could model proper citation for students.
Order of Information: - Could introduce ‘reduced listening’ concept before students read their practice work.
- Presenting Cage before Schaeffer might better illustrate historical progression.
References & Diversity: - Majority of references were white men—consider incorporating more diverse voices.
- Suggested alternatives: Éliane Radigue, Trevor Mathison, Otolith Group, Salomé Voegelin, Lisbeth Lipari, and Pauline Oliveros.
Audio Considerations: - A Bluetooth speaker could improve sound quality over in-built UAL systems.
Overall: - A fantastic, inspiring session with strong student engagement and practical application to their projects.
- Could clarify activity duration upfront to manage expectations.
Chuck then responded with their reflections, here is a summary:
Encouraging Feedback & Pedagogical Approach:
- Validating to hear that my teaching style is well-received.
- Encouraged by the recognition of my pastoral support for students.
- Balancing emotional labor in supporting students is important for sustainability.
- Diversity & Curriculum Development:
- Extremely helpful feedback on diversifying references.
- Committed to feminist and decolonial approaches in curriculum design.
- Already incorporating suggested texts (e.g., replacing David Toop with Salomé Voegelin).
- Adding Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening exercises and a clip from Handsworth Songs.
- Practical Improvements:
- Will start Harvard referencing slides to model best practice for students.
- Acknowledging personal academic insecurities but using this as a growth opportunity.
- Adjusting slide order for better chronological flow of ideas.
- Ensuring full-size video playback for better student engagement.
- Activity Structure & Accessibility:
- Will provide clearer timings and instructions for activities.
- Recognizing the importance of structured guidance, especially for neurodiverse students.
- Overall Reflection:
- This feedback has been invaluable for my development.
- Excited to continue learning and collaborating throughout the course.
- Grateful for the exchange of ideas and looking forward to more discussions!