I was invited to give three lectures for MA Fashion Photography, with an open brief but the implicit rationale of highlighting academic research for practice-based students. I did not have a sustained relationship with the group or course. From available cues, they were all young and a diverse cohort of about thirty. Here, I focus on my final lecture in which the challenge consisted of introducing queer studies and histories, while remaining inclusive, with sufficient minority representation in slides, and within a discrete two hour session that included a break.
I was unsure how relevant students would find historical detail, as well as how to deal with Western biases and the need to relate queer studies to fashion photography. In a previous session, a student complained about her perception of a male centred discourse. To address her concerns, I had an informal chat with her at the end of that session and it emerged that she wanted more lesbian representation.
Arts education has been particularly linked to student self-becoming, because of its stress on continuous development and self-reflection (Barrow, 2006). Without such prolonged engagement, my lecture was a more transmissive supplement to studio practice. I was however, aware of its potential significance to the identity formation and social awareness of students. While this prompted special efforts in slide preparation, in future I will consider ways to increase student reflexivity, for example by brief discussion about what they know or how they have experienced social circumscriptions.
Such a strategy overcomes some barriers of diverse pre-existing student knowledge. John Biggs (1993) discussed this as Presage, the first phase of a three-step process followed by Process (the class) and Product (in this case, comprehension that understandings of sexual and gender identities are unstable and have histories). While I cannot cater individually to students in a two hour lecture, space for reflection and discussion, would increase the relevance of topics for students, while encouraging ‘autonomous learning’ and community building within a diverse cohort (Bamber and Jones, 2015, p. 153 and p. 163). This could be developed by allocating students an image to investigate (Willocks and Mahon, 2023), which also serves to illustrate the value of research as collateral learning (Dewey, 1997 [1938]).
Susan Orr and Alison Shreeve (2017) note the significance of ‘passing on your knowledge’ and the potential of eliding practice and teaching, one ‘paralleling’ the other (2017, p. 97). This prompts me to reference my own research as exemplar, in future. Research in creative disciplines can be ambiguous and ‘lacks clear definition’, while ‘[t]here may be some requirements to “read” around a subject area…’ (Orr and Shreeve, 2017, p. 93). This induces me elaborate on the nature of research, asking students about their practice and suggesting ways academic research can support it.
I tried to represent diversity in slides and included comparisons between contemporary queer photographers and historic examples. This received positive student feedback. While I was concerned some UK focus, the vocal student responded actively, relating this to her experience in Bulgaria. Reflecting the view that ‘teaching is a personal issue’ (Semper and Blasco, 2018, p. 481), I discussed my education in relation to Section 28 in the hope that students would critically reflect on their own education and experience. This worked, judging from expressions, attention levels and verbal responses.
Bibliography
Bamber, V. and Jones, A. (2015) ‘Challenging Students: enabling inclusive learning’, in A handbook for teaching and learning in Higher Education. London: Routledge. pp. 152-168.
Barrow, M. (2006) ‘Assessment and student transformation: linking character and intellect’, Studies in Higher Education, 31(3) pp. 357-372
Biggs, J. (1993) ‘From theory to practice: a cognitive system approach’, Higher Education Research and Development, 12(1) pp. 73-85
Dewey, J. (1997 [1938]) Experience and education. New York: Touchstone
Orr, S. and Shreeve, A. (2017) Art and design pedagogy in higher education: knowledge, values and ambiguity in the creative curriculum. London: Routledge
Semper, J. V. O. and Blasco, M. (2018) ‘Revealing the hidden curriculum in Higher Education’, Studies in Philosophy and Education, 37(5) pp. 481-498.
Willcocks, J. and Mahon, K. (2023) ‘The potential of online object-based learning activities to support the teaching of intersectional environmentalism in art and design higher education’, Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, 22(2), pp. 187-207.