The Student Learning Experience

The student learning experience is influenced by a variety of factors, a significant number of which can be managed by the educator. Consequently, assuming the role of the educator in a learner’s journey is accompanied by its own unique responsibilities, of which creating a safe and trusting environment to cater for the diversity of needs presented by each learner is paramount. From the outset the educator should make explicit the role they intend to perform throughout this process, primarily to manage student expectations but addition-ally to aid in the student’s comprehension of their own role in their learning experience.

In recent work published concerning the development of student learning experiences within tertiary design education, a discussion is evolving around the need for additional research and consideration to be given to revising existing pedagogy. The learning envi-ronment is being acknowledged as a crucial place within which learners, if guided cor-rectly, can experience freedom to express themselves without judgement, whilst respecting others’ ability to do the same. In their study documented in ‘A Wide Lens on Learning..’, Kidron et al. (2019) draw on Dewey’s (1916) Democracy and Education to consider the benefits of learning communities based on free expression and stress the importance of setting up a safe environment in promoting such expression amongst the learning community (p. 741).

Throughout this paper the need for the redesign of learning spaces as a main driver of edu-cational change is emphasised as a challenge which has yet to be met, and requires “rigorous scholarship to further explore, understand, and guide this phenomenon” (Ellis & Goodyear as cited in Kali et al. 2019, p. 739).

In further commenting on the student learning environment, this thesis contends that a student’s participation in their own learning process should not be a passive one, where they simply listen, take notes, and attempt to absorb information they are fed by a teacher.

Students look to their teacher as a leader, and the way that course materials are packaged and provided to students is dependent on the educator’s teaching style. Expertise or spe-cialist knowledge of any field, such as sustainable fashion, is gained through the transfer of knowledge within a dialogue between teachers and learners. Again this supports the notion that the student’s role in their own learning journey is an active one; an experience sup-ported through the exchange of information within a safe and trusting environment. As a result of this practice, students are encouraged to engage with new experiences or ways of working as a means of generating new insight or innovative thinking about more sustain-able fashion practices.

A discussion of active learner participation needs to recognise the continued relevance and current application of Paulo Freire’s (1968) work on critical pedagogy. In their paper ‘Trans-formative Learning: From Theory to Practice’ (2019) Landry-Meyer et al. discuss how using the method and practice of teaching adult learners (andragogy) to guide pedagogy, helps learners to take control of their learning process. This idea of the co-creation of knowledge is one that Paulo Freire has discussed in his own work, in which he opposes the banking model for education that sees students as empty vessels in need of filling with knowledge.

Through actively involving students in the teaching and learning process, Landry-Meyer et al. discuss how the view of co-creation of knowledge has contributed to the critical pedagogy movement founded by Freire, a movement concerned with the activation of learners in the building of their own knowledge, wherein “education becomes an act of cognition

rather than a transmittal of knowledge” (Landry-Meyer, 2019, p. 1). This point not only ac-knowledges the active role a student should play in their own learning but also encourages educators to consider the development of their own knowledge via the sharing of insights and skills with their students.

Through a discussion of the student’s learning journey, and through understanding more about the importance of the learning environment and role of the educator in this process, this research has raised questions about how fashion educators consider student agency, especially in relation to course design. Many of the educators interviewed for this research commented on the personal assessments that had been made in regard to the projects they designed and delivered. However, there was no explicit discussion concerning the formal methods for defining a successful student outcome within each course. Whilst these meth-ods are surely in place at each university, it was not clear how each of these projects was improved by integrating student feedback about the course structure using these methods for assessing student outcomes. In considering a wide sample of student feedback when de-signing a new course or developing an existing one, educators are provided with vital infor-mation about and insight into the learner’s experience of their teaching practice. Using this information in conjunction with other professional development tools such as observation, peer collaboration and research, facilitates the advancement of fashion teaching practice by providing a greater understanding of the learners experience.

Whilst considering student agency when designing, reflecting and developing coursework, and acknowledging the valuable contribution that can be drawn from student feedback, a key component of transformative learning theory is dedicated to discussing the assumed value in dynamic learning environments, without proper consideration for its effect on student inclusivity. What happens if a student cannot cope with the variety in teaching ap-proaches and environments that is adopted through dynamic teaching? This question im-plies that student insight and feedback, at the course delivery stage, is crucial in the creation of an inclusive, safe and functional learning environment.

A point that all educators indirectly discussed during interviews was their support for the practice of non-static teaching, with consideration for the ability to diversify their approach should a student feel excluded by any one format. The importance of dynamic teaching styles in transformative teaching practice is currently emerging in recent literature. Hud-son (2019), in his book Transformative Education for the Second Renaissance favours dynamic environments that do not rely on one method of instruction, adding that static teaching presents “knowledge to be consumed” which, as he notes, is a style of teaching dominant in

“historical, classic curriculum” (p.68). Hudson (2019) argues that if you can create a dynamic environment that favours the variable nature of learning, students will learn and thrive (p.101).

Participation in each of the Local Wisdom Project’s required flexibility on behalf of the learn-er as each learning environment varied, in some cases involving intlearn-ernational travel, and in others a variety of local field trips. Whilst there are documented benefits associated with the practice of transformative learning theory, including the positive impact that diversity in environment can have on student comprehension (see Chapter 2.5), it could be argued that questions remain about the level of inclusivity this practice involves. Whilst these dynamic learning environments work for some students, for those who do not respond as well,

alternative strategies need to be considered in order to achieve an environment in which all participants feel secure. Anne Louise Bang shares her observation on this in her interview, noting that “we move rooms a lot, which sometimes students find irritating as they can-not leave their things in one place”. Without adequate consultation with students regarding their perspectives on dynamic learning, both in the design phase, during the learning jour-ney and in a reflective capacity at the conclusion of the course, it is difficult to ascertain what is best for each student’s learning process. What may work really well for one cohort, may not be beneficial for the next, or even for students within the same course of study.

The educators interviewed all relied on their own experiences when reflecting on the course design and assessments of the effectiveness of their teaching practice. Although educators can with some reason assume to ‘know best’ due to the position they hold in the learning space, feedback from students and knowledge of their current capabilities, experience and learning aims would lead to more informed decisions with a potential to lead to better out-comes for teachers and students. By taking into consideration the kind of information that can be collected from their students regarding their experience of both the teaching and learning, and by reflecting on their responsibility within this learning environment, educa-tors can also benefit from a re-examination of the way their role in the classroom might aid in advancing their professional practice.

Relying on personal experience with course design and knowledge of best practice rather than the theory and practice of education can lead to consequences where student needs are not fully addressed. As Faerm (2015) notes, “the future classroom will require faculty - largely trained as practitioners - to adopt advanced pedagogy skills and deeper awareness for student development” (p. 191). Faerm seeks to challenge current ideas about the peda-gogical preparation for educators, by encouraging a re-evaluation of the role and respon-sibility of those facilitating the learning experience, and recent literature documents a link between student success and high investment in teaching training, evidenced in Finland and Singapore (Faerm, 2015, p.191). The adoption of advanced pedagogical skills will both enhance student learning and give educators the means to evaluate the contribution that students can make to their educational experience.

Agency, Vulnerability and Values

The following diagram is a visual representation of how student and educator agency, through effective communication, can enable participants to safely reach a point of vulner-ability, which is also the potential space for transformation.

Fig 1. Illustrating the relationship between Agen-cy, Vulnerability and Values

‘Agency’ refers to both the student and educator experience in the classroom and indicates how their ‘capacity to act’ as individuals is stimulated by an environment that acknowledges the importance of sharing ‘values’. This point is supported by educator Anne-Louise Bang who states that enriching the learner’s journey by delivering sustainability content that en-gages student values, provides them with an opportunity to develop meaningful tools that can be drawn upon throughout their career (Bang, 2016, Interview). It is important for the student and educator to embrace their ‘vulnerability’ through the facilitation of honest and open communication. This process, whereby openness and honesty allow participants to identify and acknowledge their shared values, ideally results in an experience of empower-ment felt by both parties.