Knowing and meeting the needs of diverse learners
Ani-Codex Edition 2
MA Animation LCC
UK and South Korea students
Contextual Background:
Ani-Codex is a cross-cultural project uniting UK and South Korea students to create an augmented reality (AR) graffiti installation. Focusing on social climate justice and personal identity, participants face challenges like cultural differences, varying teaching systems, and working in a fully online environment without meeting in person or knowing each other.
Role:
My role in this project is as a tutor of one of the multicultural groups.
Also, to do a prerecorded 20 minutes session on “How to Make a Trailer”.
Evaluation and moving forward:
One of the challenges of this project is that the students have never met before. They needed to collaborate quickly on the project, which made it challenging to build rapport online and start generating ideas.
As a teacher, I understand that having an online session with only black squares can be strange. However, I was also a student and an introvert. I believe that the first step in creating a safe space during an online session is to avoid pushing students to turn on their cameras and microphones. The underlying question is: could the digital classroom be an opportunity to accommodate those who have a more introverted learning preference – and even to embrace their silence? (Harris 2022)
For the first session, I tried to help them talk about their thoughts about climate and social justice rather than talk about themselves. After a few minutes of silence, asking them how they felt about climate change (fostering understanding and mutual respect) was the first question I tried that actually got them to share their thoughts. After posing the question I also opened up about my feelings and emotions around climate change. I think that becoming part of the conversation and putting myself in a vulnerable position, by sharing my feelings, helped students to feel safe and comfortable in joining the discussion.
I recognise that discussing emotions can be sensitive, as it may be triggering. However, in situations like this, it can often be the most effective way to connect with others. “[…]In contrast, sociological perspectives prompt us to see emotions as socio-cultural phenomena that are historically constructed and reproduced by schools, universities and other social institutions” (Quinlan, 2016). As emotional beings, we can relate to one another through our shared feelings, regardless of our cultural backgrounds.
The absence of mics and cameras might create a sense of anonymity that could help students discuss their emotions about climate change without feeling anxious or threatened. Having the camera and microphone off “might reduce the sense of vulnerability and awkwardness among the less confident, and increase their sense of agency? It is worth noticing here that the chat box is a reassuring presence” (Harris, 2022). Since emotional discussions often make us feel exposed, the privacy afforded by disabling microphones and cameras can encourage students to participate more confidently in the chat box.
For future online sessions, I believe it is important to incorporate more ‘silent’ moments to allow students time to think and feel comfortable participating and provide thought-provoking but non-intrusive prompts. Additionally, I need to do more research on how to effectively engage students on online platforms and make the sessions more dynamic rather than relying solely on a lecture format, for example, utilise polls, anonymous surveys, and Padlet to encourage engagement without requiring verbal contributions.
I think it’s important to normalise different participation styles by allowing students to share personal experiences only if they feel comfortable. For me, this means that I have to control my anxiety about having a completely silent room for a few moments.
References:
Harris, K., 2022. Embracing the silence: introverted learning and the online classroom. Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal, 5(1), p. 3.
Quinlan, K.M., 2016. How emotion matters in four key relationships in teaching and learning in higher education. College Teaching, 64(3). Available at: Research gate