Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice
Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: 1:1 technical help with embroidery
Size of student group: 1
Observer: Rachel Marsden
Observee: Sophie Reynolds
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 personalized, one-on-one technical tutorial is designed for students who want to use the workshop, for embroidery, for the first time, or as a refresher. During the session, we begin by discussing the student’s goals and then introduce them to the software, guiding them through its tools and settings. Once the design is finalized, we provide step-by-step instructions on how to properly frame the fabric and stitch it out on the embroidery machine.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
This varies depending on who is booked in. All students will be from Ba or MA Textile & Fashion pathways
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
LO1 – Knowledge: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Wilcom software and how to effectively framing-up and prepare fabric.
LO2 – Enquiry: Leverage knowledge of software and embroidery techniques to align with the student’s ideas and project, inspiring continued experimentation and creative exploration.
LO3 – Process: Provide support to the student in using the software and sampling, troubleshooting challenges, and offering guidance on any necessary improvements or adjustments for further experimentation.
LO4 – Communication: Clearly communicate both digital and practical skills to the student, ensuring a mutual understanding of their goals and what they aim to achieve. Aim is for the student to walk away with the ability to confidently use the space/software again in future.
LO5 – Realisation: Utilize technical skills to assist students in experimenting and sampling, helping them create stitched textile work that enhances and supports their project.
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
A digital embroidery file + most likely a physical embroidered outcome
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
The workshop can become quite busy, and sessions are often interrupted by walk-in questions. As a result, it can be challenging to support students effectively while maintaining the flow of the explanation.
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
Students will be informed via email before the session and verbally informed at the start of the session.
What would you particularly like feedback on?
I would appreciate feedback on the clarity of my communication and the effectiveness with which I explain the techniques and processes. Additionally, I’m open to any suggestions for improvement in the overall session
How will feedback be exchanged?
Through written feedback and discussion
Part Two
Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
Thanks for sending over the two recordings from your tutorial session Sophie (and for your patience with accessing the recordings). A thank you to the student participant for being part of the review too. It was wonderful to gain insight into your physical teaching and learning space of the workshop, and approach to supporting students through tutorial sessions. I definitely felt like “a fly on the wall.” Below are some reflections, suggestions and prompts to help think about different aspects of the tutorial session. Feel free to select/ choose areas to respond to in ‘Part Three’ of the ROT form below (rather than responding to it all) and I hope it’s helpful. Overall, the recordings are making me think about learning through doing and making, experiential learning, and material learning – these might be theoretical areas (from Kolb, Dewey, Piaget and Bruner – foundational voices) to examine in more depth in the future.
The computer tutorial:
The sound quality of the recording made some aspects difficult to hear. The session began with the student asking your name, after which you moved straight to the computer, leading the process of finding and downloading files, opening software, and navigating tools for measurements, checks, sizing, and edits.
By 11 minutes in, the student logged into a computer to try for themselves, with you allowing them to take the lead and ask for support when needed. This could be a useful moment for informally assessing their digital literacy – what strategies might help further develop their skills beyond the session?
Throughout, the student asked process-specific questions (e.g. “Does it impact the quality?”), which you answered clearly while explaining reasoning and offering alternative approaches. Your problem-solving approach – “Let’s see what it does” – helped reinforce a solutions-focused mindset.
Though I was unable to see you both in this recording, the positive tone, laughter, and productive interactions were evident, reflecting an engaging and supportive learning environment.
Moving onto the workshop tutorial:
Your tutorial had a welcoming tone, with a well-paced approach to guidance and instruction. The student asked thoughtful questions, and you not only provided solutions but also explained the reasoning behind them – the why. Their curiosity showed engagement with the process, and you responded receptively, offering suggestions and brief introductions to synthetic and digital processes.
There were positive cues from the student, such as “ah, cool,” indicating interest. You also set realistic expectations by discussing limitations, using phrases like “I wouldn’t suggest that,” reinforcing insight into the process. Your patience and positivity were evident, with frequent reassurance and encouragement (e.g. “that’s ok”).
At times, I noticed the student used small hand gestures suggesting a desire for more hands-on involvement. It might be worth considering whether there’s an opportunity to let them engage more directly in the process – though this could be a trade-off with efficient use of time. You often led by example, demonstrating steps before allowing the student to try independently while providing continuous support. The student was seen continuing independently when the recording ended. I wonder if they came to find you with further questions?
There was a moment when the student had to wait for your attention due to the demands of assisting others. They sought you out to ask, “what next?” – highlighting the time pressures you manage. The friendly interactions with peers, colleagues, and students – background chatter – was fantastic to hear and contributed to a welcoming and supportive learning environment.
Given that the workshop is a noisy, multi-use space, it might be beneficial to check in about health and safety and accessibility considerations before starting a tutorial – though I assume there is a general briefing beforehand, or a health and safety induction at the start of term? A few questions might comprise (and you may already ask these):
- Do you have any mobility needs or physical considerations I should be aware of while using the space or equipment? Could stools or chairs be available?
- The workshop can be quite noisy – would you find it helpful to use ear protection or have a quieter space for discussion? Also are ear protection options available like ear defenders or ear plugs? This is in consideration of sensory needs.
- Would you prefer additional visual demonstrations, written instructions/ note-taking, or verbal descriptions to support your learning?
- Let me know if you need a short break or the pace adjusting to suit your needs?
All suggestions!
Part Three
Observee to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:
In reflection to Rachel’s feedback, I feel there are 3 main areas I would like to work on:
- Supporting Digital Literacy Development:
Students often feel apprehensive or lack confidence in their digital literacy skills, which can hinder their ability to fully engage with the learning process. To help students develop these skills beyond the session, several strategies can be implemented:
- Signpost to resources: Directing students to the workshop’s Padlet, where we’ve curated learning materials specific to the processes used in the session, can serve as a valuable reference. However, I believe we may have an overwhelming number of worksheets that students need to follow. Streamlining and refining these resources could prevent overload (Glazzard, 2024) and allow students to engage more effectively.
- Provide physical worksheets: Offering printed worksheets alongside digital tasks can provide students with a tangible guide to follow, helping them feel more comfortable and less overwhelmed by having to switch between multiple digital tools at once. This approach could make the learning experience feel more manageable and approachable.
- Notetaking: Encouraging students to record the tutorial or take notes can form a sense of ownership over their learning. Having a personal log to refer to allows students to reflect on the process and reinforces learning retention beyond the session.
This also aligns with Rachel’s feedback, suggesting that in addition to signposting, I should directly ask the student something like: “Would you prefer additional visual demonstrations, written instructions/ note-taking, or verbal descriptions to support your learning?” This approach would encourage the student to share their specific needs, enabling a more tailored learning experience. Creating more visual guides and demonstrations is also something I’m eager to focus on. While we currently have written guides with text and images, I believe that incorporating video and audio demonstrations would better support the diverse learning styles of our students and complement the resources we already offer.
2. Engaging student more directly in the process:
- I often demonstrate the technique from start to finish before having the student try it themselves, with me available for any questions that might arise. I recognise that this approach sometimes stems from my lack of confidence, feeling fully able to verbally explain the steps and finding it easier to demonstrate while providing explanations. However, upon reflection, I realise I should either set expectations upfront by informing the student that I’ll first demonstrate and then they’ll try, or ask the student for their preference—whether they’d prefer to be shown first or guided step-by-step with them doing the process themself. This would also allow me to incorporate more learning advocacy into my approach.
- This also highlights the importance of starting the session with Rachel’s suggestion: “Let me know if you need a short break or if you’d like the pace adjusted to suit your needs.” Upon reflection, while I do try to personalize the pacing of my demonstrations based on the student’s verbal and nonverbal cues, a question like this would better set the tone for the session. It would help create a sense of openness and reassure the student that they have a say in shaping the session to meet their needs. While I often ask, “Does that make sense?” or similar questions to gauge understanding, a simple, direct question like this would foster a more comfortable and collaborative atmosphere for learning.
3. Ensuring the workshop supports accessibility needs:
– Do you have any mobility needs or physical considerations I should be aware of while using the space or equipment? Could stools or chairs be available?
– The workshop can be quite noisy – would you find it helpful to use ear protection or have a quieter space for discussion? Also are ear protection options available like ear defenders or ear plugs? This is in consideration of sensory needs.
- Although my colleagues and I are aware of the noisy environment in the workshop, with sometimes up to four sewing machines running and music often playing, I realise upon reflection that we could improve how we address this issue. While we’ve considered sound barriers and have ear defenders available in a drawer for students to use, we should make ear protection more readily accessible. For example, during student inductions at the start of the year, we could highlight the location of earplugs/defenders, or ensure there is a visible supply available in the workshop for students to use as needed.
- Additionally, the suggestion of asking, “Would you find it helpful to have a quieter space for discussion?” is something I hadn’t considered before. Perhaps this oversight was due to the fact that the workshop is often busy with other users, and there aren’t always multiple technicians on hand to support or ensure health and safety measures are being followed. However, this doesn’t mean I can’t incorporate this question when possible. For example, during consultations, we could ask this question to ensure we can accommodate students, or we could schedule consultations in quieter parts of the day, such as mornings, and leave noisier machine sessions for the afternoons.
- I also need to become more aware of the need to consider students’ mobility and physical needs. While we have stools and tall chairs available for students in the space, simply informing them of these options and letting them know they are free to use them would communicate that they have choices for their comfort. Furthermore, when working on more physically demanding tasks, like framing embroidery hoops, I can check in with students about their physical needs to ensure I’m providing the right level of support. Much like with software support, I often demonstrate how to frame, then ask the student to do it themselves. Knowing about any mobility or physical concerns will help me tailor my approach more effectively.
Ultimately, developing an open, adaptable, and responsive learning environment is key to supporting diverse learning styles and needs. Personalising learning by directly engaging students in the process—whether through demonstrating techniques, adjusting the pace, or providing clear options for students to communicate their needs —helps create a more tailored and inclusive experience. By continuously reflecting on and refining my approach in the workshop, I can enhance both the learning experience and student outcomes. I found this to be a highly beneficial learning reflection, so thank you!!
References
Glazzard, J. (2024). Introductory Chapter: The Application of Cognitive Science in Supporting Learners with Dyslexia. [online] www.intechopen.com. Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/88755 [Accessed 1 Apr. 2025].