Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice
Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Digital Communication: Edit Portfolio
Size of student group: 10
Observer: Georgia Provatidou
Observee :Rebekah Guo
Part One
- What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum?
The session is part of the Digital Communication module, which develops students’ ability to present their creative projects in a professional and concise manner. Specifically, this session focuses on: Creating and organising a 10-page digital portfolio. Experimenting with various portfolio layouts to develop a cohesive and visually appealing presentation. Completing at least 3-4 pages of content within the session. This session is to ensure students are prepared to meet the submission requirements for their 10 pages digital portfolio.
- How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
4 months, 10 people
- What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
By the end of the session, students will:
- Set up a 10-page template for their portfolio using appropriate layout designs.
- Complete 3-4 pages of their portfolio with clear content organisation.
- Understand the strengths and purposes of different layout styles (e.g., centred, linear, organic).
- Avoid common design pitfalls and create visually cohesive work.
- What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
- Students will have an organised portfolio template ready to build on after the session.
- At least 3-4 pages of their portfolio will be complete, demonstrating experimentation with different layouts.
- Students will gain confidence in their ability to structure and refine their digital portfolio.
- Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
One potential difficulty is students arriving late to the session, which can disrupt the flow of the lesson and affect their ability to fully engage with the content.
Latecomers often miss key demonstrations or instructions, I noticed this would discourage them to continue participating in the session.
- How will students be informed of the observation/review?
By Email
- What would you particularly like feedback on?
How effectively I manage time during the session to balance instruction, individual feedback, and student output.
My ability to engage students and maintain their focus throughout the session.
Whether my explanation of layout styles and their benefits is clear and accessible to all students.
Suggestions for improving the structure or delivery of a hands-on session like this.
- How will feedback be exchanged?
I would like to receive feedback via a written summary on the Observation Record by email.
Part Two
- Rebekah actively engaged with students by moving around the room, listening first, observing, and then assisting by demonstrating solutions on the students’ screen.
- She used appropriate digital design terminology, ensuring clarity and relevance to the session.
- Her calm and helpful approach created a positive learning environment.
- The handouts provided at the beginning served as an effective checklist for students, helping them track their progress.
- She responded to all my questions, providing both context for the session and technical clarifications where needed.
- Rebekah encouraged students to be more detailed in their garment descriptions, such as specifying how a pocket is structured or adding key details like the wire support for the hoodie in the back view.
- Instructions were clear, positive, and encouraging, making it easier for students to follow along.
- She promoted practice-based learning by guiding students step by step: she provided verbal instructions while the student executed the task, reinforcing their understanding.
- When necessary, Rebekah also provided practical, hands-on assistance to support students throughout the process.
Suggestions:
- Consider incorporating more visual examples or reference images on the Big Screen in the room or open area. I don’t feel that I am in a position to offer further suggestions as I feel that for a session of this nature you were very good / excellent on everything.
Questions:
- How do you ensure that all students receive equal support, particularly in larger sessions? It was easier as you had just a few students in this session but how do you manage larger numbers on your own?
- Have you considered integrating peer feedback moments where students can review each other’s work before seeking assistance?
- Would adding a quick recap at the end of the session help consolidate student learning and address any remaining questions? I did not stay till the end so please ignore if you have already done that or asked them to refer back to the handouts that you distributed at the beginning of the session.
Part Three
Thank you so much for your insightful feedback, JoJo!
Visual example:
Since this session tale place just before project submission, the focus is on finalizing technical drawings rather than learning new techniques. Most of the required skills have already been covered in the previous sessions. However, putting the objectives, and relevant visual reference on the screen while they are working on their own design can be helpful.
Time Distribution:
Providing one to one support to every student can be overwhelming, especially in a larger attendance. So far, I haven’t used peer feedback or discussion in digital based session. But I would like to explore this approach in the future..
Session recap:
We began the session with a recap of the key requirements for their technical drawings. In addition to this, we also reviewed the fundamental principles of building a portfolio using appropriate layout designs. I demonstrated examples of both effective and ineffective approaches, helping students understand best practices.
I provided a checklist to encourage critical thinking, allowing them to assess and refine their 10-page portfolio effectively. By the end of the session, we did 10 minutes recap on the workflow of technical drawing, and went though the checklist with them, ensured they understood how to use the checklist for their work.
Checklist:
