After graduating from my MA, I began working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and now serve as a Visiting Practitioner and Academic Support Tutor. In my third year at the university, more students are seeking my feedback, even though I am still an emerging artist myself.
I recognise my strength in analysing others’ work and offering insightful comments. However, I have often felt uncertain about the method of delivering feedback, and sometimes students seem unsatisfied, leaving me frustrated when they do not return for further guidance. Part of this stems from my reluctance to commit to long-term feedback for other artists, especially at the MA level, as I am busy with my own practice and lack sufficient experience to provide sustained support. I do not want to position myself as someone students should always rely on.
That said, I aim to balance my teaching responsibilities, which I enjoy, with my personal artistic practice, which are closely tied one another. Through the PgCert sessions and readings, I hope to refine my feedback, making it more concise and helpful. So far, my feedback methods have been shaped by my supervisors and tutors during my artistic journey. Reading Moral Goods of Studio Pedagogy (Macdonald and Michaela, 2019) resonated deeply with my experiences.
The journal explores studio pedagogy as a social practice, highlighting its pros and cons. It discusses various ways to navigate the roles of students and instructors, emphasising that feedback styles depend on the instructor’s beliefs and experiences (Macdonald and Michaela, 2019).
One common challenge I faced as a student, and now observe as a tutor, is when a tutor misinterprets a student’s intention rather than focusing on their work. As a mature student, I was confident in my practice, which helped me avoid decisions I did not want. This seems a common issue in studio pedagogy, where instructors’ ‘good intentions’ are not always perceived as such by students (Macdonald and Michaela, 2019). Conversely, I have encountered the problem-solving teaching style, where tutors address specific issues rather than offering forward-thinking feedback. While effective for MA students who know their direction, I find this approach somewhat passive, though it could be combined with other methods depending on the context.
A question I raised in discussions is how to give feedback on work I do not believe is strong. While rare, this situation puzzles me. A lecturer advised focusing on the research process behind the work, which I mostly agree with. However, I would defer to other tutors in such cases, as this might stems from a lack of understanding of the work’s cultural and historical context and experiences.
McDonald, J.K. and Michela, E. (2019) ‘The design critique and the moral goods of studio pedagogy’, Design Studies, 62, pp. 1–35. doi:10.1016/j.destud.2019.02.001.