This question of engaging students in a creative field has been on our minds since the beginning of the TA process. Both of our TA courses, Creative Design 1 and Creative Design Exploratory, depend heavily on the creativity and passion of the students involved. In order for students to learn and create their bets work, they must be engaged and in touch with their creative learning.
From this stemmed the question, how do we get the students in our classes to engage with the material in a creative and expressive way? Working with Ms. Max on this subject, we found it was no an easy process. Especially in early level classes like ours, it is difficult to get students involved with the material since it is their first time in a design environment working with new programs.
In my time being a TA for the Creative Design 1 class I have been able to see the progression of students and analyze the evolution of their learning patterns. This class focuses on the teaching of the industry-standard design software of Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator is not a simple program to learn and because of this it relies on the level of engagement and involvement from the student in order to learn it in the short time that this class provides. Over my time as a TA it became evident that there was a clear difference between these engagement levels of students. Some students caught on to the workings of the software very easily, internalizing each of the tools explained in the lessons. Others struggled took keep up, constantly distracted that lead to a lack of understanding of the software that we had previously covered.
Rather than one big leap in the engagement level of students, I noticed an overall pattern of gradual increase in interest. As time went on, more students slowly became engaged in the lessons. They showed more dedication to their projects and assignments, not getting distracted or going on their phones. Previously, it was difficult to get them motivated enough to work for an entire class without distractions or complete assignments on time. But as time went on, students began to attack their work with a newfound sense of urgency and dedication.
From this, I came to the hypothesis that as students became more comfortable with the class environment their engagement levels would increase. As I continue to observe the patterns of student engagement it leads me to wonder how one can tailor the work and format of the class to best support this sense of familiarity.
In my role as the Teaching Assistant for the freshman exploratory program, I've had the opportunity to observe and analyze distinct patterns among various cohorts of students. Throughout the Q1 rotations, it became evident that the level of student engagement varied significantly. There were instances where some students displayed a noticeable lack of interest in the class, leading to disruptions and a tendency to neglect assigned tasks. This disinterest often translated into incomplete assignments, reflecting a disconnect between the subject matter and the students' overall enthusiasm for the course.
During other times, there were occasions when students exhibited a heightened level of involvement, showcasing a keen interest in the material. These students not only participated actively but also demonstrated a remarkable efficiency by completing assignments well ahead of the stipulated time frame, often within the first two days of the designated 3-4 day rotation period. This duality in engagement levels during Q1 rotations shed light on the varying degrees of enthusiasm and commitment among the student body.
Transitioning to the Q2 rotations, where students have the autonomy to choose their preferred RSTA classes, a discernible shift in engagement dynamics was observed. It appears that when students perceive the assignments as appropriately challenging rather than overly complex, there is an increase in overall engagement. This suggests a correlation between the level of assignment complexity and the students' willingness to actively participate and invest time in the coursework.
The observations made during these rotations led me to posit a hypothesis: the degree of student engagement is intricately linked to their perception of the complexity of assignments. This correlation seems to be a crucial factor influencing not only their participation during Q1 rotations but also their proactive involvement during the Q2 rotations where personal choice plays a significant role. As we continue to explore and understand these patterns, it becomes imperative to consider how tailoring assignments to strike the right balance of challenge can potentially enhance overall student engagement and foster a more conducive learning environment.
After our initial observations, we aimed to gain more of an insight from our students through the form of google surveys