PGCERT

Contextual Background 

The Access and Progression Widening Participation autumn course at CSM supported students aiming for BA Fashion, Textiles, or Jewellery. Many juggled part-time work, caring duties, or lacked confidence. Some couldn’t study art and design subjects due to cultural or financial barriers, travel issues, or school restrictions. Others had limited support or access to material

Evaluation 

To meet student needs, I ran a carousel workshop with undergraduates from similar backgrounds so applicants could hear real experiences and make informed course choices. While students around meeting and talking the UGs (timed sessions)  I held 1:1 tutorials along with a colleague from LCF to understand each student’s background and needs, going beyond the portfolio to spot potential. I explained CSM/LCF’s unique teaching styles to help students find the best fit. Many students say these sessions opened their eyes to new pathways and built confidence. I use student and staff feedback and reflection to improve delivery, always encouraging experimentation and learning from mistakes. This approach respects individuality and is shaped by ongoing practice-based learning and listening.

Moving forwards 

Moving forward, I want to build on current strategies by drawing from peer observation, research, and my own experience as both teacher and learner. One effective approach is introducing students to relatable role models—undergraduates or postgraduates from similar backgrounds—who can act as mentors or visit schools and FE colleges. If students “see themselves” in others who’ve succeeded at CSM, it breaks down barriers and makes the idea of progression feel achievable. This is also informative and helpful for staff.

I also want to strengthen links between students and academic support staff and more broadly support networks. Clear signposting helps ensure students know where to go for help, and that I’m not the only person looking out for them. Team teaching and working closely with colleagues helps us all understand student needs better, particularly those whose portfolios may not fit traditional expectations but show potential through cultural heritage or creative thinking, we have to look beyond the obvious cultural capital. I’ve shared my approaches with the broader Fashion team through presentations, encouraging colleagues to visit FE colleges and engage with students early on, offering insights into CSM’s teaching style and how to support access and progression.

I plan to run more projects where students don’t need to buy materials. This is not only more inclusive financially, but also more sustainable. Group work will be structured to encourage mixing—students can learn so much from each other when we break down barriers and assumptions.

Flexibility is also key. I aim to be more aware of students observing Ramadan or juggling work and caring responsibilities. I’m always learning—when I don’t know enough about a student’s cultural background, and this might be part of their research/inspiration, I tell them I’ll go and research it before our next session.

Finally, I want to continue developing ways to include quieter, less confident  students in class discussions. Not everyone wants to speak up in a group, so it’s important to read the room and create space for all voices to be heard, whether that’s through writing, small groups, or creative alternatives.

References:

AHRC, 2020. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Creative Economy. [online] Arts and Humanities Research Council. Available at: https://www.ukri.org/publications/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-creative-economy/ [Accessed 8 Apr. 2025].

Bird, L., 2020. Fashioning Inclusion: Decolonising the Curriculum in Art and Design Education. Journal of Art & Design Education, 39(3), pp.558–567. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12300.

Thomas, L. and Jones, R., 2017. Student engagement in the context of the UK Art and Design education sector: a literature review. Higher Education Academy. [online] Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/student-engagement-context-uk-art-and-design-education-sector [Accessed 8 Apr. 2025].

Universities UK, 2019. Closing the gap: Key recommendations to tackle the BAME attainment gap in higher education. [online] Available at: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-research/publications/closing-gap-final-report [Accessed 8 Apr. 2025].

Wilson, T., 2021. Widening Participation in Fashion Education: Listening to Student Voice. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, 20(2), pp.211–226. [Especially useful – based on real student experience in fashion and WP].

Responding to Nicholas Addisons, Doubting Learning Outcomes in Higher Education Contexts: from Performativity towards Emergence and negotiation.

This is a difficult one, as much as I believe we need learning outcomes for parity and learning and teaching and guidelines for some students, I also believe they should not be the benchmark for individual feedback.

In fashion education, creativity thrives when students are encouraged to explore, take risks, and develop their unique voice. While learning outcomes provide a necessary framework, they should never become a rigid checklist that limits innovation. Instead, educators must prioritise individual feedback, ensuring that each student’s learning experience is personal, meaningful, and reflective of their own creative journey.

Learning Outcomes: A Guide, Not a Limit

Fashion is an ever-evolving industry driven by originality, cultural shifts, and innovation. If we strictly adhere to predefined learning outcomes without questioning them, we risk creating uniformity rather than diversity in student work. Learning outcomes should serve as a guide rather than a restriction—helping students understand key skills and concepts while leaving room for individual exploration.

The challenge lies in balancing structure with flexibility. When designing projects, educators must look beyond learning outcomes to ensure that students are not just meeting criteria but also engaging in deeper creative inquiry. A forward-thinking fashion curriculum acknowledges that true progress happens when students challenge norms, redefine boundaries, and push their personal creative limits.

The Role of Individual Feedback

One of the most crucial elements in fashion education is tailored feedback. Generic, one-size-fits-all critiques do not serve students who are developing their distinct design identities. Individual feedback acknowledges each student’s unique strengths, areas for growth, and creative direction. It also fosters autonomy, allowing students to take ownership of their learning and decision-making.

Written feedback plays a key role in this process but must be delivered with intention. Too many words can overwhelm and dilute the message, while too few can leave students directionless. The ideal feedback is precise, insightful, and encourages reflection without dictating outcomes. It should act as a conversation rather than a directive—offering guidance while leaving room for interpretation and independent thinking.

Creativity Over Compliance

If we do not look beyond learning outcomes, we risk stifling creativity and producing students who conform rather than innovate. Fashion education must prioritise experimentation, conceptual thinking, and individuality over rigid assessment models. By focusing on the development of a student’s personal design language rather than just technical proficiency, we ensure that they are prepared to contribute something unique to the industry.

This approach also means rethinking how we assess students. Rather than measuring success solely by predefined learning outcomes, we should consider their ability to problem-solve, adapt, and express a clear creative vision. The emphasis should be on process as much as the final product—valuing the journey of discovery as much as the outcome itself.

Conclusion

In fashion education, we are not just teaching students to follow trends or replicate existing ideas; we are guiding them to become independent thinkers and designers. By prioritising individual feedback and embracing learning outcomes as flexible rather than prescriptive, we empower students to find their own voice while still acquiring essential skills. Education should not create sheep—it should cultivate visionaries who can shape the future of fashion with originality and confidence!

Doubting Learning Outcomes in Higher Education Contexts: from Performativity towards Emergence and negotiation

Nicholas Addisons.

The paper written by Karen Harris, Embracing the Silence: Introverted learning and the online classroom was another piece of writing that resinated with me personally and my learning and teaching practices. I have always struggled in a classroom situation where I am put on the spot or asked to talk about something out loud, I am much happier learning in a ‘quieter’ context, and once I have built confidence and knowledge might be happier talking out loud when appropriate. I have built much of my teaching practice with this in mind.

The fashion classroom is often a space filled with energy, discussion, and bold personalities. Many students thrive in this environment, eager to share their ideas and speak up. However, not all students engage in this way, and we must question whether traditional methods of participation truly serve all learners equally. As Karen Harris explores in Embracing the Silence: Introverted Learning and the Online Classroom, the assumption that vocal participation equates to engagement is flawed. Some of the most talented, thoughtful, and innovative students express themselves not through words but through their work.

The Myth of Loudness as Leadership

In fashion education, it is common to see certain students dominate discussions. These individuals often appear confident and articulate, and their voices fill the space. But does speaking the most mean having the best ideas? Not necessarily. Time and again, I have seen quieter students produce the most refined and innovative work. Their ‘noise’ does not come from speaking over others but from the strength of their designs.

By equating verbal contribution with engagement, we risk sidelining those who need time to process their thoughts before articulating them. Harris highlights that forcing students to speak before they are ready can create stress and inhibit learning. In fashion, where deep thought and reflection are key to developing strong creative ideas, we must acknowledge that not all students benefit from immediate verbal responses.

Embracing Silence as a Learning Tool

Rather than forcing participation in the traditional sense, we should rethink what engagement looks like. Silence is not disengagement—it can be a powerful space for processing, absorbing, and developing ideas.

One method I have found effective is one-on-one tutorials with quieter students. In smaller, more private settings, they feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts, and over time, this can build their confidence when speaking in groups. Rather than pressuring them to participate in the same way as their louder peers, we must create spaces where they can engage on their terms.

Another simple yet effective strategy is displaying work in a non-verbal way. Instead of relying on group discussions, I often ask students to leave their work on tables, allowing their peers to walk around, observe, and take in each piece. This removes the immediate pressure to verbally explain their work and allows for deeper, more thoughtful engagement.

The Power of Written Reflection

Written feedback can also be a powerful tool in embracing silence. Post-it note critiques allow students to leave constructive feedback on each other’s work without the pressure of speaking publicly. This encourages participation in a way that feels safe and thoughtful, giving quieter students the opportunity to express their perspectives without having to compete for attention. This does not have to be lots of words – juts short sentences – even just one word !

Rethinking Power and Participation

Harris challenges us to reconsider traditional notions of power in the classroom. In an online setting, where students can easily disappear behind a muted microphone, teachers have been forced to reconsider what engagement truly means. This same lesson applies to in-person teaching. Fashion education should not only reward the loudest voices but create space for the quieter ones to thrive.

Some of our most successful graduates and alumni working in the fashion industry were not the students who dominated classroom discussions. Their strength lay in their creativity, their ability to listen, observe, and refine their ideas. Their ‘voice’ was always present—it simply spoke through their work rather than their words. As educators, we must ensure that all students, regardless of how they choose to engage, have the opportunity to develop their full potential.

By embracing silence and developing more inclusive ways to listen, we create a richer, more diverse learning environment—one where every student, whether outspoken or reserved, has the space to contribute meaningfully. The future of fashion belongs not just to those who speak the loudest but to those who think the deepest.

However, there are some roles in fashion that need the loud voices, Fashion PR and marketing for example , Fashion journalism where the students have to be confident to interview people. You will often find that these students already have the confidence and ability to work in this way, which is why they apply to these courses, but we must be mindful of the students who are applying and possibly don’t have the tools yet to deliver. This brings me back to my experience of working in outreach for Widening participation, where marginalised young people don’t always have the cultural Capital, or confidence like the young people from more advantaged backgrounds ie:privately educated. So comes back to an inclusive education and participation for each and every student.

Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal

Karen Harris: Embracing the Silence: Introverted learning and the online classroom

I was drawn to reading the paper: On the spectrum within art and design academic practice:

As someone with dyslexia and ADHD, my journey through education has been shaped by constant tension between creativity and traditional academic expectations. Reading, writing, and structuring essays have always been struggles, but designing, problem-solving, and creating have been my strengths. The paper Art & Design and Neurological Difference highlights how neurodivergent students bring unique ways of thinking to creative fields—but also how current education systems often fail to accommodate these strengths.

Fashion design is an academic discipline, but not in the traditional sense. It requires research, critical thinking, and problem-solving, but these happen through sketchbooks, hands-on experimentation, and material manipulation rather than essays. Yet, the academic system still places heavy emphasis on written work, making it difficult for neurodivergent students to succeed in ways that reflect their actual abilities.

The paper discusses how many neurodivergent students develop workarounds—using visual thinking, hands-on approaches, and alternative methods to express their ideas. This resonates with my experience. I have always learned best through doing, whether it’s draping fabric on a stand or working through concepts in a sketchbook. These methods are not just “practical”—they are deeply intellectual and should be recognised as valid forms of academic engagement.

Despite this, many fashion courses still measure academic success through essays and written reflections, sidelining the ways in which neurodivergent students excel. The challenge is not that we lack academic ability but that the system defines “academic” too narrowly. The question should not be How can neurodivergent students fit into this system? but rather, How can education evolve to recognise diverse ways of thinking and learning?

One approach could be to shift the emphasis away from written work as the primary form of assessment. What if research-based sketchbooks, process videos, or verbal presentations carried the same academic weight as essays? What if critical thinking was evaluated through creative problem-solving rather than written analysis alone? These changes would not lower academic rigour but rather redefine it in a more inclusive way.

Neurodiversity is not a deficit—it is a different way of engaging with the world. Fashion education should embrace this by valuing alternative learning and assessment methods, ensuring that students are recognised for their intelligence and creativity, not just their ability to write.

In my previous role teaching in outreach, I would meet so many young people at secondary schools who really struggled with the writing aspect of A level Art and Design subjects, they were extremely creative but didn’t understand, and weren’t encouraged, to work with visual annotation rather than written annotation for their work.

By shifting how we define academic excellence in fashion and more broadly art and design we can create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment—one where neurodivergent students are not just accommodated but truly understood and valued, this should start lower down education.

Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal

On the spectrum within art and design academic practice

Luca M.Damiani

Encouraging 360° Thinking in Fashion Design

Micro Teaching Lesson Plan:

20 minutes:

1pm: (for the purposes of this micro teaching where I couldn’t ask students to prepare) Ask the students to find 4 pieces of paper (can be newspaper, brow paper etc…) any size, but needs to be a rectangle shape, and some coloured pens for the workshop.  

1.02pm: Introduce the workshop and explain the context behind it, why I am asking the students to do it, to get them to look at 360 silhouettes. Designing for the body is NOT 2D!  it’s about:

<Front,

<Left side,

<Back,

<Right side,

Full 360.

1.05pm: Show the students about how to do “consequences” folding the paper etc.

1.07pm: Explain about the themes

There are 4 themes:

<Gothic

<Brutalism

<Clowns

<Traditionalist

Start with the back

1.08pm: Start the drawings

Front:

Head

<Fold

Body

<Fold

legs

<Fold

Shoes

1.11pm:

Left Side:

Head

<Fold

Body

<Fold

legs

<Fold

Shoes

Back

Head

<Fold

Body

<Fold

legs

<Fold

Shoes

1.14pm:

Right side

Head

<Fold

Body

<Fold

Legs

<Fold

Shoes

1.17pm: Unfold all 4 drawings and share – hold up to screen, talk about 360 and how these drawings can be developed and mashed up or collaged into different looks.

1.20pm: Finish

Context:

Teaching Fashion design I see so many students struggle with designing the 360 silhouette, they often just consider the front of the design, and not who they are designing for, or full looks , top of the head – tip of the toe ! My micro-teaching session aimed to help fashion design students think beyond 2D sketches and consider the entire body—front, back, left, and right.

I did show a colourful clown object with distinct designs on all sides as inspiration, however the main object/s would be those 4 pieces of folded consequences that the students made.

To achieve this, I used a hands-on approach where students created their own designs using the “consequences” method, typically a drawing game where different sections are drawn without seeing the whole body.

Each student folded paper and sequentially drew a muse-inspired outfit.They did this 4 times Front, Back, Left side , Right side. To guide their creativity for the drawing, I provided themes—Victorian, Brutalist Architecture, Clown, Wobbly, Traditional, and Water Gothic—I used words/themes often used by in fashion design students. I also emphasised the importance of designing from head to toe.

At the end, students reviewed their drawings as 3D design references, moving beyond flat sketches. These objects/ drawings would then be used as a starting point for designing a collection of looks.

Feedback was positive—students found the exercise fun and engaging. However, they noted that abstract themes were easier to interpret than some cultural references.

Reflecting on the session, I see potential for refining this method, timing and theme choices, but it was effective in shifting students’ perspectives toward 360° design. Developing this workshop further could enhance understanding of silhouette and full-body design in fashion.

I chose to read this paper by JUDY WILLCOCKS and KIERAN MAHON from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. I worked with Judy when CSM first moved to Kings Cross on how to bring schools and local communities into CSM and give them Insights into what we do. So I was keen to hear about how the work had been developed over the years and moved online. We talked about this paper in our breakout room and all agreed how using objects was a great way at getting students to introduce themselves and their diverse backgrounds. I often use this method as an ice breaker, a talking point for story telling but also for mark making. I get students to mix up the objects, so in groups join all their objects together to create new communities. I am currently writing a project for MA fashion working with practitioners from Ghana, a hybrid project with the first week being online, so this extract below got me thinking about ways to use this object – based learning for the first week, It will allow participants to explore and reflect on the ecosystems in which Ghanaian designers work, while also creating a sense of community among our emerging MA designers.