Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Wig-making Samples

Size of student group: up to 150 (entire course cohort)

Observer: Fflur Owen

Observee: Kitty Eyes

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 on-going collection of wig-making samples is currently being made by myself for all three year groups on BA (Hons) Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Performance. These samples are not included in any workshops but are used to assist students in casual one-to-ones and supervised studio sessions when students need assistance visualizing the making process of a wig, and what kind of construction their designs necessitate. Students are introduced to wig-making and basic hairdressing from their first year and are expected to produce hair pieces for most of their physical projects throughout their course.

How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?

I have been working as a Support Technician for this course for nearly 3 years. The current final year students were first years when I started, so I have seen them all progress through their wig-making classes and am aware of all three year’s individual ability. 

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?

The samples should be able to help the students have a better understanding of specialized knowledge pertaining to wig-making and hairdressing, thus assisting them in their designs, experimentation, and realizations for each units’ physical outcomes.

What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?

The students are required to make and/or style a hair piece for every practical unit during their course.

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?

The presentation of the samples has not been finalized, leaving them in a file folder with small labels attached. Additionally, as they are very delicate, they cannot be left out in the classroom so are only accessible when I am working.

How will students be informed of the observation/review?

No students will be present at the time of the observation as the samples are not currently used for any lessons.

What would you particularly like feedback on?

I would love to know if Fflur has any opinion on the presentation of the samples – as an academic member of staff would they ever use samples like this, either in tutorials or lessons? Would they, as an academic, prefer samples for students to be in an accessible area so they can access them without needing to contact a member of staff? I am interested to know about how they work in their department regarding samples and example pieces.

How will feedback be exchanged?

Fflur and I will be meeting online, I have taken photos of the samples to hopefully depict better detail. I have also invited Fflur to come down to our area of East Bank to see the samples in person if they would like.

Part Two

Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:

Kitty’s session was extremely informative and I felt I learnt much about the processes involved in Wig making from her introduction. It’s evident she is extremely knowledgeable about the subject, and I felt at ease due to her confident delivery.

Kitty started her introduction by explaining the importance of having samples to show students. She then proceeded to explain how the samples were made and for what reason certain techniques were used. The PPT Kitty presented was clear, showing an image of each sample and a description – (Please see example slide below)

Looking back at the PPT now, I think It would be great if Kitty used the UAL template PPT to give the PPT a more professional aesthetic, and it would be great to have additional information on how the samples were created. As we both also work as Technicians, we discussed methods of storing samples and how to lend samples to students and ensure they are safely returned for future use. We also discussed putting PPT information on LCF Tech (Information SharePoint – https://artslondon.sharepoint.com/sites/LCFTech) for technical knowledge at the university, accessible for Students at any time.

I suggested that Kitty use QR codes to help direct students towards information on SharePoint, similar to what we do in the Accessories department. Kitty had more questions about samples and storing them, and I was just as interested as this is an ongoing issue in our area too. We discussed storage cabinets or drawers similar to archive drawers in museums to safely display work. Kitty also mentioned she had good and bad examples to show students, to help them understand the desired finish- This is a great idea and something I will remember to do in the future to help my students develop and perfect their work.

Overall, a very informative and interesting session, Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me Kitty.

Below is a copy of Kitty’s PPT from the session.

Kitty’s final reflections are featured on her blog page.

Thank you.