Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice
Up date and save 05/01/2025
Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Carbon Literacy Training
Size of student group: 10-12 staff
Observer: Michael Ste-Croix
Observee: George Barker
Note: This record is solely for exchanging developmental feedback between colleagues. Its reflective aspect informs PgCert and Fellowship assessment, but it is not an official evaluation of teaching and is not intended for other internal or legal applications such as probation or disciplinary action.
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?
Carbon Literacy Training is a one-day course accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project. It was designed in January 2023, and we have offered the course to all UAL staff since April. Over 300 staff have now completed the course and gain certification as carbon literate. The course is designed to induct staff into approaches and goals of environmental science by giving space for them to think through their work and/or discipline and steps they may make to reduce their carbon impact or ecological footprint.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
The course runs as a one day intensive, and so this is a new group of staff. They have no pre-existing relationship with one another.
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
By the end of the day, staff will have an enhanced understanding of the science of climate change and its relationship with a wider ecology. They will have interrogated and better understood the complexity of carbon footprinting, and spent time unpacking frameworks of justice and their interrelation with climate action and education. By the end of the day, learners will also understand carbon in the context of our institution.
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
Learners will be expected to produce knowledge throughout the day, through group activities, discussions and play. By the end of the day, learners will be set a task: to commit to two actions within the workplace that they can commit to over the next 12 months that will reduce their planetary impact.
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
Climate change is a difficult and sensitive topic to tackle, especially in an institutional context. Depending on the personal circumstances or experiences of learners, some of the content covered may be emotionally triggering, or cause further emotional responses like anger, frustration, dismissal, or disavowal.
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
We will do self-introductions at the start of the session.
What would you particularly like feedback on?
The sections you will be observing may include:
- 09:30 – 10:15, Welcome, Warm-Up, Briefing
- 10:15 – 11:30, Environmental Literacy
I would value feedback on if the warmer can be improved or thought through in a different way, as well as any observations about the nature of the content (both visual in terms of slides and in teaching delivery).
How will feedback be exchanged?
Please write down any observations below.
Part Two
Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
George Barker-Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice.
Carbon literacy Training Thursday: with a small pre-task Thursday 29th February-09:30-17:00
On arrival. To room EB-13O9. Ten students expected.
Set up of space.
Room EB-1309 is an excellent space.
2 x large 98” monitors in space with webcam setup, Laptop computer, large conference table. On the table are teaching and resource learning material for students to access. Tea and coffee available for students.
As students arrived, George said hello to each student, welcomed and introduced them to the class. Had a great memory in remembering each student’s name. George created an excellent atmosphere for teaching. Students started to engage with each other, explaining who they are, and which department/colleges they’re from and job roles.
George started the workshop by explaining who he was and how the carbon literacy training session will be run throughout the day.
George speaks with a clear voice, with an open body posture. He is always facing the students with good eye contact. Introduced me to the class and explained that we are both doing a PgCert ‘theories, policies and practises in art design and communication ‘and that I am observing his class.
Because George has created a great ‘teaching atmosphere’ the students immediately responded to the class programme, started answering and posing questions; engaged with work tasks set and explored/investigated the teaching material displayed and presented.
Students started to share information learnt to class colleagues.
George is a very good listener, attentive to students’ questions. Very knowledgeable on the subject, takes time to explain elements of the course. Patient with students questioning and gives full complete answers. If he is not sure on the question, he will find a way to find the answer and will give feedback later. Good presentation teaching material; good imagery, charts, graphs, pictures. Please see examples below:
He explained college aims and objectives concerning carbon literacy. Presented and explained information clearly. Open for interruptions from students with questions.
Posed questions to students and broke them up into smaller groups to discuss certain topics; to further investigate certain issues related to carbon and to further enhance learning through discovery of the subject.
Engage with individual students with one-to-one discussion/teaching. Very attentive, paid close attention to student answers and quires.
Conclusion:
With reference to George’s feedback request, I cannot see how he can improve on the warm-up as he has staged and created a teaching atmosphere to deliver his training session that encourages students to engage with each other and to feel at ease.
His student facing pose and attentive engagement with students kept the students focused on the subject.
The learning material and AV equipment was very good, and the teaching material was easily understood.
This was an excellent Carbon literacy Training session.
Challenges
The only issue that I can comment on is, will you be able to have the same facilities and equipment available for all your training sessions. Will a new location and equipment quality effect teaching delivery.
Part Three
Observee to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:
With this Carbon Literacy course, I am privileged to be able to consistently have opportunities to update my teaching practice and the content which I deliver on the course. This is the thirtieth time I have run the course. As a result, the training has come a long way over the past year of iteration and development. I feel Michael has landed at a point where I feel I have honed my delivery and expertise of the taught content. Therefore, the feedback Michael has given here is extremely affirmative.
With this group, I observed that there were some staff members who assessed their understanding of environmental science and climate change as quite low when we went around the room for our warmup exercise. So, I was pleased to read from Michael that the taught content was comprehendible and easily understood. The group on the day had plenty of questions and I was mindful of the balance between time to answer these, while also completing the taught content. It is encouraging to hear from Michael that I come across as an attentive tutor. My goal through the course is to encourage group enquiry as much as possible so I’m pleased this came across.
This observation has affirmed the value of my course and outlined some of my pedagogical strengths in communication style. While this group all opted in to take the training, I will be challenged further when I take the exercise into a space where it has been mandated by a line manager or the institution. When this happens, I can expect to encounter more disengaged or resistant learners. Some may directly challenge the approach I have developed to the content, or from a discipline which directly contravenes and contradicts some of the objectives of carbon literacy, which centre around emissions reduction through strategies of reduction and de-growth.
This feedback has spurred me onwards to continue doing what I’m doing and to challenge myself by offering the course to different types of learners. I am also keen to offer the course to UAL students, so this is a next step for me to arrange.