Contextual Background
When it comes to recognizing and addressing the diverse needs of students, working as a technician specializing in film and television to assist academic educators in course delivery presents a challenge and some opportunities.
While my role as a technician traditionally focuses on support, it involves some aspects of teaching due to the changing landscape of higher education that prioritizes practical skills and knowledge.
Evaluation
I currently make conscious efforts to consider the various learning styles, backgrounds and experiences that students bring to the classroom or studio in order to understand their needs. I am also aware that students often have varying levels of familiarity with production equipment, software, or techniques in film and television. Some students thrive through hands on learning experiences, while others prefer learning through observation or detailed explanations.
Going Forward
The composition of film and television students that I currently support is so diverse to the extent that extra effort is required to be sure learning outcome is achieved and no one is left out. I will be deliberate in identifying and acknowledging the students’ diverse needs in order to effectively support them
Below are some of the strategies:
1. Providing multiple avenues for engaging with the material to accommodate various learning styles, such as visual, auditory and kinesthetic preferences.
2. Technology Inclusivity: This will ensure access to technology for all students and offer guidance to those less familiar with the tools.
3. Integrating perspectives into course content to reflect the student’s diversity and audience.
4. Collaborative Learning; Encouraging teamwork among students in order to foster peer to peer assistance and learning by tapping into the groups skill sets. As observed, some of the students have similar cultural and academic backgrounds; sharing ideas of the course content and peer activity will definitely help.
5. Feedback Mechanisms; Establishing feedback channels will allow us to adapt our teaching methods continuously to meet the evolving needs of the cohort.
Enhancing Access to Technology
Tech Workshops; Hosting workshops on tools and software for students requiring extra assistance can help improve their technological proficiency.
Resource Library;
Developing a collection of guides and materials that will enable students to enhance their technical skills at their own pace. This has been found helpful especially online resources that can be translated to different languages in which some of the students can better relate with.
Inclusive Curriculum;
Since I am not directly involved in crafting course contents, I can suggest to the academic to further accommodate contents that explore filmmakers’ cultural movements and storytelling methods from diverse backgrounds in order to aid and foster inclusivity.