Replicating equitable learning experiences in printmaking

Vocational education teacher and print-based artist, Deborah Williams is committed to making the classroom experience accessible and equitable. While she is proactive about equitable learning plans she also find ways to make her course inherently accessible and cater to her students’ natural strengths.

Highlights:

Incorporating reflection into teaching is an important part of encouraging and learning from mistakes.
Colleagues can be a great source of knowledge when it comes to incorporating equitable learning plans into your subject area.
Considering students’ strengths and providing different formats for students to contribute is a way to make courses more accessible.
Using diverse examples in course materials and case studies is a way to make your course more inclusive.

Deborah’s inherent philosophy towards life, art and teaching is “embrace your mistakes”. It is a philosophy she instils from the beginning of her printmaking courses and is in fact an important part of being a print-based artist.

The flaws in outcome are actually in many ways, the most interesting.

So inherent is her view, she teaches a whole course on it. In the School of Art course Alchemy, students are ‘encouraged to explore and develop strategies to respond to unintended results’. Her intention behind the course is about changing how her students view mistakes in their work.

Deborah believes it’s important for students to build resilience, discover opportunities and learn to work with what they have. Her students are encouraged to embrace mistakes through reflection, which is also a key part of the printmaking process. Reflection (and the mindset behind it) helps students identify what hasn’t worked and consider ways that it can be addressed.

Perhaps because of this her teaching philosophy is also heavily rooted in equity. Students aren’t limited by their creative ability and are encouraged to see the potential in their work and their ability.

When students say ‘I can't draw’, I tell them that every single person can draw. We just draw differently.

A black silhoutte of a large dog and it's shadow. The background is concreate coloured with black splatter so that the image looks like graffiti.

Deborah Williams’s artwork Parallel Self (2021, Aquatint intaglio, edition 20). Her artwork is interested in the semi domesticated dog.

This mantra serves her well in her approach to equitable learning plans (ELPs) – individual course plans that provide reasonable course adjustments to ensure students have equitable access and participation opportunities in their course. Having been an RMIT educator for many years, she has spent many years working alongside the Equitable Learning and Accessibility team and implementing equitable learning plans.

Deborah is very proactive about the equitable learning processes and tries to take a holistic approach to the student and their learning experience.

Deborah believes it’s important to showcase to students that her course is a welcoming environment for all. Deborah often checks if any of her students have applied for ELP in any of their other courses so that she can have proactive conversations with students about an ELP for her course. This approach let’s students know what know options might be available to them and that Deborah is committed to providing a good learning experience for all students.

Successfully implementing an equitable learning plan can have an enormous impact on a student’s experience at university.

Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts graduate and one of Deborah’s students, Michelle McLachlan said that “[My experience] helped me have the confidence to think about furthering my education. Having an ELP plan was not something I needed to be ashamed about, and that by using it I was able to learn, feel included and supported and be able work to the best of my abilities.”

Two artworks. The left is a black and white photograph of legs and arms being reflected in a mirror. The right is a blue print of a face with the words not worth mentioning written across the mouth

Artworks Untitled (left) and Not Worth Mentioning (right) by Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts student Michelle McLachlan.

Deborah recommends seeking support when educators implement ELPs, this could be:

contacting Equitable Learning Advisors for support with understanding and implementing plans
talking to colleagues about how they’ve implemented ELPs in the past
touching base with colleagues or a program or course coordinator about how a student is doing across the program to support their learning holistically.

Outside of implementing ELPs, Deborah makes a conscious effort to ensure equity is imbedded into her course. The different learning styles and strengths of students is an important consideration in creating an equitable learning environment. While she expects that all students make contributions in class, she is mindful that some students are uncomfortable talking in groups. She often uses discussion boards on Canvas so that students have the option of providing feedback through writing.

She also provides students with a diverse range of examples from both historical and contemporary art in her teaching. It’s not just about students being able to see themselves represented, it is so that students see all people represented and engage in conversation about those that are missing in representation throughout history.

Story by: Kelsie Kruse

You can learn more about RMIT’s Equitable Learning Services and get in contact with an advisor online.

You can see Deborah Williams’ art on deborahwilliams.com.au or follow her on Instagram @Deborahwilliamsartist.

You can see more of Michelle’s art on Michellemclachlanart.com or follow on Instagram @Micannah87.

21 December 2021

Return to Next in Teaching

21 December 2021

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Replicating equitable learning experiences in printmaking