And the only way out is to ‘make some NOISE’. There are times when silence is so loud it becomes unbearable. The beginning of a teaching session saw the co-tutor and I setting up the Padlet which echoed across the for extra-large display screens. The Padlet was filled with an array visual research students had been asked to upload the previous week. The task was to research and upload an image of a pamphlet that used interesting folds as part of its visual language, the project was called Unfolding Ideas. Students were instructed to compile a brief list of positives (“pluses”) and negatives (“minuses”) about the leaflet, including aspects like colours, fonts, fold effects, paper type, and size/format.
Once the Padlet was visible to everyone, the co-tutor and I would take turns in selecting an image to discuss using the PMI’s and encourage the students join in choosing their own examples where they can say as much or as little depending on their confidence. The activity encourages students to become confident in discussing their work with an audience, recognising this can be daunting for anyone. The sessions mirror the practices of professional design practices, where presenting work to peers, creative directors, and or stakeholders is routine. In essence, presentation skills are integral to the graphic design profession.
Unfortunately, on this day it was akin to pulling teeth. We began my asking, “who would like to talk about their Padlet image?” … silence … this is quite normal at this point … “who would like to volunteer to speak first?’ … silence … followed by a bit more silence … “someone from the front maybe?” … even more silence … “how about from the back? the middle?” … silence with a cherry on the top … “somebody, anybody, pleeeeeease” … the silence eventually broken by an explanation of being able to articulate their work concepts as they progress through year two, then three, and ultimately into the professional world … finally someone spoke up.
We encourage noise.
It can be daunting having fifty faces staring at you or ignoring you as they stare at their phones when you’re trying to encourage noise. We emphasis active participation and contribution during studio discussions and creates a perception that silence is a sign of disengagement or lack of understanding. The article Embracing the silence: introverted learning and the online classroom (Harris, 2022) challenges those traditional assumptions of participation and active engagement in the online classroom.
Harris, (2022) invites us to think about silence as someone who is actively; silently; participating and argues that silence should be embraced and accepted in the online classroom, particularly for introverted students. While the emphasis is on online environments, there are considerations I could draw from and apply in physical studio sessions such as asking students to reflect on aspects of the session before beginning discussions, thinking before speaking. We currently provide small group discussions in the hope that the quieter students will gain the confidence to speak to the wider group. I could introduce opportunities for written responses, again giving students time to reflect and enabling them to read what they have written, as something to lean on. Each situation will be different, challenging the fear of silence can create an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
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References
Harris, K. (2022) ‘Embracing the silence: introverted learning and the online classroom’, Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal, 5(1), pp. 101–104. Available at: https://sparkjournal.arts.ac.uk/index.php/spark/article/view/161/273 (Accessed: 26 January 2024).
Additional reading
Damiani, L.M. (2018) ‘On the spectrum within art and design academic practice’, Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal, 3(1), pp. 16–25. Available at: https://sparkjournal.arts.ac.uk/index.php/spark/article/view/88.