Where to check for the correct information and how to use it in steel framing practice.

(Session Objective)

Steel stud work

    Curves and raked bulkheads in steel framing is a second year Wall and Ceiling unit I have been delivering today.  

    In the past we have laboriously slaved our way begrudgingly through the manuals and I have pulled what 

was left of my hair out while watching students drawing the details for the project.  This was always followed by endless questions of “what do we do now or next” and repeating the same replies over and over again in the workshop.

Different this Time

Curved Bulkhead

    Using my recent past experiences as diagnostic Assessment, Self-assessment, Reflection and Feedback I adapted and changed course.

ACTIVITIES

1. I asked questions about and discussed experience in the group to establish levels of competence. (Gauging Guild Knowledge levels) 

2. The group was shown a very competent example of the project completed. (Not the Plans) We discussed issues that arose from the students viewing of that example, “their Assessment of it”, feedback and questions.  (Picture of Competence)

3. I gave the group the installation manuals and asked them to firstly collaborate for 20 minutes coming up with a drawing of details of how they proposed to build their project.   Not a scale perfect detail drawing but to include all details and names. (Discovery, Collaboration & Doing)

Assessment

Formative Assessment

    The resulting drawings gave me a clear picture of their thinking, methods, experience and level of competence.

Feedback & Adaptation of delivery & content

Reflection    In this case it meant a group discussion of what was missing from their drawings, approaches, what they needed to look up and where the correct information was.

Outcomes   The outcome was to take, a lot of confusion out of the initial stages of the training.   I still had a barrage of questions but I could see the majority had a better understanding of the basic principles and could transfer what they had learnt more clearly.

     In past sessions I had used the manuals as a written text-based resource, confronting and confusing for non academic students that only read text messages and Facebook.

    Now with collaboration for the first time (though I am sure they thought they were cheating having the book) they started to think as a group, putting forward ideas communicating them, discussing their work experiences and then eventually looking it up in the manual. (men & Instructions)   That was, all along the objective of the session.  “Where to check for the correct information and how to use it in steel framing practice”.

Or any other practice…..

Final feedback and Validation

• Standard of work was higher than usual.
• Group participation greater
• Achievements recognised in Self and Peer Assessments
• Understanding and therefore competence picture clearer
• General morale higher and
• Work flow, attitudes and pace all better.

May be it was this group but as it has worked with several diverse groups in a wide range of Subject/Units at varying levels seems to indicate to me that it is more successful.