My greatest concern regarding my Action Research Project is that I won’t have any students attend my open-call object-based learning workshops. Despite having taught more than 30 bespoke workshops for over 800 students since starting my role, this is a risk due to not being embedded into any particular courses.

To increase my chances of successful student attendance, particularly by my target audience of neurodiverse female students of colour, I have advertised my workshop via Academic Support and asked my PgCert colleagues and the CSM Comms team to kindly spread the word. After I posted my request in the PgCert Misc forum, Carys Kennedy thoughtfully suggested I also contact Joe O’Brien to feature in the Disability History Month campaign and Arts Students’ Union to maximise reach.

As Lindsay reassured me, if the worst-case scenario happens where no students turn up for either of the two pilot workshops, I should still be able to pass this unit because of the proactive measures I’ve taken to get it off the ground. Unfortunately, students attending, especially near Christmas break, is out of my control. Either way, I will reflect on my outcome, whether it is positive or negative.

Via Academic Support

Via PgCert Group

Via CSM Comms

Via Arts Students’ Union

Using the feedback from my seven interviews with critical colleagues, I have written an updated workshop plan below. The edits I have made are highlighted in yellow for clarity.

Workshop Resources

• Academic Support listing: https://academicsupportonline.arts.ac.uk/workshops-tutorials/106942?check_logged_in=1
• Workshop Padlet: https://padlet.com/dtohidi2/exploring-intersectionality-through-object-based-learning-h6pa5fzx36wo8di8
• Feedback form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BoVtxDAiLtfOGrjZe6WRCvz_g4M7AcQ_B1fiWvTR5T4/edit

Workshop Description

Exploring Intersectionality through Object-based Learning

This workshop will use the CSM Museum’s historic collection and hands-on practice of object-based learning to spark inspiring thoughts and important conversations about the intersections between race, neurodiversity, and gender. From learning about the CSM Museum’s services and field of object-based learning, to exploring diverse objects from the Graduate Award collection with peers, you will meet students from other courses, gain transferable skills, and knowledge that will enrich your coursework and inspire your creative thinking. The workshop will be led by Curriculum Development Curator, Dayna Tohidi, and is part of her PgCert Action Research Project.

As a neurodiverse woman of colour and recent Central Saint Martins alumna, Dayna understands the importance of embracing your identity and navigating your place within this creative institution. Your feedback will play a vital role in shaping future workshops and fostering a more inclusive and supportive academic environment.

While specifically designed for neurodiverse women of colour, all students are welcome to join and share their valuable feedback. The workshop will be based at the CSM Museum in Kings Cross and take approximately 3 hours, with breaks included to ensure a comfortable and engaging experience. The CSM Museum & Study Collection and Women@CSM support everyone who identifies as female and is non-binary and trans-inclusive.

Workshop Outline

Learning objective:

• Explore the three intersecting identities of neurodiverse women of colour through museum objects

OBL activity:

• Emotional reading to encourage meaningful reflection and group discussion about the objects

Object selection:

• Reimagined in Pink artwork by Elektra Moga
• Bioprosthesis nipples by Arianna Pezzano
• Framing Fragility embroidery samples by Angelica Ellis
• Worth 100 Women prints by Farida Eltigi
• 30 Questions parody video by Maria Mahfooz
• National Coming Out Day prints by Ashton Attz
• Eso Extension fibre bundles by Funmi Olawuyi

Workshop resources:

• Padlet containing key workshop info
• Academic Support QR code register
• Felt tip pens and name labels for welcome section
• Pens and post-it notes for intersectionality discussion
• Printed, stapled word doc containing info sheet, consent form, glossary, handling instructions, object descriptions, and emotional reading worksheet
• QR code linking to the Google feedback form

Workshop structure

Welcome:

1. Go through housekeeping reminders, like nearest toilets, fire alarm, comfort breaks etc
2. Ask participants to read the information sheet, sign the consent form, and write their first name, pronouns, and course on their name badge
3. Introduce myself by talking about my journey of growing up as an undiagnosed neurodiverse woman of colour, navigating my studies at CSM, and researching how to support neurodiverse needs through OBL for my PgCert ARP
4. Prepare students by giving an overview for the workshop and explaining that we will talk about sensitive topics, which may cause controversy in group discussions, but we must be kind and respectful towards each other

Group Discussion:

• Talk through the key terms in my workshop glossary and remind students they are contestable
• Ask participants to think about the term, intersectionality, and reflect on what it means to them alone or in pairs
• Gather their responses on post-it notes and stick them onto the big screen
• Read some responses aloud and invite students to share their responses with the group
• Invite students to add their own interpretations or terms to my Padlet glossary

Take a short comfort break

OBL Activity:

• Introduce OBL discipline and explain emotional reading worksheet
• Give verbal, written, and visual object handling instructions
• Ask groups to observe, analyse, and discuss their chosen object

Take a short comfort break

Reflections:

• Lead class discussion about the emotional reading activity
• Offer participants time to do a Q&A and share final thoughts 
• Ask participants to complete my workshop survey

Neurodiversity accommodations

• Coordinate with the Lethaby Gallery team to ensure minimal background noise
• Coordinate with the Estates team to ensure a comfortable room temperature
• Encourage participants to have a protein-rich snack to maintain focus
• Use simple, visual presentations with minimal text and clear visuals
• Limit sensory engagement by keeping audio at a low volume
• Pause periodically to ask if participants have questions or need clarification
• Keep instructions concise, breaking them into small, clear steps
• Demonstrate handling techniques with one object to model the process
• Give participants time to rest, recharge, and process their thoughts
• Reassure participants that they are free to contribute in any form
• Use printed prompts as conversation starters to encourage engagement

Research Method Reflection

I quickly realised that I tried to cram too much to cover into each meeting and that following the semi-structured questions approach would have hindered the effectiveness of my research since I’d have to overwhelm my colleagues with info and save their feedback for the end. Carys reassured me that it’s okay if I deviate from my plan to do semi-structured interviews and if I don’t have time to do a proper thematic analysis because they understand the time pressure of this unit. She suggested I make notes after all my meetings, find the golden thread to improve my workshops, and then document that instead. After every meeting, I have made improvements to build on in the next meeting. This feels more suited to my research approach and more manageable given the one-week turnaround I have to conduct and analyse 7 interviews, develop my workshop resources, and deliver my workshops for students. 

Sarah Campbell and Judy Willcocks

• Sarah and Judy really like my workshop proposal and object selection. They think that it has a great representation of different perspectives and there’s more stuff to do than listen to, which is key for my intended student group. They can see a lot of thought and care has gone into planning it
• Sarah and Judy advised me to remove the video piece from my object selection since the audio would be too distracting for the rest of the groups, especially those who are sensitive to sensory stimulation
• Sarah and Judy agreed I should send my workshop resources to participants in advance to let them digest the resources in their own time and have the option to become familiar with the material if beneficial. I will do this via a SharePoint link to keep things organised and accessible
• Judy shared the British Dyslexia Foundation’s style guide with me to help me create accessible and inclusive workshop resources, noting things like font style and font size. She suggested 16 points for anything large format and sans serif font since it’s easier to read
• Sarah suggested I minimise the number of points per slide, so I don’t jam too much in one page. Judy said I could animate my slides, so points appear one by one too
• Sensitive language was a big takeaway from our meeting. It’s important I put a trigger warning on my slides since we will talk about contentious subjects, like race, ethnicity, gender etc. They suggested I breakdown difficult terms into simpler words and offer alternative terms to explain them
• Both agreed I could condense my workshop into two hours to maintain their concentration and use the final hour to gather feedback or discuss anything students may want to talk about
• Judy shared the Women @ CSM’s definition of women to help me make my workshop more inclusive
• They reminded me to not stress because this is a pilot and is part of my research, so I am not expected to be an authority or expert on this subject
• Judy suggested I put a short explanation of intersectionality with a definition and quote from Crenshaw on my emotional reading sheet to adapt it to my workshop
• Judy suggested I ask Annabel if I could shadow any of her sessions as I will learn a lot from her and she is a neurodiverse woman of colour herself

Graham Barton and Natasha Sabatini

• Natasha and Graham warned me that the ratio of sign-ups to attendance for AS workshops is 30%, so I shouldn’t be disappointed if some people don’t attend
• They both agreed I could condense my workshop by an hour and include a comfort break in there. They said I could keep the timings as they are, but share a workshop breakdown in my email I send in advance
• Graham suggested I improve the wording on my consent form by calling them my intended audience group and explaining what I mean by women, so people who aren’t biologically women do not feel excluded
• We agreed to update my AS workshop description to include my definition of women in there and put the sentence about my research in the first paragraph to manage students’ expectations
• Graham and Natasha would like me to roll this workshop out to staff after my PgCert ends as they see great potential in it
• Rather than an icebreaker, they suggested the first section sets the scene and gives everyone a basic level of knowledge about intersectionality. They said I could pose some questions to my group and ask them to write their thoughts on post-it-notes so I could investigate some together afterwards before showing possible definitions. This could be a powerful and vulnerable moment in our workshop that gets people speaking
• They suggested I ask students to inform me if they have any access or impairment concerns they would like to share with me in advance
• Graham suggested I finish with a closing discussion about the relationship between intersectionality, neurodiversity, and emotions and how that lands with people in the room

Carys Kennedy

• Carys reassured me that it’s okay if I deviate from my plan to do semi-structured interviews and if I don’t have time to do a proper thematic analysis because they understand the time pressure of this unit. She suggested I make notes after all my meetings, find the golden thread to improve my workshops, and then document that instead. After every meeting, I have made improvements to build on in the next meeting
• Carys thinks my plan is very thoughtful and effective
• She suggested I include some wayfinding instructions in my advance email to help people with potential access issues, especially if they are coming from other colleges. She shared a great UAL visual guide to use in my wayfinding instruction
• She suggested the think-pair-share technique for the beginning section where we discuss what intersectionality is and what it means for us as it is easier to talk in a team than on your own at times
• She suggested I write a glossary of terms for things like intersectionality, gender, women, race, barriers, stigma, BIPOC etc, so there is a basic level of knowledge, but also acknowledging this is one definition and it can be contested. Carys sent some of her own resources to me for guidance
• Carys suggested something along the lines of a trigger warning and to state it’s important for everyone to be respectful of different opinions in the room
• Like Judy, Carys said it’s great I will offer instructions verbally and in written form
• Carys got me thinking about disability and the social model of disability when discussing neurodiversity since some people think it is a disability and others don’t
• International students are much less likely to share disability data than home students. She told me there is a real inequity to access to diagnoses and cultural differences in attitudes, so worth bearing in mind
• She told me to be kind to myself and to not expect too much from my first workshop as I am learning and there is no way to get it completely right

Chris Kelly

• Chris recommends I ask students to write their names, pronouns, and courses on sticker badges rather than ask them to introduce themselves at the start since they may have social issues
• Chris thinks that the objects will be a great vehicle to get people to share dialogue as they are tangible
• He suggested I move the group into a different location, ideally nature, if possible as that really helps neurodivergent people feel stimulated
• Chris suggested I take students into the stores to get them excited about the objects and let them acclimatise to the environment
• Since neurodivergent students can feel distracted easily and require a safe space, he suggested I introduce my colleagues onsite at the start in case they come in and out of the room
• Make myself as vulnerable as possible to encourage students to speak and share. Remind them it’s a safe space and nothing will be recorded
• Demonstrate as much as possible so they know what I expect, whether that is the activity of think-pair-share or object handling or group discussion of objects
• Look at his collaborator, Beatrice Sangster, who specialises in graphic design for neurodiversity
• Good tips for making resources are to never use a white background, use red as it’s the most accessible colour, large font scale and as many images as possible. ADHD students benefit from having key words boldened as it helps pull them through the text
• Chris said we should talk after the PgCert about rolling this workshop out to Foundation

Annabel Crawley

• Annabel really likes my workshop plan and says it’s thoughtful and considered. She likes my emphasis on spacing and not overcrowding activities
• She thinks choice is the most important element of teaching neurodiverse students because they learn and process in different ways. Giving them flexible modes of engagement is key
• In the email I send in advance, she suggests I ask students to bring whatever tools will help them during the session, like fidget toys, stim objects, headphones etc
• She advised me to be explicit about what I want students to do during the discussions and offer verbal, written, or digital contributions
• She recommended Miro and Padlet for teaching tools and said the column template works very well as it gives a linear sense of where you are going. She also said Padlet introduces the idea of blended learning, which opens up my workshop to the online learning teams long term
• She said my workshop embraces Paolo Freire’s dialogic approach of education. She reassured me that I don’t need to know everything and be an expert because we all have “unfinished business”
• Annabel liked my glossary and suggested I add a citation for each term, like Judy Singer for Neurodiversity and Neurodivergent as a term since they mean different things
• “The more you learn, the more you realise you don’t know”
• She recommends skin, tooth, and bones as a reference to go with Crip Theory
• Annabel recommended I look at Jhinuk’s Thinking through Sensory Mediation workshop. Find the link to Jhinuk’s padlet
• She recommended I use light pastel colours as backgrounds for slides and docs and use black for text. Verdana, Helvetica, and Arial are good sans serif fonts to use
• She said visual agendas work quite well for students to know what they will be doing and social cues are also very important for neurodivergent students
• She said communication cards are quite effective because they help students focus and know what to do, like speech bubbles to speak etc. That technique and the thread to talk one are examples of person-centred facilitation tools, which is by Helen Sanderson

Jhinuk Sarkar

• Jhinuk encouraged me to start the workshop by asking everyone what interested them in signing up as it helps me gauge their expectations. She also suggested a verbal code of conduct to ensure everybody’s views are respected and listened to etc. She said I can emphasise that I am inviting controversy through the objects and honest discussion about a sensitive topic in a safe space
• She really likes the title of my workshop and said it immediately caught her attention on the AS webpage
• She said I’ve set up my workshop in a friendly and accessible manner and should lead with my own vulnerability
• She likes my glossary and said I could invite students to add their own terms to it after the group discussion
• She said I should give warnings about controversial objects, like the nipples and let people choose their object to analyse to ensure they are comfortable
• She encouraged me to pitch my workshop for the Inclusive Practices Unit of the PgCert as she thinks it would be a valuable addition to the program. She also suggested I tailor it to specific courses in the future. She is keen for me to run it for the GEMS network too

Stage 2: Survey with Students

For my workshop, I would like to recruit between 5 and 10 neurodiverse female students of colour. The maximum capacity in the study room is 15, but my research suggests having too many participants in one workshop can be overwhelming and hinder its potential to achieve the intended outcome. I will deliver the workshop at the CSM Museum & Study collection for the action phase of my research. At the end of the workshop, I will ask participants to complete my survey to gather quantitative data.

Post-Workshop Survey

Thank you for attending the workshop! Your feedback will help us improve future sessions. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey.

1. Inclusivity

• How inclusive did you feel the workshop was for participants with diverse learning needs?
  • Not inclusive
  • Somewhat inclusive
  • Neutral
  • Inclusive
  • Very inclusive
• Optional: What specific aspects of the workshop made you feel included or excluded?

2. Engagement

• How engaging were the activities involving museum objects?
  • Not engaging
  • Somewhat engaging
  • Neutral
  • Engaging
  • Very engaging
• Optional: What part of the workshop did you find most engaging or inspiring?

3. Educational Value

• How effective was the workshop in helping you understand intersectionality through museum objects?
  • Not effective
  • Somewhat effective
  • Neutral
  • Effective
  • Very effective
• Optional: What key ideas or insights did you take away from the workshop?

4. Enjoyment

• How enjoyable did you find the workshop overall?
  • Not enjoyable
  • Somewhat enjoyable
  • Neutral
  • Enjoyable
  • Very enjoyable
• Optional: What did you enjoy the most and why?

5. Suggestions for Improvement

• What changes would make the workshop more effective or enjoyable for future participants?

Stage 1: Semi-Structured Interviews with Colleagues

Following the success of my semi-structured interviews with expert colleagues for the IP Unit, I will use this qualitative data collection method again to request their valuable feedback on key elements of my developed workshop plan. I will use their feedback to improve the content, delivery, inclusivity, and relevance to neurodiverse students of colour.

The colleagues I will contact are:

1. Judy Willcocks
2. Sarah Campbell
3. Carys Kennedy
4. Graham Barton
5. Jhinuk Sarkar
6. Chris Kelly
7. Anabelle Crowley

As my colleagues will be very busy during Autumn term and have conflicting schedules, I will most likely organise a joint interview with Sarah and Judy, Graham and Natasha, and individual interviews with Carys, Jhinuk, Chris, and Anabelle.

Semi-Structured Interview Questions

1. Can you explain what your experience of neurodiversity is as an individual and/or academic practitioner?
2. Based on your experience, what is your top tip for teaching neurodiverse students?
3. How well do you think the workshop plan addresses the needs of neurodiverse students of colour?
4. Are there any aspects of the workshop content or delivery that you think could be challenging or not inclusive enough for this group?
5. What suggestions do you have to make the workshop more engaging for students with different learning styles and disabilities?
6. Are there any questions I should remove or add in my post-workshop student questionnaire?
7. Is there anything specific you think should be added, removed, or modified to make the workshop more effective for this audience?
8. How do you think this workshop could be adapted for broader, long-term implementation across other UAL programs

Action Outcome

Fortunately, all of the colleagues I emailed agreed to meet me within the week before my ARP workshop, which means I will be able to gain insightful feedback from 7 semi-structured interviews in total.

Workshop Description

Exploring Intersectionality through Object-based Learning

This workshop will use the CSM Museum’s historic collection and hands-on practice of object-based learning to spark inspiring thoughts and important conversations about the intersections between race, neurodiversity, and gender. From learning about the CSM Museum’s services and field of object-based learning, to exploring diverse objects from the Graduate Award collection with peers, you will meet students from other courses, gain transferable skills, and knowledge that will enrich your coursework and inspire your creative thinking.

The workshop will be led by Curriculum Development Curator, Dayna Tohidi, and is part of her PgCert Action Research Project. As a neurodiverse woman of colour and recent Central Saint Martins alumna, Dayna understands the importance of embracing your identity and navigating your place within this creative institution. Your feedback will play a vital role in shaping future workshops and fostering a more inclusive and supportive academic environment.

While specifically designed for neurodiverse women of colour, all students are welcome to join and share their valuable feedback. The workshop will be based at the CSM Museum in Kings Cross and take approximately 3 hours, with breaks included to ensure a comfortable and engaging experience.

Workshop Outline

Workshop structure:

• Welcome and Introduction:
• Introductions, workshop goals, and agenda overview

• Icebreaker: What Does Intersectionality Mean to You?
• Participant sharing and facilitator explanation

•  Object-Based Learning (OBL) Activity:
• Introduction to OBL.
• Handling instructions.
• Exploration and discussion (observation, analysis, reflection)

• Comfort Break

• Group Reflection and Discussion:
• Reflecting on the theme of intersectionality and workshop learnings

• Closing and Evaluation:
• Summary of key points.
• Participant feedback (survey/questionnaire)

For my project, Exploring Intersectionality through Object-based Learning, I aim to gather valuable feedback on my workshop from both colleagues and students. To ensure the research is comprehensive and inclusive, I have chosen a combination of semi-structured interviews, mixed-methods surveys, and thematic analysis.

Semi-Structured Interviews with Colleagues

For gathering feedback from colleagues, I opted for semi-structured interviews. This method offers flexibility while ensuring I can gather specific insights about the workshop’s design, effectiveness, and potential improvements.

• Semi-structured interviews are an effective way to allow participants to share their views in their own words while also focusing on key topics relevant to my research. This balance between structure and openness is ideal for exploring colleagues’ perspectives and gaining rich, detailed feedback
• The semi-structured format allows me to ask follow-up questions and adapt the interview based on the conversation, providing deeper insights into specific aspects of the workshop

Mixed-Methods Surveys with Students

To collect feedback from students, I have chosen a mixed-methods survey. This approach combines both quantitative and qualitative methods, allowing me to capture a broad range of data and provide a well-rounded analysis.

• The quantitative portion of the survey uses closed-ended questions, which are easy to analyse and allow for clear comparisons. This helps to identify trends, such as which aspects of the workshop were most beneficial or effective
• The qualitative portion allows students to provide open-ended responses, sharing personal experiences and insights. This adds depth and nuance to the data, enabling me to understand the “why” behind the trends

The combination of both approaches ensures that I can both measure the impact of the workshop and understand the reasons behind students’ reactions.

Thematic Analysis for Data Analysis

For analysing the feedback from both colleagues and students, I’ve chosen thematic analysis. This method is particularly suited to identifying patterns in qualitative data, which will help me understand how the workshop was received and how it can be improved.

• Thematic analysis allows for the identification and interpretation of patterns or themes within the data. By analysing the responses thematically, I can pinpoint key issues that emerged in both interviews and surveys, such as recurring concerns or successful elements of the workshop
• Thematic analysis helps in organising large volumes of qualitative data in a manageable way, making it easier to interpret and draw meaningful conclusions

This analysis tool is ideal for my research because it allows me to stay focused on the core themes related to intersectionality, inclusivity, and effectiveness, ensuring the data is meaningful and can be used to improve the workshop.

Conclusion

The combination of semi-structured interviews, mixed-methods surveys, and thematic analysis ensures that I am gathering both rich qualitative insights and clear quantitative data. By triangulating these methods, I will gain a deeper understanding of how the workshop works and how it can be improved to meet the diverse needs of neurodiverse students of colour.