Exploring the Power of Online Crits in Creative Education
On June 7, 2024, a fascinating conversation took place between Dave White and Paul Lowe, exploring the concept of online critiques (crits) in educational settings, particularly within creative arts courses. This discussion provided valuable insights into the transition from traditional face-to-face crits to effective online crits, demonstrating their potential to transform the learning experience.
The Shift to Online Crits:
Dave opened the session by emphasizing the conversational nature of the Creative Education Online seminar series. The main speaker, Paul Lowe, a professor at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, shared his experiences in transitioning from face-to-face to online crits. Drawing from his background as a professional photographer and journalist, Paul helped establish an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography that included crits as a core component. These sessions provided focused feedback in small groups, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
Success and Structure of Online Crits:
Paul explained that the move to online crits began in 2008, inspired by his virtual interactions in the photography world. Utilising web conferencing tools, the fully online version of the MA course maintained the same pedagogical principles and practices as the face-to-face version. The online course attracted a diverse range of students from various professional backgrounds, including mid-career professionals seeking a shift to photography. Despite the shift in medium, the online crits achieved similar success, with comparable final results, retention rates, and students’ transformational journeys.
Nature and Purpose of Crits:
Dave posed a fundamental question about the purpose of crits. Paul described them as key points of contact between students and tutors, focusing on current work, brainstorming ideas, and providing feedback. Crits involve a mix of detailed technical discussions and broader philosophical conversations about students’ projects. They are not only about evaluating the final product but also about understanding the ideas and development process behind the work.
Student Participation and Peer Learning:
Paul highlighted the importance of student participation in crits, noting the varying levels of photographic practice among students. This diversity creates a peer-to-peer learning environment where students engage with each other’s work, fostering a collaborative and supportive atmosphere. The crits encourage students to develop their ideas and deepen their understanding through iterative discussions and feedback.
Addressing Materiality in Online Crits:
One challenge discussed was addressing materiality in online crits. Paul acknowledged that while physical objects are sometimes present in face-to-face crits, most interactions involve viewing work on screens, even in physical settings. He argued that online crits could be as effective, if not more so, in facilitating detailed examination and discussion of work. The flexibility of online crits allows students to engage from various locations, enabling continuous interaction with their projects.
Affordances and Advantages of Online Crits:
Paul identified several advantages of online crits, including flexibility in spatial and temporal aspects. Students can engage in crits regardless of their location, whether they are in the same city or in a remote area. The online environment also allows for intimate, focused discussions, often leading to deeper engagement and intellectual flow. Additionally, recording sessions provide valuable documentation for review and reflection, enhancing the learning experience.
Engagement and Interaction:
The conversation emphasized the importance of engagement in crits, whether conducted online or face-to-face. While synchronous interactions foster immediate feedback and intellectual flow, asynchronous elements, such as reviewing submitted work in advance, can also play a role. The balance between these modes of interaction is crucial for creating a rich educational experience.
Conclusion:
The discussion concluded with reflections on the evolving nature of educational spaces and the need to adapt to new modes of interaction. Online crits, with their flexibility and potential for deep engagement, offer a powerful tool for creative education. By maintaining the core principles of critique and dialogue, educators can effectively leverage online crits to enhance the learning experience for students in creative arts courses.
This conversation highlights the transformative potential of online crits, demonstrating that with thoughtful implementation, they can provide an enriching and effective learning environment, comparable to traditional face-to-face crits.
n.b This blog post was created by AI. The transcript was downloaded from the Teams meeting and ChatGPT was used to summarise the text and write the blog post (some minor editing was done by a human)
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