For my intervention, I am exploring two possible directions that feel quite distinct but equally relevant to my practice. I presented both to my peers to gather feedback on their relevance and feasibility, and I will use their responses to help me decide which one to develop further.
Intervention 1 – Reconsidering Studio References: The Case of Invisible Cities
While teaching a first-year BA Interior and Spatial Design unit, I was asked to deliver a brief based on Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino (1972). This book was familiar to me from my own studies in architecture, and I was excited to teach it. However, I was struck by the critical conversations around its continued use, especially its limitations in terms of representation and inclusivity.
This made me reflect on how we choose references in design education. I’d like to develop a reflective methodology to help review and expand references in meaningful ways. Rather than replacing Western texts, the aim is to question the process and support staff in navigating unfamiliar material. I will use available library resources to test how well the institution supports inclusive teaching (hooks, 1994; Ahmed, 2012).
Intervention 2 – Accessibility in Software-Based Teaching
In my role as a technician and digital tutor, I often teach software that use written commands, the most widespread one is Rhino 3D. These sessions rely on screen sharing and live demonstrations, which are not always accessible to all students. I would like to create a simple and adaptable toolkit to improve accessibility in technical teaching: using visual dictionaries, video loops, overlays, and printable summaries to support neurodivergent learners and non-native English speakers (CAST, 2018).
Both interventions respond to challenges I’ve encountered in practice and aim to support a more inclusive learning environment.
References
Ahmed, S. (2012) On Being Included. Duke University Press.
Calvino, I. (1972) Invisible Cities. Vintage.
hooks, b. (1994) Teaching to Transgress. Routledge.
CAST (2018) Universal Design for Learning Guidelines. Available at: https://udlguidelines.cast.org