Date of Survey: 4-8th Dec 2023
Total number of students: 80
(Year 1: 19 / Year 2: 28 / Year 3: 32 + Year 4 (study abroad): 1)
Sample taken: 15
(Year 1: 5 / Year 2: 5 / Year 3: 5)
Q1. qualitative (recurring themes)
Do you feel this is ‘your’ classroom? Do you feel a sense of belonging to your GBI course, or UAL here? Please try to describe.
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Total responses: 80/80 students
POSITIVES:
space > classes in the same room / work-in-progress on walls / books / plants / freedom to change places / collaborative desks
feelings > sense of community / friendly peers&staff / good network, studying experience, routine / warmth
NEGATIVES:
space > no personal storage / colourless / not enough art, branding, inspirational imagery / sharing with other classes / bad sofas / not enough sockets / more social activities
feelings > not for after class / no habit of coming in / met some people but do not belong / gap year student adjustment
Conclusion: paint room, put more visual imagery on walls, investigate possibility of personal storage, organise more social activities
Q2. quantitative
What activities do you do in the classroom?
1 2 3 4 5 Watch/listen to presentations
1 2 3 4 5 Research on your computer
1 2 3 4 5 Chat with friends
1 2 3 4 5 Design digitally
1 2 3 4 5 Design analogue
1 2 3 4 5 Make prototypes
1 2 3 4 5 Any other category:
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Total responses: 15/15 students
Watch/listen to presentations: 5 (13), 4 (1), 2 (1)
Research on your computer: 5 (7), 4 (6), 2 (1)
Chat with friends: 5 (5), 4 (6), 3 (3), 2(1)
Design digitally: 5 (6), 4 (6), 3 (2), 2 (2)
Design analogue: 5 (2), 4 (6), 3 (5), 2 (1)
Make prototypes: 5 (2), 4 (4), 3 (2), 2 (4), 1 (3)
Any other category: 5 (2), 4 (2), 2 (1), 1 (1)
Conclusion: very low prototype-making, designing digitally lower than expected, chat with friends poor
Q3. quantitative & qualitative (recurring themes)
Do you ever stay on weekdays from 18 – 21h when the room is free for independent work? If yes, in what ways do you use the space?
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Total responses: 14/15 students
YES: 3
(going deeper into research / analogue work / it is the only “open access space”)
NO: 11
(live too far / go to library instead / another class occupying the space)
Conclusion: promote the open access element ~ beat the library, analogue experimentation
Q4. quantitative & qualitative (recurring themes)
Have you ever used the classroom to:
- Organise a workshop
- Paint a mural
- Bring a plant in to take care of
- Dance in the studio
- Deliberately put work up on the wall that you are proud of (poster, flyer, object)
- Any other way of expressing your sense of belonging to the classroom
Why would/wouldn’t you do it? (please try to be descriptive and honest)
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Total responses: 15/15 students
a. Organise a workshop: YES (5)
c. Bring a plant: YES (3)
e. Put work on the wall: YES (2)
WOULD: put things on wall / stay to easily get feedback from peers who also stay / create temporary mood-boards every month / didn’t know b, d, e, f can happen in the studio / have better concentration in the studio
WOULDN’T: prefer the library with more facilities / limited time / don’t know how freely I can use the space / like to stay at home ~ too far from home / feels ‘rigid’ / no space to dance & don’t like dancing
Conclusion: design, brand & promote the use of space with some clear rules, but also inspirational encouragement.
Q5. qualitative (recurring themes)
Propose a first step to make this classroom space feel more like a place you would like to spend time in both during your scheduled classes and during independent use (feel free to draw as well as write):
Total responses: 11/15 students
more student work / a more social sofa area / works from other workshops (screen-prints, riso prints, letterpress, polaroids) / weekly-monthly extracurricular exhibitions / more art materials on disposal / more snacks / clear instructions how and when the studio can be used
Conclusion: prepare a programme for September 2024
Set of actions:
>> condense the findings
>> share findings with GBI colleagues to see what is feasable
>> create a clear strategy for the use of the space
>> promote from September 2024
