Results and feedback
Students enjoyed and gained use from the fieldwork and interactive group work undertaken during the photovoice project. These short term benefits were four-fold in enhancing engagement in participatory activities and community issues through the introduction of multifaceted learning into assessment:
- Students responded positively to the variety of active, peer-based, and reflexive learning opportunities offered as part of the photovoice project, which value-added to lecture content and offered an “interactive task which was a nice contrast to most university assessment which is just writing an essay” (qualitative survey response).
- More than 70% of students reported the photovoice project gave them valuable practical experience in practical, hands-on learning, with 80% indicating its particular utility in enhancing understandings of ethical conduct in doing social scientific research.
- Reflexivity was encouraged through intergroup discussions, and usefully raised awareness of community issues emerging from the project, with nearly 50% of students continuing to reflect on issues emerging from the project after its completion and carrying out non-graded study.
- More than 90% of students felt they were able to communicate well (and resolve disagreements) with peers as part of this project, with over 85% agreeing that the task enabled all group members to contribute to the research process. Through this approach, students’ feelings about the challenges of undertaking group work were lessened (with less than 20% indicating they found the group work element challenging). One student notes: “Photovoice is a good way to get to know your team members and develop good teamwork skills” (qualitative survey response).
Long term outcomes
The implementation of active learning approaches:
- aided applied understandings of a social theory applicable to future courses and social scientific practice: 56% of students indicated that they learned more about social issues from the fieldwork than the classroom lectures alone. And nearly 75% of students indicated that the visual element of the task helped them to integrate content knowledge (e.g. readings) with visual representations when thinking about social issues.
- assisted students in future preparation for conducting social science research: in addition to many students pursuing non-graded study as a result of the task, and gaining clarity in research process and ethics (addressed in points 2-3 above), students were inspired to think of future responses to addressing social issues as part of the photovoice project. One student even suggested an additional element be added to the assessment to accommodate this – “Maybe…if the groups came up with a social program/plan to implement in the local community[?]” (qualitative survey response).
Other comments:
From the SECaTS, surveys and interviews, students were in support of the photovoice project as an assessable task. More than 85% of the students surveyed indicated a very high interest in the photovoice project, with the main point of improvement being greater clarity in criteria. “I enjoyed the Photovoice project – clearer assessment criteria at the beginning would have been good but otherwise a worthwhile project :)” (qualitative survey response).
Transferability of findings
The findings of this case study highlight the diversity of the photovoice project. Hence, we seriously consider the transferability of this assessment modality to other teaching and learning contexts, both within and outside of the HASS Faculty, as well as in first year courses and beyond. For example, with a focus on fostering practical, cognitive and interpersonal skills that contribute towards Critical Judgement, Effective Communication Skills, and Ethical and Social Understanding (UQ graduate attributes) through an applied activity using an everyday stimulus (photographs), the photovoice project could also be integrated into courses where these skills are valued. The additional utility of the photovoice project in enhancing student outcomes through multiple learning styles, and promoting reflexivity through interactive group work make it especially suited to courses with diverse cohorts. We might further explore these findings by trailing it in diverse first year courses (such as during Summer School).
Further work
- The assessment protocol has been amended to include clearer criteria, discussion of which will be integrated into most weeks of future course iterations.
- In encouraging use of this modality across first year courses in HASS disciplines, we have submitted a request for the photovoice project to be added to The University of Queensland’s Innovative Assessment Database (managed by ITaLI and established by Dr Mair Underwood).
- Prof Marston will give a short presentation on this experience to the SoSS T&L committee, and discuss the potential for integration of the photovoice project with other research into pedagogical innovations of interest to our staff. For example, Dr Rebecca Olson has undertaken research into video-reflexive ethnography in group contexts among second years. It may be of interest to extend this project similarly to further examining the use of photographs in eliciting reflexivity among first years, and/or adapt the assessment to include a peer-based reflection.
