Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Stop Motion Animation Workshop
Size of student group: 6 students of Sculpture
Observer: Tim Stephens
Observee: Blythe Cheung
Note: This record is solely for exchanging developmental feedback between colleagues. Its reflective aspect informs PgCert and Fellowship assessment, but it is not an official evaluation of teaching and is not intended for other internal or legal applications such as probation or disciplinary action.
Part One
Observee (Blythe) to complete in brief and send to observer prior to the observation or review:
What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum?
This stop-motion animation session is integrated into the first-year Sculpture curriculum to help students transform sculptural and tactile objects into motion. It supports their understanding of storytelling, problem-solving, creative thinking, and the fundamentals of movie-making. The session is designed to foster creative thinking and flexible problem-solving as students plan and execute their animations. It aligns with the overall learning goals of expanding their skill sets during the first year of the program.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
I have been working with this group since the beginning of the first term, primarily in the capacity of technical staff. My role involves supporting their studio practice, conducting workshops open to all year groups, and providing one-on-one mentorship. I contribute to their learning experience by guiding technical skill development and supporting interdisciplinary practice within the Sculpture discipline.
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
The intended learning outcomes for this session are for students to:
- Understand the application of stop motion in films and art shorts.
- Set up and operate the stop-motion station using Dragonframe software.
- Comprehend the principles of frames per second and create their own looping GIF with modeling clay.
- Learn and follow the etiquette for using the Dragonframe studio, ensuring a collaborative and respectful workspace.
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
Students are expected to create a short looping animation consisting of approximately 12-24 frames by the end of the workshop. This output will demonstrate their ability to apply the skills learned in Dragonframe. These animations will be shared within the group, accompanied by tailored feedback from me, focusing on creativity, technical execution, and overall effectiveness of the animation.
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
Potential challenges may include:
- Technical complexities related to using Dragonframe or conceptual difficulties in developing an initial idea.
- Variations in skill levels, which could impact group dynamics and peer learning.
- Time constraints, as only one student can work at the stop-motion station at a time, potentially affecting workflow and productivity.
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
Students are not formally assessed for their participation in this session but will receive ongoing, formative feedback as they work on their animations. This feedback will be provided through in-the-moment guidance and individual critiques during the workshop.
What would you particularly like feedback on?
I am particularly interested in feedback on:
- The effectiveness of my teaching approach in facilitating interdisciplinary learning and creative problem-solving.
- Student engagement and participation throughout the session.
- The clarity and impact of my technical guidance, ensuring students feel confident and supported in using Dragonframe
How will feedback be exchanged?
I would like feedback on my session to be exchanged through written reports or one-on-one tutorials, allowing for detailed, constructive feedback that informs my teaching practice and supports continuous improvement.
Part Two
Observer (Tim) to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
The observation started with you showing a film featuring Isle of Dogs, which was fascinating
This was a brilliant example of well chosen resources for a session and a motivating opening; bringing the ends into the means; seeing a goal and setting up high expectations, all good educational practices.
“so a taste of what stop motion animation. Can be…
“But today what we’re aiming for…
“Short animation…using Dragon frame…
What can we learn from IoD
[You explain stop motion from scratch
[You show Muybridge
“A key concept is FPS…
[Explain fluidity, stutter and so on…
Short video on 1’s and 2’s
[You recap – very good practice of reinforcement
Video example – cont’d on Aardman etc.
Explaining principle of objects, ‘real light on real objects’, etc. Very good choice, quite moving…discussion on ‘ultimate realism’ debate….the imaginative, absurd, etc.
Very captivating resources….
“I hope that gives you a very good taster…of what we could use our lovely dragon frame for…
“You can move closer, or actually see on screen
“Quick intro….
“Space is a constraint…
[You explain the top-down view and light placement…room ambient etc.
[You explain the possible workflows…images, photoshop etc.
“You would go to the computer….
“Feel free to open it…by searching…
“This is normally how you access
[You give a step-by-step guide to opening and interface etc.
“Today what you guys will be doing is create a new scene…
[Refer back to frame rate – really nice connecting up of info. Explain differences again. Reinforcement.
“ For now, let’s stick to 12 today
“Earlier today had trouble configuring the camera…[transparent, and explaining how to set up with you]
[Going back to advice pages – “extensive guide to…” “step-by-step”
You now demonstrate the camera, screen, settings, exposure, light and focus, etc. [This is a really interesting and traditional aspect of a demo; speaking in time with actions, you do this well and very accomplished.
{How do you know they will remember…? Let’s discuss}
“Dragonframe focus card…
Demo (cont’d)
[Explaining the lights and set up in more detail, etc. incl diffuser, etc.
Also how to keep clean and fit for other users, etc. Great!
[You have pre-saved a demo and a great example to show…
[Explaining alternative methods of control, etc. toolbars, and more detail; and from the remote etc.
“alternatively is create a new shot…to capture an image…[well prepped example again]
“red ball of clay looks like its rolling into my hand and I catch it…
Cont’d.
[Explain onion skin function…
[Very good demo of the hand photography…really works – as a real time demo of some expertise. Excellent example of the demo! Why? It is vivid enough, clear enough and effective enough..perhaps?
“I have guides created….[explaining movement of the ball]
“Frame 1, frame 2, etc. … 4-9 and frame 9 to frame 12…
“if you allow it to be seen, you can actually use that as a drawing for your animation…!
Now it’s your turn to think about what you can do…
Any questions so far…
St. “Can I ask one question…
[You understand that she is asking about what they could do! And encourage them to experiment…
“In terms of subject matter…quite broad…to give you inspiration….coming up with something from scratch…this is one I admire….
[You play the Western spaghetti! – which is wonderful…
“Its really about how inventive you are…you have clay, modelling clay….
[You show another example! Again excellent answer to the question and really nice resources to share….
‘realistically speaking…one or two seconds maximum animation…
“Any question whilst we are doing this brainstorming activity for the next 15 minutes or so….
“you guys have a go with the clay…warm it up in your hands…
“Another source of inspiration is Giphy.com…for clay-mation…what is within your practice…something give it life…or something else…[you explain more possibilities etc]
Paper and pen…let’s brainstorm a little bit…you don’t have to use the clay….
[You let them draw, think, model and plan…open time which is really a good sense of timing of what is right and easy for them]
[Now you go round and sort a few things out with the equipment, organise a few things…let them work…
Background music/sound, really helps & create the Studio atmosphere.. a lot! But without being invasive or interrupting. Great decision.
St.s chat and laugh and are clearly enjoying the process and fully engaged…
The session worked! [This is a great achievement!
After about 10 mins.
“If you want to try it out you’re welcome to…[you encourage the older student who asked the question to try out the equipment
One student comes up to the front…
Lots of chat, activity, idea generation, play, creativity and experimentation follows! This is wonderful to watch.
The interactions you have that follow are very rich and differentiated by student need. Excellent.
Summary and Key points
Your speech and explanatory language is wonderful. Super clear, instructive and informative.
Also, your speech is very in time with your actions. Well-paced and in accessible language. Sounds simple but this is the key to a good demonstration.
You have a very well-planned session and all the resources pre-prepared. This is also one of the secrets to a good session, and enables us, as teachers, to relax and enjoy the process, relying on our prepped work in advance of the session.
Your examples ‘to hand’ are also really good – which leads to an inspiring session! One full of ideas and possibilities.
This is a lovely decision to have both a simple and easy tasks to achieve session activity (hard to fail tasks which are student centred and come from the student’s own practice) which builds confidence; and also accomplished professional outcomes; hence that are both inspiring & motivating! The outomes allow for high expectations – you can do anything! The task manageable, 1-2 seconds worth, of 12 frames.
There is very very little distraction, noise, uncertainty or ambiguity in your teaching style. This is quite an extraordinary quality to bring to the role. This might suggest that you are very much more experienced than the job you are doing, in which case, it is very simple for you to explain, and that expertise can become ‘capacity’, which we experience as clarity. Or perhaps it is a personality thing, and you might enact this in other types of teaching. It is clear that you would be very capable of teaching many more complex things I’m sure, and those discussions around professional development in teaching would be important to have.
You have also managed to ‘think of everything’…this is, in a way, what we hope from a demo; that it will cover all bases and provided additional instructions and documents, resources as well as ‘how to’ in a step-by-step manner.
There is a rigorous logic to such work, which you accomplish with ease and flair! Well done, great session. You should be very proud of your abilities in the teaching domain.
Part Three
Observee (Blythe) to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:
Thank you, Tim, for your generous and thoughtful feedback. This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on my workshop through such a detailed and insightful recount, so I really appreciate the time you took to capture these observations and share them with me. It’s incredibly encouraging to hear that the session was effective and engaging.
I completely agree that many factors contribute to a successful workshop—from thorough preparation to clear delivery—and I’m glad that my efforts in both areas paid off. It was especially rewarding to see the students enjoy the process of creating stop-motion animations, as my goal was to make the activity feel accessible, inspiring, and confidence-building. I also found that having structured yet open-ended tasks allowed students to take ownership of their work while achieving tangible results, which seemed to enhance their enthusiasm.
That being said, I must admit that not everything felt as seamless as it may have appeared! As we discussed in the tutorial, when the camera unexpectedly disconnected from the computer, it was quite a stressful moment. Maintaining composure and adapting to technical issues on the spot is always a challenge, but I’m glad it didn’t disrupt the overall flow of the session.
Your comment about my capacity to teach more complex topics really resonated with me. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot—how to navigate my own professional development and find the balance between what I want to pursue and what others might expect of me. I’d love to continue discussing opportunities for growth in teaching and how I can expand my practice in meaningful ways.
Once again, I really appreciate your feedback. It’s both reassuring and motivating, and I look forward to refining my approach further in future sessions.