FA5010 - Fashion Thinking 1: Professional Practice Preparation

In this module you will learn through engaging in broad research, critical reflection and evaluation in response to briefs that will require enquiry-based learning.

Learning and teaching strategies on Fashion encourage you to acquire a flexible and imaginative approach to creative problem solving: to think divergently and to develop your ability to articulate Fashion concepts and ideas through research-rich, enquiry-based learning. You will become an active participant through engaging with project-based coursework, integrating design industry knowledge, academic and intellectual skills.

The School of Design operates an extended studio approach (X-Studio) that embraces our physical studios and making workshops as well as our virtual spaces to create a flexible and rich environment that is responsive to all our learners’ needs. This dedicated approach has been developed over many years of continuous teaching innovation, research and industry collaboration. It has created a supportive extended studio culture that encourages our students to learn flexibly, dynamically blending their learning and University experience between physical and digital interactions both in real-time and online at their own pace. We believe that this extended studio culture not only helps our students to become more confident autonomous learners but also prepares them for a dynamic design industry in which an extended studio philosophy is current practice. The extended studio environment is integral to this process encouraging individual intellectual freedom, a creative collaborative community, and collegial exchange.

This approach emphasises creativity and experiential enquiry, enabling the generation of ideas, through active participation in exercises specifically focused on personal industrial or enterprise- based placement application, via a Personal Development Plan (PDP). Project-based learning engenders an enquiring, analytical and creative approach to the progressively interrelated nature of intellectual skills. Analytical and adductive thinking, experimentation, trial and error, are characteristics of the creative process and are embedded and supported throughout programme design and delivery.

Hands on participation enables students to display evidence of creative thinking through the exploration and communication of a professional tool kit that has a purposeful outcome of supporting the application and undertaking of an industrial placement. This type of experiential activity engages the learner in self-initiated research, encouraging independent judgement and critical self-awareness through practice.

Students are encouraged to advance their visual literacy and to be aware of current issues and debates. Working in groups students learn to be flexible and collaborative, to identify and redefine problems in a creative way and focus on solutions that are both relevant and empathetic. Students learn to present their work and ideas to a variety of audiences in different situations.

The project is introduced at a briefing session, where it is fully explained and explored by both staff and students.
• A named lead Module Tutor manages the module monitoring input from Fashion Historical and Critical Studies and Design lecturers from the Faculty of Art, Design and Social Sciences, arranging potential collaboration with industry partners and organising any visiting professionals.
• The lead Module Tutor and the academic teaching team direct the practice through presentations and tutorials, and are available to answer queries in relation to the module during timetabled studio sessions.
• Project based work that offers you a range of blended teaching, learning and assessment opportunities, and the opportunity to explore self-determined projects.
• Virtual studio tutorials provide feedback on your project work, your progression on the module and offer direction on how to develop your work further, including guidance for student-led independent learning.
• A formal formative feedback stage is included in the module, when you will receive academic feedback on your progress.
• In addition to academic support this module also has specialist technical support including digital demonstrations and exercises in support of the screen-based portfolio, and PDP.
• Learning materials for this module are available on the university eLearning Portal, including the module documentation, announcements, assessment, study skills, presentations, reading list, online resources and timetable.
• Additional study skills materials and workshops, that are available through Skills Plus at http://nuweb2.northumbria.ac.uk/library/skillsplus/topics.html?l3-0.
• Support for Academic Language Skills (ALS) is available for international students.
• Students requiring additional support are advised to contact their Guidance Tutor for advice, who will be able to refer them to the relevant university services for specialist support regarding their personal circumstances.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Recognise how knowledge is created, advanced and renewed, and demonstrate your understanding through the creation of a professional fashion tool kit.

2. Demonstrate a critical awareness of historical, cultural and contemporary issues through the investigation of an essay topic or question.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
8. Produce and communicate a screen-based portfolio, with distinguishable skill, application and presentation.

10. Evidence your confident approach to writing style in relation to structure, content and quality of debate.


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Demonstrate effective employability skills including organisational and project management through the administration of your own workload.

6. Show ability to effectively communicate through one or more of the following means; written, visual or oral.

Assessment will be conducted through:

Formative feedback received from tutors and peers during seminar, virtual studio and workshop engagement.

Formal formative feedback
Tutorials will be scheduled at key points of the learning programme, to provide feedback and informally record academic progress.

Summative assessment
By collecting a variety of evidence/outputs from the learner via multiple dimensions (coursework, observations, presentations, etc.) tutors will assess the learner’s overall performance holistically with a single grade from 2 components at the end of semester 2.
Student self-assessment
Students are encouraged to be reflective learners through scheduled self-assessment opportunities.

Verbal feedback will be provided from peers
and academic staff.

Assessment
Component 1: essay of 1500 words critically analysing a garment, accessory, fashion campaign or film in relation to one of the critical issues covered in the lectures and seminars.
KU 02; IPSA 10; PVA 06.

Component 2: Professional Practice ‘Tool Kit’ comprising of C.V., cover letters, interview techniques, screen-based portfolio
KU 01; IPSA 08; PVA 05; PVA 06

Other
Additional forms of assessment practice may take place within projects in the form of peer assessment/self-assessment which may contribute to the overall module outcome.

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In ‘Fashion Thinking 1: Professional Practice Preparation’ you will be given the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of the key social, political, theoretical and practical work-based considerations relating to contemporary fashion design and the broader fashion industry to support your development as a responsible designer.

By engaging in lectures delivered by both Fashion Historical and Critical Studies and Design lecturers, you will be exposed to knowledge of methodologies, theories and practices to help you critically engage with issues such as sustainability, corporate responsibility, branding, fast and slow fashion, globalisation in the world of fashion. Skills of analysis and written exposition will evidence your critical awareness in relation to fashion design and related critical theory.

You will gain insight into industry and enterprise roles and responsibilities, rules of engagement and expectations of interns from potential visiting industrial and enterprise partners through role-play and studio workshops. This will to give you a realistic overview of the placement experience and how to approach the application process for a successful outcome. You will be given the opportunity to evaluate your skills from an area of practice, highlighting your strengths and communicate this in a visually creative screen-based portfolio that it is a desirable asset to a placement provider.

You will gain valuable insight to the fashion industry from our long-standing relationship with national and international fashion companies and designers as you start your preparation in applying for fashion experience in a multi-faceted international industry, guided in this process by University Industrial Placement support system.

Extended studio-based learning activities will help to develop confidence in your ability to work and relate to others. You will engage in real life scenarios of responding to a job application appropriately, develop interview techniques and learn how to manage challenges you may face in the work place.