EVALUATION – MEDIASCAPE


4 day (mornings) project with Children at risk, using Mediascape.
Run by Ross Wallis and young people for Compass, and Mentoring Plus, at The Holburne Museum’s Art Space – The Lodge.

Feed back was gathered through group discussion on the last day of the project.

Active games:
These were a challenge, but were pitched at the right level and duration. It would have been better to have them after the rules session.
Uploading programme;
it is always a possibility that the computer the Media scape will be slow so something should be in place if this is the case.
Michael Loader;
He was just right with the students. Good mix of playful and dedicated. Straight-talking and adaptable.
It would have been improved if he had had more time to set the expectations. In ‘rules’ section
Health and safety; Ratio of students to staff V good. Therefore very little opportunity for events.
However – if rules set in advance and agreed to, running off etc would be avoided, as they would know what they were letting themselves in for.
Key worker responsibilities: clear guide lines of responsibilities re – discipline, behavioural issues etc. good to establish in advance: ie. Key workers will take on all behavioural discipline issues. In a discrete, firm but fair manner.
Behaviour agreement: see above

Participants
Lisa
Axel
Ashley
Michael
Possible: – Kirsty/Rowen

Key Workers-Emma – mentoring plus
Charlotte – Compass
Volunteer-Nita
Ed Assistant – Elisha


1. Overall how do you rate the workshop? - 4
Comments: ‘It would have been a 5, but there was too much internet access’ Lisa
‘I liked it all’
2. Did it meet your expectations? Yes

3. Was the level too high/acceptable/too low
4. Were the tasks set too complex/acceptable/too simple?
5. Was the pace too fast/acceptable /too slow
Comments ‘it was slow to start, but picked up.’ Axel
6. Did you feel like you learnt a great deal/5..4..3..2..1..nothing much?
7. Is there anything you feel could be improved?
a. ‘Internet access – restrict and agree in advance
b. pre-arranging rules
c. set times for breaks, excursions, lunch, working alone. When to eat/snack Etc
d. the playing of Music, when, how long, how loud.
e. respecting the project
f. respecting all participants, inc staff.
g. making a commitment for the whole of the project.’

8. What was the most fun?
‘Going to the trains’
‘Spending time in the park’
‘I loved the location’
‘Michael Loaders games-a great introduction the week’
‘I loved the storytelling’
‘Getting to know the computer programme’
9. What other workshops would you like to do?
No suggestions

Issues.

1. Good time for project is in half term as HE has none and therefore social work students on placement will be available.
2. website should be set up during the week
3. Must have space to self
4. need permissions from parents for photos etc – beforehand
5. pre-workshop hand-book-good idea:
6. Workers need all peoples contact numbers.
7. breaking into pairs is better than whole group activities
8. smaller group activities work better – less like school
9. CRB checks for volunteers? Social work students – do they have one?
10. Other interesting activities: Blindfold game, Write thoughts-postcards-Postcards onto ‘post-secrets’ could be used as form of feedback/evaluation?
11. EVERY DAY NEEDS TO START WITH SHORT MEETING. OVER TEA. SET TARGETS FOR DAY. TALK OVER DAY BEFORE. FOOD/RULES ETC



Pre-workshop hand-book:
Use as workbook, which builds into Bronze Art Award [BAA]evidence booklet.
containing:
1. Permissions,
2. Contract,
3. Place to have ideas linked to project,
4. Pick up arrangements
5. Food choices
6. Place to mark in rules as agreed in first session.
7. Slots to put CD and DVD evidence.

INCORPORATING THE BRONZE ARTS AWARD – [BAA]
Bronze award assessed in 4 parts.
1. Exploring the arts- interest knowledge and skills in art form.
2. The arts as spectator. – students go to arts event and comment on what they have seen and have evidence of going
3. Students explore artist they admire. – evidence
4. students either a. assist professional arts leader in workshop
or, b. demonstrate their skills to others
Each of these areas have to show: Knowledge and understanding, Creativity and communication.
Some of this can be done on their own, or with their key workers or as part of the workshop time at the Holburne.

Work book
Use of cameras from the beginning, documenting each other, each step of the way – put into workbook. Each student has own [one or more] disposable camera
Boards left in park to have questions on – that ask public to feedback on work of students – then include as part of BAA feedback and into workbook


STATEMENT FROM EMMA FINCH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH OFFICER-THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM

It was a full and productive 4 mornings, working with students from both Mentoring plus and Compass.
As a pilot, it worked very well – as ideas were experimented with and methods tried and tested.
I think it served as a vital step, bringing us closer to being able to deliver the summer project efficiently effectively productively and, most importantly; enjoyably.



Feedback from Emma, Mentoring PluS:

As you have said I think the fact that we didn't do any ground rules was a large part of the problem in terms of keeping the young people engaged, but the lack of any structure in the 2nd session was also a big factor. The two lads were really bored as there was a lot of tea drinking trying to work out what we were doing with the devices and consequently they spent a lot of time on the internet not really engaging at all.

I think it would have been helpful if Ross had got to grips with the devices before hand in order to work with the young people exploring how we could use them. He had identified a plan of what to achieve for the week but there was not enough opportunity for how to achieve this to come from the young people. I also felt that on Wednesday there was not much effort on Ross's part to engage the lads when they weren't involved and as he was running the session I felt he needed to be more on top of this. Fridays session was also a bit of a flop and although they were amusing themselves it wasn't really to do with the project although Lissa was really engaged.

Thursdays session however was great! There was structure, they were all involved and it was really productive. I felt that if the whole week had been like this the young people would have got much more out of the project.


My own evaluation, partly in response to the above:

I agree with Emma on the whole, although with some thoughts, hopefully not excuses.

The mobile devices I spent hours trying to get to work, they are really bad... I know that a bad workman blames his tools and all, but the technology was, and generally is, a real challenge - Murphy's law. I was well out of my comfort zone.

Tuesday was mostly difficult because of lack of room and weather - which made the boys very uncooperative. If you hit a brick wall of uncooperativeness, there is little that can be done. Once Axl had become fixated on needing the internet to listen to Gun's and Roses, he was not going to do much no matter what - and once he got the connection, he was pretty happy.

A great learning experience for me all the same.

I will have to continue to think very hard for the week in the summer, and have lots of back up plans and exciting activities - perhaps we can also borrow or beg some more up to date technology.

Mostly I think that the boys were ok, and a laid back approach is ok too - this is not school. When I tried to get them interested in the map I got not response at all - too much like school. Much of the stuff that did work on Monday  and Thursday was a combination of novelty and good weather. Friday might have worked better if the technology had worked - I only got four hours sleep on Thursday trying to get it working - so I was a bit flat on Friday too, and half way through the morning one of the laptops died, which was also a bit of a worry. A day's break would have been good - but didn't fit with the plan - so I brought the panorama's in as a contingency - which didn't really catch on. I do need more up my sleeve. The thing that was really missing I think was any group working things out. The meeting on the Friday before, (that I missed due to a body) would have been good, but also a half hour each day. Difficult to arrange - but it would have meant that this sort of planning wasn't being done on the hoof.

I really enjoyed the week, much more than I expected, and really felt that I had made a connection with Axl, Ash and Lissa. That connection is perhaps the most important thing of all, Guns and Roses and all!

I would love to have had Michael each day - he is very good at the performance stuff.

And as ever - I try and do too much - I need to keep things simple.

More group planning would be my main feeling - so that were all sort of knowing more about what we were trying to do, what is acceptable, and what the contingency plans are.

If the main objective was to entertain and occupy, we did do that fairly well, and with pretty tough constraints.

For the summer - a planning meeting beforehand, knowing something about the young people in advance, knowing numbers, and then having a brief planning meeting each day too. All this would help I think.