Lesson 9: Understanding the Stakeholders
We’ve spent the previous weeks having power packed discussions to understand the “why” aspect of our project.
“Why are we doing this?”
“Why do kids in school needed a visual arts curriculum?”
We questioned the different ways visual arts could be taught but we didn’t spend meaningful time in understanding what a day in the life of our stakeholders was like. Our entire approach to visual arts education had up until now been through the lenses of a student which was soon going to change!
Our task for the afternoon was to envision a day in the life of a school student through a short skit. We split into smaller groups and tried to paint a picture of our experiences and memories of school. The general picture painted by most of our skits sheds a very negative light on teachers, schools, parents and institutions in general. While on the other hand, some showed students fostering healthy relationships with each other and becoming each other’s support systems when the world failed them.
During the skits we took turns to jot down the attributes and stereotypes portrayed in our skit. It was very unsettling to see such a polarising view of the education space that should ideally be a sanctum for learning. We had to get to the bottom of it.
Why did we instinctively sway towards our negative experiences?
We tried to understand it from the perspectives of different people involved and tried to empathise with them. Before the discussion turned into a community venting session we arrived at very introspective reflections.
We lacked empathy towards our stakeholders and had incredibly strong biases that we had to break away from. So, the team dived head-first into the workings of the education system and the burdens and struggles of an educator. Ranging from but not limited to incredibly large class sizes, diversifying student needs and accommodating each student’s learning patterns and pace to an optimal extent, the tremendous workload and after hours working and planning for sessions and workload from the institution.
We expanded on the fact that this textbook will not just be a visual arts textbook for grade 9 and 10 kids but also an aid for visual arts teachers. Whilst of course, we try and cater to the students to the largest extent, this conversation gave birth to a whole new perspective with which we would now look at the textbook — a visual arts textbook for grade 9 and 10 students but simultaneously a teaching aid for the teachers.
In order to understand the stakeholders better, we needed to familiarise ourselves to the surroundings they frequent and the people they interact with. To bridge this disconnect; we decided to map their ecosystem through an EXHAUSTIVE Map of the School Ecosystem.
Why are we doing this? We’ve been a kid at some point and know the workings of the school, why would this be necessary?
It is no lie that we’ve all had our own biases when we looked at the school ecosystem. Our passions and interests shapes the way we think and subconsciously tend to selectively block out the things that don’t align with our interests. This exercise would be an attempt to map all elements our stakeholders have access to and interact with on a daily basis which would be a strong aid to our exploration. Simultaneously this is an attempt to understand the factors both micro and macro that shapes a learning experience.
This is how the mapping unfolded:
- The was reshuffled to emulate the ambience of a classroom. Tables arranged in neat files, no phones and electronic devices allowed, bright white LEDs switched on and no discussions for 3 long hours.
- We sat at a table all by ourselves and started mapping the smallest things. Starting as small as eraser sheddings on the desk in school all the way to space.
- Some of us explored interesting forms but the maps weren’t as exhaustive as we had intended it to be. We moved around the class to see how others were approaching it and tried to borrow aspects we had missed out on.
In a way or another, it seemingly felt unreal to singlehandedly make an exhaustive map of the entire school ecosystem all by ourselves. As a solution we sat with all of our maps to make a larger map. This ensure the aspects that one person may have forgotten would be covered by someone who had covered it in their maps. This seemed to work efficiently as we now truly had an exhaustive map of the “where” aspect of a learning experience.
While one group made the “where” map, another group simultaneously worked on a stakeholder’s map. As the “where” group mapped spaces and objects, the “who” group mapped out the people associated with that space.
This expansive repository of the stakeholders and places within the school ecosystem helped us Understanding the stakeholders involved is an essential step when creating a visual arts textbook, as it helps ensure that the final product meets the needs and expectations of all parties involved. Here are some reasons why understanding stakeholders is crucial in this context:
- Tailoring the contents of the textbook for different stakeholders, such as educators, students, parents, curriculum developers, and school administrators, may have varying needs and priorities when it comes to a visual arts textbook. Understanding their needs allows us to tailor the content, format, and presentation to meet each of their specific requirements to a greater extent. For example, visual arts educators may want more elaborate lesson plans and teaching resources, while students may need engaging visuals and clarity in tasks and activities.
- The visual arts textbooks may later explore a wide range of artistic styles, cultures, and themes. Understanding the cultural backgrounds and sensitivities of stakeholders can help us create content that is inclusive and contextualized.
- Stakeholders may have legal and ethical concerns related to the content of the textbook, such as copyright issues, sensitive subject matter, or ethical standards in art education keeping in mind our stakeholders also involve political parties and the government.
- The stakeholders of the school ecosystem are incredibly essential in providing valuable feedback throughout the development process. Engaging with them early and regularly allows us to incorporate their input, bridge the empathy gap, incorporate revisions to improve the quality of the textbook