Title: Instructor
Department: Family and Consumer Sciences/Fashion Design and Merchandising
College/School: College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resilience
Showcase Course: FDM 420 (FDM 491-1): Runway Collection Design Studio and FDM 491-2 (formerly FDM 430): Fashion Show Production
Email: minako@hawaii.edu
Conducting one-on-one consultations during the semester to observe their progress and challenge them based on their individual needs is highly essential, so that I can support each of my students, just as I would my children.
Table of Contents
Teaching Philosophy
When students understand that learning is connected to real-world activities, they can visualize themselves through acquiring practical concepts and knowledge. As a result, they continually seek wisdom, which motivates them to learn towards their set goals. My teaching philosophy is to make learning an inspiring and enjoyable experience through mutual learning that fosters knowledge and techniques to maximize potential in practical projects. Students in Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) are most likely to have a passion for fashion, an interest in self-expression, and a goal to work in the fashion industry. Realistically, students’ learning styles vary; therefore, I adjust my teaching to accommodate their uniqueness and individual characteristics. Conducting one-on-one consultations during the semester to observe their progress and challenge them based on their individual needs is highly essential, so that I can support each of my students, just as I would my children.
Real-World-linked Hands-on Practical Pedagogy
Teaching Practice
I have established a practice that connects real-world practical experiences with self-exploration in my studio-based FDM 491-1 (FDM 420): Runway Design Collection Studio. The students were seniors (n=12) who had acquired various aspects of apparel design and technical skills. They were motivated to express themselves and showcase their creations to a public audience. Creating a collection is a great challenge, not only technically but also in building a backbone that includes the objective, inspiration, and target market behind their designs.
At the beginning of the course, I obtained written consent from each student to use their pictures and videos for promotional purposes in the annual exhibition. The course and project goals were explained clearly: students were to create a cohesive mini-collection to prepare for practical groundwork and build their confidence for a future career as fashion professionals. To support students in developing a unique collection, I integrated multiple methods to enhance their creation outcomes: a physical mini-collection, one-minute collection videography, and an exhibition booth. Additionally, they wrote a 2-page capstone garment analysis for each look. All assignments/projects were divided into two semesters; however, the workload was quite intense. These assignments were all related to their respective collections, which I carefully designed to have a positive impact on students’ deep learning.
I structured the course systematically, dividing it into three sections: planning, development, and presentation. All stages are important, especially planning, which lays the foundation for developing a clothing collection. During the planning phase, I initiated open group discussions with students about their current interests and how they envisioned representing themselves through their designs. I strive to create a safe and supportive classroom environment, offering constructive feedback with positive words and phrases. The group discussion was effective because students listened to and commented on one another, which fostered a mutual learning experience. However, some students were inclined to be quiet but were great listeners, which I value as their learning style. After that, I discussed these students individually, so they could easily express their thoughts.
I created the project structure with more design freedom and a few rigorous criteria for the collection.Students’ inspiration ideas have always been wide-ranging. A few students enthusiastically showcase their ethnic identities throughout their collections. In contrast, others aimed to develop a collection for individuals with mental illnesses, inspired by their friends or relatives who suffered from these conditions or using childhood memories to create cherished designs. Due to the infinite number of ideas and identity representations, I spent considerable time discussing each of them until the options were narrowed down. This initial step was one of the most important lessons for students because once they start working in the industry, they will practically and inspirationally understand that planning the foundation of the collection is crucial. In the scaffolding process, students critically thought about how they engaged to design a cohesive collection that showcased this special opportunity to the audience.
FDM 491-1 (formerly FDM 430), Fashion Show Production, is the course that showcases students’ collections in an
exhibition-style format. The real-world connection is always my focus in my practice, as it engages students in meaningful activities. I systematically prepared committee roles for a total of 16 students, allowing each student to take a lead. Like FDM 491-1, I structured the course into three main phases: planning, developing, and presenting. I adopted a student-centered
approach that gives them the freedom to create unique promotions and display ideas, while monitoring to ensure they are completed in a timely manner.
Developing the event from scratch requires a highly lasting motivation. To maintain this, as an instructor, I closely monitored their progress and held individual consultations in person and via written correspondence, and I regularly met with the committee. Students enrolling in this course typically range from freshmen to seniors. Some students experienced a fashion show and exhibition, while others had never been. Additionally, students’ learning speeds, communication styles, and understanding processes vary. As an instructor, I am fully aware of their diversities and needs, which I noted at the beginning of the semester as supporting inclusiveness for their unique learning characteristics.
I conducted progress checks almost every class time to discuss as a group and individually. In this practical method, correcting mistakes helps students move forward, fosters a positive attitude towards their work, and helps avoid feelings of overwhelm. Through practical learning, they became aware of the steps that needed careful planning to execute. At the same time, reflecting after the event is highly important. I performed a class reflection and an individual written reflection to connect practical, meaningful lessons.
Both courses are highly connected to real-world experiences and equally challenging. Students in the design studio course were tasked with confronting their identities and their design representations, creating cohesive collections. The fashion exhibition/show production course was also a hands-on class that worked with each planned activity’s deadline to collaborate and achieve the final goal as a team. Inducing and maintaining stable motivation is the key to success. Consequently, students completed the course with the goal of accomplishment. Real-world project experience was crucial for their learning and future careers.
Impact
My teaching practice and curriculum content were well-prepared, with a focus on connecting to real-world practice and enabling students to succeed in further learning and upon graduation.
Both classes maintained a high attendance rate, with 95% of students attending regularly. Students were fully engaged in completing the projects and tasks on time. As a result, all students showcased their collections at the annual exhibition as planned. These achievements were made possible because the course objectives were clear from the beginning, and they did not fall behind in their projects due to the frequent one-on-one learning consultations with me.
These two courses were linked: one to create showcase objects, and the other to exhibit them. Most importantly, accomplishing the exhibition as planned by the team, without anyone dropping out of the courses, has had a positive and meaningful impact. Each student took on a crucial and responsible role in the exhibition course, while design students followed the showcase criteria to help create a unified exhibition. Both sides’ efforts made the successful completion.
When I observed students’ expressions and words of accomplishment after the exhibition, I recognized the success of my teaching practice, which motivates me for my future practice. This innovative yet fundamental approach is adaptable to other academic disciplines, particularly for small to medium-sized classes. This practice enables students to focus and connect with real-world knowledge within a supportive learning environment. This approach allows them to stay on track and feel secure while working with peers and a teacher.