Progress 05/01/23 to 04/30/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The overall goal of this research is to enhance teaching and learning capabilities of faculty and students enrolled in fashion and merchandising programs at HBCUs by developing animation-based flat patternmaking pedagogical tools. The project was designed to: 1) build educators' ability to raise the quality of teaching and learning of predominately minority students by developing exemplary teaching and learning materials relevant to technologically sophisticated fashion industry, 2) enhance instructional delivery and ability to deliver patternmaking content virtually, 3) support student motivation to engage in learning and 4) bring flexibility in learning leading to higher student success rates in flat pattern design instruction. To meet these goals, two target audiences were originally identified: educators and undergraduate students enrolled in fashion design and merchandising programs from four Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCUs) including, North Carolina A&T State University-NC (primary institution), North Carolina Central University-North Carolina, Clark Atlanta University-Georgia, and Morgan State University-Maryland were selected for this study. These institutions (faculty and students) are still included in the target audience, but the project team has added Bowie State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to the group. In the past year, there has been effort in three main areas. First in project administration, the original PI, Dr. Geetika Jaiswal, left North Carolina A&T in July 2023 and started her tenure at Morgan State University. This departure necessitated a change in project PI at North Carolina A&T and the establishment of a subaward for Morgan State University. Dr. Newcomb Hopfer is now the PI at North Carolina A&T, and the subaward has been fully executed at Morgan State University, allowing Dr. Jaiswal's continued participation in the project. These administrative changes required significant paperwork and processing on two different campuses and through USDA. Second, the project team made progress toward the creation of final animation modules. The animation consultant prepared the 3D animations for five of the patternmaking modules. Scripts were prepared to guide the audio recording for overlays, and the scripts were professionally recorded with the assistance of College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Ag Communications team. The animator is currently working to overlay audio onto the visual animations to complete the animation modules. Once complete, the animations will be reviewed by a pilot sample of faculty, students, and industry experts. The pilot survey questions for each stakeholder group were created and approved by North Carolina A&T IRB during this reporting period. Finally, several tasks have been completed to enable module deployment in Fall 2024. Faculty from the five partner institutions have been identified and 3 additional interviews were held with students from Morgan State University to better understand flat pattern teaching approaches at the various HBCUs involved. Response saturation has been achieved with these interviews, revealing consistency in pedagogical approaches and challenges in flat pattern instruction. The project team has also created a timeline to guide module deployment, to include meetings with faculty involved (planned August 2024), creation of teaching guides and feedback cycles (August 2024), and target module completion/sharing date (September 2024). Changes/Problems:No additional changes or problems are noted since the last reporting period. Administrative delays at North Carolina A&T slowed the process of executing the subaward at Morgan State University, processing the PI change at North Carolina A&T, compensating the animator for work completed, and transferring all budget and personnel files. As a result of these changes, a NCE was requested in March 2024 and approved; the new project end date is April 2025. The project team looks forward to successful execution of the project objectives in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The full project team attended the 2024 American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences to present findings from the student and faculty interviews. One oral and one poster presentation was made at the conference. The team received feedback from conference attendees, many of whom are educators themselves. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The full project team attended the 2024 American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences to present findings from the student and faculty interviews. Oral and poster presentations are noted under the Products section. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 2: Design and evaluate animation modules for teaching flat patternmaking and drafting techniques. Two animations (one slash and spread, one pivot) will be shared with ten professionals for the pilot testing of modules. The pilot test will include an evaluation of the technical aspects of the animation design (colors, speed, detail shown), and the anticipated viewing ease. The pilot test questionnaire (already approved by IRB) includes with structured and open-ended questions. Final revisions will be conducted based on initial testing and modules will be finalized for in-class testing. Objective 3: Assess the impact of animation modules on student learning outcomes. Animation modules will be deployed into flat pattern courses at North Carolina A&T and the partnering institutions (n=6 courses) in Fall 2024. To prepare for implementation, the project team will spend the rest of Summer 2024 creating an instructor guide, showing the ideal method to be used to introduce the animations into flat pattern instruction. The guide will also include assessment details, including the timing and method of survey distribution to obtain student feedback. The project team will meet with flat pattern instructors (n=6) in August 2024 to provide this instructor guide, and the animations will be delivered via zip file to all instructors in September 2024. To assess the impact of the modules on student learning outcomes, a control and treatment comparison approach will be used. Study participants will be divided into two groups: (1) Control group, traditional non-animation-based teaching, and (2) treatment group, animation-based teaching to test the impact of animation-based teaching on student learning outcomes. Both treatment and control groups will consist of students from the North Carolina A&T and the partnering institutions. The treatment group will consist of students enrolled in the flat patternmaking course with prior skills in apparel construction and fit, while the control group will consist of students who previously took and passed a flat patternmaking course in a previous semester using the traditional teaching method. An equal number of students will be targeted for the control and treatment groups even though the participants for the two groups will come from different semesters. The participants in the treatment group will be exposed to the final developed animation modules demonstrating three basic principles (dart manipulation, added fullness and contouring principles) of patternmaking. A survey questionnaire (with structured and open-ended questions) which is already developed will be used to obtain and compare feedback from both groups (control and treatment) to analyze the impact of animation modules on different student learning outcomes. Objective 4: Analyze the impact of animation modules on teaching capability. Faculty from N.C.A&T and the partnering universities teaching the flat patternmaking course will be interviewed (pre and post animation module implementation). The results of pre and post-module implementation will be collected and compared to analyze the impact of animation modules on diverse measures of teaching capabilities such as the delivery of teaching instructions (like the ability to demonstrate patternmaking steps, emphasize 'important' information), instill ability in students to confidently understand and correctly apply concepts; encourage faculty-student interaction; and improve student engagement in learning.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting period, activities were completed to support Objectives 1 and 2. Objective 1: Explore user-defined requirements of flat patternmaking animation modules: To achieve this objective, educators and undergraduate students from identified HBCU's were interviewed to understand the current teaching practices as well as the teaching/learning challenges. Twelve interviews were conducted in Year 1 of the project, and an additional 3 were conducted in Year 2 through the subaward and relocation of original project PI to Morgan State University. With these additional interviews, theme saturation was confirmed, with the following general summary of findings: Current Teaching Practices at HBCU fashion design institutions: Traditional lecturing format In-Class Demonstrations Flipped teaching approach Hands-on practical project, typically positioned at the end of a course semester Low integration of digital tools and technology Challenges of current teaching practices in flat-pattern design Complex textbook instructions Limited hands-on experience, particularly for original design development Limited teaching resources for learning outside classroom Fast paced course Difficulty in spatial visualization Limited interaction and collaboration in class Objective 2: Design and evaluate animation modules for teaching flat patternmaking and drafting techniques. Five 3D flat pattern animations were created to display simplified instructions of slash and spread and pivot techniques. A digital design consultant developed animations using 3ds Max software developed by Autodesk. Animations (4-6 minutes each) utilized drafting tools such as rulers, tracing wheel, hip/French curves, and writing utensils to present a realistic demonstration of flat pattern design. Pattern steps were shown in flat/2D form for the bulk of the animation, and a 3D view of the finished pattern against the dressform completed the 2D to 3D visualization of patternmaking. The five animations prepared were: Slash and spread technique - Midneck / Waist Slash and spread technique - Gathers in shoulder Pivot technique - Midarmhole Pivot technique - Gathers in shoulder Slash and spread technique - Princess seaming Scripts to describe all animation steps were prepared for the five animations. Canva was used to create detailed scripts, segmented by animation frame. Audio files are currently in preparation for each of the five flat pattern animations. Scripts were followed in the audio recordings, which were professionally done in Ag Communications studios on the campus of North Carolina A&T. Ag Communications is editing audio and as they are completed, they are sent to the animator for final overlay with the visuals. This effort is currently underway, with a completion date of September 2024 for all modules. The project team had to script - and re-script - in order to achieve an audio recording that was closer in length to the original animation. The final deadline for all modules will be September 2024. Prior to that, however, the first two finished modules showing slash and spread and pivot techniques will be pilot reviewed by ten people (mixture of faculty, students and industry professionals who either work in patternmaking or animation). The plan is to complete pilot testing in July 2024, to inform any final revisions of the animations in August 2024.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
1. Jaiswal, G., Dixon, D.L., & Hopfer, E.N. (Presenter). (2024, June 4-10). An exploration of flat pattern design teaching pedagogies in the 21st century [oral presentation]. American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, Minneapolis, MN
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
2. Jaiswal, G. (Presenter), Dixon, D.L., & Hopfer, E.N. (2024, June 4-10). An exploration of flat pattern design teaching pedagogies in the 21st century [poster presentation]. American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, Minneapolis, MN.
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Progress 05/01/22 to 04/30/23
Outputs
Target Audience:As we navigate the evolving landscape of education, it becomes evident that a transformative approach is needed to bridge the gap between traditional teaching methods and the needs of today's learners. Moreover, the field of fashion design has largely recruited talent from traditional and "elite" fashion schools that are historically out of reach for many underrepresented minorities. Equipping underrepresented minorities with crucial fashion design and pattern making abilities holds utmost importance in their inclusion in the fashion industry. To ensure minority students' competitiveness, it is important that we utilize the best pedagogical tools to teach foundational skills, ideally in combination with other teaching methods to meet their learning needs. Teaching these skills to this group is confronted with unique pedagogical challenges. Professors at HBCUs endeavor to convey hands-on patternmaking techniques, such as dart manipulation, without the aid of modern and accessible animated learning resources. This gap leaves both educators and eager minority students grappling to unearth adequate tools that cater to contemporary learning preferences. The development of animated patternmaking modules within apparel design courses at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the United States emerges as a pivotal solution. The development and integration of animated modules offers a remedy that empowers faculty and students alike. HBCU faculty shoulders the additional responsibility of equipping minority or students of color with the competencies needed for careers in the fashion industry. This pivotal step not only transcends the traditional confines of education but also cultivates a generation of skilled professionals who are poised to reshape the narrative of underrepresentation. The overall goal of this research is to enhance teaching and learning capabilities of faculties and students enrolled in fashion and merchandising program at HBCUs by developing animation-based flat patternmaking pedagogical tools. Specifically, the project was designed to meet the following objectives: 1) explore user-defined requirements of flat patternmaking animation modules; 2) design and evaluate animation modules for teaching flat patternmaking and drafting techniques; 3) assess the impact of animation modules on student learning outcomes; and 4) analyze the impact of animation modules on teaching capability. To meet these objectives, two target audiences were identified: educators and undergraduate students enrolled in fashion design and merchandising programs from four Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCUs) including, North Carolina A&T State University-NC (primary institution), North Carolina Central University-North Carolina, Clark Atlanta University-Georgia, and Morgan State University-Maryland were selected for this study. In Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, educators who teach apparel design and patternmaking courses and undergraduate students enrolled in those courses from participating HBCU institutions were interviewed by members of the research team. The interviews helped researchers to understand the educator/student needs and challenges of current teaching approaches. The outcome of the interviews guided the development of six flat-pattern animation teaching modules. Incorporating the developed animation modules in flat-pattern design courses offered at HBCU's is critical in cultivating foundational pattern design skills and achieving expertise in pattern making design technique among students. This will enable students to get involved in more creative design processes, a crucial factor in pursuing expansive job opportunities and promoting higher participation of minority students in the fashion industry. Changes/Problems:Collaboration with Southern University and A&M College-Louisiana: The Southern University discontinued offering a flat-pattern making course effective Fall 2022. Therefore, the collaboration with the university cannot be pursued. We request to eliminate the collaboration with Southern University from this project. Collaboration with Morgan State University (MSU), Baltimore: The collaborator, Dr. Lurline Whittaker from MSU retired in Fall 2022, so the educators and students from MSU could not be interviewed for module development purpose. However, the current PD, Dr. Jaiswal, is joining MSU from Fall 2023 and wishes to continue collaboration with MSU. Dr. Jaiswal will identify students and educator(s) for interview in early Fall 2023 and will work towards implementing developed animation modules and conducting survey measuring module effectiveness. Administrative delays at NCA&T: The shortage of grant/budget supporting staff in the department of Family and Consumer Sciences has significantly impacted the progress of the project and development of animation modules. The delay in module development has significantly impacted the timeline and activities associated with research objectives 3 and 4. Change of Project Director (PD): Separation of Dr. Geetika Jaiswal (PD) from NC A&T this summer 2023 resulted in significant changes on project implementation. A request letter for appointing new project director from NCA&T was submitted to USDA-NIFA program leader. The research team members selected Dr. Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer, as new PD based on her expertise in flat-pattern making and product development. After approval, Dr. Newcomb will lead the project from Fall 2023 and will continue to work towards the successful completion of this project. Dr. Jaiswal will continue to work on the project as Co-PI. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project director (Dr. Jaiswal) had an opportunity to attend ITAA 2022 Annual Conference at Denver (Colorado) to learn innovative teaching practices in product design and development. The presentations at the conference helped PD to learn recent development in apparel design and gain new insights in enhancing teaching and learning practices in fashion design area. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 2: Design and evaluate animation modules for teaching flat patternmaking and drafting techniques. Final drafts of animations will be shared with ten professionals for the initial testing of modules where the modules will be evaluated for the technical aspect and problems with animation and visualization of flat patternmaking steps. An interview questionnaire (with structured and open-ended questions) will be used to collect feedback from animation experts, industry or fashion/apparel design educators and textile and apparel design students. Final revisions will be conducted based on initial testing and modules will be finalized for in-class testing. Objective 3: Assess the impact of animation modules on student learning outcomes. The study participants will be divided into two groups: (1) Control group, traditional non-animation-based teaching, and (2) treatment group, animation-based teaching to test the impact of animation-based teaching on student learning outcomes. Both treatment and control groups will consist of students from the N.C.A&T and the partnering institutions. The treatment group will consist of students enrolled in the flat patternmaking course with prior skills in apparel construction and fit, while the control group will consist of students who previously took and passed a flat patternmaking course in the previous semester using the traditional teaching method. Since all participating institutions offer flat-pattern design course in Fall semester, the modules will be implemented in Fall. An equal number of students will be included in the control and treatment groups even though the participants for the two groups will come from different semesters. The participants in the treatment group will be exposed to six animated modules demonstrating three basic principles (dart manipulation, added fullness and contouring principles) of patternmaking. Two different pattern styles will be developed under each principle. A survey questionnaire (with structured and open-ended questions) which is already developed will be used to obtain and compare feedback from both groups (control and treatment) to analyze the impact of animation modules on different student learning outcomes. Objective 4: Analyze the impact of animation modules on teaching capability. Faculty from N.C.A&T and the partnering universities teaching the flat patternmaking course will be interviewed (pre and post animation module implementation). The results of pre and post-module implementation will be collected and compared to analyze the impact of animation modules on diverse measures of teaching capabilities such as the delivery of teaching instructions (like the ability to demonstrate patternmaking steps, emphasize 'important' information), instill ability in students to confidently understand and correctly apply concepts; encourage faculty-student interaction; improve student engagement in learning, and open opportunities for faculties to get engaged in other professional development activities.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The current research activities helped in achieving the first two goals of the study as below: Objective 1: Explore user-defined requirements of flat patternmaking animation modules: To achieve this objective, educators and undergraduate students from identified HBCU's were interviewed to understand the current teaching practices as well as the teaching/learning challenges. The results of student and educator interviews indicated the following practices and challenges apparent in teaching and learning flat pattern design techniques: Current Teaching Practices at HBCU fashion design institutions: Traditional lecturing format: This approach involved a combination of theoretical concepts and practical applications. In this approach educators mainly rely on utilizing a textbook and delivering lectures. It was found that educators read pattern instructions from textbook, showed images of pattern manipulation using projectors and ceiling camera, presented steps of pattern manipulation via still images in PowerPoint slides, provided handouts and students rely on compiling a pattern notebook based on class lectures. In-Class Demonstrations: most often lecturing was supplemented by in-class demonstrations, where educators demonstrate step-by-step half-scale pattern manipulation in class, introduce and explain fundamental concepts of pattern design, and showcase examples and techniques involved in flat-pattern making. Students follow instructions to create patterns. Most students appreciated in-class demonstrations as they were able to instantly interact with the course instructor and get feedback. However, many struggled with comprehending the techniques because they were focused on the steps of the demonstrations. Flipped teaching approach: This is the approach where educators upload self-developed or free YouTube videos for students on Blackboard (student learning interface). Students are to access the videos and review them before class to gain an overview or introduction to technique(s) to be reviewed and practiced in the upcoming class meeting. Students are expected to watch videos at home and use class time to create patterns and interact with their instructor and peers in practicing and ultimately mastering the pattern manipulation technique. Additionally, learning from online videos was found to be a common practice for students working at home on assignments or completing independent works. Hands-on practical project: This formulated a critical part of teaching flat pattern design. Students are given independent assignments to create paper patterns for full-size garments, such as a skirt, shirt, dress or pant for the purpose of developing it into a sewn garment. This is most often used by instructors in training students to visualize 2D paper pattern to 3D garment as well as aid in developing garment sizing and fit analysis related skills. Integration of digital tools and technology: In terms of using digital tools in classroom, YouTube videos were most commonly adopted. Pattern drafting computer-aided design (CAD) software such as Gerber, Lectra, Clo, body scanning, virtual prototyping etc. were rarely used in teaching flat pattern making at an introductory level. Most educators believed that without having basic understanding of flat-pattern making, CAD is complicated for students to follow and comprehend. Challenges of current teaching practices in flat-pattern design Complex textbook instructions: Majority of students reported that textbook instructions are difficult to follow and sometimes vague as pattern images do not always align with text instructions. This creates a gap in understanding pattern making steps and reduces student motivation to learn skills. Limited hands-on experience: Since most traditional methods rely on textbook, lectures and demonstrations, educators and students are left with little time for hands-on activities in classroom. A teaching tool that speeds up teaching process may open up more time for faculty and students to interact in class and get engaged in hands-on application-based activities. Limited teaching resources for learning outside classroom: Learning outside classroom was supported mainly through videos, textbooks, PowerPoint presentation or handouts. Most students reported videos as lengthy, lacking clarity or explanation and tedious; while textbook/handout instructions were complicated and less comprehensible. Fast paced course: Students reported that there were too many patterns to complete in a semester and they desire more time to think and be creative in their works. Their primary focus was to complete assignments rather than learning to create patterns they wish to design. Difficulty in spatial visualization: Students indicated that they often struggle with visualizing 2D paper patterns, particularly half-scale pattern, to 3D garment. Limited interaction and collaboration in class: Since instructors use the class time in presenting pattern drafting steps and reading textbook, little time is left to interact with instructors or peers, share creative ideas, and discuss challenges, which is critical to learning and developing problem solving skills. Objective 2: Design and evaluate animation modules for teaching flat patternmaking and drafting techniques. The findings from research interviews guided the development of animation-based modules for teaching flat pattern design. It was anticipated that animation-based teaching modules will address some of the challenges identified in the interviews and will enhance course delivery and student learning abilities. Therefore, the animations were developed to address specific challenges reflected in interviews as listed below: 5-7 minutes flat pattern animations showing step by step pattern drafting techniques Use of actual drafting tools like rulers, tracing wheel, hip/French curve etc. in creating patterns Display of simplified 2D pattern drafting steps in text form Audio-recording of pattern manipulation steps 3D views of developed/final patterns on 3D dressforms Ability to pause, review and play animations as desired by users Six animation modules demonstrating basic steps of flat pattern are currently under preparation. A digital design consultant was hired to develop animations using 3ds Max software developed by Autodesk. Development of five animations have been completed. Text and audio recordings to align with animated patternmaking steps remains). The sixth animation module is in progress. Final drafts of animations will be shared with ten professionals , including textile and apparel industry professionals, fashion/apparel design educators, and students, for the initial testing of modules where the modules will be evaluated for the technical aspect and problems with animation and visualization of flat patternmaking steps. An interview questionnaire (with structured and open-ended questions) will be used to collect initial feedback on animation development . Modifications will be conducted, and modules revised. Finalized modules will be shown to students in flat-pattern making course from four selected HBCU institutions in-class and the effectiveness of the developed modules will be tested for future application.
Publications
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