Theses and dissertations (Arts and Design)

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The ‘blend’ in blended learning : establishing a balance between face-to-face and online learning in a pattern making and garment construction class
(2020-04-07) Kirby, Luhandra; Cavanagh, Michaella; Pratt, Deirdre Denise
This study explored the use of blended learning in a fashion design class, working within the constructivist orientation with a mixed methods case study and using a sequential exploratory approach in order to focus on the effectiveness of the blended learning design and how it is experienced by the participants. The case study was based on a group of second year fashion design students from a private design institution in South Africa, for the combined subject, pattern making and garment construction. The purpose of this research was to investigate the ways in which face-to-face learning and online learning could best be blended to facilitate instruction in this particular class. The study focused on establishing what combination of online and face-to-face delivery could be seen to be most effective in achieving the project learning outcomes within the time and resource constraints available for the combined pattern making and garment construction subject. A blended learning curriculum model (Huang, Ma and Zhang, 2008) was used to assist in preparation for the blended learning programme, with online learning delivery being effected by means of Google Classroom, the learning management system recommended by the private design institution. The sequential exploratory approach involved two projects, so that insights gained from the first project could be applied to modify the blended learning design for the second project, if and as required. Quantitative data were used to establish a baseline of students’ prior understanding of blended learning, pattern making and garment construction processes. Qualitative data were collected in the form of interviews, questionnaires and observations, allowing for a descriptive understanding of how students as well as the lecturer (who was the researcher) experienced the blended learning classroom, and how effective that blend was in achieving the desired learning outcomes; opportunities were also offered for reflection. The results revealed that, not only did blended learning delivery need to be applied in a developmental way, with ongoing adjustments to accommodate best teaching/learning practice, but also that different fashion ‘briefs’ (that is, the tasks involved) might require modifications to the blended learning delivery design. This suggests that there is no ideal ‘blend’ in blended learning, but that, like other forms of learning, it is exploratory, tentative and constantly evolving. It is hoped that this study will offer insights into how face-to-face and online learning can be combined to best facilitate the learning process in this particular case, where practical assistance with students’ individual design projects traditionally requires a large amount of the instructional time available. As many vocational university subjects have similar time and resource constraints, particularly in facilitating practical application of theory at a professional standard, it is also hoped that, to some extent, the results will be generalizable to other disciplines.
The hidden sell : subversive advertising of fashion products in social media
(2018) Smith, Helen; Cavanagh, Michaella; Pratt, Deirdre Denise
With the exorbitant growth in technological presence and the introduction of social media, a whole new realm of advertising and marketing possibilities has been opened to businesses. This study investigated people’s perceptions of the use of social media for advertising fashion products under the guise of social media interaction. In other words, online marketing is seen as “subversive” as it is a deceptive form of advertising using celebrity allure to attract prospective clients. The target population comprised females between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine as this population was found to represent the majority of social media users. The purpose of the study was to establish whether the social media users canvassed were aware of this subversive type of advertising, whether they responded by buying the products, and how effective they found this type of marketing overall. The research was carried out within a social constructivist framework, using a nested/embedded strategy in a mixed-methods approach. Users of social networking in South Africa were recruited by means of an Instagram post which introduced the idea of the “subversive sell” and gave them the option of participating in an online survey on the topic. Respondents were also offered the option of participating in two focus groups in the Durban area in order to obtain more in-depth feedback on this marketing strategy. Results showed that participants were aware of the fact that they were being targeted, and that they saw it as an inevitable outcome of using social media. However, it irritated them when realising that social media were saturated with advertisements, and that they should be importuned incessantly with such. They also reported that they would not necessarily purchase fashion products advertised in this way and would rather rely on word-of-mouth recommendations on social media from people using these products. Respondents did, however, comment on the immediacy and novelty of this form of advertising. It was concluded that subversive advertising via social media was not that different from the celebrity endorsements found in traditional media, and that people were responding to this strategy in similar ways.