For the microteaching session I chose to work on the theme of Cosmetic Product Claims, an area of legislation that I teach and use in extend in my academic practice. I thought that this would provide very good information that most people encounter on their everyday lives but are not familiar with, hence a great opportunity for my colleagues in the microteaching session to learn something new that they can use to make informed decision in their purchases as consumers.
The session began with an outline of topics to be covered and an activity where participants had to select a personal care product that they use in their lives. They then determined whether it was a cosmetic or a medicine using a breakdown of the legal definition of each category. Next, regulations about cosmetic product claims were explained, including common criteria and claim classifications (CTPA, 2025). Participants were then asked to analyse their chosen product’s claims and share their findings. The session continued with the importance of substantiating claims with evidence and appropriate methods for doing so. It concluded with examples of the level of evidence required for different claims to be accepted. The participants were quite engaged with the activities and were happy to share their findings with the rest of the class (Figure 1).
I chose to use a real-life example of a product, as opposed to a mock up, to give the participants choice over what product to use for this exercise as I felt that it would make the session more relatable and would invoke a sense of ‘adventure’, almost as if they were trying to follow the clues towards a treasure. The approach of object-based learning (OBL) stems from the use of museum artefacts and has been widely used in academia, particularly in Arts & Design, as the use of a physical object can be a source of ‘unique and effective learning experiences’ (Hardie, 2015). To my experience, OBL is less explicitly and less often used in Science & Engineering subjects, but rather the notion of hands-on learning is embedded in curricula through the use of labs and experimentation, which by nature require the use of physical materials and scientific instruments to assist with learning (Leonardi et al., 2024).
The feedback from the participant colleagues after the session was positive and mostly highlighted the real-life application of their newly acquired knowledge (Figure 2). There were conflicting comments on the positives of having a choice on what product to hold but also on the reassurance that answering questions about a common object between all participants gives. Participants also commented on my ability to deliver a complex technical topic in an approachable way for an audience without any prior knowledge in the topic.
I was not particularly anxious prior to the microteaching session but the positive feedback on my approachable teaching was a relief. Throughout my education and career, I have always moved within and between disciplines and areas of interest. As a result, I have often had to adjust my language and terminology I used, to ensure that what I was trying to convey was easily understandable to a wide range of audiences. At the back of this, I have always had some insecurity to the fact that I am not a ‘true’ expert on a highly specific topic, as most academics are. This exercise has shown me that the skills I acquired by constantly engaging with different disciplines, have bettered my teaching practice and help me meet my students at any level they are at.
References:
CTPA (2025) Cosmetic Product Claims. Available at: https://www.ctpa.org.uk/resources-claims (Accessed: 10/02/2025).
Hardie, K. (2015) Wow: The power of objects in object-based learning and teaching. York: Higher Education Academy. Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/wow-power-objects-object-based-learning-and-teaching (Accessed: 10/02/2025).
Leonardi, A.M., Carli, M., Ciroi, S., Marcon, F., Pantano, O., Talas, S. and Zagallo, M. (2024) ‘Teaching Physics through Astronomy: an object-based approach’, Journal of physics. Conference series, 2750(1), pp. 12044. doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2750/1/012044.