The website is UAL website informing the reader on Religion, Faith identities. You could browse through the website and read different case studies.
I was fascinated in particular by 3 case studies that has been shared by Couse leaders of UAL. The first one is an ice breaker exercise which one of course leader has used during the years for new students in order to be making student to ask each other various questions from easy to deep questions. This creates a sharing and conversational environment which helps people get to know each in a friendly manner. The questions could range from :”What is in your Fridge”, to ” Tell me about your faith”. The idea is to create an easy conversation around more deep and sensitive matters like faith. Other case studies and reflections in similar manner have attended to issues surrounding our positionality and faith which opens your eyes to aspects relating to these sensitive yet important manners.
How could you apply the resources to your own teaching practice?
The case studies in particular addresses how we can create an unbiased and conversational atmosphere in our classrooms as educators. Some of them have mentioned how we can use our own positionality as lecturers and share them with our students whilst asking them to share theirs. identity is very personal yet important matter.
How could you integrate the work your students do on this subject into your teaching practice?
Case studies as examples for best practice:
As per the case studies , we can co-create the positive teaching environment by sharing our own positionality and our own stance with our students and ask them to share theirs. By being open and accepting and being conscious of this we can create a more positive and dynamic learning environment. Through this we will be co-creating our learning journey as educators and students.
Articles for source of discussion:
There are also fascinating and interesting reading lists listed which mainly focuses on art and religion and its impact on modern art. Certainly by knowing the resources are here I can either individually use different relevant resources or guide students to read and benefit the link for further reflection.
Can you cite examples?
Interestingly since I am Business Studies lecturer, I had never had the chance to address my line of studies from this angle, however all these resources are strongly important for research proposals and topics that I am supervising. I am planning to adopt these topics and resources when I supervise research students. Faith and Identity and its impact on fashion designer career/ choosing a career, studying influencers who convey strong identities through these lenses.
This article is written by Kairani Baroka, an artist, educator and writer. She has dedicated the article to her pen her experience and lessons learned from touring a show on pain with limited access to resources . Whilst conducting those shows she was in sever pain . She writes of her experience as an Indonesian woman who toured UK, Australia and India for her artistic show, in particular performing in Deaf Accessible venues.
She tells her story of not being heard by health system on the host country even she had access to student insurance. She was not visible enough as being a woman of different ethnicity with international background.
She draws reader’s attention to issues such as intersection of accessibility, and framing of disabled performers from non-western backgrounds.
She draws our attention to issues facing art performance for :
1- Acknowledging further catering and service needed for disabled artists and audience alike for the venues provided.
2- Highlighting the mental health importance, specially of performing artists specially those with disabilities.
3- Understanding the lack of treatment and pain severity, particularly for brown women with non-western background. Partly also for their lack of knowledge of healthcare system (not been fully informed of existing services) .
How Could you Apply the Resources to your own teaching?
It makes me conscious of International students studying with us at LCF and in case they need to be guided to right channels to seek appropriate help with appropriate professional guidance in order to get support with their education or employment.
How could you integrate this research into your own practice? Cite and example:
The mental health issue was massively highlighted during pandemic with International body of our students and it was of utmost important to slow the teaching tone and be more empathetic towards our students, who happen to live miles away from their families and felt trapped either in a oreign country momentarily / went home but felt detached from their studies.
it is a comprehensive and engaging booklet with great information on different academic theories tackling and addressing dyabilities. It has come under the topic of evolution of disability modules which does include:
Models of Disability:
The religious model : a pre-modern model that considers disability an act of God and intertwined with Sin and guilt.
The Moral Model : refers to attitude that people are morally responsible for their disability. The Moral/ Religious models are the oldest models towards disability.
The Eugenics Model : the model is reflected on todays and modern understanding of disability. It assumes people or either fit or unfit.
The Medical Model : views disability occurs due to disease, trauma, or other health conditions, which therefore requires sustained medical care provided in the form of individual treatment.
The Charity Model : depicts disabled person as victims of circumstances who are deserving of pity. This along with medical model are the ones used more frequently by non-disabled people to define and explain disability.
The Economic Model : Disability is linked by person’s inability to participate in work. Mostly linked to Charity model.
The Social Model : Sees disability as a socially created problem and a matter of full integration of individual into society.
The Affirmation Model: Have a non-tragic view of disability and impairment, which encompasses positive social identities for disabled people.
The Diversity Model: views disability as human variation. Under this model the diversity of disability must be acknowledged as well as of the barriers of people with disability facing.
The empowering Model: Allows the person with disability to decide the course of their treatment and what service they wish to benefit from.
The relational Model : Emphasizing the support of inclusivity in the society and embedding social justice norms in wider society.
The New racial Model: The new frontier which builds out of the political identity of Social Model and argues that we should not distinguish between impairment and disability.
To look into the above theoretical evolution in disability and inclusivity in social norms is fascinating. Although the thermotical realm seem to demonstrate their progress and categorization of definition and comprehension of the term, this is not necessarily translate into societal action to deal with the issue. In particular when it comes to matter of race and gender equality/ identity.
The below statistics are demonstrating few more facts:
Around15% of global population, over a billion people , live with some form of disability, of whom, 2-4% experience significant difficulties in functioning
Women are more likely to experience disability then men and older people more than young;
Lower and middle income countries have higher level of disabilities than high income countries.
In recent years, the understanding of disability has moved away from physical or medical perspective to one that takes into consideration a persons physical, social and political context.
How could you Apply the resources to your own practice?
By understanding the issue perhaps it could help us lecturers to be more conscious of the following issues:
Attainment gap;
Making sure we look beyond date of attainment and we give more empathy and listen to student voice.
Student experience differential:
Making sure we record a just voice of students and be impartial and more sensitive towards hidden dyabilities along the visible ones.
White-washed curriculum:
Perhaps creating a forum for students to share their resources to for learning as we go along. To challenge them to think of an alternative source of information and knowledge in teaching materials.
Inclusive Pedagogy:
Actively engage and dedicate your teaching from further materials from communities of intersectional created resources.
Co-create with students who have vested interest in intersectional topics both in encouraging them to pick a research topic on the area/ include new and alternative resources.
Can you Cite an example of your own practice?
Through years I have encouraged my postgraduate and final year undergraduate students to incorporate more alternative resources in their research. As well some of the research topics for postgraduate students have included:
Disability and shopping experience in retail.
Fashion has inclusivity issues: The Representation of Black models in Fashion Industry.
The PGCERT and the Unit has made me even more conscious of most important social issues we are facing with intersectional issues in disability and for sure I would like explore any of these topics in my own personal research that can include:
Representation of disabled women minority in fashion industry;
Disabled women as influencers.
I would like to finalise my thoughts by sharing the following inspirational video of Aaron Philips.
The UAL Disability Service Webpage is an informative page which give ample information on the services and funding’s needed for different types of learning and physical disability. The information provided has good definition of disabilities, ways to communicate with disability team in order to get assessment. Fund application for people in need of the extra support and as well a great webpage encouraging students to leave feedback for further assessment of service being provided.
How could you apply the resources to your own teaching practice?
Very important. Prior to start my PGCET I would have relied on academic support team to engage students with the services being provided, but now I more conscious to include and talk through the website upon my initial opening Unit Leader lecture. It is important for students feel supported and protected if they have learning or access disabilities and I am glad I have familiarized myself with the content being provided.
Can you cite examples?
Most of the time since I am more engaged with Year 3/ postgraduate level students they are fully aware of dyslexia and other physical disability that might impact them. However most important of all is to give positive and supportive support during their studies. My personal experience and my high attention more so dedicated to dealing with anxiety. During years of teaching, I have noticed high level of students suffering from anxiety and I am very much conscious of dealing with individual cases and giving them their own personal space and supporting them and guide them to right channels to seek extra support. For both postgraduate and final year students graduating with good marks has turned into a very big challenge and pressure, and I vividly see this when I am supervising in on one-to-one bases. Based on my experience ,It is important to acknowledge the pressure and give confidence to them by being a better listener, helping them to think in broader context and always acknowledge what they are achieving in a bigger picture. One way also to deal with anxiety I assume is acknowledging it and addressing it both professionally and empathetically. Us as educator have a big responsibility to support our students and make sure the guidance being provided by university will not be materilised unless us as part of the system also give a voice and empathetic face to this.
An American Sound artist based in Berlin. According to Christine’s Wikipedia page she is keen to predominantly work with drawing, performance and video. Kim’s practice is inspired by the fact how sounds operate in society? Born deaf in Orange Country, California, to a family of hearing parents and deaf sister, she closely observed sound by its impact on hearing people. Her art which spans performance, video and drawings in simple manner, distill sound the way occurs to her interpretation through moods, emotions, social relevance. According to an article written on her latest exhibition by Guardian on 24th March 2022, through her work she is creating the language of her own.
Through breaking the rules she has managed to come up with new ways of communicating and expressing herself. She herself acknowledges that once she started to play with the sounds , she felt ashamed to share it with her fellow deaf friends. Accordingly her work is deeply conceptual , often entails social and cultural role sound plays in our lives. Essentially her work deems to elevate society’s view of dear/ hearing people. It also draws the attention of her contribution to demonstrate her innate ability as a communicator and artist who cements her own visual and conceptual art and paves the way for other artists, in an novel path.
Christine Sun Kim: ‘I’ve spent 45 minutes explaining deaf culture to curators and museum directors, leaving the last 15 minutes to talk about my work.’ Photograph: Tate Tullier
How could you apply the Resources to your Own teaching Practice?
How I see this is to what extent she has created her own art and managed to communicate with mass audience as a successful artist. To me this is fundamental in demonstrating human characteristic as grit, a trait helping us to achieve our objective with perseverance and passion combined. Us as humans, are fundamentally inclined to give up from time to time, but demonstrating such amazing examples of overcoming the challenges we face and tell our story in such an inspiring way is a true inspiration. I can at least use this resource to demonstrate students to consider their challenges (the perceived ones) as an advantage and think of ways to make a positive change towards themselves and the society on a rightful manner.
How could you integrate the research/work your students do on this subject into your teaching/professional practice?
Apart from being an inspirational artist, she could be used as a great example of entrepreneur and activist. A person with disability overcoming the norm challenges and setting new ways of artistic conceptualization. This is a great example not only to observe perseverance, grit and self belif but an accomplished artist who has created her very own niche of art . People who can related to her. She is a great brand ambassador to her own art and her own personal story tells a compelling story in artist and their personal stories in branding them.
Can you cite examples?
Unfortunately I had never experience of bringing a disabled key note speaker to my class, but this has made me realise the amazing and massive inspirational power of using such powerful and interesting and inspiring people as example of best practice in Business studies. This will for sure inspire me to seek for keynote speakers who have overcome their challenges to the benefit of themselves and the communities they relate to.
This article has fascinated me . Before starting the Unit and focusing on disability it never crossed my mind the Disability issue is linked with white supremacy and the privileges the white people enjoy in western part of the world. once I finished the article I also checked few videos recorded by Annie Elainy who raises the important issues on the topic. The fact that most disabled people are mainly represented by white people for sure would make any person of color or ethnic minority to feel left out alienated.
This made me more curios and I tried to search for further sources on the topic. One of the most personal and inspiring stories I came across was on the athlantic ” You have to Scream up” by Shalene Gupta. Her personal story and stuggle to grow up in the US as a person of Color with disability and against all odds to acquired a law degree to fight her rights in a society who has been ignorant to her needs..
It is shocking to read in the article that , according to American Community Survey Data, 14 percent of black Americans have disability compared to 12.6 of the total population. 36% of black Americans live in poverty in comparison to 26% of disabled Americans. Disabled black people are less likely to get the right diagnosis on the right time. And this further along stretches the possible higher number disabled people in the community. This could be specially true for “invisible disability” such as autism which educators are more likely to dismiss as behavioral issues in black than in white ones.
This has led to the importance to consider the intersection between the Racisms and Ableism
. How Could you apply the resources to your own practice?
Yet again a very critical question. By looking into further stats @ officeforstudents.org the note of significant rise of disabled student in education in higher education. To be precise 13.5 of students body attending an English University / college reported at least one type of disability. Disabled students belong to more diverse student body and bring different view points to classrooms.
However according to the website challenges and barriers remain. Students who reported disability have lower degree result and overall lower employment after graduation than non disabled students.
The stats above yet becomes even more critical when thinking Black women or other racial minority and the extra challenges they face.
How could I personally incorporate this into practice?
in several ways :
1- Each year I am involved in screening and accepting new prospects for out MA in Strategic fashion Marketing. Apart from personally being involved in initial screening I do final stage interview and this teaches me to be more reflective and sensitive over accommodating and positively open towards candidates with disabilities who come from minority background be it home or international.
2- By incorporating lecture recording facility (these days easily accessible through BBcolab) and make sure the reciting words are captioned to be consumed at students own time.
3-By incorporating different and wider learning materials in my lectures including video with subtitles, PowerPoint presentation with larger fonts.
4- Encouraging research topics for postgraduate students to pick and study on topics that has challenged them and matters to them. i.e. disability challenges in shopping and experiential retail…
How could you incorporate these learning into your work?Cite an example:
I practice all the above points on teaching specially after Covid, the literacy and interaction with technology on teaching materials have taught us to be conscious of students who need further support.
I also will be more conscious of student recruitment and more than ever mindful of the situation we are facing.
This case study will focus on Designing and planning of Undergraduate year 1 Unit for year 1 in BA fashion Marketing. The unit is called Global Fashion Marketing Communication (GFBC).
“In the United Kingdom, the Quality Assurance Agency Subject Benchmark Statements (QAA, 2007a) identify the purpose of general and business management programmes as threefold: “
“It is not clear whether the underlying concern of staff and students in these courses (i.e. Business Studies degrees) is a study of business or a study for business.” (Tolley, 1983: 5).
It is the nature of business studies that they need to be following the dynamic environment they are embedded in. Due to dominant competing demand the shift for this type of education has been more towards employability and there has been a vocational shift in business education Kolb (1984).
Now big questions to consider are the degree to which the taught subjects could increase employability and could be enhanced through lifelong learning.
Huszinski, (1993) acknowledges that the acquisition of the relevant knowledge is of utmost important for higher education teaching these disciplines, and this relevant knowledge includes technical expertise as well as critique of management in the organisational and social environment.
Fry et al., (2008) acknowledge this shift of focus in business studies and although they acknowledge the main impact in designing business education will come through change of course level/ module level, still they also recognise the impact of single lecture to be designed in a way to inherently hold these values. The figure 1 in this case study has been adopted from Fry et al., 2008 book and it makes me reflect on my own experience on teaching on of my sessions.
The below table is my road map to design one of my lectures for year 3 -BA Fashion Marketing. While the session and lecture will be designed with certain theories in mind to explain the Branding strategies companies adopt, certainly the seminars will adopt case study approach to teach students how to use the learnt theories to ponder and apply to the focal case. It is solution-based approach which teaches students to come with the right solution based on information they search and decisions they make.
Personal examples of Teaching and Supporting Case study: Applying theory to Practice:
Start lecture design with theory mapping
Preparing the slides with 2/ 3 dominant theories in mind.
Seek for relevant cases as an example to apply and explain.
Designing the seminar session based on taught theoretical frameworks .
Find and adopt a relevant case study for seminar (recent and fashion industry related)
Design relevant questions/ role playing games to put students in decision making roles;
Discuss the result and demonstrate how they can apply this learning for their future roles as managers.
References:
Fry,H., Ketteridge,S., & Marshall, S. ( 2008), “ a Handbook of Teaching and Learning in higher Education : Enhancing Academic practice , Routledge,
Huszinski, AA (1993) Management Gurus, London: Routledge.
Kolb, D A (1984) Experiential Learning, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Tolley, G (1983) ‘Foreword’, in D Graves (ed.) The Hidden Curriculum in Business Studies: Proceedings of a Conference on Values in Business Education, 5, Chichester: Higher Education Foundation.
This case study will focus on Designing and planning of Undergraduate year 1 Unit for year 1 in BA fashion Marketing. The unit is called Global Fashion Marketing Communication (GFBC).
In order to start my own experience of designing and planning for this particular Unit, I would like to draw the reader’s attention to Cowan & Harding (1986) curriculum design Model as presented below:
Accordingly using a model like this can help academics to align their Unit / Courses learning outcomes with the process of learning. This might also be helpful in defining and demonstrating easier paths to help students to achieve their learning goals (Fry et al., 2008).
This inherent logic of curriculum development is in accordance with Bigg’s model of alignment for teaching and assessment as pictured below (Biggs, 1999). There is a body of research that has established students more than their tutors always think of their assessment . In other words assessment comes across as a bigger concern for students rather than their tutors. The value of Bigg’s Model demonstrates the difference between student vs tutor
perspective below.
Biggs (1999: 142)
BA Fashion Marketing the Global Fashion Brand Communication (GFBC) Unit Design and Planning Case:
This case study draws from Curriculum development for an Undergraduate studies Unit in Year 1 fashion Marketing in Communication for UAL. We normally use a team-based approach. My challenge was to design an interactive unit to make year 1 students involved in learning and applying Communication theories. In this case I start by articulating the learning outcome against my assessment to start with.
Learning Outcome, Assessment and Criteria
After agreeing on Year one Unit’s learning outcome, I decided to consider the type of assessment which will match with those learning outcomes from Marketing Communication Perspective.
Content Design and Learning facilitation
This part also entailed me to search for an appropriate textbook in order to fulfil the appropriate source for the majority of the content. Each session the content needs to be relating to final assessment with important theories driven from major textbook and seminar activities well linked to the lecture content which is well related to assessment criteria.
This Unit design learning content is certainly designed in consideration of level 4 students in mind, since tutors and lecturers play a key role in facilitating learning and knowledge transfer through step-by-step approach. Seminar activities have been designed with use of e-learning tools including use of Padlets to facilitate peer to peer shared learning experience.
Evaluation
Evaluation and attending to useful experience on students’ journey is of utmost importance for Unit Success year after year.
Evaluation would potentially will give us feedback on student attainment and learning experience. In sum in this case even I had no experience of teaching this particular Unit (GFBC) in UAL, the evaluation from previous year gave me a comprehensive food for thought in terms of organising myself to deliver richer and more interesting learning experience.
References:
Key Points to consider when designing and planning a case
Learning Outcome and Assessment Criteria Align the final summative assessment with the defined Learning Outcome (LO)Consider the level of the course when designing the assessment project (Level 4)
1.Content Design and Learning facilitation a. For undergraduate studies define a major textbook for the focal point in order to Provide focus and theoretical spine to the course. Choosing a major and key Textbook for the Unit can also provide point of reference for academic team and serve like a main source for lecture material. Match the skill of the teaching team This is a team-based teaching so each team member will be aligned to teach their area of expertise; Sourcing for industry relevant materials and case studies and seminal article for the week by week in order to facilitate step by step learning. Sourcing industry key speakers to inspire and reconfirm their learning journey. Facilitate and organise formative assessment to make sure the learning process is happening (Formative assessment); Facilitate Technical workshop learning with technical team for the success of final assessment in formatting and creating high quality document;
Evaluation Use evaluation forms to capture student experience and voice;Feed this evaluation in next year’s curriculum design and planning
Biggs, J (1999) Teaching for Quality Learning at University, Buckingham: SRHE/Open University Press.
Cowan, J and Harding, A (1986) ‘A logical model of curriculum development’, British Journal of Educational Technology, 17 (2), pp 103–109.
Fry,H., Ketteridge,S., & Marshall, S. ( 2008), “ a Handbook of Teaching and Learning in higher Education : Enhancing Academic practice , Routledge,
Online learning and teaching has certainly become the core of teaching and education in HE. More importantly during the pandemic we were engaged in Unit delivery and student pastoral tutorial mainly through online medium. However it is also important to be conscious of the new media tools that could be a challenge for lesser experienced teachers in these platforms. Online peer observation can certainly be a useful tool for helping institutions to maintain their standard of teaching (Bowskill, 2018).
Staffing arrangements continue to evolve in line with increasingly flexible models of learning and teaching. Online peer observation allows part-time, on-demand and remote teaching staff to develop and to feel a greater sense of institutional belonging.
Online peer observation can also provide a means of sharing good practice. This will aid online innovation can impact the classroom learning in a positive way (Bates and Donaghue ,2021).
How can Online Peer-Observation be applied?
This can be applied by addressing one single session/ or by looking into a Unit delivery as a whole. The PGCert programme delivered by our Tutor Dr. Marsden considered a Single session approach. The positive aspect of it is the diverse background of peers who get together to observe each other. Main focus is on delivering a concise message whilst not compromising student learning process and the engagement (Bowskill, 2018).
As I reflect on my own observation of my colleague and peer , Mr. Alex Campbell, who teaches technical video creation workshops , it makes me to consider the differences between online and onsite observation and upon reflection I come up with the following list.
As I reflect upon the practice ahead of our Peer observation online I can think of challenges and opportunities ahead:
Opportunities of Peer observation online:
Online observation offers flexibility of context cross boundaries of place, disciplines and technology. As the flexibility of listening, rewinding and reflecting before hitting the play bottom again gave me a lot of food for thought whilst listening to Alex’s session.
Focus :
Timing of observation- predictive, retrospective, concurrent;
Depth of Observation:
Challenges of peer observation online:
Time works differently: and from that perspective that could be a challenge. In my particular case it was not as it was delivered by Alex originally designed for online delivery and I could see his screen and interactions whilst delivering the lecture. Not all online lectures have such context.
Context could be more fuzzier as you are missing a live session and you might not capture the atmosphere.
Seeing less , yet seeing more (keeping the focus is the key), as I noted in real onsite observation I could have witnessed students interaction and their reaction to the lecturer responses. Through the new medium you only judge their response through chat box.
Understanding what the teacher is trying to do online, which made me as a non technical person to go back and forth and try to listen (not due to lack of clarity but overall to keep up with the flow of the session.
I finalised my observation and sent it off to Alex, and whilst conducting this it made me to think being onsite would have helped me and Alex to discuss and interact.
Further reflection:
Online observation still an emergent discipline, although offer a lot of benefits and opportunities, yet still might entail its challenges (Bowskill, 2018). Bates and Donaghue (2021) discuss the shortcoming of peer observation online and how the standard observation can turn out to be repetitive, and might impact the reflection to be mechanical and not so very authentic. Trainees like us reflecting and responding on those observations on their own can find the process uninspiring. in their article they propose Synchronous computer mediated communication (adopting social media tools like whatsapp) to interact and conduct the observation with peers. In their qualitative analysis of comments left whilst group peer observation they decided using these tools can help observers to use positive critical and deeper comments on each other’s practice.
Observers also found the online tools a more engaging tools than observing the work on their own. The authors conclude their article as a possible positive tool to be adopted for a cooperative, collaborative, democratic ways to communicate and reflect on peer observation.
Here is a short video on this publication:
References:
Bates, P., and Donaghue, H., (2021), “Synchronous Computer-mediated communication as a peer observational Tool”, ELT Journal, Volume 75, Issue 4, October 2021, Pages 407–417, Accessed on 3rd march 2022: https://academic.oup.com/eltj/article/75/4/407/6352795?login=true
Bowskil, N., (2018), “Online peer observation in teaching: new practices and new possibilities for development” accessed on 3rd March 2022: https://www.cobis.org.uk/blog/online-peer-observation-in-teaching-new-practices-and-new-possibilities-for-development
Video Reference:
Oxford University Press ELT (2021), ” Synchronous computer-mediated communication as a peer observation tool | ELTjournal Editor’s Choice”, Accessed at 3rd March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7i8nBiuI68
The debate about decolonisation in higher education is topical and sometimes controversial one (Smith, 2013). In reality decolonisation can mean different things to different people in different context encompassing cultural, economic, political, material to name a few (Maldonado Torres, 2011). From higher education perspective decolinisation reflects on liberating and democratising education from the colonised curriculum who has dominated the education in the past and still seems to be dominant.
Ultimately the goal of university learning in higher education should be to offer unbiased learning curriculum and approaches. This could also be demonstrated through recruiting students from all sorts of background to enhance educational experience.
In 2016 students in University of oxford in the UK called for statue of Cecil Rhodes to be removed from the grounds of the University. The original request has in roots due to the fact that the man symbolised racist acts towards Africans, however soon the movement highlighted further deeper issues. Students highlighted that Black Minority, Asian ethnicities (BAME) have been systematically excluded from the education system (Dwyer, 2021).
According to an article published in Guardian only 1 fifth of UK Universities say they are decolonising (Guardian, 2020). The article goes further and discusses the widespread commitment amongst UK higher education institutes are rather low and even those being committed acknowledged this might be down to only few departments and few academics in those departments. These include University of East London only being engaged so far with a workshop in school of art and digital industries.According to the article of 128 universities being contacted 84 said thei are being committed to make their curriculum more diverse, 36 are offering staff briefing,34 are consulting BAME students on curriculum design, 24 are committed in decolonising their curriculum, 20 are taking no action, 11 are committed to decolonise (Guradian , 2020).
This stems back to the session we had on declonisation for our PGCERT with Jheni on mid-February 2022. The session was a 2 hourly workshop on the subject, to try encouraging us as tutors and educators in higher education sector (UAL) to get challenges ahead of educational institutes. Since UAL as an institute is very much at the forefront of emracing the issue inregrds to BAME and addressing the attainment gap in different student communities.
I would like to express my gratitude towards the positive impression this session made on me, the 2 hourly session was an interesting session which started off by having a playful call for data definition on the first hour of the session. The tutors encouraged us to think and describe the advantage and disadvantage of the data, the purpose of it and how it can inform us. Once students were broken in smaller groups we discussed on the data driven decision benefits.
Once the padlet exercise was over, the second hour got n interesting twist in terms of incorporating an informative spreadsheet on educational attainment for UAL through recent years and diminishing gap between white and BMAE students. The second exercise to challenge us to make the best of data…should we believe it? and they demonstrated some data from meeting attainment gap by UAL in the last 6 years. The data demonstrated the white home students and BMAE cohort have closer attainment gap.
The big question to ask if the data demonstrating the reality and enormity of situation?
Perhaps not as only looking into an attainment data and trying to tick the right boxes rather than engaging ourselves into institutionalised way of tackling decolonisation will only help us to demonstrate a small amount of work in a tactical manner. In other words:
“ One big fear for sensitive and important issues as such could be they could turn into a buzz-word without delivering their Purpose.” (Grange , 2019);
Solution? I hope I had the answer for such big issues facing today’s higher educational environment. This certainly not an easy task and although it has come to prominence in the last decades or so, certainly big discussions like this session as well as making decolonising a priority for educators will be of utmost importance.
Perhaps going forward we can look into possible solution of decolonising in Highr Education by incorporating the following:
Get educated on decolonisation and understand the core meaning of it;
Perhaps by objectifying and clarifying the direction and its positive impact?
Redefining the term or reassuring that decolonising is not about omission of certain viewpoints but rather celebrating and broadening different ones;
Reprioritise it in pedagogy approach through making sure it is important to push academic rigor, and everyone can benefit through it;
In a sense make sure we reprioritise this though change of university mission statements and make sure the policies change in accordance to deliver the new changes. Make sure this is a strategic priority to the institution and communicate this to top management through institutionalising it.
Fund BAME research which is of utmost importance;
Perhaps through funding PhD studies or further School of black studies might be instrumental by adding new line of research and creating in this under researched area. In a sense by adding fresh blood to the existing research and funding those research will go hand in hand with prioritising the angle to incorporate the new line of studies and broaden the knowledge.
This will create opportunities for such scholars and enhance the knowledge creation.
Tackle discrimination as making sure our BAME and international cohort wont feel silenced and ignored;
This should turn into a culture by perhaps first making everyone understand the damage of ignorance and not decolonising could do in our institute but also white staff to support and work with other colleagues towards a shared goal of decolonising. Only paying a lip service is simply damaging.
Instituanilise decolonisation through creating departmental roles and engaging students to make the changes.
Perhaps by hiring people who have had experience in decolonising the Pedagogy. Not only support of further fresh blood is important to create a new line of knowledge in this area but also it is of utmost value to hire and recruit staff members who could execute the strategic vision and help institution to decolonise in a fundamental manner (Adopted from Liyange, 2020).
References:
Dwyer, K., (2021), “BAME, Beyound Final Report, , Accessed at 15 March 2022 : https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/documents/sppreview/20763541-6f82-4198-ae12-86cc0b3fa978
Le Grange, L. (2019). Different voices on the decolonization of the curriculum. In J. De Beer, J. (Ed.). The decolonisation of the curriculum project: The affordances of indigenous knowledge for self-directed learning (pp. 25-47). AOSIS.
Maldonado-Torres, N. (2011). Thinking through the Decolonial Turn: Post-continental Interventions in Theory, Philosophy, and Critique—An Introduction. TRANSMODERNITY: Journal of Peripheral Cultural Production of the Luso-Hispanic World, 1(2).
Liyanage, M., (2020) New report calls for the decolonisation of universities in order address a ‘silent crisis’ Accessed on 3rd march 2022: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2020/07/23/new-report-calls-for-decolonisation-of-universities-in-order-address-the-silent-crisis-in-universities/
Image Reference :
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