DECOLONISATION OF CURRICULUM IN HIGHER EDUCATION-
INCLUSIVENESS
Introduction
It has been a journey, a journey that has taken over half a century and it is still going, a journey of discovery, learning and unlearning, educating and being educated, searching for the unknown, the reason why I am here, the who I am.
I am a black, heterosexual, protestant woman of African origin, wife, mother and grandmother of four. My early learning years, my education in Nigeria, West Africa, under the imperialism of colonisation about Western culture and knowledge, our artefacts and books were from every other part of the World except Africa. Have I even travelled out of my space to see other parts of the world to understand all the western knowledge as I was meant to understand that the only worthy knowledge is the western knowledge – was my early education of white generated knowledge any use to me in my space? Probably not.
In learning theory, it describes how a learner obtains, processes and retain information during learning. Cognitive, emotional and environmental influences and experiences all play a part in how understanding or a world view is acquired or changed and knowledge obtained. However, constructivism believes that students’ ability to learn relies largely on what they already know and understand. The acquisition of knowledge should be an individually tailored process of construction (Piaget, 2001). This knowledge should be enhanced and encouraged instead of erasing it and filling it with western knowledge. As University Libraries are Eurocentric and does not reflect the culture of other peoples’ culture especially people of colour (Crilly, 2019).
When I came to England to study, it took me 2 years to learn and understand how the system operated, international students and students of colour come here for a 3year course, if it takes 2 years to adjust, how can they achieve top grades in the 3 year course programs. Probably, if I was directed rightly in my environment, I could have been different in my thinking. My early education did not encourage me to ask questions or critic opinion (Critical Pedagogy). I was just empty and ready to be filled with western knowledge to be ready for the world in someone else’s world. Paulo Freire’s argument on the Banking Concept of education, it is a form of oppression (Freira, 2017). Why after 39 years in England, when I am going on holiday to Nigeria, I say I am going home, am I an alien in my space, why do I still seek the others who are like me? Because I feel I don’t belong (UAL, 2018). The white subordinations are daily re-enacted across a broad array of institutions and social setting. To implement a change in Eurocentric curricula, and white staff hiring, one needs to consider where institutional racism is being physicalised. Are black students not fitting the system or the system not supporting the black students?
context
For my teaching context (artefacts), I planned and delivered an inclusive culturally, diversified environmentally, friendly workshop of textile embroidery to first year Fine Arts and textile students with no previous knowledge of Fashion. What makes this project unique is that it has not been taught to the previous years’ students. When I had a meeting with the course leader for information and references, I was made to understand that there was none, because it has not been done before. I had to design, plan and deliver it for the group’s Fashion Mistake Project for Sustainability. To design this workshop, I thought about my practice and my sense of identity to bring into the workshop, I researched on different types of embroidery from different cultures and using everyday objects, recircled material to design and make the workshop inclusive and what I wanted to achieve in the delivering to industry standard and individuality.
On the day of the workshop, I asked the students to bring personal items they will want to include in their work to make it authentically personal, arranged for some machines and hand sewing needles for as you like it, the method was free, interactive and inclusive. My samples were presented and explained, building content from that I used PDF and power points to share the lesson’s interactive method and the students were able to share their materials, threads and equipment with other students. I was very mindful of the students’ participations, activities, aims, and objectives, feedbacks and outcomes. My planning and designing allows for reflection and ME time. What do I want the students to get out of this and what they can learn to incorperate in the Fashion Mistake Project using industry method and standard (photographs in appendix). I did a trial run with five of my colleagues, making prototype umbrella on-line to sample the idea for PDF and Video using Words for future use, feedbacks were positive and corrections made before publishing. I was very critical of my methodology, but was encouraged by my colleagues’ feedbacks.
I found it interesting that my industry experiences enabled me to research and compile the material for the workshop. The student participation, individuality and inclusivity considering the diversity and knowledge outside their major were encouraging. I got feedbacks from students and the Course leader that the students were very pleased with my industry experience, delivering and that the project will run again next year. Allowing students to experiment with different embroidery methods and sharing unique materials brought freedom of expression in creativity and design. My encouragement in letting them use their items and creativity and I, a spectator to the outcome made a difference and helped in my practice of collaborative work and shared knowledge.
Rogers (1967) argues that teachers must strive for realness in not claiming more knowledge than they have and being truthful to their identity or emotion, because acting normal encourages honesty and engendered trust and respect. The workshop invited and allowed participation in the learning experience, giving them time and space, removed barriers to inclusiveness, ensuring that the students know what and why they are doing the workshop.
Inclusivity includes diversity and pedagogy where workshop activities and curriculum are considered in an effort to engage all students in learning that is meaningful, relevant and accessible. Bringing my sense of identity and belonging into the workshop with Compassionate pedagogy, making the students feel and share their work make them part of the class and the institution, encouraging them to bring their identity and experience into the class (Tagoe 2021).
Reflection
There is limitation in trying to create a curriculum and learning outcome to fit all students, who are from different learning routes, experiences, privileges, some are more equipped with time, finance, and ability than others, by sharing, it eliminates some of the barriers.
Considering the student Equality, diversity and inclusivity 2020/21 (Advanced HE, July 2020) the rapid change in teaching brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the new guidance for inclusive Core practice for on-line and blended teaching, addressing the needs of disabled students. Using the Core Practice, I supported the diversified needs of disabled students and enabled learning independent of time, location, and pace. PDFs and Videos, the inclusive Core Practice UAL guideline to combine asynchronous on-line and synchronous on-line and on- site delivery and response that will document this workshop for future use.
This is an intentional effort to help the 1st year Fine Arts students overcome barriers to learning outside their comfort zone that allows them assess to broader perspectives. Also, with student diversity, background and intersectionality, knowledge brought in by different students changed the dynamics of the workshop and activities (Orr & Shreeve, 2017).
Learning is a process of communication not hierarchy, it is freedom to think and question, and opportunity to value who and what we are. This has helped the students in collaboration work, shared knowledge, planning and delivering.
In conclusion, the idea of sharing is a term of social justice, equal right for all students. “Education must be a force for opportunity and social justice, not for the entrenchment of privilege” (David 2011).
SUKHWINDER KAUR SAGOO REDDY (inclusive practice unit TOR, June 9 2020) states “Feeling worthless, trapped, excluded and unable to release emotions that are weighing us down” that is how exclusion make one feel. Some of us feel excluded and lost in a system that don’t recognise our humanity, culture or self, but Inclusive Practice unit has provided a platform to support me in this journey to understand what goes on in the educational establishments and manage any discriminative issues that may occur in class, self -awareness and reflecting more on my teaching and learning practice. Shades of Noir has given me a Voice, empowered me to empower others especially the marginalised in the establishment and in the Society, giving me the confident to critique inequality with colleagues and students.
Every student has a narrative (tell your story), it is a stand point for me, my students and my colleagues to learn, be open to more knowledge, everyone’s experience is different, by sharing, this makes us inclusive. The inclusive Practice unit is a perfect example of how teaching can impact social change.
Changing Course curricula, is a base for decolonising the system and widening students’ perceptions and social change. Inclusive Practice Unit is like the mother nature of social equality.
Bibliography
Crilly, J. (2019) Decolonising the library: a theoretical exploration. ‘Libraries, Archives and Special Collections’ special issue. Vol. 4 No. 1 pp. 6-15
Farnel, S., Koufogiannakis, D., Laroque, S., Bigelow, I., Carr-Wiggin, A., Feisst, D., Lar-Son, K. (2018) Rethinking Representation: Indigenous Peoples and Contexts at the University of Alberta Libraries. The International Journal of Information. Diversity & Inclusion. Vol. 2 No. 3 pp. 9-25 https://doi.org/10.33137/ijidi.v2i3.32190
Freire, P (2017) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Penguin Classics
Hooks, B. (1994) Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge
Iris, Yau. Inclusive Teaching and Learning Unit in Higher Education (2019)
Orr, S., Shreeve, A. (2017) Art and Design Pedagogy in Higher Education: Knowledge, Values and Ambiguity in the Creative Curriculum. Research in Higher Education. Routledge
Piaget, J. (2001) The Psychology of Intelligence. Routledge
Rogers, C. (1967) Carl Rogers, Core Conditions and Education. Routledge
Shades of Noir, Terms of References.
Tagoe, N. (2021) Fostering Belonging and Compassionate Pedagogy.
UAL (2018) Student Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2018. UAL
Appendices
Above: Figure 1- Mood board for the embroidery workshop.
Above: Figure 2- a student at work using yarn and cut out plastic.
Above: Figure 3- hand embroidery on print.