Working as a lecturer and unit leader within the Leadership & Management programme at FBS, I am responsible for planning and creating all contents, as well as delivering most of the teaching sessions. I currently work on the design of a number of new units, focusing on diversifying our approach to formats and content delivery.
Curricular resources provided by UAL rely prominently on lectures and other tutor-led sessions, reading lists, and standardised formats across the board. Occasionally, materials such as films, documentaries, or industry podcasts are recommended to students as complementary resources to enhance their learning. However, this standardisation of formats and approach restricts accessibility and is unsupportive of student autonomy. It may also compound the socio-economic gap between students from different backgrounds, as extracurricular content often entails additional costs for students and is subject to normative interpretations influenced by race, social background, and gender.
In the past unit “Inclusive Practice,” I explored this issue and designed an intervention to make the teaching and learning process more inclusive. My project then proposed the launch of a podcast series run by and for students, where a panel of students, academics, and eventually industry guests would discuss and interpret theories, models, and frameworks from the curriculum. The panel would also explore examples and outcomes and brainstorm their implications for the present and future of the industry, society, and the world.
In order to test this concept, I proposed a series of non-recorded symposiums to be conducted in class as part of intra-curricular workshop sessions. These symposiums will serve as mock discussions for the potential realisation of a podcast, offering students the opportunity to experience first-hand the work involved in content preparation, developing a personal perspective, collaborating, and sharing ideas. This concept trial will also enable us to assess the effectiveness of the format and gauge student interest, informing a future participant recruitment strategy.
While the student-led sessions serve as a concept trial for a podcast, it is essential to acknowledge their limitations in replicating the full scope and structure of an actual podcast series. Beyond exploring the implications of a podcast format, this intervention is fundamentally designed to assess student preferences and engagement with a decentralised and de-hierarchised learning experience. At its core, this project focuses on creating a space where student agency and inclusivity take precedence, and allows a practical exploration on how to best promote and ensure those.
By placing students at the centre of the learning process, this intervention prioritises inclusivity through critical engagement, participatory learning, and the acknowledgment of diverse perspectives. It challenges traditional, hierarchical teaching models, empowering students to take ownership of their learning while fostering collaboration and a sense of belonging.
an intervention for intersectional social justice”
Image credit: LA Johnson, NPR
My practice context and positionality
Working as a lecturer and unit leader within the Leadership & Management programme at FBS, I am responsible for planning and creating all contents, as well as delivering most of the teaching sessions. I currently work on the design of a number of new units, focusing on diversifying our approach to formats and content delivery.
Curricular resources provided by UAL rely prominently on lectures and other tutor-led sessions, reading lists and standardised formats across the board. Eventually, a list of different materials such as films and documentaries or industry podcasts are recommended to students to enhance their learnings with complementary content. This standardisation of formats and approach restrict accessibility and is unsupportive of student autonomy. It might also aggravate the socio-economic gap between students from different backgrounds as very often extracurricular contents mean extra costs for students and/or are subject to normative interpretations.
As a mixed-race Spanish woman from the Canary Islands, my ethnic identity shapes my role lecturer in the UK. Despite being fluent in English, language triggered some insecurities for years and led to me to avoid certain social and professional situations in the past. These experiences enhance my empathy for students facing similar challenges. My working-class background shapes my awareness of socio-economic barriers and drives my commitment to inclusivity. I recognise myself as an introvert learner although I have developed personal and professional skills to minimise the impact of this trait in my practice and social life.
Acknowledging my positionality (Full statement in Appendix A), I am deeply invested in using my situation of privilege, as well as my experiences in the circumstances where I have been and I part of a minority, to act and advocate for fostering an equitable, inclusive, and supportive educational environment for all.
Why is this important?
UAL Data (Appendix B) shows high diversity of student profiles for 23/24. Leadership & Management programme figures are very much aligned with these UAL wide numbers. Despite this diversity, significant awarding gaps exist: students from B.A.M.E are 14 ppt less likely to achieve first and 2:1 qualifications compared to their peers. Similar gaps are observed between home and international students. Additionally, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and first-generation students are 7 and 6 ppt, respectively, less likely to achieve these qualifications compared to their peers. (See UAL Data on awarding gaps in Appendix B)
The intervention idea
In an attempt to make the teaching and learning process more inclusive, this project proposes the launch of a podcast series run by and for students, where a panel of students, academics, and eventually industry guests, discuss and interpret theories, models and frameworks that are part of the curriculum, explore examples, and brainstorm on their implications to the present and future of the industry, society and the world.
The Voicing Fashion podcast artefact is thought to be managed by students who will design, plan and execute each episode with the guidance and assistance of tutees and UAL IT trainers. As students will own the end-to end process, there is a wide range of roles and responsibilities which accommodates a diversity of profiles and preferences. For example, a student who might not feel comfortable speaking in public or being recorded can contribute to content planning and preparation.
Why is it a good idea?
The rationale for this project follows Brookfield’s (2017) Four Lenses framework, which encompasses self-reflection, students’ perspectives, colleagues’ viewpoints, and insights from literature to critically examine teaching practices and enhance active learning engagement. Brookfield’s work highlights the importance of self-directed learning, power dynamics, critical theory, and race relations in education.
The proposed intervention has also been inspired by Freire’s (1968) “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” work, which emphasises the importance of transforming traditional educational structures from oppressive, hierarchical models in which teachers deposit knowledge into passive students, to empowering dialogical processes. From experience as a student, I have faced unflexible and standardised learning experiences that did not offer alternatives to the predesigned learning path. These experiences and my own positionality (Appendix A) have led me to develop a teaching style and approach that very much aligned with Freire’s theory, as I advocate for promoting student autonomy, personal interpretation and critical thinking across all formats and activities in my practice. This is why I am keen to challenge the formats in which we provide content to students in a unidirectional, hierarchical way, by exploring an alternative approach that also helps embed diversity and inclusivity in the teaching and learning experience.
The design of this intervention draws on existing research on podcast as an educational format, which generally supports its application. Podcasts offer flexibility for students to access lectures or course materials at their own pace and convenience, revisit lectures, and listen while commuting or doing chores (Carvalho et al., 2009). They can offer additional content beyond lectures, interviews with experts, or discussions (Bongey et al., 2008), as well as cater to different learners –ie. auditory learners benefit from audio content, and podcasts can break down complex topics (Lee & Chan, 2007).
Why and how is it inclusive?
This project aims to open a new space for student and academic staff to collaborate, offering opportunities for enhancing inclusivity from multiple perspectives. Firstly, fostering critical thinking, encouraging students to question and challenge existing norms, and promoting participatory learning where both teachers and students are active participants in knowledge construction (Freire, 1968). This creates a space for community building where diversity is embedded, generating a culture of belonging and collaboration and cultivating cultural intelligence (Levychin, 2018; Thomas, 2022).
This artefact also promotes a learning approach from individuality and individual interpretation of the theories, the examples, the industry and the world we study and exist in, which supports academic and industry decolonisation and democratisation, as very often extracurricular contents mean extra costs for students and/or are subject to normative interpretations (race, social background, gender). In that way, this podcast project also considers Crenshaw’s (1991) theory of intersectionality to its core. It advocates for the recognition of and response to the intersecting forms of oppression experienced by marginalised groups, since it draws on a person-centred approach which require us as a society, social system, university and classroom to respect, value and honour individuality beyond social categories. This project also draws on intersectionality to help recognise the limits of the standardised recognition of inequalities, as one core aim is to improve flexibility and accessibility by diversifying the formats of the provided learning materials.
Challenges, limitations and initial workarounds.
As highlighted in the intervention outline (Appendix C) there are some limitations to be considered. Some limitations being considered are:
the promotion of the project encouraging students to take part in it,
the recruitment criteria and process to ensure this works as a tool for inclusion, involving a diverse range of profiles,
being podcasts an audio-only format in principle, supportive materials will be required to ensure accessibility,
sustainability of the project, in relation to resources and technical requirements -planning, recording, editing, uploading.
The initial workarounds thought to mitigate the above limitations where:
In order to test the concept, a series of non-recorded symposiums will be run in class, as part of the intra-curricular workshop session. These will serve as mock-up discussions to the potential realisation of a podcast, offering students the opportunity to experience first-hand the work involved in prepping contents, developing a personal view and preferred approach to it, collaborating and sharing. This concept trial will also let us assess format effectiveness and student interest which will inform the participant recruitment strategy.
To ensure inclusive accessibility, transcripts will be provided and attached in downloadable formats. Supportive materials such as visual examples or activities might also be provided as/when relevant.
Cadence will be tested – potentially aiming for a trimestral run, as a starting point. The topic and scope of each episode will be chosen by students, supported by project managing tutors. Technical training and support will also be provided.
Feedback from peers and tutor (Appendix D) was very positive on this intervention. In response to my presentation, they showed particular enthusiasm about the podcast ownership sitting with students, giving them a sense of accountability and responsibility in their own learning and development, as well as the ability to contribute to one another’s learning experience. They also raised a helpful point about how to regulate debates and conversations that might fall out of topic or even getting into controversial matters. The discussion led us to very good ideas:
As the very first collective task, participants be required to build the Voicing Fashion manifesto, to cover their approach and commitment to Inclusivity and Diversity. They will be guided to do it by drawing on UAL DEI and Code of Conduct.
In the circumstance of a controversial or delicate topic arising as part of podcast work, it could be an opportunity to turn the negative into positive and open a direct conversation to tackle any potential conflict, or social justice put at risk.
This is an exciting project with a lot of potential to help improve our ongoing inclusive practices and enhance UAL approach to DEI. However, I will only be able to realistically assess the sustainability and efficiency of a student-run podcast once I trial the concept and the practicalities of implementing it. As part of my tutor’s feedback, she suggested to question myself this from a personal perspective too – acknowledging my own positionality. Reflecting from there, I stay aware and watch out for the tendency to any unconscious bias towards the profiles I can relate more with -like international students or introvert learners- and welcome this project as a chance to work and learn to assist different intersectional identities by adopting a different role in the teaching-learning experience. I believe this to be a great opportunity to help embed the “human factor” discussed throughout the Inclusive Practices unit into the learning and teaching experience – both intra and extra-curriculum.
References
Bongey, S., Cizadlo, G., & Kalnbach, L. (2006). Explorations in course-casting: Podcasts in higher education. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 23(5), 350-367.
Brookfield, S. D. (2017). Becoming a critically reflective teacher (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Brookfield, S. D., Rudolph, J., & Yeo, E. Z. (2019). The power of critical thinking in learning and teaching. An interview with Professor Stephen D. Brookfield. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 2(2), 76-90.
Carvalho, Ana & Almeida Aguiar, Cristina & Santos, Henrique & Oliveira, Lia & Marques, Aldina & Maciel, Romana. (2009). Podcasts in Higher Education: Students’ and Lecturers’ Perspectives. Available at: 10.1007/978-3-642-03115-1
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.1241–1299. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039
Ryan, F. (2019). Crippled: austerity and the demonization of disabled people. London; Brooklyn, Ny: Verso
Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the oppressed, London: Penguin Books, 2017.
Isangula, K, Pallangyo, E. (2023). Promoting Students’ Meaningful Engagement in Active Learning Within a Group Setting: Reflections on Teaching and Learning Using Brookfield’s Four Lenses Model. Journal of Higher Education, Theory, and Practice, 23(10). Available at: 10.33423/jhetp.v23i10.6194
Lee, M. J. W., & Chan, A. (2007). Pervasive, lifestyle-integrated mobile learning for distance learners: An analysis and unexpected results from a podcasting study. The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 22(3), 201-218. Available at: 10.1080/02680510701619810
Levychin, Richard. (2018). Why your CQ is just as important as your IQ (and EQ): Cultural intelligence is increasingly important for business success. Journal of Accountancy 225: 46
Preskill, S., & Brookfield, S. D. (2008). Learning as a way of leading: Lessons from the struggle for social justice. New York, N.Y: Jossey Bass.
Thomas, Cate. (2022). Overcoming Identity Threat: Using Persona Pedagogy in Intersectionality and Inclusion Training. Social Sciences 11: 249. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11060249
Appendix
A)Positionality Statement
As a Spanish woman of mixed-race heritage from the Canary Islands, my identity profoundly influences my role as a higher education lecturer in the UK. Although I moved to the UK being fluent in English, language has been the biggest barrier in my career as acknowledging my limitations in vocabulary and pronunciation would trigger a lot of insecurities and would lead to me to avoid certain social and professional situations in fear of not being able to understand or to reply so naturally. These experiences have deepened my empathy with students navigating similar struggles, and I believe my international background enriches the cultural dialogue within the academic community, promoting global perspectives but, more importantly, it also provides me with the ability to easily identify circumstances where further inclusive practices are needed to ensure equity and fairness to students and colleagues of international backgrounds and diverse ethnicity. I bring over 12 years of fashion industry experience and current PhD studies into my teaching, and being a Millennial teaching predominantly Gen Z students, I bridge generational perspectives pivoting on the relative age proximity but also acknowledging the significant differences in both the academia and the industry -and the world in general- from my times as a student and entry level professional to my students’. Although I come from a working-class background, I am not the first in my family to achieve higher education, which shapes my awareness of socio-economic barriers and drives my commitment to inclusivity. Even though I have not been diagnosed with a disability, it has been noted that I am HSP (hypersensitive person). This is arguably a personality attribute (considered by some as a neurodivergent trait), which in the context of my practice makes me extremely empathetic towards students and colleagues facing diverse challenges, but it can also reflect in a tendency to be overwhelmed by sensorial and social stimuli. I recognise myself as an introvert learner although I have developed personal and professional skills to minimise the impact of this trait in my practice and social life. Aware of my positionality, I am deeply invested in and advocate for fostering an equitable, inclusive, and supportive educational environment for all.
B) UAL Data (23/24) screenshot
B.1. Enrolled Students Profiles
B.2. Enrolled Students Profiles
C) Intervention outline (formatted for presentation to group)
Feedback from peers and tutor was very positive on this intervention, also raising some helpful points to consider:
How will you to regulate debates and conversations that might fall out of topic or even getting into controversial matters? How will you protect freedom of speech?
It was suggested to deal with delicate situations by turning the negative into positive: opportunities to raise active conversations on social justice and DEI.
Positively valued the opportunity for student accountability and responsibility on their own learning.
Positively valued student’s opportunity to contribute to one another’s learning experience.
Tutor also welcomed the idea of this artefact, and highlighted some points for consideration:
Technical skill requirements, resources, and other practicalities for implementation.
The promotion of the initiative among students and the recruitment process
The need to familiarise myself with the application of the podcast format in high education through existing literature, to better assess effectiveness and plan implementation.
Feedback from peers and tutor was very positive on this intervention, also raising a helpful points to consider:
Positively valued the opportunity for student accountability and responsibility on their own learning.
Positively valued student’s opportunity to contribute to one another’s learning experience.
How will you to regulate debates and conversations that might fall out of topic or even getting into controversial matters? How will you protect freedom of speech?
It was suggested to deal with delicate situations by turning the negative into positive: opportunities to raise active conversations on social justice and DEI.
Technical skill requirements, resources, and other practicalities for implementation.
The promotion of the initiative among students and the recruitment process
The need to familiarise myself with the application of the podcast format in high education through existing literature, to better assess effectiveness and plan implementation.
Amanda Bradbury’s (2020) article, “A critical race theory framework for education policy analysis: The case of bilingual learners and assessment policy in England”, advocates for a critical examination of education policies through a CRT lens to address and dismantle systemic racism in the educational system. Applying a critical race theory (CRT) framework, it emphasises the importance of considering systemic inequalities and the experiences of marginalised groups. More specifically, the paper examines the educational experiences of bilingual learners, who often face unique challenges due to language barriers and cultural differences, and how assessment policies impact their learning experiences.
These policies often favour monolingual English speakers and may not adequately account for the diverse linguistic backgrounds of students. Bradbury argues that current assessment policies contribute to the marginalisation of bilingual learners reinforcing existing racial inequalities and calls for more equitable approaches that recognise and value linguistic diversity.
The study suggests that policymakers should adopt a CRT perspective to develop more inclusive and fair assessment practices. This includes considering the specific needs and strengths of bilingual learners.
Garrett (2024) investigates how racism influences the career trajectories and future aspirations of racialised minority PhD holders in UK higher education. The author uses critical race theory (CRT) to analyse the systemic nature of racism and its impact on career progression, highlighting the pervasive impact of racism on the career paths of racialised minority PhDs in UK higher education and calling for comprehensive strategies to address these inequities.
The study identifies systemic barriers that racialised minority PhDs encounter, such as biased recruitment practices, lack of mentorship, and limited access to professional networks. These barriers result in slower career progression and higher attrition rates among racialised minority academics. The analysis considers how intersections of race, gender, and other identities compound the challenges faced by racialised minority PhDs. The findings suggest that addressing racial inequalities in higher education requires systemic changes at both institutional and policy levels. This includes developing inclusive policies, promoting diversity in hiring, and creating a more supportive academic environment.
Both Bradbury’s (2020) and Garrett’s (2024) articles have resonated with me as they directly relate to my own positionality as academic as well as a student and PhD researcher. Their application of CRT helps me acknowledge and articulate my own experience as a professional, as a teacher and as a learner, and better empathise with others at similar – as well as totally opposite –places in relation t the matter of race and bilingualism. It has help me acknowledge how certain challenges I once assumed as personal and individual to me are in fact systemic factors that require structural change. Addressing racial inequalities in the context of higher education involves challenging not only the policies and practices that run the academia, but also promoting and encouraging a different way of understanding the industry and the world for which we educate and prepare new professionals for: advocating for equity, providing academic support to set and achieve unbiased and unconstrained career expectations.
As represented in Channel 4 (2020) “The School That Tried to End Racism” video, that would mean to provide an academic environment that help ensure everyone starts the race at the same start line towards their own unrestrained goals.
In my teaching context at UAL, I aim to Incorporate critical race theory (CTR) and other frameworks that examine the intersections of race, power, and integrate diverse perspectives and voices into the curriculum, ensuring representation of marginalised groups. This is not just from a content perspective, but truly embedding anti-racist speech and values in my teaching practice, addressing and challenging racial biases and stereotypes while staying aware of generalised intersectional challenges that emerge from structural inequality and require supportive policies and practices at institutional -and societal- level.
References
Bradbury, A., 2020. A critical race theory framework for education policy analysis: The case of bilingual learners and assessment policy in England. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(2), pp.241-260.
Channel 4. (2020) The School That Tried to End Racism. [Online}. Youtube. 30 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3wJ7pJUjg
Garrett, R. (2024). Racism shapes careers: career trajectories and imagined futures of racialised minority PhDs in UK higher education. Globalisation, Societies and Education, pp.1–15.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1998). Just what is critical race theory and what’s it doing in a nice field like education? International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 11(1), 7-24.
Orr, J. (2022) Revealed: The charity turning UK universities woke. The Telegraph [Online]. Youtube. 5 August. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRM6vOPTjuU
This post draws on Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality to study and reflect on how faith intersect with other identity factors.
With this aim, it has been helpful to first step back and gain a better understanding of what faith is in itself. In his talk “Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question)” (2014), Kwame Anthony Appiah proposes that our concept of religion stems from a historical list created by European travellers who encountered cultures with different belief systems. They categorised these belief systems as “religions” in comparison to their own Christianity, generating a misunderstanding of the concept which creates a false binary between religion and science. Appiah urges us to reconsider the concept of religion and suggests that there is no single entity called “religion” that can be good or bad.
At a more practical level, such misconceptions of faith and religion reflect in epistemic conflict and very often injustice. Reki (2023) analyses these by proposing to perspectives on religious identity: as a social category and as a worldview or comprehensive belief system. By examining religious identity through these perspectives, Reki aims to illuminate the unique ways religious individuals, particularly from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, can be epistemically disadvantaged as they are subject to stereotypes, like assuming a Muslim woman’s beliefs based solely on her clothing, or underestimating the connections between religion, race, and gender.
In the video “Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom” by Trinity University (2016), PhD. Simran Jeet Singh shares three powerful angles to tackle exclusion and marginalisation through teaching practice and advocacy:
Challenging stereotypes. Singh says: “one of the real challenges we’re facing in our society is a tendency to try and paint entire communities with a single brush stroke you know we like to think that all people of a community are the same even though when we look closely we recognise that each community is diverse no one’s a model if no communities a monolith”. By finding opportunities to challenge those constructs we help prove the differences that exist within these communities. Challenging those basic stereotypes through practice will not only promote an inclusive culture within the classroom, but also challenge systemic discrimination by reacting to generalised assumptions.
Engaging with difference, with empathy. Singh points out that “everyone has their own experiences, everyone has their own perspectives, and if we can try and understand where people are coming from with empathy with sort of a human element then that allows us to really engage with difference in a way that is constructive rather than destructive”. I find this “human element” the core of the intersectional perspective and ultimately, the base for real inclusivity, as it is the acknowledgment of everyone’s individuality and the empathy for everyone’s reality and experiences that will allow us to work on ensuring equity in the classroom and in in the world.
Dealing with argumentation. So that students can critically look at the ways in which people mobilise different arguments or propaganda as a way of gaining power. Singh brings the topic of uses of speech into the classroom, to analyse the use of media, dog whistles and political debates and how these methods of fear-mongering contribute to the garnering of political power.
Singh highlights the importance of acknowledging history and how the US -and Western world- was founded on practices of discrimination and racism and that has continued to this day and we’re seeing it boiling over in the present moment, as well as the capacity of critically analyse the uses of speech and all contemporary channels working to garner political power through generating division and fear. These points lead me to reconfirm the importance of educating through critical thinking.
While I consider my practice to be heavily based on encouraging this critical thinking and the development of individual interpretation, the discussed materials have helped me identify important gaps in my approach and powerful opportunities to promote inclusivity. This inspires me to develop my practice by stressing these points on perception, historical and contextual knowledge and critical perspectives on argumentation. It also highlights the need for protecting that “human element” at every level of our teaching practice: from the way we tackle epistemic dilemmas, to how we show and promote an openness to understanding multiple and diverse values and beliefs, remaining approachable and empathetic to individual realities of students, over generalised considerations based on assumptions.
Brown, A.D. (2021). Identities in and around organizations: Towards an identity work perspective. Human Relations, 75(7), p.001872672199391. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726721993910.
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.1241–1299. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.
Reki, J. (2023) Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. Hypatia 38, pp779–800.
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk
Curricular resources provided by UAL rely on lectures and other tutor-led sessions, reading lists and standardised formats across the board. Eventually, a list of different materials such as films and documentaries or industry podcasts are recommended to students to enhance their learnings with complementary content. Assessment briefs and Make the Grade Checklist documents are also the standardised materials for supporting assessment preparation.
In an attempt to make the teaching and learning process more inclusive, this project proposes the launch of a podcast series run by and for students, where a panel of students, academics, and eventually industry guests, discuss and interpret theories, models and frameworks that are part of the curriculum, explore examples and outcomes, and brainstorm on their implications to the present and future of the industry, society and the world. This project aims to open a new space for student and academic staff to collaborate, offering opportunities for enhancing inclusivity from multiple perspectives:
improving flexibility and accessibility by diversifying the formats of the provided learning materials.
creating a space and promoting a learning approach from individuality and individual interpretation of the theories, the examples, the industry and the world we study and exist in, which supports academic and industry decolonisation and democratisation, as very often extracurricular contents mean extra costs for students and/or are subject to normative interpretations.
building community and generating a culture of belonging and collaboration that relies in student agency and critical thinking (Freire, 1968), and cultivate cultural intelligence (Levychin, 2018; Thomas, 2022)
Drawing on QAA’s Inclusive Education Framework (2023), particularly the Curriculum Design and Delivery, and Community and Belonging, but also compliant with Pathways to Success and Structures and Processes.
Some limitations being considered are the promotion of the project encouraging students to take part in it, as well as the recruitment criteria and process, to ensure this works as a tool for inclusion, involving a diverse range of profiles.
ARTEFACT: This is a proposal for the Leadership & Management programme, within FBS (LCF) – Artefact to follow up.
References
Brown, A.D. (2021). Identities in and around organizations: Towards an identity work perspective. Human Relations, 75(7), p.001872672199391.doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726721993910
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.1241–1299. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.
Margolis, E (2002) “The hidden curriculum in higher education”. New York and London: Routledge
Noel, L. A., & Paiva, M. (2021). Learning to recognize exclusion. Journal of Usability Studies, 16(2), 63–72.
Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the oppressed, London: Penguin Books, 2017.
Hatton, K. (ed.) (2015) Towards an inclusive arts education. London: Trentham.
Hooks, b. (1994) Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. London: Routledge.
Levychin, Richard. (2018). Why your CQ is just as important as your IQ (and EQ): Cultural intelligence is increasingly important for business success. Journal of Accountancy 225: 46
Steventon, G., Cureton, D. and Clouder, L. (2016) Student attainment in higher education: issues, controversies and debates. London: Routledge
Thomas, Cate. (2022). Overcoming Identity Threat: Using Persona Pedagogy in Intersectionality and Inclusion Training. Social Sciences 11: 249. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11060249
www.qaa.ac.uk. (2023). The inclusive education framework. [online] Available at: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/the-inclusive-education-framework.
Embracing Intersectionality: Broadening Perspectives on Diversity and Identity
Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality advocates for the recognition of and response to the intersecting forms of oppression experienced by marginalized groups. At its core, intersectionality recognises that individuals hold multiple identities simultaneously, and these identities are interconnected and cannot be examined in isolation. Our identities “layer up” to form our individual experiences and reality within the power-oppression systems we exist in.
As a social justice advocate, I face the uncomfortable challenge of questioning certain speeches and practices I have stood for in my personal life and professional practice. Traditional notions of disability and approaches for the rights and recognition of disabled people have on one side, provoked a notorious progress in society in that exclusive attitudes are no longer socially acceptable. However, as Ade Adepitan discusses in his interview, the way we have come to this point and still push for further change towards a truly inclusive world is questionable. Systemic discrimination is the hardest to battle, and some of these so-called inclusive practices might only cover for persistent power dynamics and socio-cultural structures that still perpetuate and normalise multiple and profound forms of exclusion. In relation to this, Adepitan raises a thought-provoking question: “as a society, do we really want to tackle inequality?”
Intersectionality helps recognise the limits of the standardised recognition of inequalities, since it draws on a person-centred approach which require us as a society, social system, university and classroom to respect, value and honour individuality beyond social categories. This implies that the social structures and dynamics in which we operate need to ensure the same opportunities to all individuals to do and be.
A person-centred view: Disability, Identity, Society.
“Friends and Strangers”, the artwork series by Christine Sun Kim is a great example of exploring disability from a person-centred perspective. Sun Kim is a deaf, female visual artist known for her exploration of sound, language, and communication. In this series, she includes various multimedia works that examine themes related to identity, belonging, and connection in both personal and public spheres. Through drawings, text, and other visual elements, she articulates the challenges, frustrations, and triumphs she encounters as she seeks recognition and representation within the art community.
“Friends and Strangers” reflects Kim’s ongoing exploration of the intersection of deafness, identity, and society. Her work challenges conventional notions of communication and invites viewers to consider alternative modes of understanding and connection across linguistic and cultural differences.
This person-centred approach leads me to study Crip theory, specifically its principle about ableism. Crip theory aims to deconstruct the binary understanding of ability and disability and to critique the ways in which society constructs disability as a negative and inferior identity. It emphasizes the social and cultural construction of disability, arguing that disability is not solely a medical condition but is also shaped by societal attitudes, institutions, and power structures.
Disability considerations in my own teaching context at UAL
It is essential that we draw on UAL data with an intersectional approach – this is, critically analysing how multiple identity components combine to shape the individual experience. Recognising and honouring intersecting identities within the disabled community is essential for fostering inclusivity and promoting social justice. Some initial considerations to support this intersectional approach:
Representation and Visibility: Ensuring that diverse voices and experiences within the disabled community are represented and heard.
Accessible and Inclusive Spaces: Creating physical and virtual spaces that are accessible and welcoming to individuals with diverse identities and abilities.
Empowerment and Advocacy: Supporting individuals within the disabled community in advocating for their rights and needs, and fostering a culture of empowerment and solidarity, where individuals can work together to challenge discrimination and promote inclusivity.
Conclusions
Intersectionality acknowledges that individuals’ identities are multifaceted and cannot be reduced to a single category. People experience privilege and oppression based on the intersection of various social identities, which makes necessary to understand the power dynamics and social structures shaping individuals’ lives.
It is important that we recognise that different forms of oppression are interconnected, and that addressing one form of oppression requires addressing others, so we can better build coalitions across identity lines to challenge systems of power and inequality.
References
Brown, A.D. (2021). Identities in and around organizations: Towards an identity work perspective. Human Relations, 75(7), p.001872672199391. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726721993910.
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.1241–1299. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.
Oliver, M. (1990). The individual and social models of disability. In S. Barnartt & B. Altman (Eds.), Exploring theories and expanding methodologies: Where we are and where we need to go. Vol. 2, pp. 18-28.
Noel, L. A., & Paiva, M. (2021). Learning to recognize exclusion. Journal of Usability Studies, 16(2), 63–72.
For the Marketing Management Unit, which is delivered for Y1 BSc & MSc, students are assessed holistically through a 2000-word report on a brand of their choice, for which they are required to research and analyse the brand case and generate an appropriate marketing campaign proposal for it.
A formative assessment takes place halfway through the unit contents; for this, I designed a tutor and peer’s feedback activity, thought to help each student assess their own progress and guide their ongoing work towards submission.
EVALUATION
For this formative assessment, students are required to generate a creative brief, which they need to bring prepared in the form of a poster (one-pager document) and upload at the beginning of the session to a Padlet board. In groups, they will then take turns to “chair” a creative briefing meeting for 6-7 minutes, where they will talk their teams through their document and explain their brand case and initial campaign idea (if they have it already). This will be followed by a peer’s feedback exercise, which will be supported by some peer and tutor feedback in writing via Padlet (as comments, on their posts).
Although the brief for this exercise provided clear instructions on what was to be submitted and what would happen in the session, students who attended expressed that they found it much easier and felt more comfortable that they had anticipated.
On the day, I let them choose their groups, so they could present and exchange feedback with the peers they felt most comfortable with, which helped taking the pressure off the presentation part. Before we started with the “creative brief meetings”, I delivered a brief recap on what the required document was: what a creative brief is in real life and how it is used along with the creative brief meeting in the industry. I exemplified some questions in response to a standard creative briefing, and gave a specific structure for providing feedback: (1) highlight one or two things the presenter did well; (2) a question about something you think needs clarification or further detail; and (3) highlight one thing that could be improved, and perhaps provide a suggestion for how this might be achieved in practice. This was well received, as it solved uncertainty and gave a clear, unified approach for feedback exchanged. Students were really engaged and provided insightful, constructive feedback to one another. I eventually supported some of the conversations, offering guidance and clarifying potential action points.
This experience corroborates my views of on peer’s feedback being a great approach for formatives, as they seem to offer a good scenario for promoting active learning and encouraging responsibility and ownership (Sadler, 1989). It allows students to receive feedback from multiple perspectives, promotes critical thinking and reflection, and fosters a sense of responsibility for one’s own learning (Falchikov, 2005). This one in particular offered them the opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives and build their communication skills in preparation for real-world collaboration.
While the exercise worked well, and students who undertook it expressed that they had found it helpful and inspiring, attendance rate for the session was below the average number, with some regular students absent from it. Retrospectively, I interpret this to be a consequence from a general fear to public speaking in front of peers, as well as the lack of confidence in providing –and maybe also receiving- feedback to peers.
MOVING FORWARD
I am keen to develop this approach further, as I think it was a good formative exercise overall. For future sessions, I am currently exploring various streams for improvement.
Firstly, the chance of providing full detail and instructions on not just what is required and what will happen on the session, but most importantly how it will happen; this is, how they will be grouped up, what sort of feedback they will be exchanging and how, etc. I believe removing this uncertainty will encourage the regular attendants to stay engaged and see the value of the exercise.
Secondly, I appreciate that a number of students might not feel comfortable presenting or exchanging feedback directly. I am looking into further ways to make this experience as flexible as possible, without compromising the usefulness of the process and outcomes. Whether that is offering the option of presenting in pairs, or exchanging the document with another peer for review, doing it via video recording, etc.
Lastly, I am considering alternative ways of introducing peer feedback to students and considering more open approaches – i.e. asking them to collaboratively discuss and agree on the desire feedback structure to follow or asking for their approval or suggestions to the proposed structure before the exercise. This is inspired by Falchikov’s (2005) contribution to the concept of feedback literacy, which involves helping students develop the skills to give, receive, and use feedback effectively. She suggests that teaching students how to interpret and act upon feedback can enhance their learning outcomes and contribute to their overall academic success, so raising the question of “what sort of feedback would you find useful” can be a good starting point for reflection.
Drawing also on Topping’s ideas (1998), the focus of my next steps is to stress to students the value of formative assessments and the enriched opportunity by the additional peer’s feedback, to help enhance self-reflection, but also to encourage the development of a supportive learning community.
REFERENCES
Carless, D., Salter, D., Yang, M., & Lam, J. (2011). Developing sustainable feedback practices. Studies in Higher Education, 36(4), 395-407.
Falchikov, N. (2005). Improving assessment through student involvement: Practical solutions for aiding learning in higher and further education. Routledge Falmer.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.
Nicol, D., & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218.
Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18(2), 119-144.
Topping, K. (1998). Peer assessment between students in colleges and universities. Review of Educational Research.
Observations, suggestions and questions (by observer):
“Sonia, thank you for sharing your session with me. I really enjoyed reviewing the slides and Padlet and hearing your narrative of the session. One of the things that struck me most was how you had made choices to foster a compassionate and supportive environment and had also built in inclusive practice measures (mostly notably in relation to students providing peer feedback).
You shared that students had been introduced to the Creative Brief task in advance, and that you had shared examples and prompts to support their preparation. Students knew in advance that this would be a group work session.
You start the session by reiterating what they will be required to do in the session. This helps to reinforce what was covered previously and allows any students who hadn’t been at the previous session (or had forgotten it) to be orientated.
You let me know that you use a standardised activity format. I shared that this may contribute to a sense of consistency, safety, and predictability for students – which can be particularly important when students are presenting work and may feel nervous.
You also provide a clear structure for feedback; this is good practice, as it helps to ‘teach’ feedback skills rather than assuming students are practiced at this. Your prompts were designed to help to ensure that students give balanced and developmental feedback, rather than simply focusing on the positive. We talked about how you might bring student voice into developing the feedback rules, to promote a sense of autonomy, and we talked about considering the pros and cons of each approach.
You made an active decision to allow students to choose their own groups, recognising that this may support them in terms of confidence presenting to others. You also kept groups small, with 4 participants in each group. I shared that this is thoughtful practice which may help to foster a compassion in the space.
You gave students two ways that they could provide feedback – either verbally ‘on the fly’, on the Padlet, or both. I explained that offering choice is really good inclusive practice – some students may find it easier to respond verbally, while giving written feedback works better for others (particularly students who may take longer to process their ideas, or may be non-dominant speakers of English). I forgot to mention, too, that my recent research found that students often don’t remember the feedback that they’re given because they’re so stressed by presenting – so having the Padlet for written feedback supports students to refer back to the feedback they received, too.
We talked how you moved between groups, as you were unsure about whether you had taken the best approach. I understood your approach to be facilitative and responsive, stepping into groups where you felt this was necessary. By allowing students to manage their own discussions, it helps to create a culture where student feedback is as valuable at the tutor’s. The use of Padlet also allowed you to provide written individual feedback, alongside the student feedback, to support students in their ongoing work.
I asked about the assessment criteria and/or success measure for the session, as I wasn’t completely clear on this from the slides. You explained that this was provided in the templates that were shared, and verbally in the briefing. You said that success would be ensuring your group is clear on your idea. This answered my question well, and I wondered whether students would benefit from having that information on the slides – something to reflect on, perhaps.
I also asked about what might happen if students found presenting in groups too stressful. You recalled that a couple of students who usually attend consistently did not attend this session, suggesting that presentation anxiety may have been at play. We talked about how to offer alternatives/choice to students who may need this, while ensuring that things are fair. After we had spoken, I was reminded of a famous cartoon which you may have seen before (included below) about the difference between equality (the same for everyone) and equity (different provisions depending on what people need), in case this is a helpful visualisation for when you find yourself in similar situations in future.
Thank you again for talking this session through with me. Please let me know if you have any questions or require clarification on what I have written above. “
