Open Paper Session 1: Delivering more equitable, diverse and inclusive learning environments
12th May 2023
Wednesday 14 June, 09.30-11.00, Online
Four Academic Exchanges (verbal presentations of 13-14 minutes, each followed by 6-7 minutes for questions).
This session will be chaired by Anne Goodenough, Professor in Applied Ecology and National Teaching Fellow.
Recording of the session
i. Enhancing the student experience through collaborative online international learning; student enrichment or game changer?
Alex Masardo and Maria Meredith (School of Education and Humanities)
In this presentation, we report on a British Council funded ‘Going Global Partnership’ project that is trialling a transnational blended learning exchange between the School of Education and Humanities at the University of Gloucestershire, UK, and the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at the Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Indonesia, in order to enhance early childhood and inclusive education training at each institution. We evaluate this scheme as a potentially new model of transnational partnership working between UK and Indonesian HEIs drawing on the Merdeka Belajar–Kampus Merdeka (MB–KM) (Emancipated Learning Policy) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and discuss the merits or otherwise of taking either a formative or summative approach to future collaboration. We end by discussing the potential for collaborative online international learning across Schools and disciplines.
ii. Growing in Knowledge and Confidence – The Inclusive Learning Environment
Rachael Bullingham and Sam Wilson-Thain (School of Natural, Social and Sport Sciences)
This University Teaching Fellowship (UTF) project aligns with University strategy, specifically, “Equality, diversity, and inclusion are embedded in our values and ambitions, supporting and enabling all students to live their lives in the way they choose, to express their thoughts freely, be respectful of each other, and to promote relationships, conversations and understanding between individuals with different world views, cultures and backgrounds”, and the aims of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy. The project has included a prominent focus to enhance the decolonising curriculum agenda within subject community, School and more broadly within the University. The rationale for the project was to encourage staff and students to become more aware and accepting of difference, thus creating a more inclusive learning environment where all students and staff can thrive. This project is multifaceted: focussing on environment and culture within the School; and delivery, to ensure inclusion is embedded within the curriculum. We have found that students are aware of the EDI focus and have developed their understanding of key topic areas. Furthermore, staff have developed confidence in inclusive classroom practice and have shown willingness to embed EDI content. This presentation will highlight the challenges of the project and the progress made over the course of two years.
iii. Evaluating student engagement with and perceptions of Talis Aspire resource lists with a focus on EDI
Rachel Reid (Library, Technology and Information Service), Julia Peck and Grant Pooke (School of Arts) with Rachel Hall and Lydia Harris (Students)
Driven by a desire to evaluate current student engagement with academic reading in the School of Arts (Design and Photography), we secured UTF project funding to assess student use and perceptions of resource lists, and the current provision of EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) materials within those resource lists. Our purpose was to increase student engagement with resource lists and to find out more about the (suspected) lack of engagement with them. We also evaluated staff perceptions and use of resource lists, their pedagogic value in modules and the current provision of EDI materials. As the project has been led by ASLs and the Subject Librarian, working with student researchers was important since we wanted student-level discussions to be open and revealing, as well as offering a space for reflection on their learning journey. This also enabled the student researchers to develop their own skills. Our methods included focus group discussions, an analysis of resource list activity, and an analysis of the use of resources in assessments. We also encountered complexities in terms of categorising resources within an EDI framework, and this has inevitably raised questions about the broader publishing context and our own assumptions, which we have needed to reflect upon as researchers. This presentation will be of interest if you want to learn more about how students engage with resources, their views on EDI resources and their ideas about how to engage them with academic research.
iv. ‘I am just too embarrassed’ – Exploring barriers to male student engagement and achievement in sports sciences
Rachael Bullingham, Simon de Waal and Jordan Wintle (School of Natural, Social and Sport Sciences)
The engagement and achievement of male students in higher education has been a concern within the sector for some time, both nationally and internationally (Halimi, et al., 2020; Hillman & Robertson, 2016). The problem is theorised as being exaggerated in male sports students, who often struggle with their own academic identity and balancing their academic, sports and other commitments (Cooper, 2016; Dilley-Knoles, et al., 2010). On a local level, this problem is evident within several courses in the subject community of Sports Sciences over recent years, where an awarding gap (based on the number of “good degrees”) has been prevalent between male and female students. As a result, the course team has been investigating the problem and working on viable solutions to address this trend. Using a multimethod approach to investigate the problem from a range of perspectives, data have been collected from staff meetings, learning analytics, student focus groups with male students at various levels of study, and an anonymous online student survey. Data have been analysed using a range of descriptive statistics, content and thematic analysis. Within this presentation, we will share an overview of our investigation along with initial findings and potential next steps to help begin to address this complex issue.