Monica Sahota's blog

Reference list

Allison, B., Hilton, A., O’Sullivan, T., Owen, A. and Rothwell, A. (2016). Research skills for students. London: Routledge.

Banks, S. and Westoby, P. (2019). Ethics, equity and community development. Bristol, Uk ; Chicago, Il, Usa: Policy Press.

Bell, J. (1999). Doing your research project : a guide for first-time researchers in education and social scienze. Philadelphia: Open University Press.

BERA (2018). Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, Fourth Edition (2018). [online] Bera.ac.uk. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018-online. [Accessed 20th November 2023]

Canto.global. (2024a). Available at: https://arts.canto.global/v/home/landing?viewIndex=1&auth=sso [Accessed 29 Jan. 2024]. All images in presentation .

Garrod, C. (2023a). Conscious Inclusion. Practical Inspiration Publishing.

George, T. (2023b). What is Secondary Research? | Definition, Types, & Examples. [online] Scribbr. Available at: https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/secondary-research/.

https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/41295/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-edi-for-staff. (n.d.).

Malone, T. (2021a). Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: The Practical Guide The essential handbook for terminology and communicating inclusion with dignity. United Kingdom: Mendip Hills Studio.

Norton, L. (2019). Action research in teaching and learning : a practical guide to conducting pedagogical research in universities. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Peterson, R.A. (2000). Constructing effective questionnaires. Thousand Oaks Calif.: Sage.

QuestionPro. (2018a). Qualitative Research: Definition, Types, Methods and Examples. [online] Available at: https://www.questionpro.com/blog/qualitative-research-methods.

Scappini, A. (2020). The Art of Data Analysis: Non-Technical Skills for Data Analysts. Alberto Scappini.

Study International. (2023a). How to deal with loneliness: A helpful guide for all students. [online] Available at: https://studyinternational.com/news/how-to-deal-with-loneliness/ [Accessed 29 Jan. 2024].

Tavares, V. (2021a). Feeling excluded: international students experience equity, diversity and inclusion. International Journal of Inclusive Education, pp.1–18. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.2008536.

How can we ensure our 1st year international students are experiencing an inclusive environment?

My presentation slides : ARP Presentation.pdf

How did the project go, what went well and what didn’t go so well and my ideas on implementing the project.

I think this unit has been quite challenging for me in regards to my PG cert course, it’s not something I have undertaken before but I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I feel I have achieved and learnt a lot from it.

My project didn’t run as smoothly as I thought it would have. I had so many ideas but I felt I needed to expand on them so much in order to get my research question right. I feel I spent a lot of time on my Ethics form, it was important to get this right but I think if I had it signed of before then my research would have started a bit earlier. The ARP cycle and small tutorials helped a lot, it was good to know I didn’t have to complete all aspects of the cycle as this would have been very challenging for me in such a small amount of time.

My decision to carry out my questionnaire via approaching students at the information desk changed to an online MS form as I felt students were too busy being on site and would not have taken much time to complete the questionnaire honestly or maybe would not have completed it. Although, this delayed me slightly I think my decision to do this was better as some of my analysis shows how thorough and open students were which was great to see. I appreciated their honesty and they were also very thankful for the questionnaire as they felt something is being done. I felt the five responses were enough for me to analyse and if I wanted more information I could always ask students in the future if needed.

I felt motivated throughout this project however as it was lovely to talk to peers about my research question and how they felt about it, the interesting bit was that everyone agreed there is more to be done for our new international students as it’s clear things are not always joint up at UAL and there are lots of gaps which we can avoid so our students feel supported in all areas in during their education.

Managing my time has been a constant downfall during this project, as I said before I spent a lot of time on my ethics form and also I felt that if I had sent out my questionnaires I would have maybe got more than 5 responses from students but I did take in to account that Autumn term is also the busiest with lots of deadlines looming so this also could have been the reason too. I also spent a lot of time reading texts in regards to inclusion and also research analysis, as I wanted to get the questions in my questionnaires right and keep the wording simple so that students understood the question correctly. I wanted to also ensure I analysed my data correctly.

Moving forward with implementation of the project

Due to time constraints I have not been able to implement my project but I have lots of ideas which have come from my research analysis. The Learning Zone is a very flexible social space where students can eat/drink and talk and socialise and I feel this will be the ideal place for me to bridge any gaps between 1st year international students and their course/ social/culture background.

I first intend to have some focus groups with my colleagues and academics, below are some of the things I am looking to implement, based on my analysis. This will involve making new connections with different people, I feel this will be beneficial to us in the Learning Zone as we will be able to support 1st year international students as best we can, also I feel we could open this up to all international students too as this would improve the student experience overall.

Some ideas I have in mind are below, I would like to work with language support, academic support and the student union and create a joint up approach with them so we in the Learning Zone can help our students daily to improve their student experience. I would like to carry out workshops to reflect the ideas below, just having sessions on playing chess between home and international students would be a lovely experience for all students.

Celebrate Cultural Celebrations – Organise cultural events or international days where diverse cultures can be showcased and celebrated within the university community at the Learning Zone.

Accessible Resources – Ensure accessibility to resources like counselling services, language support, and academic support is tailored for 1st year international students and run workshops in the LZ.

Diversity Training – Conduct diversity and inclusion training for staff, to raise awareness about different cultures and foster understanding.

Peer Support Networks – Encourage the formation of peer support networks or buddy systems where international students can connect with local or experienced students for guidance and support.

Inclusive Policies – Review and address any issues on university policies to senior management to ensure they are inclusive and sensitive to the needs of international students, addressing any barriers students might face.

Student Clubs and Organisations – Support and promote student-led clubs and organisations that celebrate diversity and provide safe spaces for cultural exchange and discussions like the SU within the Learning Zone.

Feedback Mechanisms – Establish a feedback wall for students in the Learning Zone to provide feedback anonymously. Act upon suggestions to improve inclusivity and address any concerns raised.

Faculty Involvement: Encourage faculty members to create an inclusive classroom environment by acknowledging diverse perspectives and fostering respectful discussions.

Regular Check-ins: Conduct regular check-ins with international students to understand their experiences, challenges, and suggestions for improvement.

Cultural Competency Training for Staff – Provide training to university staff on cultural competency, helping them better understand and support international students.

Promote Intersectionality – Recognise and address the intersectionality of identities, ensuring inclusivity across various aspects like race, gender, and religion.

My presentation slides can be found here. ARP Presentation.pdf

After having the questionnaires open to students for 3 weeks I received just 5 completed responses from them, this was the minimum amount I encountered for. I was hoping I would have enough data from them in regards to analysis and also enough to implement this project at a later date.

I had 7 completed questionnaires from academics and Learning Zone staff which was a great response.

Research on Analysis

I attended some tutorials which were very helpful in regards to my project findings. First of all I wanted to make sure I got to grips with the definition Analysis :

Defining Analysis

‘To evaluate’ is to ascertain the value of something and to judge or assess its worth. To ‘analyse’ is to examine something in detail in order to discover its meaning; in a more scientific sense, it is to break something down into components or essential features.’

(Gray and Malins 2004, pp.123)

This definition really made it useful for me to understand on what I need to do with all my data.

After reading material and also part of a book about analysis, Alberto scappini, The Art of Data Analysis: Non-Technical Skills for Data Analysts, pp.50-86. I narrowed down which type of Analysis would really bring out my data.

• Narrative Analysis  – These approaches typically focus on the lives of individuals as told through their own stories.

• Thematic Analysis – It is a method for identifying and analysing patterns (themes) in the data by means of thematic codes.

(Abdulkareem et al. 2018)

All my questionnaires from both staff and students were Anonymous so this made it easier for me to not put a face to the responses and not to judge any one too. After going through each questionnaire, I decided to go with Thematic analysis as I certainly could see some patterns (themes) from every single response.

Also, I created a pie chart (see below) and with this, I thought the four responses that came up in every single response would need to be implemented.

I then had a look at all Staff/Academics questionnaires too and below are the themes from them. Some raw data (key words) are below.

There were a couple of stories from students which I am keeping confidential as part of my ethical form promise. It was quite touching to read about being disowned and family struggles. It was also very nice to see some of the students thanking me for asking them to complete the questionnaire and were very appreciative of knowing something will be done to some of the issues around inclusivity for new international students.

Below are some open ended questions and their answers by the academics/library and learning zone staff. I have included snippets of some answers which I thought will be very useful especially for the implementation stage of the project at a later date. I have included this raw data as my colleagues gave me consent to include this in my project.

In your opinion, what can be done to encourage more interaction and social integration between international students and local students? Required to answer.

sharing food and music cultural practices?

What improvements or changes could be made to enhance the effectiveness of support services for international students ? Required to answer.

make the college cheaper…specially the canteen

What, in your opinion, are the key factors that contribute to a more inclusive environment for international students at our university? Required to answer.

having staff and lecturers who are international too, not being surrounded by predominantly English staff and students making them feel that there’s a hierarchy where english-englishness comes on top

Are there any specific challenges or barriers that you have observed in ensuring inclusivity for international students, and do you have suggestions for addressing these challenges ? Required to answer.

unfotunately many chinese students don’t have the required levels of English to understand basic communication, instructions and workshops. staff from the language centre often blame this on TOEFL/IELTS not being heavy enough on speaking skills but that can’t be true. some students are not literate in english and use translators for everything. They couldn’t even take the test with the levels they have here. How is this possible?

How can UAL’s policies and practices be adjusted to better support international students and foster inclusivity? Required to answer.

english classes adequate for the course levels! also, international staff and students could benefit from top-up english classes that addressed common mistakes for ESOL.

What improvements or changes could be made to enhance the effectiveness of support services for international students ? Required to answer.

Resources and support for international students better signposted and advertised physically on campus e.g. posters. More signage and resources in students own language where necessary for example at induction events.

What, in your opinion, are the key factors that contribute to a more inclusive environment for international students at our university? Required to answer.

Explaining processes clearly to students, making written content accessible, giving all students access to English lessons before they join UAL or as they start out if they want them. Creating events that make international students feel welcome when they start out.

In your department or role how do you contribute to creating an inclusive environment for international students?

Being aware of extra support services available to assist students, from Academic support services, to Language support, and pre-sessional courses. Directing students to UAL website to find information on their UAL International Suport representative

In your opinion, what can be done to encourage more interaction and social integration between international students and local students? Required to answer.

Exchange events highlighting different cultures – maybe a recipe swap, international food events etc.

Balancing act

Staff and Academics mentioned that training programs that enhance staff member’ understanding of diverse cultures, cultural differences, and communication styles are essential.

Knowledge of Support services is also very essential, as we need the awareness and information about available support services tailored for international students, including counselling, academic advising and cultural adjustment programs.

Language Support is also essential as staff need resources or training to assist students when communicating with them, especially if English is not their first language.

Access to Professional Development was another point mentioned by all staff/academics who completed the questionnaires. They would like to stay updated on best practices and strategies for supporting international students.

I read the book Conscious Inclusion by Catherine Garrod and it was very intriguing to learn that everything above is so valid in my research and she had a saying Happy Staff/Academic = Happy Student

If support staff and academics feel supported then that really is the answer to everything and it make a world of a difference to students especially our 1^st year international students who are so new to their new university space.

Secondary data

How to deal with loneliness: The first step is to understand it

A National Library of Medicine study revealed that 32.4% of university students report feeling moderately lonely, while 3.2% report feeling severely lonely.

The study then split loneliness into two categories: emotional (lack of intimate relationships) and social (lack of social relationships). 

Even with this research, it is clear to see that loneliness affects individuals in different ways, such as the following:

• You don’t have your usual support system nearby 
• You see everyone else finding a boyfriend, girlfriend or partner
• You’re unfamiliar with your new routine and programme
• You feel like no one cares about you
• You feel anxious and depressed
• You are overwhelmed by doing tasks you’ve never done before
• You feel inadequate when comparing yourself ot others.

For some, loneliness is a passing feeling, but for others, there can be serious consequences to their health. 

Chronic loneliness can stress your body, leading to more serious illnesses, from heart problems and depression to decreased memory and a higher risk of drug abuse. 

Identifying what is wrong is often the first step on how to deal with loneliness. 

The results of a study found that it was important to make students aware of their loneliness early. 

This is because the magnitude of loneliness was higher among the first-year student group, female students, students with poor economic status, and those who smoked and lived in dormitories.

It adds that it is important to investigate “the circumstances and factors that exacerbate this sensation among first-year students (mainly between 18-21 years old), and devising intervention to alleviate it.”  

(https://studyinternational.com/news/how-to-deal-with-loneliness/)

This was very interesting to find out from my research both primary and secondary as loneliness as being one of the key themes from UAL students.

This paper was very interesting and this section was particularly relevant to my research :

“The findings demonstrate that, in spite of the university’s long-standing commitment to aspects of EDI, international students felt excluded and othered in the community. Their experiences pointed to a lack of intercultural awareness and sensitivity on the part of the superficially multicultural community, a lack of institution-led initiatives to include the students through socialisation with peers, and the limited internationalisation of the curriculum.”

UAL has started to make some changes when it comes to Inclusivity. The intranet page is now mentioning key religious days, like Eid, Gurupurab, and not just Christmas and Easter etc.

This is great to know but a lot needs to be done locally in the colleges, and this is where we in the Learning Zone could be doing a lot more to help our 1^st year international students feel comfortable and welcomed.

I will address the implementation of my project and what I would like to do in my summary.

I had a look at UAL’s inclusivity policies and also intranet pages: https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/41295/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-edi-for-staff

UAL have some processes in place which I thought I would have a look at prior to deciding what Research method to use for my project. Below is a screenshot of guidance on inclusive facilitation and how I could approach my chosen research method.

Having looked at these documents and some further reading, also reflecting on my ethics form too.

Also, my secondary research including reading some journals/websites on topics around university and international students.

I looked at doing questionnaires, focus groups, interviews and I finally decided to carry out questionnaires for 1^st year international students. This was because I felt this would be the best way to get the most information out of the students without them feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. I also had to consider that this time of year was a busy one for them when they are getting to grips with living in London and beginning their studies in a new place and new country too. Interviews or focus groups could be quite intrusive and it could have hidden some potential answers.

I was going to approach students via the information desk in the Learning Zone with my consent form and then students given a copy of the questionnaire to decide If they wanted to complete it which is reflected in my Ethics form. I then decided not to carry out the process like this (the reason will be in my reflections and summary section of the blog)

I then decided to create some MS forms as questionnaires which were then sent to some courses via QR codes at CSM with 1^st year international students. A couple of librarians also put the links on their moodle course sites. I aimed to have around 5-10 responses which I felt would be sufficient enough to talk about my project findings and implementation of the project.

The questionnaires intended for staff, were given to Learning Zone staff (people who work with me) and also an academic who teaches on Jewellery Design course

Below is a screenshot of my Questionnaires to students

 Link to consent form: https://forms.office.com/e/fZbPqmQnJz?origin=lprLink

Link to my questionnaire form : https://forms.office.com/e/MG82qRt7n8 (this was also provided at the end of the consent form)

Below is a screenshot of my questionnaire for staff & academics

Links to my Questionnaires for staff/academics – https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=xClkjH8We0e4y3fugnWNEWhAmKAE0sdKkhfwLY1Qz3JUREFIUTNVMjU4RDJQV0RSVEU4NVBIQjVMVi4u

What is the Action Research Project (ARP)?

After reading part of a book on ARP, it helped me to understand what this project needs to entail and it was intriguing to read that’s its used widely in many fields.

ARP Definition : An action research project is a systematic approach used by individuals or groups to investigate and solve specific problems or challenges within a particular context. It involves a cyclical process of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting, often conducted by a range of people including practitioners, educators, or professionals directly involved in a specific field or setting

Norton, L. (2019). Action research in teaching and learning : a practical guide to conducting pedagogical research in universities. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Where I work and my research question

I work in the Learning Zone at CSM. The Learning Zone is a part of the CSM Library. It is a social flexible working space where all students (1^st,2^nd 3^rd year) can come along and use our space to work in groups or individually. Typically CSM are more dominant within the environment but we do have students from other sitesWe have many different facilities that students can use. They range from using our computes or they can borrow laptops too in our space. We have printing available too which is a common service alongside our scanners and light boxes too. Students are also free to use our space for group work and also for social reasons

My role here is to support students with all these services on a daily basis to ensure all students have an enhanced student experience whilst they’re outside of their studies. I also carry out workshops on a termly basis for students who may require software help, many students from different courses attend in small numbers, also from what I find from the workshop feedback I do have 1st and 2nd year international students who want to go through things slower than they do on their course as its very fast paced and what I have found is that they like asking questions too to clarify things.

Social justice and Inclusivity

To help me decide on my research question with the help of some further reading, I wanted to look at the terminology of how social justice is linked to inclusivity.

Social justice principles refer to values “that favour measures that aim at decreasing or eliminating inequity; promoting inclusiveness of diversity; and establishing environments that are supportive of all people.” The social justice principles include equity, diversity, and. supportive environments.

I felt this was beneficial in my practice I wanted to go further with this and obtain students experiences as I felt this would be valid for me to go that bit further and to hear student voices.

My research question: How can we ensure our 1^st year international students are experiencing an inclusive environment?

On a daily basis, I see and support many students, but I felt our 1^st year international students can have a different experience as I have seen this through my workshops many are new to the country and also may face other barriers to joining university. I feel we all create a supportive space to using our computers and printers and I’d like to think we create an inclusive environment too but I feel I would like to research this to find out this by asking students about their experience so far as they are fairly new. I would love to make some interventions for them to make a difference and to make their student life easier so they can excel just like home students can flourish..

What is Inclusivity?

After doing some further reading on Inclusivity, I came to know there is so much to it and I felt I wouldn’t be able to tackle everything due to the small-scale project but would try to do the most important to me and what felt important at UAL.

Some key points from some texts I found appealing in my local and CSM library really made me think more about this subject in depth.

The definition below came from one of the books and I thought this was the best definition and related to my area of work and what I wanted to do in this project

Garrod, C. (2023b). Conscious Inclusion. Practical Inspiration Publishing.

 Inclusivity in education refers to creating learning environments where every individual feels respected, valued, and supported regardless of their background, identity, abilities, or differences. It’s about fostering an inclusive culture that embraces diversity, promotes equity, and ensures that all students have equal opportunities to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Also, I know that UAL is doing a lot to improve the student experience. Recently we were awarded BRONZE overall for the Teaching Excellence award. Silver was given for Student outcomes and Bronze for the student experience

 I decided the best way to answer my research question would be to hear from our students and their VOICE about their experiences but also academics would also be important to hear from in regard to this too. The planning process now began.

Planning my Project

The ARP cycle

Since I am more of a visual type of person, the action research cycle (based on McNiff and Whitehead) helped me understand the different parts of the cycle and also I realised I may need to start at any part of the cycle (it didn’t have to be step one).

Mapping my project to the ARP Cycle

Due to the timescale of the project, I understood that it would involve Step 1 – Frame the research question and Step 2 Collect data, how can teaching be changed?

I would love to complete Step 3 – Implement changes. This is something I will consider doing after analysing my data, as I would like to enhance the student experience further at UAL and within the Learning Zone itself.

Ethics form

My draft Ethics form was signed off after the third attempt. I think the tutorials we had with our tutors and peers really helped me think about my research question and question all the possible outcomes or risks I could forsee and what I can do to prevent them too.

Ethics forms can be found on media section of blog. Links are below:

Version 1 : http://mypgcert.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2024/01/Ethics-V1.docx

Version 2 : http://mypgcert.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2024/01/Ethics-V2-.docx

Final version : http://mypgcert.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2024/01/Ethics-final-.docx

Planning the project and Timescales

Miro board and Padlet

Whilst planning my project I created many lists and then I went from this to using post it notes all over my desk. During tutorials we were using Miro boards a lot and although I found Miro quite complicated at first I then decided to put all my post it notes on Miro and actually it felt quite therapeutic after learning how to use it properly!

Below is my list on Padlet and my Miro board

My Artefact, please follow this link: https://mypgcert.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2022/08/10/my-artefact/

My Initial ideas
 
From being a student at UAL much of the student experience is shaped by their peers and I felt a need to create an artefact with my colleagues to consider how inclusive their own practices are so that we can use that to inspire our students. I feel all practices should be considerate. There are a vast number of occurrences at the university where a lack of honest consideration or guidance has led to conflict, offence and/or acts of oppression (UAL truth, 2020). Inspired by Freirean pedagogy, as part of a social justice education, we all must identify oppressors and identify the ways in which they might oppress others (Freire, p.45). This artefact involves and presents a series of questions for me and my colleagues to consider as ethical guidance in contemplating how inclusive their own practices are. I feel questioning ourselves and applying the right things to our own practice is the way to do this before we could ask our students. I think this is more important in my work environment as our workshops are not course embedded which makes it more important to get this right.
 Myself and three of my colleagues (ex UAL students) sat together and we thought of questions that were not very easy but good to challenge ourselves first. They were the following:
‘To imagine that you are someone or something else in existence, perhaps from a different time, space or culture “– we questioned how this would change the way that we interact with our work?
 
 We quickly realised this approach does not address intersectionality overtly in a way that my colleagues could digest. My discussion with my tutor was very fruitful and helped me in my path to creating a more impactful artefact. Two main points that I took away included:
 
·      My own positionality and experience as a senior advisor and a woman of colour is valuable in this work, there is significance in deeper reflection on this here.
 
·      It made me understand that our work is ongoing and there is no right answer.
 
 I valued feedback from my peers during our artefact presentations, it was fundamental in moving to the next stage to finalise my artefact.
 
 Feedback from my colleagues is as follows:
 
 “I think what you are planning as an artefact is really valuable and the fact you’re doing this with your colleagues first shows you want to get this right.”
 
 It’s really great you’ve reflected on why the artefact is needed, and how peers work influence (and can impact) each other”
 
 
Reflections on my positionality and personal experience
 
As an Indian woman, the first to complete a university degree in my immediate family, as a working-class woman, as a woman who is ‘raced’ by society. As a woman who moves through the world, who has been conditioned to take up less space and placate whiteness as the universal standard. In all of the curriculum that I was taught, any sense of who I am was not reflected. I resorted to a form of Self-configuration as a child of immigrants whose people were formally colonised by Britain. I am in constant reflection of the ‘unfinished conversation’ that is identity. As a tutor, I am also aware of my positionality. How I operate in this world is a political matter. In my life experience, I have seen how ignorance is perpetuated through the form of (un)conscious bias.
I feel this can have a very adverse effect on the mental health of students, and often trigger a desire to drop out of a course. Years later, I discovered that I was not the only student that felt this way at the university and that sadly, it was quite common for students of colour, bearing in mind the link between race and class. During my studies I did not have the knowledge or language to understand or vocalise my oppression. I first began to feel confident when I began working in the creative environment. I realised I wasn’t alone, and this is when I became confident to speak on it. As Bell Hook’s writes, we must ‘learn how to love’ (Hooks, 1999, p417.) I do not want any student to feel the way that I did in my first year of university. Reflecting on my reading of Social Identity Theory (SIT) in A pedagogy of social justice education: social identity, theory and intersectionality, Hahn Tapper: ‘SIT posits that intergroup encounters must be approached in and through students’ larger social identities. This theory assumes that structured intergroup encounters reflect or are influenced by dynamics that exist between the communities ‘outside of the room’, that is, in the larger societies in which the encounter is embedded’ (Hahn Tapper, 2013, p. SIT realises that one’s positionality must be addressed to make collaborative working dynamics smoother. This, along with the recognition that this artefact could be slight, made me realise that it would be valuable to be astute and critically choose an example to introduce social dynamics to the classroom space. Seeing examples of critical young, working class women of colour was missing when I was a student. I realised that the conversation that would follow would need to be facilitated to guide students and create safe and brave spaces (SoN, https://issuu.com/teachingwithinson/docs/creating_safe_spaces_2018_web.)
 
Microteach to students & their feedback
 
After conducting workshops with my colleagues, we then went on to finding different ways of obtaining students feedback.
 
I delivered a short microteach to a small group of students. Measures include: an etiquette students must adhere to, recognition of group positionalities. I also made it clear, sometimes we can all make mistakes and we all must be understanding of that.  
 
In small groups of no more than five students (1^st and 2^nd year) our approach first started of with an ice breaker and asking students to mention two things that reminds of where they come from, this opened up so much on student’s identity and it felt like we had known each other for a long time.
 
We then went on to asking students to imagine that they are someone or something else in existence, this could be from a different time, space or culture. The group then spoke in pairs about their ideas and I then completed the microteach with examples from colleagues and also two students who felt confident in talking.
 
During my final step to reach my finished artefact, I received insightful feedback from my small group of students on my ideas. I was especially interested in their thoughts on how to create a space that felt safe for students to discuss difficult scenarios. Students felt the micro-session was valuable:
 
·      It feels like you’ve encouraged us to think about our own powers and responsibilities, it also has given us more confidence in dealing with these difficult conversations outside of the educational world.
·      I feel when we talk about difficult conversations or if there is a lack of understanding, as students we feel we don’t want to contribute in the conversation. In this session it felt like we were encouraged to discuss what we didn’t understand, and this created a comfortable space and there is no wrong answer.
·      I really liked this session in a small group it felt like it was a safe space to talk. In our lecture groups sometimes, it becomes awkward when one person talks too much or when others do not want to talk.
·      One student mentioned “its made me realise how intersectionality is so important and also your identity too in our environment”.
 
Conclusion
 
In the process of this unit and the development of my artefact I’ve learnt to consider my position within my teaching practice and challenge my practical response that had centred on depositing information, rather than seeing the students as co-creators. I have come away with so much more than I had ever imagined. Through the guidance offered by students, SoN and peers on the course I am feeling excited and energised to look at my teaching more creatively and to see it as a playful tool too.
 
 
 
 
 
 Bibliography
 
Friere, P (1972), Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, Herder and Herder.
 
Hahn Tapper, A. J (2013), A Pedagogy of Social Justice Education: Social Identity Theory, Intersectinoality and Empowerment.
 
Hooks, B (1994), Teaching to Trangress:education as the practice of freedom. New York: rotledge
 
Liz Bunting, Vikki Hill, “How do we foster belonging in creative education spaces? https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/16659/1/IJADE%20Conference%2026%20March%202021.pdf accessed 10^th July 2022
 
Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers, The story of Success
 
SoN, https://issuu.com/teachingwithinson/docs/creating_safe_spaces_2018_web
 
Sir Ken Robinson, Out of our minds, Learning to be Creative
 
@ualtruth. 2020[Instagram][Accessed 5^th July 2022] Available from:
https://www.instagram.com/ualtruth/?hl=en

I work in the Learning Zone at CSM, I support students on a one to one basis and also teach students digital skills they acquire to enhance their experience at University. I am currently representing my team by attending Diversity and Inclusivity training. The Inclusive Practices unit of the PGCert has considerably expanded my thinking about diversity and inclusivity. I have been reading a book by Ken Robinson, it’s called “Learning to be Creative” and I think I would like to apply the words Imagination, creativity and innovation. I would like to transfer some of what I have learnt during this enormously beneficial unit and resources to my colleagues and our students too. I would like to expand the conversation to include various forms of diversity, intersectionality as well as whiteness and anti-racism.

bell hooks, in the introduction to Teaching to Transgress (1994), describes the ‘the pure pleasure of being changed by ideas’ (3) she experienced at her segregated school where teachers were challenging ‘white racist colonization’ (2). She discusses entering ‘the danger zone’ (3) where she came across ideas that ran counter to values and beliefs she had learned at home. In her pedagogical approach, she emphasises the importance of the relationship between students and teacher as being one where the learning journey is co-created. She contrasts this method of teaching with the Freirian notion of the ‘banking system of education’, which leads to the maintenance of oppressive structures. hooks emphasise that classrooms should be a place where everyone is heard.

As my artefact, I would like to include a number of sessions with four of my colleagues to discuss honestly and openly at how we could create discussion around various issues and concerns about diversity with our students that come to our workshops. I will use the Shades of Noir website as the main pedagogic tool. Included in these sessions will be a group activity that encourages well-being and collaboration.

When I started my PGCert, I had only heard of SoN briefly. I’ve been overwhelmed with so many interesting resources. It’s not been easy for me to see how I would apply these resources to my teaching practice. After much thought I decided I could do this in the following ways:

Reading corner incorporating diversity

During the IPU we were introduced to the UAL anti-racist plan and we had a discussion in our groups. It’s great to see UAL has something in place but this plan will only make a difference if we all do our own bit in making changes within the University. I was set an objective in my PRA to ensure I do one thing that contributes to this plan. I was very confused at the time as to how I would be able to do this within my role as a Learning Zone Senior Advisor. It’s only now after being on the PGCert that I realised there are many ways. We could create a anti-racist LZ. “Decolonsing the curriculum” (UAL Anti-Racism Action Plan, 2021, p11) proposes: “Produce materials which enhance teaching practices and support student learning and experience” and also to “Recognise the work of colleagues to further the decolonising agenda through curriculum and pedagogy”.

We currently have a book corner with books we recommend as staff or we put relevant books there for special days etc. This area can be used to have so many different books on decolonisation. I feel throughout my practice I could also reference SoN and all their online resources available in my workshops so students feel they have a rich source of resources on their student journey.

2^nd Resource – Hahn Tapper (2013) ‘A pedagogy of social justice education: social identity, theory and intersectionality’,

My understanding of this this article is that it explores a theoretical and practical understanding of social justice education through an examination of a US-based intergroup educational organization running conflict transformation programs since 2005. Based on in-depth interviews conducted with and surveys completed by administrators, educators, and student participants of the organization’s programs, this article analyses a case example of social justice education that integrates Freirean thought, social identity theory, intersectionality, and experiential education, including empowerment and responsibility education. Offering different programs aimed at distinct constituencies yet all based in the same pedagogy, the organization’s primary goal is to empower participants to engage in social justice activism.

One thing that really stood out to me and its very relatable, “He asserts that one way to move students toward freedom is to create an educational structure whereby both teachers  and students engage in habitual, critical reflection, a model that takes into account their identities. In his own words, “Authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about reality, does not take place in ivory tower isolation, but only in communication, Tapper 2013, p414.

With the first pillar being Paulo Freires teachings, each additional pillar draws from and builds upon the preceding pillars.

Freirean thinking is central. Freires model of education which is co-created through the integration of identities and experiences of all participants is present in the pedagogical approach throughout.

This core emphasis on the identities of participants is developed through the application of Social Identity Theory (SIT).

Tapper situates SIT in the context of another theory in the field of intergroup education namely, Contact Hypothesis _{(Allport, 1954)}. Contact Hypothesis emphasises the potential for interactions between certain groups to ‘deconstruct or even eliminate (…) negative stereotypes’ _{(Tapper, 2013 p.415)} between them. This approach is based around individual identities being reviled to uncover shared humanity. However, Tapper critiques it as having limited reach (or even potentially being counter productive when ‘connections’ are only made on a superficial level), as it fails to take social identities and inherent power dynamics into account. For this reason the organisation uses a SIT model from which to build a framework around group interactions.

The organisations use of SIT feels more comprehensive and more rooted in lived reality, as it takes account of the many overlapping group and personal identities individuals hold. Considering the conditions in which these collective identities become more or less important to the individual. Tapper goes on to hi-light how SIT can be misused when taken to the extremes of only recognising group OR individual identities and disregarding other elements of positionally.

However, Tapper describes the institutions’ understanding and application of intergroup encounters through the third pillar; Intersectionality.

  “The Core Pillars of the Organisation’s Pedagogy of social justice Education” Tapper. 2013, p.426

Resource 4 – Ted talk video “Witness Unconscious Bias” video.

This reminded me of our session and discussion after watching Professor Shirley Anne Tate, Whiteliness and institutional racism: Hiding behind unconscious bias. After much thought, initially I thought it would difficult to include this within my teaching practice but I think within our community of students, maybe students could be challenged on how they think about their own (un) conscious bias and their privileges. I think this video demonstrates that we need to take responsibility for a persons bias and also to look at the impact on others of not doing so.

● Review ‘Retention and attainment in the disciplines: Art and Design’ Finnigan and Richards 2016.

This report addresses the issues faced by students of colour in terms of getting into university, progressing from year to year and the grades they attain. I was already aware of the retention and attainment gap between white students and students of colour, so found some of the reasons attributed to this issue to be of more interest, especially in terms of how I might help the current and future students of colour that visit the Learning Zone.  So two things I learnt:

1. Staff can be a barrier towards supporting students of colour at all stages. Bias can kick-in during the admissions process where the admissions staff have power in terms of deciding who has potential and ability. Later staff can easily stifle an individual’s exploration of their own identity, steering them away from difficult topics that a student wants to explore if they feel ill-equipped to supervise that student’s project. “For Bourdieu, it is an ‘obvious truth’ (Bourdieu, 1991) that art is implicated in the reproduction of inequalities, and that the relationship between culture and power is such that taste creates social differences. Certain kinds of art can only be decoded, and appreciated by those who have been taught how to decode them (Bourdieu, 1984). The cultural capital of the working classes, and certain ethnic groups, is devalued and delegitimised (Bourdieu, 1984). (Burke and Mcmanus 2012, p. 21)”

“Sabri (2015) discusses the exclusionary practices within the Art and Design subject area which can be observed at times in the Academy, and within the retention and attainment data, where, although there is a liberal sense of all-encompassing, tolerant, open, risk-taking and democratising spaces within the art studio, some students soon learn that these are not places for them.”

2. I learnt that there are many initiatives being conducted by Finnigan and Richards to understand and improve retention and attainment for students of colour. The case studies include approaches and findings that can be adopted by courses, ranging from staff training and education (currently via this PGCert and the MA), student centred learning, and race equality. I plan to review my practice around these three themes, adopting the recommendations from the report. I would also like to offer up my course to Finnigan and Richards for their next experiment, as I feel there are many areas that can be improved.

My final question/provocation is how can I engage with current students to discuss issues of discrimination without them feeling threatened or intimidated within my role as Senior Advisor?

 I would appreciate hearing your views from an inclusivity perspective, especially as you will have had so much experience of staff getting it right, but also getting it wrong. I don’t want to get it wrong. I particularly like the student artefacts approach. I wonder how effective this could be as both a short and long-term approach.

Religion, Belief and Faith identities UAL website

I visited this web site for the first time, I was fascinated to see so many resources there are which is great. It made me think on how I could use the resources as part of my practice in our social space at the Learning Zone and also as part of my workshops too.

The Research and Resources section would be good to share with students in my workshops. As I teach practical workshops, the Pen Portraits Case Study, would be a good resource to apply to my practice.

“We wanted to have an icebreaker which would help students talk about their personal interests. It was pretty simple – students asked each other a long list of questions and would share their answers with the group. The questions ranged from ‘what’s in your fridge?’ to ‘do you have a faith?’  Our aim was to enable students to open up about their interests without feeling pressure to delve too deeply.”

“The tutor also shared their own answers to each of the questions, this is a chance for students to get to know you and for you to offer some insight into your own creative interests and ethical viewpoints. I’m Agnostic, and I explain this to students. So from the outset we are talking openly about our religious beliefs and cultural identity. This short exercise gave us an insight into students’ beliefs and perspectives on a range of issues and topics. It also helped us to reflect on how they might relate to us as teachers – and helped us adapt our communication in a way that was inclusive of different student perspectives.”

This exercise appeals to me as I feel it’s quite simplistic and also enables students who don’t always know each other to get to know each other in a different way knowing that discussions on student’s identity are always supported and encouraged too.

Resource 2 : ‘Religion in Britain: Challenges for Higher Education.’ Stimulus paper (Modood & Calhoun, 2015)

Religion and knowledge of religion in UK universities

‘We don’t do God’? the changing nature of public religion.

Professor Tariq Modood, University of Bristol

Religion is a public, not just a private good

“It is understood that organised religion can play a significant role in relation to
ethical voice, social wellbeing, cultural heritage, national ceremonies and national
identity”.

This statement really stood out for me as I believe this to be quite true. I myself born a Hindu and married a Sikh feel maybe this has made me feel this but religion can also create hate/ war and other things like the statement below :

“Of course the public good that religion can contribute is contextual; religion can in other contexts be socially
divisive and can lead to civil and international wars. Hence religion can also be a
public bad. The point is that the good or bad that religion produces is not confine
to private lives but is socially and politically significant in many different ways”.

For me, I think I would like to have FAITH as this for me helps me to be a good human with strong values and a loving person to my family.

Religion and dissent in universities

“Free speech is an important value for universities, and the idea that it is
threatened creates concern. It is commonly forgotten that religion figures not
only in the history of suppression of dissent, but as one of the most important
bases for such dissent, pushing forward free speech doctrines. Today, there is
anxiety that some religious leaders preach intolerance. This is deepened when
crowds or hecklers protest speakers or prevent them from being heard. At the
same time, there is also worry that banning such speakers and others deemed
‘extremist’ is itself a betrayal of commitments to free speech”.

To me, free speech is so important and I believe the right to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content and subject only to reasonable limitations. It is sad to see so many issues surfacing all over the world but it makes me happy that more and more students are using their voices on so many different aspects like gender segregration and sexuality. It’s good to see religiously motivated students are active in efforts to secure harmony among different religious groups and lead in efforts to promote greater knowledge of religions beyond their own. It makes me happy that often they are seeking to provide public goods on campuses such as neighbourhood tutoring, peer counselling and mediation.

The “vaguely Christian” UK

This article made me question, what does the US or African or Latin American countries do to keep their personal faith? It;s sad to read that personal faith is not prominent in British public life. Students learning journey needs to incorporate this, whether at school, college or university. It’s interesting to read that while most religions are all visible, public attention falls mainly on Muslims. I think this is incorrect and all religions should be recognised as British religion as the population is becoming more and more diverse.

Resource 3: Kwame Anthony Appiah Reith lecture on Creed

Kwame Anthony Appiah’s podcast discussion was intriguing. Being bought up in a Hindu family, my parents were very liberal in the sense that they were happy for me to learn about other religions. I too have come to know after marrying a Sikh that different faiths have so many different similarities. They are all built on shared pillars of Practice, Community and Belief.

Often within my practice, students are encouraged to talk about their identities. I think it would be a good thing to ensure this podcast is a recommended resource for students. This would be a useful way for students to understand Faith as a whole and their identity is a part of their community and their practice too.

I have chosen to wear a steel bangle which is one of the 5 K’s in the Sikh faith and sometimes I get asked by students what the significance of it is which opens up a conversation on religion and our beliefs.

The 5 Ks are 5 physical symbols worn by Sikhs

. • Kesh (uncut hair) • Kara (a steel bracelet) • Kangha (a wooden comb) • Kacher(cotton shorts)

Resource 4 SoN article : Guru Nanak and the Realm of Chlorophyll Cathedrals

A few articles really helped me to relate to myself when I was a student for the first time and to my current teaching practice. I have chosen the article named above. It is about a Sikh girl who lives with her mother who is a strict Sikh devout, they often go to the Gurdwara and her Mum recites all the prayers. They then have langar (food served to all in the temple). She went to a Catholic school and could relate to that as her day always had more structure. She’s always questioned her faith and didn’t quite understand the complex colourful stories of the Ten Sacred Gurus who constructed the Sikh faith.

It was when she started to learn about other faiths and started going on retreats that she became more attuned to the Sikh faith and everything started to make much more sense. I loved the below text from the article:

Universities now have students of many different faiths and it’s so important to ensure we continue our learning journey educating ourselves about each and every faith. My positionality and intersectionality have placed me in a position to value and respect other people’s faith and beliefs.

Within my practice I feel that showcasing students identities via social learning space (Learning Zone) would be a great way to encourage more and more students to talks about their faiths, community and practice. Also this could be one of many articles in SoN that students could be recommended to read as part of their time at University.