Jisc Change Agents' Network Conference 2024

This paper presents the work undertaken by one of student in Architecture, Daniel, and one of his lecturers, Ana. Daniel started to formulate a proposal for a more inclusive curriculum in architecture, which aligned with Ana’s interest and scholarship. As a result, Daniel applied for a Student-Staff Co-creation fund opportunity (internal funding). This partnership between Daniel and Ana during summer 2023 provided the opportunity to run a pilot to co-design, with other students in Architecture, a more inclusive teaching and learning approach. Specifically, Daniel wanted to create a framework that reflected the diversity of the student body: in creative courses there are significant numbers of neurodivergent students, especially with dyslexia. His proposal engages with more visual ways to learn relevant issues (climate change), through extra-curricular activities. In this case, Daniel chose to create a film series, supported by the Student Voice committee, which run in November 2023. He is currently analysing the data that will inform the design of a similar approach for curricular sessions, that Ana will implement next academic year.

Our project has been inspired by the philosophy of Students as Partners (Felten, Coo-Sather and Bovill, 2014), as the Inclusive Curriculum Framework (Kingston University), Inclusive Education (University of Hull), as well as the research by Potter & Raffoul, (2023); Felten et al. (2013), which recognise the importance of the student voice. We embrace this approach, which Felten et al summarise as an opportunity ‘to empower students to take greater responsibility for their learning, [creating] opportunities for students to share their views about their learning experiences’ (2013, 64).

Felten, P. (2013). ‘Principles of good practice in SoTL’, Teaching and learning inquiry, 1(1), 121-125.

Felten, P., Cook-Sather, A., and Bovill, C. (2014) Engaging students as partners in learning and teaching: A guide for faculty. John Wiley & Sons.

Kingston University (n/d) Inclusive Curriculum Framework, https://www.kingston.ac.uk/aboutkingstonuniversity/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/our-inclusive-curriculum/inclusive-curriculum-framework/. 

Potter, M. K., & Raffoul, J. (2023). ‘Engaged Alienation: SoTL, Inclusivity, and the Problem of Integrity’, International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17(1).

University of Hull (n/d) Inclusive Education, https://www.hull.ac.uk/special/inclusive-education.