Frameworks for Inclusivity
A core element of our approach emphasizes inclusivity, which demands that an awareness and empathy of the diverse identities, cultures and abilities of learners is continuously exercised and interwoven throughout the format, experience, and content of education. We recognize the urgency in which issues of systemic racism and inequalities must be addressed in a modern educational curriculum. With this in mind, we apply various EDIDA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization and Anti-racism) frameworks to identify and mitigate systemic oppression and persistent colonial structures. (UBC MET, 2023.). Below, we have identified the core frameworks we continuously address throughout this learning resource.
Click on the play button ▷ for the audio version of the Frameworks for Inclusivity introduction:
framework.mp3THE S.C.A.F.F.O.L.D. FRAMEWORK
For a multifunctional creative environment to be conducive to learning for all learners, thoughtful attention to inclusivity is required. Seo and Richard (2021) address this challenge directly through their design of a framework informed by Universal Design (UD) principles, titled “SCAFFOLD,” and assert that the framework “considers gender equality, cultural inclusivity and accessibility to support the inclusion of intersectionally diverse learners with diverse abilities in makerspaces'' (p. 796).
FIRST PEOPLES PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING
The purpose of integrating the 2006 First People's Principles of Learning (FPPL), derived from the scholarly works of Kirkness and Barnhardt (1991), into our jammed curriculum, is to create a safe, respectful, and equitable learning space for Indigenous and settler elementary students. By incorporating these principles, such as respect, relationships, responsibilities, reciprocity, and reverence, educators can foster a culturally inclusive environment that values diversity and encourages collaboration. The principles emphasize the importance of shared knowledge, building strong relationships, recognizing different cultural practices, and reclaiming Indigenous ways of knowing. By incorporating these teaching principles, the curriculum can promote empathy, kindness, compassion, and understanding among students, while also helping them develop a sense of pride in their own identities and backgrounds.
Click here for more information about the FPPL and to access the official FPPL poster.
BCIT'S ANTI-RACISM FRAMEWORK
The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has expressed its commitment to fostering a learning and working environment dedicated to eradicating racism and discrimination (BCIT, n.d.). Recognizing the existence of racism at both individual and systemic levels within its community and the broader society, BCIT acknowledges the necessity of removing barriers to inclusion. To achieve this, BCIT's Respect, Diversity, and Inclusion Office established an Anti-Racism Working Group, outlining an Anti-Racism Framework with key priorities. These priorities encompass education and awareness building, data-driven insights into the impacts of race, strategies for greater racial diversity in hiring, policy reviews for racial equity, and the creation of racially inclusive learning environments. Through these actions, BCIT aims to foster an atmosphere where all students and staff feel valued, respected, and included.
4529_anti-racism_framework_ISSUU.pdfCRITICAL MEDIA LITERACY FRAMEWORK
The goal of critical media literacy is to engage with media through critically examining representations, systems, structures, ideologies, and power dynamics that shape and reproduce culture and society. Critical media literacy is a dialogical process for social and environmental justice that incorporates Paulo Freire's (1970) notion of praxis, "reflection and action upon the world to transform it" (p. 36). Critical media literacy is a transformative pedagogy for developing and empowering critical, caring, nurturing, and conscientious people.
CRITICAL MEDIA LITERACY FRAMEWORK- POSTERS.pdfOTHER RECOMMENDED FRAMEWORKS
Although we consider all of the above as the core frameworks that inform our work, we also take inspiration from other critically important frameworks, approaches and considerations listed below:
Another tool for approaching design from a place of equity and inclusion is Dr. Keri Ewart’s (2023) Considerations for Creating Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. The considerations are a list of twenty-three questions for designers of education to ask themselves that can serve as a self-check method to ensure your design is on the right track.
Liberatory Design is an approach to assist those who want to integrate equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and anti-racism (see EDIDA Frameworks) into their classroom, work place, or other team environments. The approach is designed to support successful equity inclusion efforts. “Liberatory design is both a flexible process that can be used by teams and a set of equity leadership habits that can be practiced daily” (National Equity Project, n.d.).
The 7 Principles of Universal Design (UD) are centered around providing equitable accessibility to all users. UD is cognizant of neurodiversity, physical diversity and disability, and other factors that might affect users’ ability to interact with products and technology (Center for Excellence in Universal Design, 2020). Below is a diagram that outlines the principles, as well as a short video that provides further context for the principles in action.
(Included By Design, 2022)
(Center for Independent Living – Berkeley, 2019)