Student voice: decolonising the curriculum

Santhiya:

“A large part of our knowledge is from a westernised perspective which means subtle assumptions based on our colonial past can affect the way we teach and learn. Decolonising the curriculum is about challenging these assumptions to avoid reinforcing feelings of marginalisation for underrepresented students, which is important as we have an awarding gap at the University of Reading. 

It also equips students to live in a diverse world. For example, in Pharmacy, students are taught how skin conditions will present on different skin tones which means our graduates can help tackle systemic racism in healthcare."

Jingheng:

“It might seem like a ‘trendy’ thing to do but there are important benefits like better student engagement, enhancing staff-student relationships, dispelling prejudices, broadening the worldview of students and fostering a greater sense of belonging (which is linked to academic success and motivation).”

Tarek: 

“Focussing on diverse experiences allows us to ensure that those who are often disadvantaged are always being considered throughout the university and across all disciplines. That helps students to not fall victim to unconscious biases whilst they study.”

Santhiya:

“Focusing on diverse experiences would be an advantage to white students who will broaden their depth of knowledge and learn from all kinds of academics. Lots of our white friends are calling for this too.”

Jingheng: 

“It’s undeniable that there are narratives out there that those from majority cultures are responsible for the wrongs of the past. That just creates unnecessary divisions, when we see decolonising the curriculum as a way to foster integration. It’s about creating a greater understanding between those in positions of privilege and those in less fortunate positions. Healthy and productive conversations about sensitive issues like racism and discrimination whilst emphasizing relationships and responsibilities towards one another will benefit everyone.”

Santhiya: 

“I can see how it would be easier for the humanities based subjects in comparison to the STEM subjects when it comes to decolonising the curriculum. I feel that this is because you don’t have the same kind of reading lists or discussions around society. Rowena Arshad offers really useful insight to this problem, recommending that the subject is examined to ensure that marginalised groups haven’t been dismissed and that a global approach is adopted. When STEM students picture a scientist or a mathematician, who are they thinking of?” 

Tarek: 

“Even if you feel like this does not apply to the subject, the chances are that there’s someone else who feels differently and may not have had a positive experience. All subjects have room for improving student experience for everyone.” 

Jingheng: 

“I agree with Tarek. Research over the past few decades has demonstrated that regardless of the discipline, there’s room for a reflexive examination of how and what is being taught.   

Here’s an example. With regards to the build environment, Robert Moses’ height limit for overpasses restricting the free passage of buses from poor/segregated areas demonstrates how racism can be embedded in seemingly neutral infrastructure. When used as a topic for class discussion, it can encourage and enhance students to examine their surroundings with a more critical perspective, and potentially consider inherent bias and better solutions.”

Santhiya:

“To an extent, but it’s also about providing an inclusive environment which gives everyone a fair chance to succeed. Representation and diversity are crucial facets in creating a sense of belonging. When we’re unable to relate to our studies, it creates a ‘distancing’ feeling and possibly even a dislike for the subject. Therefore taking actions such as diversifying the reading lists and actively recognising scholars from non-western backgrounds will allow students from BAME backgrounds like myself to be seen and be proud of their culture, improving student satisfaction.”

Tarek:

“As important as attitude plays in everything that we do, it is not the only factor which can impact how a particular student performs. We’re all aware how a bad experience or some negative news can leave a lasting impact for several days, weeks, months, or even years! So, put yourself in a position where you constantly felt left out and perhaps suffered from bullying/prejudice? You can imagine how much that could impact EVERYTHING, especially academic performance which usually depreciates when an individual is struggling. Is that fair? Of course, it isn’t!”

Santhiya:

“Colonial thinking has been embedded for a long time and almost ‘accepted’ by students. We know that a decolonised approach makes students more engaged especially those of us from ethnic minority backgrounds. It will also allow for active discussion and debate.”

Tarek:

“Imagine if you could do it EVEN better by improving engagement and then getting better results? Well…we think that’s what DTC can do! A lot of students feel like the curriculum cannot be changed or that speaking out could negatively impact their university experience. But as we become more inclusive we’re seeing that students from all backgrounds agree that a less Eurocentric curriculum would increase their interest and help us get better results.

Jingheng:

“Based on student feedback we have gathered, many of the challenges and concerns students face are not reported for a myriad of reasons. We believe that decolonising the curriculum can help to improve the student experience significantly. In addition, it is about enhancing rather than completely changing existing approaches to teaching.”

Santhiya:

“It is impossible for change to happen overnight. In order to be effective small steps need to be taken. I can see how staff could feel overwhelmed and like this is an extra big responsibility being added but it’s about incremental improvements. It’s a collective task where efforts from everyone are paramount and we are all improving together without judgement or an expectation that it will be done perfectly every time.”

Tarek:

“We’re not going to pretend that this is a “quick fix” or easy to do because it isn’t. It requires real effort and integration with relevant teams to create a more decolonised curriculum. But the benefits that we’ve already mentioned are surely worth it…..and if anything – universities should develop the next generation of academics who have expertise in the widest range of topics within a respective discipline.”

Santhiya:

“What we know is that it’s important to us and helps us to actively engage with the subject. Even just seeing our home culture discussed in class feels inspiring and makes us want to keep coming."

Tarek:

“Ahhhh – the BIG question! It’s a tough one to answer. Of course, we could look at the awarding gap and whether following DTC’s implementation we see a reduction. Equally, looking at whether grades have increased or what student satisfaction surveys say could also be used. But mainly, through DTC, we hope that our academics see the biggest difference. Increased engagement, better discussions and debate in class, and overall a happy atmosphere within the classroom all whilst maintaining results…”

Jingheng:

“One of the major objectives is to reduce the awarding gap, and a reduction in the disparities can be easily tracked. But equally as important are various aspects of the students’ experience, be it improvement in engagement and interaction, or even developing their competencies and confidence.”