Explore inclusive and participatory pedagogical practices in virtual courses with Emma, Eveline, and Marianne as they partner with UniPID, GINTL Africa, the University of Oulu, University of Namibia, and Una Europa colleagues!

Join our EDUCASE journey: learning, growth, and collaboration. Embracing diversity, inclusion and partnership in global education

We are Emma, Eveline and Marianne and we are the three interns / research assistants who have taken the extraordinary task to co-develop and experiment with inclusive and participatory pedagogical practices for virtual courses together with colleagues from the University of Namibia, University of Oulu, UniPID and Una Europa.

In this blog, we aim to share our initial reflections on participating in the themes, roles and responsibilities in the EduCASE funded project: A Global Learning Space.

Quick overview of who we are:

• Emma A. Kashweka is currently pursuing a master's program in Early Childhood at the University of Namibia and concurrently holds the position of Staff Development Fellow (SDF) at UNAM. Within this project's scope, Emma undertakes the role of a student intern in the virtual course, actively engaging in specifically organized online workshops.
• Eveline Ndatilifa, Staff Development Fellow (SDF) at the University of Namibia (UNAM) teaching the mother tongue to the Oshiwambo group, is also a master's student at UNAM. In this project, Eveline serves as a research assistant and a student, contributing to the multifaceted aspects of our collective exploration. Emma’s and Eveline’s primary objective has been to meticulously examine methods for incorporating the perspectives of students and the local community in Namibia into UniPID and its associated projects.
• Marianne Reuse Education and Globalisation master's student at the University of Oulu, serving as a research assistant and student consultant in this project. Her contributions extend to project co-coordination and acting as a communication bridge between the students and teachers involved in the virtual course.

The EduCASE-funded project called "A Global Learning Space: Empowering Students for Responsible Global Engagement" aims to advance inclusive participatory pedagogical approaches within virtual courses. To do so, it is integrating and piloting “Students as Partners” elements into the Global Education Development (GED) virtual course, which is provided within the UniPID Virtual Studies program Its main objective is to reflect on education development globally, analyzing topics of coloniality in education, sustainable development goals, indigenous pedagogies, and international stakeholders in education. The GED course serves as a trial environment for implementing partnership and dialogue practices that could likely be implemented in other UniPID virtual courses. The main goal of this project is to equip course developers, teachers, and students with tools and resources that embrace a diversity of learning methods and encourage meaningful dialogue.

Common general reflections

Something unique we have done so far is defining our own learning objectives and positionality. What remained with us is the definition of positionality: it encompasses an individual's social and cultural circumstances, encompassing their identity, background, and viewpoints. This gave us an idea of how we could shape this project differently and a feeling of comfort knowing that different backgrounds mean something good in this project. Engaging in discussions about positionality allows us to appreciate our unique identity, experiences, and perspectives. These conversations enable individuals to express individuality and contribute to diverse viewpoints to a learning environment.

Accomplishments and hurdles

Moreover, several challenges have been discerned throughout this project that directly impede equitable engagement within online environments. A notable hindrance pertains to the deficiency in both internet access and proficiency with various interactive platforms like Padlet or Miro, thereby compromising parity in participation. Furthermore, the language barrier poses an additional obstacle, given that not all participants possess fluency in English. Within the context of project meetings, connectivity and information technology (IT) challenges have been encountered, encompassing sluggish computer performance, malfunctioning audiovisual equipment, and inadequate networking, particularly evident on the Namibian front. These impediments have underscored the presence of implicit assumptions and anticipations concerning online engagement. Considering these challenges, the question arises as to how we might transcend these barriers while ensuring meaningful and equitable participation for all stakeholders.

Connecting the project to our lives

The concept of "Students as Partners" in education is something we've learned about through this project. This way of teaching and learning involves students and teachers working together, which is different from the usual roles of teachers and students. In this way of teaching and learning, students are not just recipients of knowledge but also active participants. In our role as educators, we aim to integrate SAP into my teaching approach, empowering students by granting them the autonomy to design even their own assessment activities. I believe this will foster more engagement and personalized learning.

We also looked into how Padlet can be used as a flexible tool for discussion, content sharing, and organizing information in a way that is visually appealing. In the role of a teacher, Padlet can be used as a virtual classroom where students can share resources, ask questions, and have conversations about different themes.

We also looked at how Student Logs can be useful tools for tracking academic progress in real life. In the real world, Student Logs are a way to keep track of and record students' academic progress, and we can apply this at our institution. This information can be shared with teachers or parents to facilitate communication regarding academic performance and challenges of learners or students. It also allows for collaborative discussions on strategies for improvement based on the insights collected from the information recorded in the log.

Needs for further improvement

Our journey in this project and course has been a fantastic learning adventure, but like any journey, there were bumps along the road that taught us valuable lessons. Let's talk about how we can make this experience even better:

First off, let's chat about organization, communication, and scheduling. It's like laying the groundwork for a smooth ride. Before we even set off, it would have been great to have clearer roles and responsibilities. Most of us juggle full-time jobs alongside this project, so clarity from the get-go would have been super helpful. Take Eveline and Emma, for example. They dove into this project hungry for academic and personal growth, but they didn’t fully grasp the workload involved. As for Marianne, she saw this as a chance to apply her expertise in global education. While roles as students (or student consultants) were well-defined, some concepts like inclusive pedagogical practices and what exactly a "Toolbox" means remain a bit fuzzy.

Then there's the timing. Our project spans from October to May, but our Namibian partners have holidays at the start of the year. This meant that the coordination of workshops and meetings became a bit of a puzzle. Perhaps, in the future, we could tweak the timeline of the funding or plan our activities with these breaks in mind. Ensuring everyone has an equal shot at participating in all project stages would make things smoother, always keeping in mind that we are aiming towards more equitable partnerships

Despite these hurdles, the dedication and enthusiasm of everyone involved was remarkable. We've found ways to adapt and keep the momentum going, even if communication sometimes felt like a game of tag. But hey, we're getting better at it!

Personal takeaways and future applications

Two main takeaways from participating in this project are partnership building between global North and global South and learning and applying the Student as Partners approach. Regarding the former, collaborations must be created together from the beginning and communication is key. Due to connection issues and opposite time schedules this has been a challenge for the project, but it forces us to be flexible and find new ways of participation and decision making. Regarding the latter, Marianne has experienced firsthand how her role as a student has developed and is more appreciated by teachers. As a group we feel that the teachers involved in the project in general have also opened to work with us in a less hierarchal way that contributes to everyone.

Our participation in this project has also made us reflect on the value of cultural diversity. People from different cultures bring their own experiences and points of view “to the table” and all are equally valuable. We must have an open mindset to work collaboratively with partners with different schedules and ways of doing things. These differences that may at times be felt as a challenge, are also what enriches the project and contributes to developing educational resources like a Student Log that can be used in other courses.

On a group level, we have learned many skills related to collaboration, team building, connection between people from different backgrounds and experiences, etc., that we can all apply in our daily working and studying lives. On a more personal level, Eveline and Emma are building personal and academic growth, and learning about creative, collaborative, and interactive platforms such as Padlet. Participating in a project with this type of North and South collaboration has been a great learning experience for all and has made Marianne realize that she would like to pursue a career that involves partnership building and fostering approaches like Students as Partners and Dialogue in higher education.

To sum up, our journey with the EduCASE-funded project has been a transformative experience for the three of us. Despite the initial confusions and insecurities, we highlight learning, growth and collaboration. Through our engagement with concepts like “Students as Partners”, the use of platforms like Padlet and tools like Student Logs, we have developed our understanding of inclusive pedagogical practices and discovered some new ways to promote student engagement and learning. Although we have had some connectivity issues and although communication hasn’t been as straightforward at times, our commitment to the project and flexibility have been key to move forward towards effective partnership building and cross-cultural collaboration. Through our collective efforts, we hope to continue contributing to the principles of partnership, dialogue, and cultural diversity in future steps.

References

Bovill, C., Cook‐Sather, A., Felten, P., Millard, L., & Moore‐Cherry, N. (2015). Addressing potential challenges in co-creating learning and teaching: overcoming resistance, navigating institutional norms and ensuring inclusivity in student–staff partnerships. Higher Education, 71(2), 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9896-4

Matthews, K. E., Dwyer, A., Hine, L., & Turner, J. (2018). Conceptions of students as partners. Higher Education, 76(6), 957–971. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0257-y

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Background image credits: Ian Schneider, 2016, on Unsplash