Equality and Diversity in the Curriculum

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Equality and Diversity in the Curriculum

• University of Wolverhampton Biennial Conference
• 2008
• Berry Dicker

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Equality and Diversity in the curriculum.

• What this day consists of.
• Some points of interest of how we got here.
• A short summary of the stage one research.
• An end note.

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What this conference covers

• 10.30 Dr Katherine Pinnock. (Video) Research
  Project Two
• Embedding Equality and Diversity in
  the curriculum
• Developing and Disseminating
  Effective practice
• 11.00 Dr Glynis Cousin. University of
  Wolverhampton. The Internationalisation agenda
• 11.45 Dr Margaret Sills. HEA Mental Well Being in
  the Curriculum
• 12.25 Dr Richard Brown. Keele University E and D
  in the Curriculum. Online E and D in the
  curriculum.

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Programme continued

• After lunch
• 13.40 Professor Sally Glen. PVC. University of
  Wolverhampton
• Introduction to Sharing good
  practice
• 14.00 Sharing good practice
• Brief presentations from 4 University of
  Wolverhampton Schools.
• Paul Lister. School of Engineering and the
  Built Environment
• Barbara Canning. School of Education
• Meena Dhanda. School of Humanities,
  Languages and Social Sciences
• Patricia Bond. School of Health
• 14.45 Discussion Groups
• 15.45 Plenary

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What to do in the discussion groups.

• Discussion Groups
• 1) Select a chair and a spokesperson for the
  plenary. (Please give the summary notes to Berry
  Dicker  or Neil Gordon at end)
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• 2) Share comments and observations arising from
  the conference.
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• 3) Share how you would advise a colleague wishing
  to design a curriculum with ED embedded. What
  are the main aspects for her/him to consider?
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• 4)How do you think students might be involved in
  future ED in the curriculum research? 
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• 5)What  would you like to see the ED in the
  Curriculum Working Group/University do to further
  promote ED in the curriculum.
•  (Though we make no promises)
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Some milestones local and national, for the
University of Wolverhampton

• 1995 EOC with UW Department of Total Quality
  Management develops some Equal Opportunities in
  the curriculum guidance questions
• c1996 this guidance dropped by UW as staff seen
  as dealing with too many demands
• March 1997 HEFCE Quality Assessment Division
  produce guidance notes for academics on Equal
  Opportunities in the Curriculum
• 1997 CVCP (now UUK) CRE, CVCP publish HE and
  Equality which has a large (and very useful
  section on the curriculum.

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Some milestones local and national, for the
University of Wolverhampton

• No mention of EO in the QAD Quality Assessors
  Handbook 1996-8 on how to do an HEI visit.
• 1999 UW Project Tecknowledgable on making
  learning more accessible for students with
  disabilities.
• 2000The Excellence Challenge David Blunkett
  announces target of 50 18-30 yr olds in higher
  education by 2010. Funding is made available to
  support this.
• 2000 RRAA requires HEIs to have a race policy
  and has a specific duty to promote good race
  relations. First of the positive duties

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Some milestones local and national, for the
University of Wolverhampton

• 2002 UW has an Equal Opportunities in the
  Curriculum biennial conference.
• 2003 HEFCE consultation on widening participation
  and curriculum access
• developing policies on admissions and
  curriculum can help widen participation.
• 2003 employment regulations on Sexual
  Orientation, Religion and Belief, and in 2006
  Age.
• Positive duty to promote also in DDA 2005 and
  for gender in the Equality Act 2006.

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Some milestones local and national, for the
University of Wolverhampton.

• 2005 HEFCE funds 74 CETLs. UW wins one Enabling
  Achievement in a Diverse Student Body
• 2005 Equal Opportunities in the Curriculum
  Working group of the Equality and Diversity
  Committee formed.
• Research on Equal Opportunities in the curriculum
  commissioned from PRI
• Project One Approaches, resources and barriers
  to embedding equal opportunities in the
  curriculum, completed December 2006
• Project two on embedding Equality and Diversity
  in the curriculum completed April 2008

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Project OneApproaches, resources and barriers
to embedding equal opportunities in the curriculum

• An in-depth documentary analysis was conducted
  of
• Quality Assurance Agency subject benchmark
  statements, (10 studied)
• School policy documents,
• School Programme Specification Template (PSTs).
• (UW New PST since Nov includes RRAA and SENDA
  reqts. At this time only 3 done under the new
  template. 3 referred to RRAA and 2 to SENDA in
  defining their module aims and learning outcomes.
  20 modules out of about 240 gave explicit
  consideration to Equality and Diversity )
• In-depth interviews were conducted with
  University staff at two different levels.
• Macro-level interviews face-to-face
  interviews (26 in all) with
• Associate Deans,
• Learning and Teaching representatives,
• Equality and Diversity representatives from each
  of the 10 schools.
• Micro-level interviewing involved conducting
  telephone interviews with eight other key
  representatives in the University..

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Approaches, resources and barriers to embedding
equal opportunities in the curriculum

• Findings from the documentary analysis of
  10 QAA subject benchmark
• statements no consistent template for the
  statements, but that despite some variation in
  structure, each statement made reference to
• an introduction
• defining principles
• nature/extent of the subject
• subject knowledge
• subject skills transferable skills
• areas of performance
• learning, teaching and assessment
• learning environment resources

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Project One Approaches, resources and barriers
to embedding equal opportunities in the curriculum

• Subject benchmark statement analysis indicated
  that they generally place more emphasis on
  EO/diversity as an area of knowledge as opposed
  to an issue, which should be considered in
  relation to the context in which the programme is
  delivered.
• (roughly 55 refs to Equal Opportunities
  /diversity in the knowledge section, 25 in the
  skills section, 11 in the introduction, fewer
  than ten in all others but in the sections on
  resources, achievement and performance there were
  none.)
• Findings also indicate that very little emphasis
  is placed on EO/diversity issues within sections
  of the subject benchmark statements that relate
  to the student experience of a programme.

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Project oneApproaches, resources and barriers
to embedding equal opportunities in the
curriculum

• Barriers to embedding EO in the curriculum
  identified through the macro-level interviewing
  phase included
• process issues, in terms of how curriculum focus
  can be shifted away from EO issues due to
  administrative tasks, and also included
• curriculum requirements from external governing/
  accreditation bodies.
• gaps in understanding when asked about
  resources for embedding EO/diversity for each of
  the six equality strands, sexual orientation/LGBT
  and religious beliefs showed a greater number of
  uncertain responses than negative responses.
  Findings also pointed towards
• a need for more practical guidance on how
  EO/diversity may be further embedded into the
  teaching curriculum. This practical guidance is
  what is required to pave the way for a move
  towards more pro-active activity instead of a
  reactive response to fit in with legislation.

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Project One Approaches, resources and barriers
to embedding equal opportunities in the
curriculum

• the focus of the micro-level interviews was on
  the barriers to embedding EO/diversity in the
  curriculum.
• variability was highlighted in relation to the
  extent to which EO/diversity issues were
  mainstreamed into the curriculum.
• Several examples of good practice were
  highlighted by the interviewees.
• The role of teaching staff was seen as crucial in
  terms of effecting change in this area. However,
  it was also felt that they had to have the
  support structures in place to assist them.
  (Individual and institutional response required)
• Some Staff non-attendance at training workshops
  was felt to be an issue. Negative staff
  attitudes were mentioned, as was lack of staff
  time. Students were seen as a vital group whose
  attitudes needed to be explored further.

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Stage two research project

• Embedding Equality and Diversity in the
  Curriculum Developing and Disseminating
  Effective Practice
• The stage two project took forward the
  recommendation from stage one
• Follow -up research is required to compare the
  opinions of those interviewed for this research,
  to those who are at the fore front of curriculum
  delivery.

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A ground swell of staff have been engaging with
Equality and Diversity in the curriculum as a
matter of good practice throughout this period.
Source of pictures The Open University
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• .
• Questions to think about during course
  development
• Every course is different, but the following
  questions may be useful as you develop your
  thinking
• Can you incorporate materials representing
  non-traditional perspectives of your subject
  area?
• Are there specific issues relating to diversity
  and equal opportunities for this subject that
  should be incorporated?
• Does your course encourage students to be curious
  beyond their own cultural boundaries?
• Is it possible to include global perspectives of
  your subject within the course?
• Are you able to acknowledge and incorporate
  within your materials the knowledge and
  understanding that students from diverse
  backgrounds will bring to your course?
• Can you give students the opportunity to
  recognise the influence of their own cultural
  experience and identity in their response to
  course materials?
• Will there be consistency across an award in the
  handling of diversity issues for students?
• The Equality and Diversity Office, The Open
  University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA

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Ongoing work as the ground swell continues

• Inclusive-curriculum mailbase (Jiscmail)
• What I did in The Netherlands was indeed
  curriculum-oriented review the curriculum
  (approaches, materials, assessment et cetera), on
  diversity and develop an action plan to infuse
  the curriculum with (more) diversity where
  necessary. I intend to . broaden it by looking
  at students and staff representation as well as
  their experiences, and policies and procedures
  (e.g. recruitment, workload allocation,
  promotion) that are related to this. I could even
  go further and look at the diversity subtext,
  i.e. how values and beliefs prevent the
  curriculum, staff and students from becoming more
  diverse.Gaby Jacobs. Keele University
• Anglia Ruskin University are running a project on
  equality proofing the curriculum.
• HEA conferences, dissemination events, special
  interest groups Equality and Diversity in the
  curriculum
• The InCurriculum project is a 3-year project that
  began in August 2008. It is a collaboration
  between Norwich School of Art and Design,
  University of Westminster and De Montfort
  University. The website link is
  http//www.incurriculum.org.uk/ however it is
  still under development 

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• End of Presentation