The first Centre for Teaching Innovation seminar for 2017 – 18 entitled ‘Fostering Diversity & Inclusivity’ was held on Wednesday 6^th December.

The purpose of the series is to enable colleagues to make new connections, discuss shared interests and take away interesting ideas and practices from across the University. The first event was a great success.

We heard from Chris Kennett (WSMAD) about an approach to course design that factors-in inclusivity through the use of portfolios, empty box modules and cross-module peer collaboration to enable students to shape the curriculum and assessment in individual ways. A focus on ‘what do students want to learn?’ resulted in a strong link to graduate attributes, successful and satisfied students, and an inclusive curriculum.

Daniela de Silva, (Disability Learning Support, Libraries and Curriculum Support) explained how the wider legal context had changed and also the benefits of having an inclusive approach to teaching that included brand and reputation, cost and time, employment outcomes, recruitment and retention. She provided a useful checklist showing different flexible study resources, ways to learn and ways to show learning.

Celia Jenkins & Umit Cetin, (SSH) shared their use of story-telling offered an inclusive approach to overcoming silence, fostering belonging and engaging marginalised students from the Alvi community. This approach was taken into the undergraduate curriculum enabling student to connect theoretical concepts to their own lives and building community in the classroom.

A lively and engaging discussion followed around the themes arising from the session.

Participants commented:

‘Thank you very much for organising it. It was a wonderful opportunity to be part of a very engaging and topical discussion with colleagues from across the university’.

‘Thanks for putting this on! Some really interesting discussion there, and some great ideas. Nice one!’

Recordings of the event can be found here: https://westminster.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Sessions/List.aspx?folderID=3d30e36a-d164-4317-a7e8-2e5b9c242d9b & https://westminster.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=53c00e10-0efa-4d54-b06f-12b2a8b1ed5f

About the Presenters

Chris is a Principal Lecturer, UG Music Film & Visual Communications; Daniela de Silva is Disability Learning Support, Libraries and Curriculum Support, Celia Jenkins is a Principal Lecturer, Dept. of History, Sociology & Criminology and Umit Cetin is a Senior Lecturer, Dept. of History, Sociology & Criminology.