Diversifying the curriculum: Understanding students’ approaches to reading lists and developing student curator roles

Stockdale, Kelly, Casselden, Biddy and Sweeny, Rowan (2021) Diversifying the curriculum: Understanding students’ approaches to reading lists and developing student curator roles. Educational Developments, 22 (3). pp. 12-15. ISSN 1469-3267

Preview	Text NRL_47970.pdf - Published Version Download (420kB) | Preview
	Text Ed_Dev_3000_word_paper_FINAL_050721.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (199kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

This article reports on findings of two small projects aimed at decolonising reading lists and the wider curriculum at Northumbria University. The projects were funded by an internal Educational Quality Enhancement Fund (EQEF) and involved the collaboration of Criminology, and Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) departments, running concurrently. They assumed that reading lists are a fundamental part of the curriculum, and therefore a crucial tool for helping to ensure a diversity of voices in the literature that we share with our students. The first project focused on decolonising the CIS and Criminology curriculum by working with students to understand how they view their readings lists. Online focus groups with students were run, utilising Stockdale and Sweeney’s (2019) intersectionality matrix as a tool to help generate discussion and facilitate student perspectives on the diversity of their reading. The second project recruited two student curators from the CIS and Criminology departments to strengthen and develop areas of the curriculum where marginalised voices were less well represented. These projects were not withoutchallenges, particularly during the time of a global pandemic. There were somecommon themes and also interesting differences between the two subject areas which we consider. This article will share our research findings, discuss challenges faced, and talk through some of the practical steps taken which we hope will be of benefit for those working to decolonise their curriculum.

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads