In this post, Rea Michalopoulou and Hilda Tizeba highlight their different approaches and positionalities during their involvement in the Community of Practice (CoP) and the development of the ‘Understanding Decolonisation in a Globalised World’ Challenge Course. Hilda, a decolonial scholar working on her PhD in Law, contributed to the materials of the course, and Rea, a Clinical and Health Psychology PhD candidate, supported the overall course design. Their reflections highlight the importance of the involvement of students in course design. This post is part of the ‘Creating a Challenge Course’ series.
How we got involved in the Decolonisation Challenge Course
Hilda
Being heavily engaged in research relating to decolonisation, I was immediately drawn to Dr Omolabake (Labake) Fakunle at a one-off decolonisation workshop that I attended at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Over coffee, I got to find out about the project, and I kindly asked (read: insisted) to be involved. To my delight, Labake agreed, and I was excited to get a proverbial seat at the table. My contribution involved developing a guest lecture on Southern Epistemologies and I served as one of the narrators for the digital tour of the Playfair Library, addressing the issues of racism and the intellectual contributions of African scholars. This digital tour of the Playfair Library is now being used as an essential part of the course. This was an opportunity I never thought would be available to me as a student, yet here I was.
Rea
Serendipitously, during my internship with the Curriculum Transformation Programme (CTP), I was asked to contribute to the development of a Challenge Course on decolonisation, as I was already supporting Labake on the Decolonisation of the Curriculum strand of the CTP programme. However, I felt very much like an imposter. My first reaction was: “Who? ME?” I am not a decolonial scholar (though I am learning a lot), nor have I developed a course before, so how could I contribute meaningfully to the process? However, my interest in curriculum co-design and general curiosity were sparked, leading to an experience I didn’t expect I would gain as a PhD candidate.
Lessons learned on higher education course development
Hilda
Being involved in this process, I realised the amount of effort, bureaucracy, and compromises required for course development. I recall a particular incident in which Labake had to present her concept for an interdisciplinary course on decolonisation to a group from different disciplines and departments. Given the nature of the subject, the experience invoked mixed emotions and reactions. On the one hand, she received incredible support and constructive feedback on how to improve the student learning experience. On the other hand, there were instances of resistance. One member of the committee simply said, “I do not see how the issue of decolonisation is relevant in the [names specific] field”. As I watched Labake tactfully navigate these waters, I learned the delicate yet firm dance involved in addressing different perspectives in course development. I also learnt that the students’ learning can be enhanced when we approach course development with creativity and incorporate activities such as Scavenger Hunts, where students were tasked with identifying aspects that symbolised coloniality within the physical surroundings of their respective colleges and disciplines.
Rea
As a student, I severely underestimated what goes into the innovative vision of course design advocated for the decolonisation course. Months of meetings, readings, discussions, documents and approvals come to play. The decolonisation course had a unique element added to it; it was developed by a Community of Practice. This came with several practical difficulties, as this was a multidisciplinary group. It was important to work together to ensure that the Learning Outcomes (LO) align with the relevant learning activities, course materials, and assessments. This involved discussions, debates, lengthy notes, disagreements and agreements, within and outwith the CoP, facilitated by the course organiser, Labake.
Student-staff collaboration
Hilda
As a student collaborating with staff, there were times I found myself conflicted on how to balance the power dynamics I thought would be at play. The fact that I was a student weighed heavily at first. However, this experience pushed me to break out of my shell and share my ideas and even critique members of staff where necessary. I realised that my presence meant that I had the privilege as well as the duty to be the voice of other students who were to take this course. This experience unlocked a new level of confidence that I now carry with me in all my other collaborative endeavours.
Rea
Disagreeing was a key part of the process, but how could you do this as a student when you are sitting at a table with staff? From the start, Labake set clear expectations and commitments, cultivating an environment where ranks did not matter; a levelled ground where we were all equal to contribute. Our voices and opinions were addressed, and disagreements existed due to positionality, not power imbalance. Around this CoP table, I felt empowered and hopeful. Student and staff collaboration took on a whole new meaning; it became a partnership.
Finally…
We appreciate that this was a unique experience in course development, as it is not common practice for scholars from this many different disciplines to be brought together to develop a single course. However, it clearly underscored the importance of student involvement in course development. As student partners, we were in the unique position of being able to identify potential pitfalls. We felt right at the centre of the entire experience, as opposed to an outsider working from the margins; we now firmly argue for student involvement in course development.
Hilda Tizeba
Hilda Tizeba is a PhD candidate in Health, Medical Law and Ethics at the University of Edinburgh. Drawing on Tanzania as a case study, Hilda’s research explores anti-colonial and feminist approaches to autonomy in mental healthcare to capture the relational contours of autonomy in mental healthcare within the Global South. She is also a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Africa Working Group.
Rea Michalopoulou
Rea Michalopoulou is a final year PhD candidate in Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on children’s understanding of COVID-19 in the post-pandemic world and how virtual reality (VR) can be used for psychoeducation. She also co-designed a VR game with primary school children for the same goal.
