Contextual Background (c.50 words):
I teach Cultural Studies seminars for first-year students on Fashion, Jewellery and Textiles, who represent a diversity of ages, cultural backgrounds and life experiences. Seminars encourage the students to not only participate, but to develop the skills for discussion itself (see Herman and Nilson, 2018, p. 4). Two sessions have passed for this year’s co-hort, and already there are voices that are beginning to dominate, sharing personal experiences that lead the students away from the core theoretical discussion. I need to facilitate building a space where all the students can feel confident to participate, while also focusing on the theory.
Evaluation (c.100 words):
To encourage participation and opportunities to discuss and unpack the theoretical issues, each seminar begins by asking each student, who are arranged in a circle, whether they have a question, comment or provocation about the week’s materials. Set as a weekly practice, this aims to encourage the quieter students to be able to prepare to participate; although, I do not enforce the need to contribute. In the first week, I forged this practice through an introduction of names. I seem to have an uncanny memory for names, which I have found makes the students feel seen, while encouraging accountability for their participation. Sometimes though I feel that I privilege the students’ comfort and empowerment over driving the conversation forward through theory, feeling weary of using my authority to moderate conversations, when it is increasingly necessary.
Moving forwards (c.350 words)
My understanding of discussion is better informed by Herman and Nilson who argue that learning takes place in conversations of differences and disagreements (p. 13). The privilege of teaching at an arts institution has not been felt so fully to me, until this year, when I have had to yield and moderate comments about not accepting they/them pronouns and positive racism (whatever this means). These kinds of comments are indicative of the pushback against, what I read as decolonial ideas, and seem also reflective of the community at large. With seminars taking place each week, my initial strategy was to establish confidence, openness, and empathy within the classroom before moderating and critiquing the contributions. However, with these behaviours now reiteratively emerging, and perhaps becoming normalised, I need to develop my own authority as a lecturer to challenge these kinds of comments, and also to empower others to do so as well.
My strategies for moving forward are informed by pedagogical research that addresses discussion and strategies for Gen Z students and narcissists who ‘treat the discussion as a social’ (Herman and Nilson, 2018, p. 38; also see Camfield and Bayers, 2023). While I am weary to use this pathologizing latter term, I do want to treat the repetitive behaviour of a couple of voices that seem to constantly discuss familial histories, and personal anecdotes that are largely unrelated or tangentially related to the themes. Following Herman’s and Nilson’s outline for good discussion, I aim to 1. Reiterate the learning outcomes: a final assessment that needs to unpack theory in relation to an example; 2. Converse about good discussion practices; 3. Moderate and build non-violent communication practices (see meenadchi, 2018).
With the students working toward a 1500-word essay, that requires them to understand theory, I need to reinforce the learning outcomes in the discussion as well. In my next session, I will facilitate a 5-minute conversation about good discussion practices, build a constitution to moderate discussion, and finally introduce some firm rules to moderate the conversation from digressing. I will ask that the comments need to be qualified or justified through the applicable theory. I will ask the students to assert their ‘opinions’ and personal reflections as arguments that draw upon the course materials to support the perspectives.
References (additional to word count)
Camfield, E. and Bayers, L. (2023) ‘From Antagonist to Protagonist: Shifting the Stories to
Support Gen Z Students’, Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Vol. 23, No. 2: pp. 1-14.
Herman, J. and Nilson, L. (2018) Creating Engaging Discussion: Strategies for “Avoiding Crickets” in Any Size Classroom and Online. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
meenadchi (2021) Decolonizing Non-Violent Communication, 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Feminist Center for Creative Work.