Slide 1: Cultural Academy: a new approach to cultural enquiry
• Norman Jackson, Director SCEPTrE • Vasso Vydelingum & Nimmi Hutnik, Senior Lecturers, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford. UK.
Slide 2: • University of Surrey: nearly 30% of our students originate from over 130 different countries. • SCEPTrE wanted to make multiculturalism a more explicit part of students’ educational experiences. • The motivation for ‘Cultural Academy’: to learn more from the cultural diversity within our own campus society • Ideas underpinning Cultural Academy:
• collaborative learning • productive inquiry • Immersive experience
C re a tio n o f C u ltu ra l A c a de m y
Slide 3: Cultural Academy aims to:
• Build and support a diverse community of enquirers (students all levels and staff facilitators) willing to share their understandings and experiences of culture and how it affects us • Engage members of the Cultural Academy in thinking about their own Cultural identity • Involve the community in enquiry into our own multicultural campus society • Influence the university – by highlighting the importance of culture in the experiences of students preparing for a lifetime of living and working in an a culturally complex world. • Its about communicating across cultures having fun and learning in the process!!!
Slide 4: C u lt u ra l A c a de m y : A n O v e rv ie w
Slide 5: LI FE LONG LEARNING
ACADEMIC
PRAC TICUM
CO-CURRICULUM
LIFE WIDE CURRICULUM
REST OF LIFE
CARE, WELLBEING & SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Slide 6: Process
• Through a series of Workshops • Planning meetings & • A student-led conference extending over five months, participants (students, facilitators and mentors) shared their experiences and understandings of culture and its influences on their lives.
Slide 7: Cultural Academy productive enquirers
FACILITATORS Norman Jackson Nimmi Hutnick Vasso Vydelingum workshop design and evaluation
17 student participants
Sarah Campbell Y3 Psychology student on placement with SCEPTrE evaluation of learner experience& online staff and student perception surveys Ben Mercer & William Patterson recent graduate enquiring film makers Lori Riley M level student micro-conversation research
Slide 8: Workshop 1
Theme: Me and My Culture Introduction to the Cultural Academy Get to know members of the Academy Acquaint participants with the aims and objectives of the Cultural Academy E x e rc is e s : I am & I am not W hat does m y nam e m ean? Cultur al G ift
Slide 9: ‘Anything personally significant that you think contributes to
and represents an aspect of your own cultural identity’
Cultural Gift: E x plo ra t io n o f S e lf-C u ltu ra l Ide n t ity
Slide 10: E x plo ra tio n o f S e lf-C u ltu ra l Ide n tity : U s in g C o n c e pt m a ps
Slide 11: Workshop 2
Theme: Culture and Others Discovery and discussion on idea of ‘difference’ in culture Produce a Cultural Genogram Voting on propositions
Slide 12: On-line social networking space
Slide 13: WORKSHOP 2
A good way of enquiring into culture was to share beliefs by voting on propositions
I don’t feel I fit into any specific culture don’
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Strongly disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly agree
27%
27% 27%
9%
9%
gr ee
gr ee A St ro ng
e
no w
di s
is a
’t k
ly
St ro ng
D
on
D
ly
ag re e
ag re
Slide 14: Workshop 3
Theme: Organisations, Language, and Culture An organisation as a cultural web Importance of language (and other forms of communication) in organisations through which culture is propagated
Slide 15: Workshop 3:Japanese Calligraphy
S t o r ie s & m y t h s
R it u a ls & r ou t in e s
S b o ls ym
Th e P a r a d ig m
Con tr ol sy s tem s
Po w e r str uc tur e s
Or g a n is a t io n structures
Slide 16: R e fle c tiv e P ro c e s s
‘Appreciating Being Multicultural’ Conference Reflective Accounts as Student Legacy
Slide 17: STUDENT LED CONFERENCE OUTLINE
14.00 Sharing cultural experiences – workshops, conversations and quiz Sessions will run concurrently. Most will last about 30mins and be repeated. Participants welcome to move freely from one conversation or activity to another. Location and theme for each session shown on room/timetable sheet. 15.45 Tea/coffee break 16.15 Enquiring into our own multicultural society AC 01 Lecture Theatre ‘Appreciating our Multicultural Campus’ A film by Ben Mercer and William Patterson (SCEPTrE Film Makers) Our multicultural campus society Norman Jackson and Vasso Vydelingum and Sarah Campbell Final act – a certificate for all the students who participated in the Cultural Academy, presented by Professor Bernard Weiss (Pro Vice Chancellor Student Experience) 17.30 International buffet – the cultural gifts of food and music. Live entertainment from African drum group ‘Jali-Djembe’ (18.00-19.30).
Slide 18: Class activity
• ‘ I am’ Exercise 5 mins • Naming Exercise 15 mins
Slide 19: In te g ra tio n a c ro s s C u rric u la
I nfor m al Cur r icula: Cultural Academy Workshop Discussion Group F or m al Cur r icula: Interpersonal Communication MA Research on Conversation Analysis
Slide 20: Pedagogic practices within the enquiry process included
Concept mapping – to facilitate personal enquiry into understandings of culture • Cultural enquiry using simple question-based tools • Voting systems to reveal patterns of beliefs in response to propositions about culture • Story telling – descriptions of personal experiences and on-line blogs and postings to community forum
Slide 21: P e da g o g ic pro c e s s c o n t d.
• Mentoring to encourage conversation and reflection • Film making – enquiry into our multicultural campus, the recording of the cultural academy process • Peer ‘teaching’ – the facilitation of conversation • Questionnaire surveys • End process reflective account and conversation
Slide 22: Mu ltic u lt u ra l Q u e s t io n n a ire
100 staff responded 473 students responded Information about ethnicity and culture
Slide 23: K e y F in din g s
Ethnicity and culture conceptually very complex General feeling of cultural awareness and acceptance of cultural diversity at Surrey Feeling more could be done to incorporate different learning approaches into teaching in response to cultural differences
Slide 24: K e y F in din g s
Students feel there is a need for more conversation about cultural diversity More integration between British and international students is needed Cultural complexities are present even in the British home students
Slide 25: C u lt u ra l A c a de m y - th e s tu de n t e x pe rie n c e
Members of the Academy were interviewed Appreciative conversations Analysis of written ‘Learning through experience’ accounts
Slide 26: C u lt u ra l A c a de m y - th e s tu de n t e x pe rie n c e
Learning
Skills; abstract & concrete knowledge;new perspectives; developed as people Positivity - ‘positive attitudes towards different cultures’ Wider context Stereotypes Similarities & Differences
Environment
Relationships
Motivations
Emotions
Communication Safe environment for sharing Respect, trust, confidence
Expectations Background Experience
Slide 27: E v o c a tiv e Wo rds fro m A c c o u n ts
‘deeper sense’ ‘embedded’ ‘reflection’ ‘I feel so grateful that I am Chinese’ ‘Another inspiring part of Cultural Academy' ‘understanding is enhanced’ ‘culturally sensitive’ ‘a better person’ ‘I wish we had the chance to meet more often’ ‘to reflect on what culture is and to respect its deep meaning’
‘more accepting, considerate and
open-minded of other opinions’ ‘respect’ ‘immersing oneself in the experience’ ‘passionate and curious’ ‘deeper discussion and inquiry’ ‘self-discovery’ ‘I was proud of our achievement’ ‘interdependence’ ‘sensitive’ ‘united in experiencing learning’ ‘a creative venture’ ‘I had a sense of shame’ ‘personal choice is important’
Slide 28: Recommendations
Cultural Academy wiki, develop and connect ‘Cultural Academy Alumni’ Members suggested more sessions, with more regularity Members suggested the structure should be thought out more carefully; either designed and owned entirely by members or rigid structure around the objectives of Academy leaders
Slide 29: Recommendations
Tasks between sessions led to thinking outside of sessions, learning through reflection Workshops more explicit in direction, objectives and generalisability Some members felt awareness of courses and backgrounds should be considered in workshop planning. Cultural Academy grown to provide space & support in the form of a drop-in for students needing support or a confidential place to discuss cultural issues they may be experiencing
Slide 30: Impact
Student Experience Strategy Induction week for Freshers Conference promoted awareness and interest among senior managers and departments such as Careers Service
Slide 31: Conclusions
• The appreciative inquiry approach certainly has had beneficial effects as participants developed a very positive sense of culture • Cultural safety • Better marketing techniques for such events • Learning about culture is a life-long learning conversation.
Slide 32: References- Further reading
• Cooperrider, David L. & Whitney, Diana (1999). Appreciative Inquiry. In Holman, P.& Devane, T. (Eds.), Collaborating for Change. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. • Novak J.D ( 1998) Learning, Creating, Using Knowledge: concept maps. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. London • Hay, D.B. & Kinchin, I.M. (2006) Using concept mapping to reveal conceptual typologies. Education & Training 48(2/3), 127-142. • Ramsden I H (1992) Cultural safety in nursing education in Aotearoe at the Year of Indigenous People’s Conference, Brisbane, Australia.
Slide 33: I AM DVD
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