Transforming the Curriculum, What next?

Dr Vrinda Nayak and Dr Caitlin Kight will be sharing the university's new Transformative Education Framework, which aims to enable students and educators alike to apply their knowledge to create a sustainable, healthy, and socially just future. More specifically, the purpose of the Framework is to:

• Enable all students to see the challenges associated with the climate emergency, inequality and social injustice in their fields of study;    
• Promote the application of critical thinking skills in learning generally, and research-inspired, inquiry-led learning contexts specifically, with an aim to innovate and improve current approaches to education and address challenges facing our society;  
• Foster collaboration with peers and educators, drawing on the strength of our community’s diversity of experiences and areas of expertise; 
• Create a learning environment that fosters a culture of compassion and promotes respect by embedding inclusivity and cultural competence. 

At this session, Vrinda and Caitlin will be seeking feedback on the framework -- seeking especially to understand how it is most likely to impact your own practice and what support would ensure its uptake and implementation.

Caitlin is a former behavioural ecologist who specialised in the field of animal communication. As leader of the academic development and skills teams, she now blends the expertise from her previous work with experience in teaching, outreach, and management: She helps academics and support staff reflect on their education-facing activities and improve their teaching and learning techniques.

Vrinda is the Associate Academic Dean for Students (Racial Equality and Inclusion) for the University of Exeter and an academic at the College of Medicine and Health. She is part of the University`s Senior Education Leadership Team and supports the Success for All strand of the University’s Education Strategy that aims to widen the participation, eliminate degree awarding gaps and support diverse and inclusive learning environment.