Pre-assessment: Thinking about our own experiences

Before we begin, think back for a few moments to your own experiences as a learner.

• Can you recall a specific time when you felt excluded from an educational activity or discussion because of something about you or your life – perhaps a subject taught from a perspective you couldn’t understand, material that wasn’t presented in a way that was accessible to you, or an assumption was implicitly made about circumstances, such as financial resources, that didn’t apply to you?

Please take a moment and think about this experience. If you wish, note down your thoughts about how you felt about learning in that moment.

• Did it impact your overall interest in that course, material or subject?
• How do you think you and your learning could have been better supported at that time?

Now, try to recall a time when you felt included in a learning environment, perhaps by encountering content or learning materials that felt relevant to you and your life, or being in a classroom where your own experiences or challenges were recognized and accepted.

• How did this affect your attitude toward your learning experience and toward the material or subject?
• What about the situation, specifically, made it a positive one for you? Again, please note down a few of your thoughts about this experience, just for yourself.