Is it more important that the students feel they matter? #LTHEchat

A5 #LTHEChat There are certainly individuals within HE who do

HE as a whole really should, but it doesn't

Even academic rigor now sits behind rankings and income though!

Absolutely. Belonging is multidimensional. Curriculum matters, but relationships with peers and educators can be equally powerful. Perhaps the strongest sense of belonging emerges when these different elements work together curriculum, relationships, voice etc #LTHEchat

A5 No, it does not. As I have said in previous #LTHEChat sessions, Care Doesn't Have a KPI. Actually, it does, but we reduce everything to inhumane outputs, we fail to see it.

A5 #LTHEchat I think higher *educators* absolutely value care, kindness and compassion: I am in awe of my academic colleagues' care in the face of extraordinary sector pressure. I'd like to see those calling for "vocational content" in courses think more on the value of learning care and compassion.

A5 - oooh that’s a tough one. I think HE systems don’t, HE cultures can, and individuals do. Should it? I think kindness is intertwined with challenge. Setting high expectations, giving constructive critical feedback might not feel good in the moment but may be care in action. #LTHEchat

Absolutely. Belonging shouldn't require everyone to connect the same way. For some neurodivergent learners/staff, belonging may mean having autonomy, psychological safety and the freedom not to participate in particular social activities. #LTHEchat

A4 - Maybe, it depends on where their primary source of belonging comes from; it could be from friends in their course, the relationships they build with their tutors, so it might not be solely dependent on what is in the curricula and the cases and contexts used. @ifawolowo.bsky.social #LTHEChat

A4 Students may belong not simply because they see people like themselves in the curriculum, but because they come to believe that their own histories, cultures, experiences, and ways of knowing are welcomed as part of the collective construction of knowledge. #LTHEchat

Yes, 100%, and I really like the emphasis on facilitation. We do not have to hold every perspective ourselves. Our role can be to create a space where students’ histories, cultures and ways of knowing are welcomed as valuable contributions to learning. #LTHEchat

Q5 - Does higher education value care, kindness, and compassion as seriously as it values academic rigour, and should it?

Reply with A5 #LTHEChat and your response @ifawolowo.bsky.social

Absolutely. A globally inclusive curriculum benefits everyone, not only those who may feel underrepresented. It allows students to see themselves while also encountering perspectives that challenge assumptions and expand how they understand their discipline and the world. #LTHEchat

A4 - some disciplines or subject areas make this more challenging. I like Rudine Sims Bishop’s idea of mirrors, windows and sliding doors as applied to curriculum. Sometimes the activity can support that connection. #LTHEchat

In undertaking curriculum review over the last year and encouraging diverse and inclusive approaches, curriculum etc, a major challenge has been in the availability of materials outside a western-centric perspective in some disciplines/ being able to consider appropriate examples #lthechat

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A4 - all those aspects can contribute to that 'a-ha!' moment for learners - making it relevant and connecting with them and contributing to the belonging.

A challenge might be for educators to have the 'full details' about their learners, but hopefully "data dashboards" help?

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#lthechat

Yes, this is such an important distinction. We can create inclusive structures and conditions, but we cannot “do” belonging to someone. What we can do is create an environment where people feel safe, valued and able to choose to belong. #LTHEchat

A4 #LTHEchat I think it's possible - sometimes we see ourselves in the strangest/least obvious places - but that onus is on us where a curriculum is narrow. Reflecting a global approach in the curriculum also supports those of a local/dominant culture finding new angles/perspectives that can...

A4 They can still bring themselves, their histories and cultures or ways of knowing into the classroom and present this through the lense of the module to their peers. The educator needs to foster and allow students to do this, this is more faciliation. #LTHEChat

I like this distinction, particularly the idea of belonging reducing the friction and anxiety of simply being in a space. Inclusion can open the door, but belonging is when you no longer have to question whether you are meant to be there. #LTHEchat