Critical Pedagogy
Overview
This Critical Pedagogy page provides a valuable resource for exploring educational practice, showcasing a diverse array of pedagogical approaches reflecting the dynamic nature of education at Manchester Metropolitan University.
This digital repository is useful for both staff and students. It provides easy access to a wide range of educational content, supports the continuous development of teaching methodologies and contributes to the enhancement of learning experiences.
Scroll down for our Critical Pedagogy Podcast and an overview of the “Towards an Active Learning Community” Symposium event from February 2024.
Critical Pedagogy Podcast
The aim of the Critical Pedagogy podcast series is to illustrate the range of experimental, innovative, and inclusive pedagogical theories/strategies/activities used across all Faculties at Manchester Met.
The series is external-facing and will serve as a digital repository of pedagogical knowledge that benefits staff and students alike.
We are currently in the process of revamping our submission process, and we will be collecting more submissions later in the term. We value your input and are excited to hear from you. Keep checking back for updates.
-
Dr Paul Giladi & Orlagh McCabe | Series introduction
-
Dr Eileen Pollard and Dr Jennifer Reeve | A Conversation Between White Allies
-
Dr Eileen Pollard | Personal Tutoring is Relational
-
Jonathan Rodwell | Democratic Pedagogy
-
Emily Crompton | Coming Out
-
Kasia Nawratek & Emily Crompton
-
Anthony Picot | Assessment Patterns
-
Dr Eileen Pollard | Room-plan-based icebreaker
-
John Spruce and Sarah Moriarty | Using Miro in our programme
-
Dr John Lean | Deeper thinking and influences behind the Rise platform
-
Dr Rachelle Andrews | Working with Radically Reflexive Narrative as a critical pedagogy
-
Rod Cullen | Constructive Alignment
-
Joseph Greenwood | Task-based Learning
-
Dr Stella Bosun-Arije | Combining academic rigor with academic kindness
-
Rod Cullen | Active learning and the TREC model
-
Simon Massey | Tea time teams sessions
-
Matthew Thorpe | The impact of the digital age on traditional pedagogy
-
Dr Stella Bosun-Arije | A Social Constructivist Approach to Teaching & Learning
Overview
An introduction to the Critical Pedagogy podcast series and how it came about. Hosted in this episode by Orlagh McCabe and Dr Paul Giladi.
Overview
This resource takes the form of a conversation between two white members of staff, Dr Eileen Pollard, from the University Teaching Academy, and, Dr Jenny Reeve, from Professional Services. The conversation is structured around them having watched these videos of Student Case Studies that record the experiences of racialised students on campus; these stories are voiced by BAME Ambassadors and/or actors.
The conversation is one of critical friendship and is structured around the three questions below, and was designed to model, especially to white colleagues, the need to reflect on the realities of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) student experiences, in order to confidently advocate for our students:
- If you were to summarise to a colleague the learning you have taken from these videos, what would you say?
- Did these videos prompt you to reflect on your own teaching? If so, which aspects in particular?
- How will you change these reflections into action?
Overview
In this episode Dr Eileen Pollard will discuss how personal tutoring is relational.
“The most effective personal tutoring is relational personal tutoring. By which I mean personal tutoring that places the development of the relationship between tutor and tutee and trust therein at the heart of the activity. Our personal tutoring policy at Manchester Metropolitan University places the importance of relationships at the heart by handing over the design of personal tutoring systems to program teams.”
Overview
In this episode, we’ll hear from Jonathan Rodwell, who is a Senior Lecturer in international relations at Manchester Met University. Jonathan is going to be talking about diagnosing and overcoming problems with contemporary knowledge and information ecologies.
Overview
In this episode, we’re going to be hearing from Emily Crompton, who is a Senior Lecturer in the Manchester School of Architecture. Emily’s talking to us about the ways in which she articulates the idea that ‘architecture is for everybody’.
Overview
In this episode, we’ll hear from Kasia Nawratek and Emily Crompton, both based at the Manchester School of Architecture, and they will be talking about ways in which the use of queer theory and queer space can positively impact on international students studying architecture.
Overview
In this episode, we’re going to be hearing from Anthony Picot. Anthony is in the Department of Languages Information and Communications, and he specializes in second-language acquisition and teacher education. Anthony is going to be talking to us today about assessment patterns and particularly the ones that he uses in his teacher training modules.
Overview
In this episode, we’re going to be hearing from Eileen Pollard. Eileen works in UTA and is going to discuss the use of room-plan-based icebreakers.
Overview
In this episode, we’ll hear from John Spruce and Sarah Moriarty, who are both lecturers in the subject of product design here at MMU and will be talking to us about the MIRO platform as a virtual studio.
Overview
In today’s episode, we’re going to be hearing from John Lean. John is the unit leader for the RISE project and will be talking about some of the deeper thinking behind RISE, in particular the way in which it is influenced by the 20th century American philosopher John Dewey.
Deeper thinking and influences behind the Rise platform episode transcript.
Overview
In this podcast, Rachelle Andrews is going discuss a critical approach that has been used to work with executive leadership and management students to explore their practice through the writing and sharing of experience through narratives. This approach takes the form of ‘Radically Reflexive Narrative’ methodology; and in this short overview and introduction I will explore three questions.
Working with Radically Reflexive Narrative as a critical pedagogy episode transcript.
Overview
In today’s episode, we’re going to be hearing from Rod Cullen a Senior Lecturer in learning and teaching technologies, who is going to be talking to us about constructive alignment.
Overview
In this episode, we’re going to be hearing from Joe Greenwood from the Learner Development team here at MMU. Joe hosts ‘A Critical Thought’ podcast and will be sharing his experiences of supporting students to think and write more critically.
Overview
In this episode, we’ll hear from Stella Bosun-Arije who is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nursing at MMU, who is speaking about combining academic rigor with academic kindness. As academics, we are facilitators of learning, and we are ever prepared to adopt different strategies and present various academic and professional outlooks to facilitate our learners learning regardless of the learning styles of the learners.
Combining academic rigor with academic kindness episode transcript.
Overview
In this episode, the first of 22/23 academic year, we’re going to be hearing from Rod Cullen, a senior lecturer in Learning and Teaching Technologies who is going to share some thoughts and experiences on active learning.
Overview
In this episode, our second for the 22/23 academic year, a slightly extended podcast from Simon Massey, the Deputy Director of the Manchester Met Q-Step Centre and a lecturer in Sociology, who is going to be sharing some of their experiences with online delivery during the pandemic.
Overview
In this episode, we are going to be hearing from Matthew Thorpe, who is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, and will be considering the impact that digital and online technologies have had on traditional and more contemporary theories of learning.
The impact of the digital age on traditional pedagogy episode transcript.
Overview
In this episode, we hear from Stella Bosun-Arije, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nursing at MMU. Stella will be talking about a social constructivist approach to teaching and learning.
A Social Constructivist Approach to Teaching & Learning episode transcript.
Critical Pedagogy
Critical Pedagogy contact
Critical Pedagogy contact
If you have further questions about the Critical Pedagogy podcast, please contact Orlagh McCabe. Click on the profile card for more details.
“Towards an Active Learning Community” Symposium
On February 7th 2024, academic and professionals services colleagues gathered at the “Towards an Active Learning Community” symposium. The event aimed to explore innovative approaches to teaching and learning, foster thought-provoking discussions, and create networking opportunities.
We brought together boundary-pushing educators from across our Faculties and Professional Services, breathing life into a signature Man Met Pedagogy.
We wanted to raise our ambitions and open up the ways in which we thought about making learning experiences that were engaged, innovative and give students a sense of authenticity.
In support of this ambition, we invited practitioners to offer provocations on new possibilities, to co-construct a vision for our Active Learning Community.
Thought Provoking Soapboxes
Engaging soapbox sessions featured passionate speakers who shared their insights. These short, impactful talks sparked conversations and challenged conventional teaching methods.
Topics ranged from Authentic Assessment, Belonging, Active Learning and Awarding Gaps.
Free-flowing discussions and networking
Through the day, attendees engaged in informal discussions. They shared experiences, best practices, and innovative approaches.
Networking breaks allowed participants to connect with like-minded educators and build valuable professional relationships.
Impact and Future Directions
The symposium emphasized the importance of active learning in higher education.
As technology evolves, educators must adapt and leverage tools like artificial intelligence to enhance teaching and assessment. The positive impact of AI on student learning experiences was a central theme
Communities of Practice
The Innovation and Initiatives Unit coordinates a portfolio of institutional Communities of Practice. They support an institutional conversation about critical themes in teaching, learning, curriculum design and student support.
These are thematic areas identified as critical in the mobilisation of the strategy. They provide a space for open discussion and collaboration of critical themes:
-
Active, Engaged and Skills Based Learning.
-
Authentic and Flexible Assessment.
-
Educational Technologies.
-
Mattering and Belonging.
-
Addressing Outcome Gaps.
You can access more information about the Communities of Practice here (Staff access only).