Transforming the graduate certificate program to prepare future teachers to embrace Indigenous ways of learning and empower them to become reflective and purposeful educators was the goal for the Griffith University Learning and Teaching support team.
The team was awarded the Council of Australasian University Leaders in Learning and Teaching 2024 CAULLT Academic Development Award for the most distinctive and innovative project which supported professional development in learning and teaching in universities.
Of the six finalists, Griffith won the top prize for a program which integrated inclusive learning techniques and helped graduates to deliver culturally responsive teaching experiences for learners.
Griffith Certificate in University Learning and Teaching (GCULT) Program Director Dr Kelly Shoecraft said the new program aligned with Griffith’s strategic plan and positioning as a social justice university.
“Griffith’s educational offering is distinct, and it is important to empower our teachers to embed priorities such as First Peoples, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and social justice into their own practice,” Dr Shoecraft said.
“The new Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching provides a model for non-Indigenous colleagues to embrace Aboriginal ways of learning such as story sharing, connections to place, and multiple forms of communication.
“The redesign embodies the Yolηu people’s concept of ‘Ganma’, a genuine two-way knowledge-sharing experience which is symbolised by what happens when two different waters meet (salt and fresh water) and mix together to create something new.
“We expanded the definition of Scholarship in Learning and Teaching which allowed participants to look beyond typical academic journal articles and conference presentations to consider a wide range of communication methods such as art, yarning, workshops and infographics.
“Program participants overwhelmingly agreed the course had immediate practical value to their current role, and indicated the program increased their awareness and respect of Indigenous knowledges.”
Program co-designer and Interim lead of Learning and Teaching (Indigenous) Dr Kerry Hall said the purpose of this redesign was about unlearning and relearning, and leaning into the uncomfortable for non-Indigenous academics.
“The goal is to empower non-Indigenous academics to embed Indigenous knowledges into the curriculum,” Dr Hall said.
“It is an ongoing reflective project for both the design team and the participants in the program.”
Dr Hall said the symbol of the fire became an integral part of the course design because it represented regeneration and new ideas that start from a spark.
“We used the fire symbol throughout the courses to highlight conscious decisions in the course design and make explicit the rationale for these decisions.”
Course units were co-designed with Interim lead of Learning and Teaching (Indigenous) Dr Kerry Hall, Curriculum Design for Learning Course Convenor Dr Venessa Ercole, and Director of Higher Education Academy Fellowships Associate Professor Paula Myatt.
Griffith University First Peoples page with resources for Embedding Indigenous knowledges: https://www.griffith.edu.au/about-griffith/first-peoples
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Kerry Hall
Kelly Shoecraft
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