Caring in Practice, Caring for Knowledge

Johanna Funk

doi:10.5334/jime.648

Abstract

This paper positions Open Educational Practices (OEP) as adding significant value to pandemic-era online learning. Much of online learning during Covid was characterised as being low quality, and an emphasis on providing care began to override the impact that reformed pedagogy could have in caring for students. Concepts of Indigenous Knowledge Authority, consent, collaboration, situated knowledge in communities of practice can help to frame how caring pedagogy and cognitive compassion can be cultivated. This paper shares the redevelopment and evaluation of a unit of learning called Cultural Capabilities amidst pandemic pedagogy rhetoric in which care for knowledge and online learning is discussed. The focus of this study was to refine the concept of care and compassion pedagogy whilst developing a sustainable model for caring for knowledge as higher education professionals. The learning design process and emergent outcomes of the evaluation for learning design are shared. Student feedback showed significant appreciation for the learning design, affective experiences of the deeper learning facilitated by OEP and relational learning. Australian Covid lockdowns allowed for new approaches to open engagement to practical care and compassionate practices for learning and knowledges. This paper argues that successful OEP can be cultivated with cognitive compassion as a focus instead of a panic-induced care narrative for more sustainable caring academic and professional capabilities as we continue to learn online.

Highlights

FunkJournal of InteractiveCOVID-19 lockdowns presented many challenges for learning and teaching
The INSPIRE Lab and workforce development teams at Charles Darwin University’s (CDU’s) Northern Institute have collaborated with Departments of Education, Primary Industries, The Fisheries Research Development Corporation, Aboriginal Corporations, and the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, developing strong authorship methods for use across these policy areas with Indigenous Knowledge Authorities
We worked with senior Yolŋu lecturers Ian Gumbula, Rosemary Gundjarranbuy, Mercy Gumbula, Stephen Maliku Dhamarrandji, and Joy Bulkanhawuy to produce a framework of Yolŋu cultural capability

Summary

Introduction

FunkJournal of InteractiveCOVID-19 lockdowns presented many challenges for learning and teaching. This paper’s OEP include freely available readings, collaborative peer review of drafts, open textbook production with students’ work, and most significantly, sharing of Indigenous cultural knowledge as the main framework for the unit. This kind of open is not copyright bound but that which enables access to different cultural knowledge systems via relationship to knowledge authority in online learning. We worked with senior Yolŋu lecturers Ian Gumbula, Rosemary Gundjarranbuy, Mercy Gumbula, Stephen Maliku Dhamarrandji, and Joy Bulkanhawuy to produce a framework of Yolŋu cultural capability This included a set of audiovisual resources that were negotiated through a collaborative process to align with the learning outcomes and that built the ethos of the unit. Under their direction and authority, we were able to redevelop the unit with accompanying academic, information and digital literacies, activities, and assessment

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion