Undergraduate Course: Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world (EDUA08127)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course offers an inclusive space for students to hear diverse voices on the topic of decolonisation and what this means in different disciplinary and global contexts. The course asks students to examine what counts as knowledge, the knowledge we value, and why (and how) these fundamental questions are relevant for learning and living in a globalised world. Students will have the choice of exploring the relevance of the topic in different disciplines (with opportunities to learn from other fields). The course is designed innovatively (co-created with input from staff and students in different disciplines) to offer a range of lectures and experiential learning, including in-person, online, hybrid and student-led sessions, that are integrated across the 10-week duration of the course. Experiential activities include i) a university curator-led walking tour (in-person and digital) of university heritage spaces that are linked to different disciplines, ii) introduction to a range of media (film) and artistic depictions of different and contesting approaches to seemingly unsolvable educational and societal issues, iii) a student-led scavenger hunt for an independent exploration of coloniality/decoloniality in different disciplinary or institutional contexts, and iv) a hybrid interactive session to facilitate student engagement and knowledge exchange with selected university partners.
Students undertaking this course will develop an understanding of approaches to decolonisation within conceptual, disciplinary, institutional, national and international frameworks, and will produce a reflective account of their learning experience in the course. |
| Course description |
The course provides a holistic introduction to key concepts and themes that underpin the concept of decolonisation. Decolonisation encompasses attempts to undo the impact of colonisation in society, or what decolonial scholars describe as coloniality, described as how modern-day power structures derive from historical acts of colonialism, involving domination of colonial administrations, privileging Eurocentric knowledge and cultures, and subjugation of other cultures and ways of being. Accordingly, the course offers an introduction to diverse forms of knowledge production, including Southern epistemologies, while recognising that there remain debates around the meanings and forms that decolonisation might take.
This course adopts a transdisciplinary approach that offers a holistic appraisal of key concepts in decolonial studies, such as race, colonialism, coloniality, and modernity. The first part of the course, therefore, starts with a one-hour lecture that introduces the key topics and terminologies, and the different experiential learning opportunities that students will engage with during the course. Follow-on one-hour seminar will serve as a space for students to share their understanding of the course materials and their questions and reflections. Prompt questions will be shared during lectures to stimulate interactive dialogical sessions during the workshops/seminars. Formative feedback from tutors and peers will promote reflective learning on the course, and opportunities for deep and critical examination of conceptualisations of decolonisation from different disciplinary lens, and how this relates to learning and living together in a globalised world.
The course will consist of weekly sessions over ten weeks including lectures and reflective seminars, group poster presentation, and four experiential learning opportunities. The format of the weekly lecture and seminar will cover the discussion of the key concepts that directly connect to theoretical and conceptual discourses on decolonisation. This will provide students with foundational knowledge about the concept of decolonisation preceding the second part of the course that offers experiential learning opportunities.
Part 2 of the course will offer four experiential exercises, to explore what decolonisation might mean in practical terms within the context of their learning environment in the university and beyond. The first exercise will require students to think about decolonisation through cultural artefacts reflecting the impact of coloniality across different disciplines. For the first iteration of the course, students will share their thoughts, after watching a selected documentary film, and tease out aspects that are linked to their disciples, from a decolonisation perspective. The second experiential exercise involves a curated walk (in-person and digital) facilitated by experts working in heritages spaces in the university. Students will be encouraged to ask critical questions about the aims of the work and underpinning rationales. The third experience will be a student-led scavenger hunt. Drawing on their experiential learning on the course, students will undertake a scavenger hunt (digital or within their immediate environment) to find artefacts that might reflect coloniality or attempts at decolonialisation within their discipline, across the university, or externally. During a two-hour long seminar, students will work in groups of 4 to 5 to deliver poster presentations about the results of their scavenger hunt. The aim of the group presentation is to allow students to jointly assess whether there are commonalities or differences in their conceptions of coloniality or decolonisation based on what they see in the immediate learning environment or beyond, and to critically consider what might account for their viewpoints.
As the course development process includes consultations with Learning Technologists and University Disability service, guidelines on the expected amount of effort required for the task will be clearly communicated to students, and the requirements for the poster presentation.
The group work directly links to the course learning outcomes 3 and 4, that expect students to work collaboratively with others drawing on the strengths of using transdisciplinary lens to evaluate challenging topics and independent learners who can effectively communicate with a range of individuals.
For the fourth and final experiential learning part, students will have a hybrid seminar facilitated by their course tutor. The hybrid session will involve students undertaking the course meeting online with students in other selected institutions in different national or global contexts to discuss different approaches to decolonisation in different educational and societal contexts. This session will be supported by colleagues in Edinburgh Global drawing on the University¿s extensive international networks, including established global partner institutions. The criticality and reflection required as part the groupwork, and the range of experiential learning activities integrated in the course will provide ample materials for students¿ reflection to prepare their summative assignment at the end of the course.
Week [10] of the course will consist of a final one-hour lecture, discussing recent scholarly work in decolonial studies, and new considerations on future directions for envisioning decolonisation in a globalised world.
Indicative structure of the course:
Week 1: Understanding Decolonisation from different approaches: Course overview, learning outcomes and assessments
Week 2: Race and its implications: the lecture will examine how the concept of race fundamentally influences what's being taught, and representations of being, cultures and histories.
Week 3: Colonialism and coloniality across the disciplines: in week 3 students will be introduced to the topic in different disciplinary pathways (Science and Technology; Medicine, and Humanities and Social Sciences) to critically explore the practical connotations of coloniality, and the possibilities that a decolonial approach offer.
Week 4: Modernity and Southern Epistemologies: This week examines the concept of modernity, and an introduces other concepts that are framed from Southern knowledge systems. The follow-on interactive seminar will facilitate an engaging session for students from different disciplines to assess potential manifestations of coloniality or decoloniality in real world settings.
Week 5: Engaging with decoloniality through art and culture: Introducing students to a range of artistic and cultural projects and practices in which issues of decoloniality are explored through a focus on creative means and aesthetic languages. For example, using a film to introduce students to the potential of co-operative action through cinematic storytelling. Here, filmic techniques are used to draw attention to the fact that different backgrounds, principles, and methods can be combined successfully to help us solve problems that might appear unsolvable.
Week 6: The Mental Architecture of Racism and Coloniality: This interactive session will explore the intersection of psychology and social systems, looking into how racism and coloniality manifest in psychological and affective practices in ways which sustain racial oppression and colonial dynamics in everyday life. This session offers critical perspectives and opportunities for reflexive inquiry, encouraging deep and transformative reflection of self in relation to ¿the other¿.
Week 7: Intervention in heritage spaces: The curated walking tour will invite discussion on what values are reflected by the current University art collection displays, who is commemorated within these walls and whose voices are missing. It will involve engaging with the University Heritage Collections, which include the portraits at Old College, as well as contemporary artworks that engage in critiques of colonial histories and commemoration.
Week 8: Scavenger hunt coloniality/decoloniality in practice: Following the curated session in week 7, students will embark on individual scavenger hunt. The focus for the week is to seek out artefacts that might represent coloniality/decoloniality in practice. This provides an opportunity for study to reflect on their learning environment or curriculum, or observations beyond their current environment. Students will work in groups of 4 to 5 to prepare a poster showing the results of their individual scavenger hunt. This will facilitate an opportunity for students from different disciplines to work collaboratively to examine their different interpretations of what coloniality or decolonisation might mean in practice.
Week 9: Learning beyond borders: Students will engage in facilitated hybrid meetings with peers in national and international institutions/organisations to examine different approaches to decolonisation in different contexts.
Week 10: Emerging discourses and conceptualisations of decolonisation: Students will be introduced to recent scholarly explorations on practical approaches to decolonisation in a globalised world. The final seminar will provide an opportunity for students to discuss their thoughts about the course, and to ask questions about their assessments.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formative assessment «br /»
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Students will receive formative feedback at weekly workshop/ seminar sessions. Formative feedback will be provided by workshop tutors during facilitated discussions and the group poster presentation in week 8. Peer feedback will be supported within the course. The formative feedback will be geared towards supporting students to develop a reflective approach in evaluating their positioning and their understanding of different approaches to decolonisation from different disciplinary lens. «br /»
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Summative feedback will be provided on student assessment at the end of the course. «br /»
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The assessment is a reflective essay (100%) comprising of two parts. The total word count of the assessment is 2000 words. The first part will consist of student reflection on the groupwork (1000 words). Students will work in groups of 4 to 5 to prepare a poster showing the results of their individual scavenger hunt. The reflective account of the process of working together and what they learned in the group forms the basis of one of two parts of their summative assessment. «br /»
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The second part of the assessment will consist of student reflection on the experiential learning on the course (1000 words). Students will share their reflections on what they learned during any one (or more) of the experiential learning exercises undertaken during the course, and the relevance of the key concepts learned on the course in developing their reflections. «br /»
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Both parts of the assessment carry equal weighting in terms of the allocation of marks (50%) for each part. |
| Feedback |
Students will receive formative feedback at weekly workshop/ seminar sessions.
Formative feedback will be provided by workshop tutors during facilitated discussions or presentations.
Summative feedback will be provided on student assignment at the end of the course. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Assess, critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise a range of relevant literature and information to develop their knowledge and understanding about race as a foundational construct that relates to wider issues within the global society
- Identify and articulate the implications of decolonisation for addressing educational and societal issues nationally and globally
- Address challenging topics and working collaboratively with others drawing on the strength of transdisciplinary learning
- Be independent learners who are able to effectively communicate their knowledge and understanding of decolonisation with a range of individuals within and beyond their disciplines and immediate environment
- Reflect on their learning experiences and articulate the implications of decolonisation in addressing educational and societal issues at both national and global levels, examining personal assumptions and biases, and considering diverse perspectives and historical contexts.
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Reading List
Bhambra, G. K. (2023). Rethinking modernity: Postcolonialism and the sociological imagination. Springer
Fakunle, O. (2024). Conceptualizing centrality in micro-level internationalization through a decolonial approach. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education 16(5), 170-183 https://www.ojed.org/jcihe/article/view/7464/3159
hooks, b. (2015). ¿Critical Interrogation: Talking Race, Resisting Racism¿, pp. 51-55, in Yearning. Routledge.
Maldonado-Torres, N. (2007). On the coloniality of being: Contributions to the development of a concept. Cultural Studies 21 (2-3)
Mitra, S., Sarkar, S., and Ganguli-Mitra, A. (2023) On the need for an anticolonial perspective in engineering education and practice, Nat Commun, 14(1) doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43952-2.
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. J. (2021), Internationalisation of higher education for pluriversity: a decolonial reflection. Journal of the British Academy, 9(s1), 77¿98. https://doi.org/10.5871/jba/009s1.077
Sussman, R. W. (2014). The Myth of Race: The troubling persistence of an unscientific idea. Harvard University Press
Wa Thiong'o, N. (1998). Decolonising the mind. Diogenes, 46(184), 101-104 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and Enquiry
Analytical thinking: use information from different disciplines effectively in order to critically analyse and synthesise complex historical and current societal issues to derive meaning and to share knowledge.
Handling complexity and ambiguity: Have an understanding of diverse values and knowledge systems, self-awareness, reflexivity, and openness to life-long learning.
Critical thinking: Capability to examine discourse around decolonisation from various conceptual and theoretical frameworks, identifying [long-standing] assumptions, detecting false logic or reasoning, and understanding key terms discussed in the course to make an informed judgement.
Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
Ethics and social responsibility: Develop reflective awareness of ethical dimensions, and responsibilities to others, in work and everyday life.
Recognise and address ethical dilemmas, social responsibility and sustainability issues, applying ethical and their own/organisational values to situations and choices.
Self-awareness and reflection: Be critically self-aware and self-reflective in order to make the most of textual and experiential learning experiences. Seek and value open feedback to help self-awareness.
Independent learning and development
Develop lifelong learning skills as part of continuing personal and professional development. The ability to succeed in a rapidly changing environment.
Personal Effectiveness
Cultural awareness: ability to learn together and work with people from a range of cultures and backgrounds, in preparation for living in a globalised world.
Planning, organising and time management: Appropriate use of time, and ability to prioritise, and effectively use resources to achieve goals
Team working: Ability to effectively perform within team environments including with people from a range of disciplines, cultures and backgrounds.
Communication
Interpersonal skills: Use appropriate communication styles through understanding the needs of others and empathy towards them. effective communicators who are able to read and write, present, listen, influence and network. the ability to have difficult conversations/deal with conflict effectively.
Cross-cultural communication: Be sensitive to and understand the diversity in people and different situations including online. Equipped with the skills to operate in a global environment¿cross-cultural and remote working. Have multicultural and global awareness. Have a capacity to thrive in a globalised society and economy, and an awareness of other cultures. Ability to adapt your communication style for different people, situations and cultures.
Verbal communication and presentation: Develop oral communication of complex ideas and arguments using a range of media. Articulate and effectively explain information.
Written communications: Able to communicate complex ideas and arguments in writing using a range of media from formal writing to social media. Articulating and effectively explaining information. Enhance verbal communication ¿ including listening and questioning.
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| Keywords | Decolonisation,Coloniality,Centrality,Modernity,Race,Experiential learning |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Omolabake Fakunle
Tel:
Email: omolabake.fakunle@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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