Category: Education

Living in a material world: The Commodification of Culture

This is an area that I started looking at as part of my PhD and that has continued to fascinate me. I co-wrote an article on this subject in 2011, the chapter was entitled Living in a Material World: Religious Commodification and Resistance

Abstract:

This chapter will explore the impact of immigration on the relationship between religion and consumer culture in Britain. It will focus particularly on the ways in which globalisation and commodification have accelerated the consumption of ‘ethnic’ goods, be they cultural or religious. Whilst for some there are no limits where commodification is concerned, for others there is a clear boundary that cannot be traversed. Religious commodification is an arena in which there is an increasing interest, especially as religious symbols and artefacts are being appropriated by both adherents and non-adherents in an attempt to capitalise on a growing market. As developments in this field are very recent, this chapter will draw on examples cited on the internet.

Fast forward to 2024 – what has changed?

I can’t but help notice when new products arrive on our shelves – here are some recent ones and the question that always comes to mind  ‘…is this a celebration of culture or an opportunity to monetise culture?’ You can make up your own mind on this with some of these:

Subway

Image of Subway 'Big Bombay' sandwich
Heinz
Heinz beans - 3 cans, one of Tikka, Jalfrezi and Vindaloo beans

Mr Men books for Diwali and Eid

Mr. Men Little Miss Happy Diwali

M&S
M&S advert for divaliM&S Eid Gift Card
John Lewis
advert on john lewis website for Eid 'Gift Food and Alcohol'
I think it’s clear that this is marketing gone wrong! Offering Muslims Alcoholic gift options!
Toblerone
Duke of Delhi
Duke of Delhi chocolate bars
poster of shocked kid
Chocolate with Bombay Mix…certainly different!
Interflora
Fortnum and Mason

Active Learning: Creative engagement through gamification

 

In the past year I have taken a keener interest in applying active learning strategies and what is also commonly referred to as Purposeful Play or Gamification. The video below was my trial at combining an AI chat question with AI Video…the result for someone with no experience in creating videos was a real eye-opener.

There are several other tools that promote active learning and which are pretty straightforward to use:

  • Mentimeter

I was very fortunate to have had the guidance of Dr. Martin Compton who was a colleague in UCL Arena when he first introduced me to Mentimeter. There are many benefits to using Mentimeter as outlined in the video below:

 

Mentimeter has lots of features which are fantastic for student engagement. Below is a link to 70 fun ice breaker activities. 

One of the activities that students really enjoy at the start of a class is the one below entitled ‘Where are you from?’ – they get to put a pin on the map in relation to the country that they feel best answers the question (this is all about self-identification).

Map of the world with pins

Here are some more templates.

  • Padlet

I created a padlet to act as a resource for a workshop on Active Learning and you may find some of the ideas useful. Please note that Padlet is not accessible to all which is why I stopped using it as a tool in workshops – it goes against the principles of Universal Design for Learning. It is however, a good board to organise your own materials.

  • LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology
Lego volkswagen camper by the beach at sunset

In the autumn of 2023 I attended a 4-day workshop to become a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology facilitator. I was blown away by the power of this tool which involves 4 main drivers: Construction, Metaphors, Story Making/Telling as well as Imagination. In the new year I will be offering team-building workshops using Lego®.

The Origins of The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Methodology

The methodology is built upon a process which stems from the heart of LEGO elements and the LEGO building system. Looking for a tool to unlock imagination and innovation within the company, the LEGO Group realized that a solution might be found in the LEGO System in Play itself: Just as the LEGO Group had been inspiring children to ‘build their dreams’ for decades, so perhaps adults could be asked to build their visions for future strategy.

The idea of the methodology originated in 1996 when two professors at IMD in Switzerland and The LEGO Group owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen were exploring alternative strategic planning tools and systems. They developed an understanding of the value of employees and the concept of an evolving, adaptive strategy that included using LEGO elements as three-dimensional models of business issues and challenges. The strategy was named LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®

Lego female at computer surrounded by plants

 

  • Other Tactile Pedagogies

There is an increasing interest in tactile or sensory pedagogies and this includes activities such as:

– Play Doh

– Tangrams

– Scratch Cards

– Origami

Read more in this report on Innovating Pedagogies

 

Reflecting on completing Senior Fellowship (SFHEA)…

I’ve been meaning to start this blog since I started at UCL Arena back in March 2022, but there’s always been something else to do and so this went further and further down my list.

Why then am I starting now? I recently completed my SFHEA application (and passed 🤪) which is a process that took me on my own educational journey and reminded me of how fortunate I am that I chose teaching as my profession or did it choose me?

My own schooling took place in the UK, Zambia, Nigeria, India and Pakistan in both the private and state sectors…from the Nilgiri mountains of Ooty to a strict boarding school in Hampshire. I’ve often heard friends and colleagues complaining about their school experience – may be I was lucky that I moved from one school to another and thrived in those environments.

I completed my degree in Biological Sciences and then went on to do a PGCE in Secondary Science – having been cocooned in middle class schools I suddenly found myself in a London school where there was chaos in the classroom. It was a revelation, but a little too much for someone who was thrown in the deep end without much support from the teachers in the school who felt it was fair game to watch the trainees suffer (perhaps as they had done!). Needless to say, I jumped ship and took the advice of my brother who had taken a gap year to teach English as a Foreign Language. He had spent a year in Spain and loved every minute – my EFL journey began with a short course at International House in Piccadilly after which I taught European and then Japanese students in various EFL centres around the UK. In addition to the classroom-based teaching, we visited museums, went to plays in the West End and went on field trips to Stratford upon Avon and Edinburgh. How different from my experience in the science classroom where students were mixing chemicals, dissecting mice with no care or respect and generally running riot. You can see now why I changed career!

The scene was set and by chance I came upon an advertisement in The Guardian for the Japan Exchange Teaching Programme. I remember going for an interview at the Japanese Embassy in Piccadilly hoping that this would be the start of a new adventure. Did I speak any Japanese? Did I have any idea what I was letting myself in for? Clearly not – I received the letter telling me that I had been successful and would be on my way to a secondary school in Osaka (Sakai Higashi) after a week at the Intercontinental Hotel in Tokyo. What they failed to mention was that it was August…the hottest, most humid month in Japan!

Imagine this – bright-eyed university graduates of various disciplines all headed to Tokyo in Business Class…this was going to be fun! I ended up spending 6 years in Japan teaching all levels from kindergarten to university students, I learnt Japanese, took proficiency tests and exams but never felt a sense of belonging. I was always the outsider, the ‘gaijin’…yet, I’d never felt that i belonged in England either. Where was my ‘home’?

外人

The next stage in my journey was unfolding – in search of my identity . I could wax lyrical on this topic but won’t as it’s an unfinished project – if you want to read more then my PhD thesis is available from the British Library.

We usually don’t have the luxury of reflecting (particularly in relation to our own educational journey) so doing the SFHEA gave me the opportunity to look at my leadership journey as well as my own practice and the way in which I have brought about changes particularly in relation to empowering students.

If you’re at that stage and thinking about completing the SFHEA here is some information from the Advance HE website. If you’re a UCL colleague – just to let you know that there is no fee and that there is a lot of support available from UCL Arena.

Senior Fellowship is awarded to professionals who demonstrate they meet the criteria of Descriptor 3 (D3) of the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023 for teaching and supporting learning in higher education. It is suitable for individuals whose comprehensive understanding and effective practice provides a basis from which they lead or influence the learning and teaching practices of others (peers, colleagues, mentees, etc.) who teach and/or support high-quality learning.

To be awarded Senior Fellowship, individuals must evidence that their effective and inclusive practice meets the following three Descriptor 3 criteria statements:

  • D3.1 a sustained record of leading or influencing the practice of those who teach and/or support high quality learning
  • D3.2 practice that is effective, inclusive and integrates all Dimensions
  • D3.3 practice that extends significantly beyond direct teaching and/or direct support for learning
Japanese ceramic duck