Diversity, equity, inclusion and education

The course is offered as a freestanding course.

Main field of studies: Education

The course addresses issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity, and what these concepts may mean in relation to different practices (such as school, higher education, work, and leisure), with a focus on education. These concepts are understood both as part of various discourses that must be critically discussed, and as components of pedagogical practices where they can function as tools to explain, relate to, and transform a practice — with particular attention to barriers and opportunities for participation and engagement.

Through three thematic modules, key concepts such as integration and inclusion, participation, accessibility, and equity are introduced and explored in depth. The course emphasizes how various dimensions of power — such as gender, class, ethnicity, multilingualism, and capability — interact and affect individuals' educational experiences. It takes intersectional and decolonial perspectives as a starting point to examine how educational policy, institutional frameworks, and organizational structures can both create barriers and enable participation for vulnerable groups in society who are at risk of marginalization.

Theme 1: Migration and Integration

This theme focuses on how migration impacts individuals' education, participation, and integration. Through intersectional and decolonial perspectives, the course examines how aspects such as language, culture, and ethnicity affect individuals’ access to education, employment, and leisure activities. Critical discussions are held on the meaning of the concept of integration, power relations, and the practices that influence the inclusion of individuals with a foreign background in society.

Theme 2: Capability and Inclusion

This theme explores how individuals’ opportunities to participate in society are shaped by their resources, abilities, and social circumstances. The starting point is the capability approach, with a focus on identifying barriers and opportunities for inclusion in education. Concepts such as accessibility, support, and participation are linked to issues of disability and other power dimensions that affect people’s ability to participate on equal terms in society.

Theme 3: Institutional and Organizational Structures

This theme highlights how institutional and organizational factors — such as support structures, leadership, regulations, and governing documents — influence the possibility of creating inclusive environments. It critically examines how these structures can both promote and hinder participation for different groups. The theme includes an analysis of documents and policies from various organizations to shed light on how they address issues of diversity, accessibility, and equity, and how they work to create inclusive educational practices.

On successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

• Explain key concepts from critical theories — such as gender, class, ethnicity, multilingualism, and capability — and their relevance in education and societal analysis.
• Describe how different power structures interact and influence the conditions for participation in education.

Skills and Abilities

• Apply intersectional and decolonial analytical tools to policy texts and educational practices in order to identify barriers and opportunities for inclusion and participation.
• Independently and collaboratively discuss and critically examine education-related issues and processes with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Judgment and Approach

• Reflect on one’s own and others’ positions and values in relation to questions of diversity, inclusion, and social justice.
• Critically discuss the role of education in reproducing or challenging inequality in society from an ethical perspective, with a focus on vulnerable groups.

The course is taught in a combination of lectures and seminars that require active and prepared participation, supervision, work in small groups, and writing assignments.

Language of instruction: English

The course is assessed through the following assignments:

• Individual written assignment (7.5 ECTS)
• Oral group presentation (Analysis of policy documents) (5 ECTS)
• Active participation in 5 seminars, including preparation of required materials (2.5 ECTS)
  
  If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course’s intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been discontinued/changed. The same applies to placement and internship (VFU) except that this is restricted to only one further examination session.

If a student has been notified that they fulfil the requirements for being a student at Riksidrottsuniversitetet (RIU student), to combine elite sports activities with studies, the examiner is entitled to decide on adaptation of examinations if this is done in accordance with the Local rules regarding RIU students at the University of Gothenburg.

The grading scale comprises: Excellent (A), Very good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Sufficient (E) and Fail (F).

To receive a passing grade (A–E) for the course, the student must have obtained a passing result on all assigments.

The final course grade is determined by the grade received on the individual written assignment.

Supplementation of assessed student performance may be permitted.

Course evaluation is done in relation to the course learning outcomes and content and is done continuously during the course in the form of an individual network survey at the end of the course. The result and any changes in the course structure will be communicated to both the students who completed the evaluation and to the students who will begin the course.

The course uses different forms of digital communication between teacher and student, as well as between students. Therefore, access to a computer and internet is required