Learning Design for Social Justice

About the course

This course aims to support participants in unpacking the necessity of a social justice approach to learning design, with a particular focus on designing for care and engagement in highly inequitable contexts, such as South Africa. We will introduce learning design approaches based on elements of participation, care, and justice, and explore how they can be applied in participants’ contexts. We will introduce theoretical framings for care and engagement, such as Nancy Fraser’s participatory parity, Joan Tronto’s ethics of care, Maha Bali’s intentional hospitality, and Freirean-influenced critical digital pedagogies/humanising online learning approaches, drawing both from international and local research.

Course content

• Week 1: Onboarding
• Week 2: From equality, to equity and social justice
• Week 3: Power and positionality in learning design
• Week 4: Designing for diversity
• Week 5: Co-creation and partnerships in learning design
• Week 6: Consolidation and assessment

Learning objectives

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of social justice and ability to design courses that are accessible and equitable;
• Apply learning design that is fit-for-purpose in different contexts, including low-tech contexts;
• Understand and critically reflect upon their own contexts and how these impact on learning design decisions;
• Critically reflect on notions of equity and social justice and how they apply to their own practices;
• Create learning experiences based on care and compassion that foreground community and belonging.

Certification options

Two types of certificates will be issued for this course:

• Attended: Attend 80% of workshops
• Passed: Attend 80% of workshops, submit coursework (individual and group work) as required, complete the course evaluation, and successfully complete the final individual assignment.

A letter of recognition of participation will be issued to participants who attend 80% of workshops, submit coursework, and complete the course evaluation (no final assignment submitted). Attendance at 80% of weekly meetings are compulsory for successful completion of the course.

Course cost

The full cost of the course is R6000 with discounts available as follows:

• When enrolling 5 or more participants, participants are entitled to 10% discount.
• UCT staff are entitled to a 30% discount i.e. R4200.
• All current full-time postgraduate students from any institution are entitled to a 50% discount i.e. R3000.
• HELTASA members are entitled to a 10% discount i.e. R5400.

Please request a discount voucher code from: pgbold@uct.ac.za BEFORE you enrol for the course.

More information

Email: pgbold@uct.ac.za

Learning Design for Social Justice