A brief overview of what decolonising computing means and initial findings based on a desk research audit of UK HEI’s decolonising computing activity.
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Synopsis
The UK QAA Computing Subject Benchmark recommends mapping of equitable practices and processes which acknowledge and address how divisions of labour and hierarchies of colonial value are replicated and reinforced within computing. In parallel the attainment gap focus by the UK’s Office for Students on degree outcomes achieved by students from ethnic backgrounds compared to students who are not from ethnic backgrounds, gives further leverage to decolonising the curriculum.
These are the key drivers for change by helping to recognise, understand and challenge the ways in which our world is shaped by colonialism. As decolonising work is set to question and ultimately challenge what we know to be true, then we need to start that transformation now; we need to be thinking differently about ‘facts’.
This presentation will begin with a brief overview of what decolonising computing means to the research project team and then we will share initial findings based on a desk research audit of UK HEI’s decolonising computing activity. The aim is to inform practice and to assist practitioners in the transformation of their computing and IT curriculum.
About the speakers
Zoe Tompkins BA(Hons), MSc, PGCE (FE), MA, is a Computing and Communications academic with a sociotechnical perspective on computing. She has worked for the Open University for over two decades and has front line experience within both FE, Russell Group Universities and currently leads on a Department for Education HE into FE initiative within the School. She is a module chair of T227, Academic Reviewer for ADA, and is lead for the OU’s decolonising computing project. She is passionate about using her position of privilege and power to transform education and is a founding member of the Culture and Education Working Party within the OU’s Awarding Gap Implementation Group.
Kate Feliciello, BSc(Hons), is a staff tutor at The Open University. She has worked for the Open University for 5 years teaching on a range of modules in the IT sector with a particular focus on developing programming skills. After graduating at the University of Salford, she held a number of roles developing her programming skills. She eventually worked as an IT consultant with one of Europe’s largest consultancy firms, assisting medium to large companies in the development of their IT systems. After a career change, Kate has moved into the education sector and prior to joining The Open University, had a successful career as a senior lecturer within the Further Education sector teaching arrange of IT programmes from BTEC to degree level.
Amaninder Singh B.Eng (Hons), SFHEA is a Staff Tutor and Lecturer in Computing at Open University. He has been an academic for more than 25 years and taught various computing subjects, presently teaching in Networking and Cybersecurity domains, interested in researching the effects of past biases on new technology and the relation between learner inclusiveness and decolonising the curriculum.
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