Paper short abstract:

This presentation shares the development and execution of a dynamic helical model of the Capability Approach. The Model was developed to create a pedagogical framework that addresses the development of Higher Education curricula and student experiences in Western liberal economies. Participants gain access to the practical and accessible framework, templates, and published student works.

Paper long abstract:

Proposal

In this presentation, participants learn to use a helical model of the Capability Approach (CA) as a normative pedagogical framework in Higher Education (HE).

The presentation begins with the foundational pedagogical structure of learning to be, learning to know, learning to live together, and learning to do (Delors, Mufti, Amagi, Carneiro, Chung & Geremek, 1996). The structure is a dynamic helix strengthening each iteration and encircles a sampling of wicked problems (Head & Alford, 2015). Next, participants see the integration of the framework for university courses, a nationally-funded campus-wide sustainability project, and for experiential learning activities for student researchers. The presentation demonstrates a CA model that identifies the "connections between people, their social relations, and their social embedment" (Robeyns, 2017).

Developing a Pedagogical Framework Development in the Age of Outcomes-Based Education

Governments in Western liberal economies envision funding for HE based on human capital theory (Wheelahan, 2019). To enact the strategy, governments use learning outcomes for "quality assurance, to modernize curriculum for societal interests, and to apply government and market influence upon the curriculum" (Brunet, 2022a; Ministry of Colleges and Universities, n.d.). In the 1960s, understanding HE in terms of human capital theory was descriptive. In the 1980s, human capital theory rationales for HE were normative. In the 2000s, governments viewed human capital theory as a prescriptive strategy for HE (Naidoo, 2003; Wheelahan, 2011). Simultaneously, there was also a shift in influential economies such as the United States, where the US Budget went from a significant focus on funding public goods at a scale of 75% in the 60s to 25% today (Carney, 2021). The models are increasingly individualistic.

This paper demonstrates how a helical model for the CA addresses the pedagogical challenges created by human capital theory in HE. Additionally, the model integrates the CA to address Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity, sustainability (financial, environmental, and generational) and recognition of the anthropocene (Boni & Walker, 2013, Nussbaum 2023). For example, the helical model at the second stage of development shifts to ontology, knowledge economy, network theory, and reflective practice. The third iteration of the model examines habitus, ecology of epistemologies, Ubuntu/Rangatira, and the examined life (Battiste, 2002; Bruns; Brunet 2023; Delors, Mufti, Amagi, Carneiro, Chung, & Geremek, 1996; Gade, 2011; Hart, 2012, 2019; Kolb & Kolb, 2017; Nicholson, Spiller & Pio, 2019; Peters, 2004, 2010; Nussbaum, 2010, 2011, 2019, 2023; Sen, 2001, 2007; Shiva, 2019; Slaughter, 2014; Susskind & Susskind, 2015; United Nations Development Programme, 2020; Walker, 2008, 2015, 2024; Walker & McLean, 2013; Vaugh & Walker, 2012; Unterhalter, 2020; Wheelahan, 2012). After the model is shared, the presentation contextualizes its application for university courses, a campus-wide project about sustainability, and undergraduate research student curriculum.

University Courses

In 2015, the author restructured special topics courses centred upon project management activities for liberal arts students. One course iteration supported a curriculum for students planning the African Diaspora Youth Conference (ADYC). The existing project had not previously provided course credit for students conducting their work. Students completed semi-structured coursework while organizing and executing the annual conference. Students learned about human rights through Nussbaum's Central Capabilities in the course. In another iteration, students learned about the housing crisis from subject matter experts and local politicians (Brunet, 2022b). In the course, students situated themselves through a LinkedIn assignment to explore their positionality and connect with peers (learning to be and learning to live together). Next, students learned about the CA through course readings (Alkire & Deneulin, 2009; Nussbaum, 2011), attending the online HDCA conference, and volunteering personal experiences to facilitate a multi-dimensional understanding of the human experience. Students also created structured reflections mapping their experiences on the terms of the helical model of the CA (learning to be, learning to know, learning to live together, and learning to do).

The developed strategy became part of a successful application for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Connections (SSHRC) grant titled UWill Discover Sustainable Futures Project.

UWill Discover Sustainable Futures Project

In 2023, the author was awarded funding from the institution's Office of Vice President of Research and Innovation and the SSHRC of Canada to launch a year-long project where students learned about sustainable futures. A central piece of the proposal was the infrastructure used for training (based on the CA) and the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. In learning to be, students completed an introductory speech exercise to explore their positionality and networked among their peers. In learning to know, over 200 students authored structured presentations about the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In learning to live together, students worked in groups to learn about leadership on the commons (Singh, Joy Thompson, and Curran, 2021). In learning to do, they created interactive pedagogical opportunities for students, organized a conference, participated in a writing retreat (Wiebe, Pratt, & Noël, 2023), and published the UWill Discover Journal. As a part of the conference, the author created structured reflections for student research assistants, enabling them to present the work they conducted with their advisors.

Experiential Learning Activities for Undergraduate Student Researchers

The University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, created the Outstanding Scholars program for high-achieving academic students who complete six paid research placements during their undergraduate studies. Understanding the voice of student research assistants is critical in creating space for their work and their being and becoming journeys (Martinez Vargas, 2022). In learning to be, students situate themselves within research projects by completing an introductory speech assignment. In learning to know and learning to live together, students share a mind map of their connections with people, places, skills acquired, and knowledge networks. In learning to do, students share a structured reflection using Kolb's Learning Cycle (Kolb & Kolb, 2017). As part of the learning cycle exercise, students access various CA concepts to frame their experiences (Brunet, Shaban, and Gonçalves, 2020). Students decide how, where, when and if the reflections are shared.

Further Development

This session refutes offering a conclusion to decolonize outcomes-based education.

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