Capturing the moment: facilitating learning from the margins. A photographic essay
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi33.1248Keywords:
third space, critical pedagogy, group work, equality, diversity and inclusionAbstract
The author provides a case study of third space innovation, a professional's reflection on practice, focusing on a learning developer's approach to facilitating group learning from the margins. The author defines this as facilitated learning that prioritises the experiences, voices and needs of individuals or groups who are typically underrepresented, underserved or marginalised. It is an approach that shifts focus away from mainstream or dominant perspectives to ensure that diverse viewpoints and experiences are acknowledged and included in the learning process. It signals a new direction for research into the 'facilitation process' in learning development. The author uses photographic essay methodology to explore this as part of a meta-reflective account (Rianne and Huib, 2019). The approach enables the author to punctuate critical moments of group facilitation with visual illustrations to aid analysis and reflection. The themes of interdisciplinary approaches to group work and collaborative experiences in learning development are explored. Collaboration can create opportunities for third space individuals to gain professional and personal empowerment and agency (Abegglen, Burns and Sinfield, 2023).
The author identifies vital character proponents for personal empowerment and agency by modelling compassion as a humanistic endeavour. This shows vulnerability and congruence in facilitating learning within higher education's neoliberal, neo-colonial context. It demonstrates an awareness of the oppressive forces of higher education by exercising understanding of the student experience. It encourages experiential learning as a method to develop innovation in learning development.
References
Abegglen, S., Burns T. and Sinfield, S. (2023) Collaboration in higher education. London: Bloomsbury Academic. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350334083
Archer (2003) Structure, agency and internal conversation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Brazant, K. (2022) ‘Making space to think about race as part of pedagogy’, Times Higher Education, 23 March. Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/making-space-academic-colleagues-think-about-race-part-pedagogy (Accessed: 3 November 2024).
Brazant, K. (2023) ‘Disrupting the discourse: applying critical race theory as a conceptual framework for reflecting on learning and teaching in higher education’, Equity in Education & Society, 3(1), pp.61-75. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/27526461231163325
Sutton-Brown, A.C. (2015) ‘Photovoice: a methodological guide, Photography and Culture, 7(2), pp.169-185. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2752/175145214X13999922103165
Carr, W. and Kemmis, S. (1986) Becoming critical. education, knowledge and action research. London: Routledge Falmer.
English, F. (2015) 'Genre as a pedagogical resource' in T. Lillis, K. Harrington, M. Lea, and S. Mitchel (eds.) Working with academic literacies: case studies towards transformative practice. Anderson, South Carolina: Parlor Press. Available at: https://wac.colostate.edu/books/perspectives/lillis/ (Accessed: 3 November 2024).
Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum.
Freire, P. (1973) Education for critical consciousness. New York: Seabury Press.
Giddens, A. and Pierson, C. (1998) Conversations with Anthony Giddens: making sense of modernity. Polity Press.
Gilbert, T. (2017) ‘When looking is allowed: what compassionate group work looks like in a UK university’, in P. Gibbs (ed.) The pedagogy of compassion at the heart of higher education. Cham: Springer Nature.
Gutiérrez, D.K. (2008) ‘Developing a sociocritical literacy in the third space’, Reading Research Quarterly, 43(2), pp. 148-164. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.43.2.3
Heron, J. (1999) The complete facilitator's handbook. London: Kogan Page.
Hill, V., Broadhead, S, Bunting, L., Da Costa, L., Currant, N., Greated, M., Hughes, P., Mantho, R., Salines, E, Stevens, T. (2023) Belonging through assessment: pipelines of compassion, QAA Collaborative enhancement project. Available at: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects/assessment/belonging-through-assessment-pipelines-of-compassion (Accessed: 3 November 2024).
Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Lounge Akademics (2019) She changes everything. Live podcast recording event. Available at: https://linktr.ee/loungeakademics (Accessed: 3 November 2024).
Mcintosh, E. and Nutt, D. (2022) The impact of the integrated practitioner in higher education, studies in third space professionalism. London: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.
Nesari, J.A. (2015) 'Dialogism versus monologism: a Bakhtinian approach to teaching', Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 205, pp. 642-647. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.09.101
Rianne V.M. and Huib E. (2019) ‘"Looking with intention": using photographic essays as didactical tool to explore Berlin’, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 43(4), pp.431-451. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1660864
Rogers, A. and Horrocks, N. (1996) Teaching adults. Open University Press.
Rogers, C. (1967) ‘The interpersonal relationship in the facilitation of learning', in H. Kirschenbaum and V.L. Henderson (eds.) 1990) The Carl Rogers Reader London: Constable.
Schwarz, R.M. (2002) The skilled facilitator: a comprehensive resource for consultants, facilitators, managers, trainers and coaches. 2nd edn. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.
Smith, M.K. (2009) 'Facilitating learning and change in groups', The encyclopaedia of pedagogy and informal education. Available at: https://infed.org/mobi/facilitating-learning-and-change-in-groups-and-group-sessions/ (Accessed: 3 November 2024).
Smith, M. K. (2011) 'What is Praxis?' The encyclopaedia of pedagogy and informal education. Available at: https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-praxis/ (Accessed: 3 November 2024).
Stewart, T.T. and McClure G. (2013) 'Freire, Bakhtin and collaborative pedagogy: a dialogue with students and mentors', International Journal for Dialogical Science, 7(1), pp.91 -108. Available at: https://ijds.lemoyne.edu/journal/7_1/pdf/IJDS.7.1.08.Stewart_McClure.pdf (Accessed: 3 November 2024).
Thorne, B. (1992) Key figures in counselling and psychotherapy: Carl Rogers. London: Sage.
Tsekeris, C. (2010) 'Reflections on reflexivity: sociological issues and perspectives', Contemporary Issues, 3(1). Available at: https://suvremene-teme.vern.hr/reflections-on-reflexivity-sociological-issues-and-perspective/ (Accessed: 3 November 2024).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
