Session 1 - Strand 2 (Online)

Abstract:

This presentation reflects on the delivery of a first-year Equality and Diversity in Education module on a BEd Primary Education course. The module has received positive feedback from Ofsted and has recently grown in student numbers, leading to a shift from single-lecturer delivery to a shared teaching model. While I continue to lead the main lecture for the full cohort, seminars are now taught in smaller groups across two members of academic staff. A distinctive feature of the module is that students are able to choose which seminar format they attend, giving them some autonomy in how they engage with the content. This approach also allows us to meet a wide variety of preferred learning strategies and to support a cohort that includes neurodiverse learners. One seminar follows a clearly structured sequence of activities with defined tasks and outcomes, while the other is more discussion-led, allowing students space to shape dialogue and draw on their emerging professional perspectives. The session will reflect on the thinking behind offering these parallel approaches and consider what we are noticing in terms of participation, depth of discussion, and student confidence. It invites conversation about consistency, autonomy, and teaching values-driven content at scale.