Conferences

Innovative Practices and Pedagogies for Teaching Undergraduate International Development Studies

Friday, March 25-Saturday, March 26, 2022

Scholars and instructors teaching in the field of international development studies (IDS) play an important role in shaping the next generation of development practitioners. In this work, IDS instructors strive to cultivate meaningful learning experiences that offer a critical, decolonial lens on the project of development while simultaneously providing knowledge and skills essential for a successful career in the field (Spratt, 2015; Woolcock, 2007). While there is growing scholarship highlighting the value of decolonial and critical pedagogies (Cameron, Quadir, Tiessen, 2013; Langdon, 2013; Sims, 2018) and complicating experiential learning abroad, there remains limited scholarship detailing best practices, pedagogical approaches, lesson plans, readings, or activities that achieve these goals. This workshop aims to fill this gap by highlighting innovative educaitonal practices, pedagogies, and programs being employed in the field of IDS.

Presenters will be invited to publish their presentation and related materials on the Tobias Center website and in an open-access book.

Workshop Schedule

Below you will find an overview of the workshop sessions and their times. For a downloadable version of the schedule, click here.
All times are listed in Eastern Time, GMT -4:00

Friday, March 25, 2022

Join us a bit early to check in, test your technology, and get settled in the virtual space.

Sarah Bauerle Danzman and Elisheva (Elly) Cohen, Tobias Center for Innovation in International Development at Indiana University Bloomington

Ruth Murumba, Moi University

Upenyu Majee, Michigan State University; Nicole Webster, Pennsylvania State University; Jamie Monson, Michigan State University; Opal Leeman Bartiz, Michigan State University; Ann Allegra, Consultant, Rachel Lockart, Michigan State University;Colman Titus Msoka, University of Dar es Salaam

Stand up and stretch!

Jennifer Melvin, University of Roehampton; Gulzat Botoeva, University of Roehampton; Catherine Loy, University of Roehampton

Charity Chisoro, Program Officer, Africa Evidence Network; Aziza Modise, Researcher, Africa Centre for Evidence; Siziwe Ngcwabe, Operations Lead, Africa Evidence Network

We encourage everyone to use this time to step away from your screen, have something to eat, take a short walk, and relax.

We will keep the Zoom room open and invite you to keep your camera on and chat with your colleagues. You can use the open breakout room feature to join a separate room if you'd like.

Participants participate in a short activity to review and reflect upon what they have learned so far.

Romain Chenet, University of Warwick

Breakout 1: Video Storytelling to Assess the Impact of a Decolonizing Classroom
Pedagogy and Curriculum, Emily Van Houweling, Regis University; Carolyn Tarr, Regis University; Cristin Jensen Lasser, Regis University; Nina Miller, Regis University

Breakout 2: Innovations in Global Experiential Learning for Advancing New Partnerships in International Development Studies, Rebecca Tiessen, University of Ottawa; Jessica Cadesky, University of Ottawa; Leva Rouhani, University of Ottawa; Willy Oppenheim, Omprakash

We encourage you to step away from your screen, stand up, stretch, and take a break!

Marylynn Steckley, Carlton University

Leonard Hammer, University of Arizona; Liudmila Klimanova, University of Arizona; William Simmons, University of Arizona

Wrap up for the day

Stay on the Zoom session a while longer and enjoy more casual conversation with colleagues.

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Bring your tea or coffee to the Zoom room early and chat with your colleagues about the previous day's sessions.

Emily Van Houweling, Regis University; Olanrewaju Olaniyan, University of Ibadan; Muriel Côte, University of Lund; Donya Zikry, University of Lund; Catia Gregoratti, University of Lund; Swarup Dutta, TERI School for Advanced Studies, India; Karen Brown, University of Minnesota; Nathan Jeide-Detweiler, University of Minnesota

Rita Udor, Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies

Stand up, step away from your screens, and stretch

Lujia Feng, University of Manchester; Paul Barry, University of Manchester

Breakout 1: A Critical-Creative Pedagogy for Teaching International Development, Anke Schwittay, University of Sussex

Breakout 2: Concrete Approaches to Decolonizing Your Pedagogy: Lessons from Africa, Charity Chisoro, Africa Evidence Network; Siziwe Ngcwabe, Africa Evidence Network, Kirchuffs Atengble, PACKS Africa

Participants participate in a short activity to review and reflect upon what they have learned so far.

We encourage everyone to use this time to step away from your screen, have something to eat, take a short walk, and relax.

We will keep the Zoom room open and invite you to keep your camera on and chat with your colleagues. You can use the open breakout room feature to join a separate room if you'd like.

Hilary King, Emory University

Ben Gardner, University of Washington Bothell; Ron Krabill, University of Washington; Anu
Taranath, University of Washington Seattle

Step away from the screen and stretch

Jonathan Sears, Canadian Mennonite University at University of Winnipeg

John-Michael Davis, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Scott Jiusto, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Stand up and stretch

Courtney Kurlanska, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Thank you so much for your participation in this workshop! Please keep in touch.

Schedule at a Glance

All times are listed in Eastern Time, GMT -4:00

March 25, 2022March 26, 2022

8:30-9:00: Login and get settled

9:00-9:45: Welcome, opening remarks, and opening activities

9:45-10:05: Bridging Theory and Practice in the Field of IDS

10:05-11:05: Engaging the Contradictions of Decolonial Pedagogies and Practices within Development Studies

11:05-11:15: Break

11:15-12:15: Concurrent Sessions

  • Hidden Pathways: Uncovering and Mapping the Movement of Money through London
  • Innovations in Global Experiential Learning for Advancing New Partnerships in International Development Studies

12:15-12:35: Decolonising Teaching of Development Studies through Social Learning: A Case of A Short-Learning Programme from the Africa Center for Evidence

12:35-1:35: Lunch

1:35-1:50: Reflection session

1:50-2:10: Levering into Fraught Interdisciplinarity: A Case Study in Teaching ‘Population,’ 

2:10-3:10: Video Storytelling to Assess the Impact of a Decolonizing Classroom Pedagogy and Curriculum

3:10-3:20: Break

3:20-3:40: Virtual Experiential Learning: Craft as Global Social Relation

3:40-4:40: Multi-nodal Project-based Learning in Central Asia: Avenues for Engagement

4:40-5:00: Wrap up

5:00-6:00: Virtual Happy Hour (optional)

8:00-9:00: Coffee Chat (optional)

9:00-10:00: Decolonizing Strategies and Challenges in Five Master of Development Practice Programs

10:00-10:20: Case Studies of Different Approaches to Teaching Development Studies

10:20-10:30: Break

10:30-10:50: Designing and Implementing Learning Experience-Based Enhancement Programmes for a Master’s Program in Human Resource Management (International Development) and Management and Implementation of Development Practice (MSc MIDP)

10:50-11:50: Concurrent Sessions

  • A Critical-Creative Pedagogy for Teaching International Development
  • Concrete Approaches to Decolonizing Your Pedagogy: Lessons from Africa

11:50-12:10: Reflection session

12:10-1:10: Lunch

1:10-1:30: The Social Life of Data: Reflexive Learning through Participatory Curriculum Audits

1:30-2:30: Reimagining Global Citizenship and International Education

2:30-2:45: Break

2:45-3:05: Teaching Senior/Master's IDS Students with Desire for Development (B. Heron 2007)

3:05-4:05: Exploring Ethical International Development Experiences for Undergrads: Reflections and Departures from WPI’s South Africa and Puerto Rico Project Centers

4:05-410: Stretch break

4:10-4:30: Mini-Projects

4:30-5:00: Wrap up

Join the Conversation Online

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @TobiasDevIU to learn more about this workshop and all the work that we do. Use hashtag #TobiasWorkshops to follow the conversation and share your own reflections and ideas about development studies pedagogy!