Assistant Professor Kahente Horn-Miller (School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies) is one of our “headliners” for Spring Conference 2019. Her presentation is entitled Decolonizing data: Indigenous pedagogy In the online environment to make space for Indigenous voices in the academy. As Kahente explains, indigenous worldviews give rise to distinct forms of teaching and learning, including elements such as:
- land-based learning
- learning by doing
- learning by example
- learning through observation
- storytelling
- humour
Indigenous knowledge traditions are often based on the oral transmission of stories and information. The recovery of these approaches and their application in educational environments has been viewed as a critical aspect of the decolonizing project. The online learning environment might be seen to challenge Indigenous approaches to teaching and learning. Online learning can be asynchronous, and might be seen as lacking a connection to place. At the same time the technological tools provided in the on-line environment might offer new possibilities for learning and making space for Indigenous voices in the academy. Using the Carleton University example, Kahente will discuss Indigenous approaches to teaching and learning in an online environment and making space for Indigenous voices.