Words Matter seminar 2

As a follow up to our successful Words Matter seminar in October 2023, the Access, Participation and Success team in the Office of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Students) held a second Words Matter seminar on Tuesday 21 November from.  The aim of the seminar was to bring experiences from across Higher and Further Education to a wide audience on how what we say and write can impact widening participation and student success.

The seminar provoked thought and discussion on the words we say and write, and how they can have a huge impact on our students, especially those already marginalised by society. Questions for consideration at the seminar will included:

• do we think enough about the words we choose?
• how do we build belonging through the language we choose?
• how do we make our words engaging for all?
• how do we identify the hurdles and ditches made of words and phrases that lay ahead of our students?
• how do we remove these?
• what is the impact of labelling?
• are we removing or enforcing stereotypes?
• are the words we choose selected to engage or to make us feel clever?
• how do we bring rich colours to our content but avoid painting people into corners?
• do metaphors, colloquialisms, and idioms open or close down content?

The seminar presentations provided insights from research, lessons learned from initiatives, policy changes and the results to share good practice.  

Session recordings and presentations

Bridging the Gap: The Limitations of Language

Dr Frankie Morgan, University of Wolverhampton

Click to download Bridging the Gap: The Limitations of Language (.pptx)

What can it mean to feel under-represented?

Prof Rachael O’Connor, University of Leeds

Click to download What can it mean to feel under-represented? (.pptx)

Who ‘Belongs’ Anyway?: Looking at APP students’ own words to explore the accuracy and purpose of the term ‘belonging’

Helen Williams, Enya-Marie Clay and Jo Blissett, The Open University

Click to download Who ‘Belongs’ Anyway?: Looking at APP students’ own words to explore the accuracy and purpose of the term ‘belonging’ (.pptx)

‘She’s like a mother to the Course’: a gender analysis of Student-Led Teaching Award nominations

Sophie Banks, The Open University

Click to download ‘She’s like a mother to the Course’: a gender analysis of Student-Led Teaching Award nominations (.pptx)

Panel Discussion

The event ended with a discussion with the following panel members:

• Farnaz Rais (Chair) – Stakeholder Engagement and Delivery Lead – APS within the PVC-S unit, The Open University
• Dr Gurnam Singh - Hon Associate Professor of Sociology University of Warwick and Visiting Fellow in Race and Education, UAL, London
• John Brennan - Professor of Higher Education Research, The Open University
• Lurraine Jones - Director of EDI, The Open University

Click here to download presentation abstracts and presenter bios.

For further information please contact the Access, Participation and Success team.