PgCert Blog

This project points toward a future of illustration education that is more open and more honest about contemporary visual culture. Students already operate across diverse influences, from childhood media, lived experiences and academic studies. Yet, acknowledging the conversations had within the focus group, these influences are not always acknowledged within formal teaching What is academia failing to recognise? Why is obvious cultural capital overlooked?

Three important points emerged during the focus group.

Firstly, there was a clear acknowledgement that manga and anime hold cultural weight. Even when described as “low art,” participants recognised their influence on visual language and popular culture. Regardless of how they are categorised, manga and anime shape a large proportions of student image making and consumption today. 

Secondly, there does seem to be a gap or lack of understanding regarding the topic. Tutors feel as though there is no academic acknowledgement or support which then leads to uncertainty and unconscious bias against the art form. It is seen more as a problem within learning rather than a true art expression. 

This lack of understanding or unconscious bias leads onto the anxieties surrounding manga and anime, particularly around violence or misogyny. Manga and anime are often scrutinised because they are visible as a single category, while similar themes in Western media are dispersed across film, television, fine art, and literature. There is no direct Western equivalent to manga or anime. Treating these concerns as unique to Japanese media risks reinforcing a Eurocentric lens that frames Western culture as neutral and others as excessive or problematic. Manga and anime should be approached with the same critical awareness as any cultural material, not exceptional suspicion.

What became clear is that manga and anime carry real pedagogical value, particularly within illustration and wider art and design contexts. Students gravitate toward this material because it reflects how they see the world and how visual culture functions beyond Western traditions. Taking this engagement seriously could help narrow the gap between institutional expectations and student practice. However, this engagement needs depth. Without care, inclusion risks becoming tokenistic or appropriative.

Using insights from the focus group, I have curated a custom Padlet page that acts as a digital reference resource. This resource could support tutors who feel unsure where to begin or further their knowledge on the subject. I can help guide tutors through the material, but the resource is also intentionally open. It invites collaboration, acknowledging that no single perspective can define such a broad field. Rather than presenting authority, the resource functions as an entry point.

Beyond illustration, this project contributes to broader conversations about inclusivity and relevance in art education. For me personally, it has confirmed that there is space for this work to grow. My next step is developing the project further through discussions with course leadership and exploring appropriate platforms for it to live.

Padlet Link

Focus Group – 12/12/25 – Questions about manga and anime in academia 

Panel – 6 Speaker, 1 moderator

What comes to mind when you think of manga and anime and how familiar do you consider yourselves with these forms?

Speaker 2 – Bleach.. 

Speaker 3 – Howls Moving Castle. 

Speaker 4 – Spiky hair. 

Speaker 5 – Familiar with the style but maybe not the contextual cultural framing. 

Speaker 3 – Neon Genesis Evangelion. 

Speaker 6 – Dan Dan Dan, Demon Slayer. 

Speaker 1 – I used to watch a lot when I was 16, then I stopped – 

Moderator – why did you stop – 

Speaker 1 – I found this narrative structure being a bit repetitive. I’m talking about shows, like series, not like Ghibli they are different.. 

Speaker 5 – Like Dragon Ball Z, 

Speaker 1 – Yh Like Dragon Ball Z, its like that structure you know, I grew tired of it. But not films! I’m a big fan of One Piece thats the only exception… 

Speaker 6 – Whats one piece?

Speaker 1 – Its the best selling manga and anime. It’s like, you know, pirates, the guy who stretches.. 

Speaker 4 – Oh that one!

Speaker 2 – Full Metal Alchemist.

Speaker 6 – I have heard thats really good but never watched it. 

Speaker 1 – I know that brotherhood is pretty good.

Speaker 5 – I’ve stopped watching, or being curious or interested for two reasons. One I’m a wuss when it comes to watching tip telly, so I just can’t take stress levels. Spirited away nearly took me out!

Speaker 1 – It’s intense, It’s so intense!

Speaker 5 – I’m a total wuss, and I’m not even ashamed of it… and the second reason is I found that I got really fed up with the giant eyes, the very tiny chin, the itty bitty mouth and the over sexualized young girls, because I might watching anime or hentai?

Speaker 6 – I don’t want to minimise the hyper the hypersexualization of young women in anime and manga, but I feel like the men are very very sexualized..

Speaker 4 – Yup!

Speaker 5 – They are kind of pumped up

Speaker 2 – yeah they are also real androgynous

Speaker 6 – That is true

Speaker 2 – Most of the men are quite, like very slender, very pale, very sort of like their features are sort of like, quite beautiful.

Speaker 6 – But everybody seem like they are being fetishised, and obviously there are levels to it and there is the particular Issue around misogyny in the depiction of underage girls, particularly in uniform, school uniform and other uniforms as well but yeah but like so much of the narrative and style from a very limited engagement with it seems to be training off kind of like the Politics of desire.

Speaker 5 – I quite like this studio Ghibli treatment, because very often the girls are not submissive 

Speaker 6 – hundred percent 

Speaker 2 – absolutely 

Speaker 5 – very often they are the heroes of the story, 

Speaker 3 – the main protagonist, 

Speaker 5 – yeah and not sexualised but some of the others

Speaker 6 – But with Studio Ghibli they are also very very young but they are place appropriately off within the context of childhood or coming of age yeah space held for that within the narrative…

Speaker 2 – There lots of coming of age with Studio Ghibli ones, lots of coming of age.

Speaker 6 – It’s like reckoning the self and reckoning the family structure.

Speaker 2 – Kiki’s delivery service, all about that transitions of being a child into an self sufficient adult. 

Speaker 6 – or is it Poyo

Speaker 5 – Ponyo

Speakers – Ponyo!

Speaker 6 – which has got one of the most tender love stories init, because there is so little, not sexual element to it and there is love that super seeds desire or lust, or its almost plutonic. 

Speaker 2 – Ghibli is so different to the others

Speaker 4 – Anime and manga has given Japan a very extended cultural capital though, and around the world.

Speaker 5 – America needed to take a break, so someone had to take over. 

Can anyone describe any personal experience with engaging with anime and manga as a viewer, as a reader or as an educator?

Speaker 6 – I don’t like conversations I often hear around anime and manga that pertained to like educate, like people are very I don’t feel like we’ve had conversations as a staff team before but in person and online meetings where it’s like really really dragged and I’m kind of curious as to why it’s such a like people are so interested in kind of picking it apart over perhaps other equally stylized or culturally situated art forms. And you know this kind of question around hypersexualization is obviously really important but I feel like it happens in lots of others, like we think about a lot of western or Hollywood for example is like dependent upon the hypersexualisation of young girls and boys. 

Speaker 5 –  Disney until Moana

Speaker 6 – 100%

Speaker 5 – Moana was the first one who didn’t have a love interest and her parents were still alive.

Speaker 6 – 100%

Speaker 4 – There was Mowie 

Speaker 5 – That wasn’t a love interested

Speaker 4 – Oh 

Speaker 6 – I’m really interested in how it’s situated in conversations I’ve heard educators have, where it seems to be hyper visible in relation to its particular problems. But I’d argue those problems exist elsewhere as well. So I kind of thoughts around a xenophobic aspect but I also have thoughts around maybe people are quite comfortable interrogating it, because for a predominantly white, western staff/team it kind of sits outside the realm of cultural significance and also cultural relevance, and therefore it can be attacked and analysed in ways that don’t don’t need to take account for those things. I have a lot of students that work within the style and cultural context of anime and manga, and I always say to them, as long as you feel you are contributing something meaningful to it I have no issue with it. I don’t see why there is a problem contributing to a very distinct, existing art form as long as you’re finding your way of… Because for me a lot of people, maybe there is not a meaningful relationship with it, they see it as something that can not be contributed to. I feel as a lot of conversations I have with educators around anime and manga they see anyone contributing to that art form as copying and replicating.

Speaker 3 – The style is so distinctive 

Speaker 6 – But like that’s true for lots of things, but why is the conversation so specific around anime and manga. Why have we decided that its not possible to make a meaningful narrative or stylistic contribution to it.

Speaker 4 – Because there is so much of it.

Speaker 5 – As an educator I have to see the references, what I have to see is your process, so I’d have to see what references you use, I have to see how you made made it yours, how you added your style to it so you weren’t just copying, obviously you will take influence from something and you might merge a few but I need to see that come together, as I would with anything else and see you put your thing that makes it yours.

Speaker 1 – Rightly so generalized and applied to any influence 

Speaker 6 – As you should because that’s practice

Speaker 1 – The doubt arises when we wonder whether exactly its copying, for the sake of copying because practice is good on one hand or is it just merely copying, or just intake the influence without digesting it. Again going back to the original question which is why doesn’t that happen… the only thing that comes closer to manga can be maybe mainstream super hero comics.

Speaker 4 – Yh I was about to say Marvel.

Speaker 1 – That follows a similar trajectory and of course we don’t ask that question now like oh why do you draw that type of art.

Speaker 5 – I think I have an answer for that. Ignorance! I don’t know all the characters in anime but I know all the characters in marvel, and i know all the characters in disney. I can tell when you’ve copied something, but I don’t know with anime I’m just going to assume. There is a gazillion of them you’ve just copied one.

Speaker 1 – Its true

Speaker 2 – But from a western point of view does there seem to be appropriation involved?

Speaker 4 – Agreed

Speaker 2 – It’s so global, its so universal in regards to manga. A lot of American animation now, very similar style of drawings, the way they characterise faces. Is that a question that come up?

Speaker 6 – I’m thinking of an MA Illustration and Visual Media student who was interested in world building and they wanted to work with Star Wars after graduation and like whether that comes true not something they were interested in being able to manifest that through a portfolio piece so they developed a new plot line and character to contribute to the existing Star Wars universe. So there it was interesting that the conversations that happened in relation to their work where it was seen as like what the Star Wars wanted or not it was seen as like a valid and valuable creative exercise to think about how you might contribute something that’s already set. So exactly I think it just like feeds into the your question which is generosity extends to… 

Moderator – I’m going to pause it there

Speaker 5 – I have one more thing to add to that point though. As a parent I find it incredibly violent and dystopian. But what I will say is the world that my children are growing up in seems very violent and dystopian and maybe that’s why they connect it. Whereas that was not my upbringing experience and maybe it’s a bit of denial but maybe that’s what i dont want life to be about, I don’t necessarily want to see that. When my daughter watches Attack on Titan, four times, knowing all her favourite characters will be slaughtered each time and sits there and cry. Why! Why are you traumising yourself like this! And her response is – But it’s such a good show!

Speaker 3 – Maybe it’s a safe space to have that emotion

Speaker 5 – Maybe they grown up with so much trauma in the world!

Speaker 2- That’s interesting because the Ghibli stuff come out of trauma from the second world war, and a lot of it comes from Hiroshima.

Speaker 5 – But all the Ghibli stuff ends with a joyful resolution – ish

Speaker 4 – Ish

Speaker 1 – Which is interesting if you consider the man himself Miyazaki who is known for being a miserable person, 

Speaker 6 – Miserable in what sense

Speaker 1 – He’s miserable like he has no faith 

Speaker 6 – He’s like a sad boy

Speaker 1 – Yeah he’s like sad boy

Speaker 6 – Is that quite useful maybe?

Speaker 1 – Its interesting though. Why does he make those stories?

Speaker 2 – One of the big themes about Ghibli is about wind, it’s about air. Ghibli itself is the name for a certain wind. Wind features in a lot of their films, which is very uplifting. The Wind Rises, Totoro, which is incredibly uplifting. So that’s interesting that a very miserable person makes these very uplifting stories.

Speaker 1 – Its therapy probably, its therapeutic.

Speaker 6 – This is pure fantasy though, but maybe he is miserable because he knows what he wants to see, he is telling the stories he wants to see, I love that man I’ll give him a green card!

Speaker 1 – I love him. He’s just a sad man.

How often do your students reference or incorporate manga and anime influences in their creative work?

Speaker 1 – Quite often

Speaker 6 – It turns out that a lot of my students have personal projects that are manga and anime oriented or influenced, but they don’t feel comfortable sharing them in the academic environment. Its seen within our UAL context as a lower art form or an art form that they’ll know they’ll be critiqued for

Speaker 1 – Did you have that feeling?

Speaker 6 – No I know it, particularly with the reflective log that we have now introduced, you’ll go through their sketchbooks and there will be a lot of personal work incorporated alongside the studio labs. A lot of it is anime and manga. I’ve had multiple conversations where I’ve asked students about that work, and they won’t talk about, oh it’s a personal project.

Speaker 4 – It’s a guilty pleasure 

Speaker 6 – Its frame as such in the context of UAL

Speaker 1 – It’s because we do not offer anything in our program that bridges that interests that they have in manga

Speaker 6 – Do they teach it at all? Even as a reference, does it come up at all?

Speaker 1 – I’ve brought it up a few times. But also what I encouraged them in the unit that I ran is that they can use the tools that I provided about basic drawing, fundamental, anatomy can be used with any style, especially manga. I’ve seen people drawing manga, I’ve been encouraging them. If you want to draw manga style do it, for me it’s a matter of digesting, if they like something for the sake of liking it, but what does it mean to draw in manga style? They are young, they haven’t developed a strong enough critical view on it. If we were to provide them with more chances to use the manga or anime influence they are in to they will do it, they will stop making that individual work and it’ll embed in them.

Speaker 3 – I feel like I don’t know enough about it. So when I see it, it feels like they are all drawing from a similar way and they don’t reference it.

Speaker 2 – What do you mean by they reference it?

Speaker 3 – They don’t say what they were influenced by. For instance, one of my students in first year has made a whole wooden sword. It’s incredible, he showed me a picture of what he was influenced by and its that aesthetic of the beautiful, androgynous looking, flowing robs, and cherry blossoms in the background. I’ve seen this aesthetic so many times in the past year or in the past few years, and I don’t know what the reference is, I wish I knew more about that.

Speaker 4 – They might now even know, it might be subconscious. 

Speaker 2 – Most of the students are east asian and chinese, is there any association with that. It must be very popular in China, there might be some sort of cultural intake. 

Speaker 3 – Probably 

Speaker 6 – I was doing a crit with MA students this morning and there were three of them working within the realm of anime and manga. It was really fun watching them talk about each others work because they knew the references and they were able to talk about it in not only in terms of like the references and the various story lines within those references but they were really kind of like interrogating the visual language, so there was like one student who actually was Southeast Asian who was creating a short story that was around achieving flow state and the style wasn’t in anime or manga style, he was using a lot of the kind of visual elements that you might see in anime or manga around blurring aura and it was really interesting how other students were able to like immediately recognize it. It was actually really fun crit because I didn’t have that much to contribute, so my job then was to be prod them in terms of the questions they were asking but they have this really like contextually rich, shared, thing that they will pulling from there was a little bit really meaningful. The thing that made it stand out for me is that they were really really digging into these like visual languages and visual elements and thinking might be applied or extended. Because MA is set up so differently we dont really have crits in the same way. It was fun!

Focus groups felt like the most appropriate method for this project because they allow shared meanings and experiences to emerge through conversation. Rather than extracting individual opinions, focus groups create space for collective discussion. As Wilkinson (1998) describes, focus groups are informal discussions structured around a topic selected by the researcher. What makes them powerful is the interaction itself. Participants respond not only to questions, but to each other.

Krueger and Casey (2015) emphasise that focus groups are particularly useful in educational research because they reveal how attitudes and beliefs are formed, challenged, and negotiated. This was important for a topic like manga and anime, where legitimacy and value are socially constructed.

My aim is to not to reach some sort of agreement, but bring to light issues or gaps in knowledge regarding the topic. I invited Illustration and Visual Media tutors because I teach with them, they are directly engaged with the curriculum and teaching material, whether institutionally or informally.

Although the concept of power between tutors should be seen as equal, each tutor has their own practice and lived experience regarding creativity, this is something I need to bare in mind. Also as the moderator I have to remain aware of how my presence shapes the discussion. I understand I have a bias and this can lead to me affecting the results of the focus group, so trying to stay neutral while asking questions and listening is vital. Also, ethical considerations around confidentiality, disclosure, and group dynamics were central. Focus groups can encourage openness, but they can also silence voices if not carefully moderated.

Regarding the subject matter, I understand that particular themes such as violence, sexual content, drugs and perceived immaturity will be brought up, this is something that I must warn all participants of before discussing the topic. These concerns are things that have been brought to my attention many times since starting the ARP and this might echo the institutions anxieties surrounding manga and anime.

This will be might first time leading a focus group or taking part in an academic research project I believe in and as Wilkinson notes (1998), thinking is a social activity. Observing that process helps clarify what kind of support tutors might actually need in regards to this art form.

Honestly my Ethical Action Plan was a bit complex and confusing since I didn’t actually know what my research approach would be.

Frequent back and forth emails with Frederico challenged my understanding of not only the project but it means to consider peoples opinions and sensitivities to a subject matter. Personally I think I have a long way to go to full grasp ethical consideration when conducting research, but I am more than happy to receive feedback of my peers or other professional for further development.

The link to my ethical plan is below.

https://omarhernandez.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2026/01/Omar-H-Ethical-Action-Plan-Template-2025-26.pdf

Decolonising the curriculum is often misunderstood as simply adding diverse content. In practice, it is about questioning which knowledge is valued, who it is for, and who gets to be heard. Pillay (2022) describes it as resisting colonial and racialised systems of knowing while creating space for alternative ways of thinking and learning.

Within western higher education, colonial structures persist through syllabi, assessment models, and assumptions about what counts as serious knowledge. Pillay argues that denying students access to knowledge that reflects their lived experiences is a form of injustice. When students’ cultural references are dismissed, they are positioned as less credible contributors to learning.

Manga and anime sit awkwardly within these structures. Due to mass production and popularity,  it is often categorised as “low” art. Even though the distinction between high and low art is widely criticised, it still shapes how art is taught and valued. As John A. Fisher notes, these categories continue to influence institutional respect. So the “lower” the art the lower cultural value or respect it has.

UAL, like many Western art institutions, privileges European art histories and traditions. This isn’t always explicit, but it shows up in reading lists, examples used in teaching, and what is framed as reference worthy. Popular visual cultures, especially non-Western ones, are often sidelined. In my years of being a student and  teaching I have never seen (or don’t remember) seeing a manga or anime used in any illustration reading list. 

Ironically, in the late 80s when Japan was going through economic struggle, amateur manga artist were viewed as ‘antisocial’, since large sections of Japanese youth would express their ‘radical political movements’ and ‘cultural activities’ through the manga medium (Kinsella S, 1998). For me, these dismissive attitudes echo a familiar pattern in Western academia, where forms of expression that sit outside accepted traditions are often undervalued or ignored.

I believe manga and anime can use narratives to challenge hierarchies and expresses the realities of society today. Maybe this is why young people are drawn to the art form, a visual spectacle for speculative or documented truths.

bell hooks’ Teaching to Transgress offers a useful parallel. When she discusses Black vernacular culture and rap music, she shows how marginalised cultural forms can disrupt dominant ways of knowing, while also warning of the risk of trivialisation (hooks, 1994). Inclusion without understanding can strip these forms of their power.

This is a real risk with manga and anime. If they are included superficially, they become a novelty or sit within the realm of tokenism. For them to function as meaningful teaching resources, tutors need the support to unlearn inherited biases. As hooks notes, this process is uncomfortable but necessary.

My relationship with manga and anime goes back to childhood. Whenever I visited my family in Chile, my mornings would start early, sitting in front of the TV watching an arrangement of anime shows before the day began. Coming back to the UK was somewhat disappointing in comparison. Apart from shows like Batman, X-Men, or Spider-Man, Western cartoons felt flat. I could never find the anime that offered ridiculous humour, visual intensity and more importantly understandable visual narratives.

Each trip to Chile also meant picking up manga. I didn’t just enjoy the stories; I studied the artwork. The compositions of characters and worlds, the way emotions was drawn into faces and bodies. Recreating what I was reading which eventually led me to create my own one or two page comics. At the time, I didn’t think of this as “learning,” but looking back, this was my first engagement with visual storytelling.

That early exposure shaped how I think and work as an illustrator now. Manga pushed me toward narrative-led image-making. It influenced how I think about anatomy, exaggeration, movement, and atmosphere. It also gave me permission to explore the strange, the surreal, and the emotional without needing to justify it. I felt as though manga/anime existed beyond boundaries and western   comics/cartoons regulated itself, it felt too safe.

Manga is often first published serially in weekly or monthly magazines, sometimes hundreds of pages long, before being collected into volumes. This industrial and cultural structure has no real Western equivalent, which partly explains why it is often misunderstood (Berndt, 2018).

Anime is closely linked but distinct. Often adapted from manga, anime translates these stories into moving image. As Understanding Manga and Anime suggests, anime operates through timing, framing, and motion in ways that align more with film than print comics.

From the late 1980s onwards, titles like Akira opened the door for manga and anime in the West (Usher, 2016). Since then, their influence has spread across illustration, film, fashion, music, and games. Despite this, within my experience of formal art education, manga and anime has often been treated as secondary or derivative.

In my own education, my interest in manga was discouraged. I was steered toward Rembrandt, Degas, and the Western principles. While those artists are important, manga was framed as irrelevant, unserious, or something to “grow out of.”

This dismissal reflects what Stuart Hall (1997) describes as struggles over representation and cultural value. Manga does not fit comfortably into Western hierarchies of art, so it is often misread or reduced. Yet its global reach and influence make it impossible to ignore. Manga and anime are not marginal practices they are central to contemporary visual culture.

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Kinsella, S., 1998. Japanese subculture in the 1990s: Otaku and the amateur manga movement. The Journal of Japanese Studies, 24(2), pp. 289–316. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/133236 (Accessed: 9 January 2026).

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Intervention – Enacting social justice in your practice

Introduction – what is the report about and how does it intersect with your positionality? What do you want to change and why? How does it relate to your academic practice? 

This report outlines the design, execution, and reflection of an inclusive teaching intervention aimed at addressing barriers to learning within Year 1 Digital Skills classes in Illustration and Visual Media (IVM) at London College of Communication (LCC) It focuses on an online and printed glossary/database that seeks to enhance accessibility, engagement, and equity in digital learning environments.

As a visiting practitioner (VP) working across the IVM and Outreach teaching team, I have developed a growing concern about the accessibility and inclusivity of digital skills education, particularly regarding the lack of foundational resources, increasing students absence, digital poverty, and learning disengagement – particularly among neurodivergent and disabled students.

I am a cisgender, heterosexual male of Chilean descent, born in London and living without known disabilities or learning difficulties, and I acknowledge I occupy a position of privilege in educational and professional spaces.

However, my intersecting identities also offer an alternative lens in how to engage critically with questions of access, inclusion, and systemic inequality.

This intervention emerges from both reflective practice and conversations with peers, students, and colleagues. By designing an accessible glossary of digital terminology for Adobe Creative Suite programs, available online and in printed format, I aim to reduce barriers, support varied learning needs, and shift the culture of technical teaching toward equity and inclusion.

Context – what is the (teaching/learning support) context for the intervention? What practice, course or department are you in and what is the proposed utility of this intervention? 

The intervention takes place within the context of Year 1 Digital Skills class on the IVM course at LCC. I teach six groups of approximately 20–25 students, totalling around 130 students per academic year.

Classroom infrastructure presents immediate challenges: only three desktop computers are available, requiring most students to bring their own laptops or tablets. This raises immediate question of hardware access, particularly for students experiencing digital poverty. According to the Digital Poverty Alliance (2022), nearly 1 in 5 students in the UK lack adequate access to digital devices or internet at home.

Additionally, informal peer feedback reveals that many students, particularly those who are dyslexic, neurodivergent, or from non-traditional educational backgrounds, struggle with key terminology and digital concepts. Terms like “raster vs. vector,” “masking,” and “keyframes” often cause confusion.

Furthermore, I have observed increasing student absentees for Digital Skills class, which has prompted reflection on how the course is structured, delivered, and the use of language may be unintentionally alienating some learners and creating unintentional barriers.

I record all Digital Skills classes and upload the videos to Moodle for students to revisit. However, the recordings are typically an hour long and suffer from poor visual and audio quality. This lack of clarity and length may discourage students from engaging with the material, reducing the effectiveness of the resource.

In response, I propose a two-part solution: a digital glossary hosted on Padlet and a printed tri-fold A4 leaflet. The glossary provides explanations of core Adobe terms, software tools, keyboard shortcuts, and beginner guides, organised across Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Premiere Pro. The print leaflet summarises key terminology and hotkeys, offering a physical support tool students can annotate or carry with them. This dual delivery system aims to support students both in and outside of class time, and aligns with principles of inclusive design.

Inclusive learning – why is inclusion/inclusivity important within your discipline? What is the rationale for your intervention design (based on relevant theory)?

This intervention is grounded in the principle of intersectionality, a concept first articulated by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989), which describes how overlapping identities, such as race, gender, class, and disability, combine experiences of oppression and privilege.

Brian Watermeyer and Leslie Swartz (2016) further expand on this concept in Disability and the Problem of “Lazy Intersectionality”, arguing that educators often overlook the nuanced ways in which disability intersects with other identity categories, disregarding the complexity of lived experience.

In my teaching context, assumptions about digital fluency reflect what Watermeyer and Swartz call “normative pedagogical practices,” which fail to recognise that students’ access to knowledge is mediated by ability, literacy, and socio-economic status.

UAL’s 2024 EDI data report highlighted a 1% increase (2023/24 to 2024/2025) of students declaring disabilities, with 18% of students identifying as disabled, 40% of whom declared they have Specific learning difficulties.

Designing a glossary aims to interrupt this norm by foregrounding Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, especially multiple means of representation. This ensures students can engage with information in varied and accessible ways (CAST, 2018).

It also aligns with the social model of disability, which frames inaccessibility not as a personal issue but as a result of systemic design failures. This intervention responds to such failures by providing simple, clear, and accessible entry points into digital tools that are core to the class and future professional practice.

Reflection – what supported your thinking in deciding on this intervention? What feedback did you receive from peers/other colleagues? What were some of the key decisions? Did you encounter any challenges? Did you identify any potential risks? 

The idea developed through conversations with students, colleagues, and PGCert peers. Initially, I considered creating a printed book; a tactile, interactive reference tool students could use alongside their laptops. However, feedback raised concerns around feasibility, funding, and the time investment such a resource would require. Instead, I adopted a “minimum viable product” approach to start with a digital glossary on Padlet and a simple A4 folded printout produced via staff printers.

One of the major challenges was selecting the appropriate platform. Moodle, though widely used at UAL, has been described by students as “cluttered” and “difficult to navigate.” By contrast, Padlet was suggested by students and peers as intuitive and flexible. It allows multimedia integration and user interactivity, making it well-suited to inclusive and visual learning.

A further concern involved avoiding information overload. While inclusive resources are useful, too much content can be intimidating, which can lead to student disengagement. As a result, curating a minimal but focused glossary is essential, prioritising clarity and usability. The printed leaflet, provides a visual reminder and entry point, especially for students who prefer or require non-digital formats.

My own positionality required ongoing self awareness throughout this process. As someone without a disability and with high digital fluency, I recognise the risk of projecting my comfort with technology onto students. Reflecting on this helped me understand that digital literacy is not universal and that true inclusion requires designing for those most likely to be excluded—not simply those already succeeding.

Action – How do you propose that this intervention be used and what might this mean for your personal academic practice and your work context? 

The intervention will be piloted over the next term. During each Digital Skills class, students will be introduced to the glossary and printed leaflets, encouraged to use it as a additional learning tool. A short anonymous feedback survey will be conducted midway through the term to assess accessibility, usefulness, and suggestions for improvement.

To develop the glossary, I will collaborate with:

• Digital Learning staff for best practices in online learning design.
• IVM tutors to identify essential terms and tools.
• Workshop and technician teams who often provide necessary technical support to students outside of class time.

The glossary is structured into four initial categories based on core Adobe programs (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro), with subsections for terminology, common tools, beginner guides, and troubleshooting tips. Content will be reviewed and updated based on student and staff feedback.

The printed leaflets will compliment this resource offering very brief summaries of key hotkeys and visual cues in an easily foldable format.

Evaluation of your process – what have you learned from this process? If you were to implement it, how would you know if it’s working?  

This process has been a powerful reminder of the importance of listening, both to student voices and peer feedback. It has shown me that inclusive design requires more than good intentions; it requires structure, iteration, and institutional awareness.

Success will be measured through direct student feedback, informal focus groups, and observations of engagement. If the glossary improves confidence, participation, and independent practice, this will validate the model. If it prompts further questions or new needs, it will offer the basis for ongoing iteration.

If implemented and successful, this intervention could be extended across other courses or adapted as part of an institutional approach to digital equity. Long term, the glossary could be formalised into Moodle despite its current limitations, or integrated into student onboarding materials for Digital Skills education.

Conclusion – what are your key observations and reflections regarding this process, your positionality, and your practices? 

This project has reshaped my understanding of inclusion, this isn’t just a institutional policy or concern, but a teaching practice of noticing, adapting, and responding. As a visiting practitioner, I may not hold structural power, but I can still design for equity, advocate for accessibility, and collaborate with colleagues to co-create and make them aware of particular informal or formal data that needs to be addressed.

Through this intervention, I have come to see that technical instruction must not only teach students how to use tools, but it must ensure that all students feel capable and supported, while doing so. This glossary project is a small but tangible step in that direction, hopefully supporting students with creative growth.

Bibliography

CAST (2018) Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. [Online] Available at: https://udlguidelines.cast.org/ [Accessed 12 July 2025].

Crenshaw, K. (1989) ‘Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics’, University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), pp. 139–167.

Digital Poverty Alliance (2022) National Delivery Plan to End Digital Poverty by 2030. [Online] Available at: https://digitalpovertyalliance.org/ [Accessed 12 July 2025].

Ellevation Education (2025) What is multimodal literacy? [Blog] 17 July. Available at: https://ellevationeducation.com/blog/what-multimodal-literacy (Accessed: 14 July 2025).

Oliver, M. (1990) The individual and social models of disability. Paper presented at: Joint Workshop of the Living Options Group and the Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians on People with Established Locomotor Disabilities in Hospitals, London, 23 July 1990.

University of the Arts London (UAL), 2025. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Data Report 2024. Version 01. [pdf] London: UAL. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/equality-and-diversity [Accessed 14 July 2025].

University of the Arts London (UAL), 2025. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2024. Version 01. [pdf] London: UAL. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/equality-and-diversity [Accessed 14 July 2025].

Watermeyer, B. and Swartz, L. (2016) ‘Disability and the problem of “lazy intersectionality”’, Agenda, 30(2), pp. 24–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2016.1196981

The conversations around racism and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) are often complex, multifaceted, and highly politicised. This is evident in how different media platforms portray these issues. The three videos I engaged with—produced by The Telegraph, Channel 4, and a TED Talk, illustrate sharply contrasting perspectives. Although each claims impartiality, their underlying biases are clear. The Telegraph, a right-wing outlet, is critical of D.E.I. initiatives, framing them as ideological overreach (The Telegraph, 2023). In contrast, Channel 4 presents a more progressive lens, actively highlighting structural inequalities (Channel 4 Entertainment, 2022). The TED Talk remains more neutral but offers a reflective stance on the necessity of open dialogue, even when the rhetoric is uncomfortable (TEDxTalks, 2020).

The texts I’ve read reinforce how deeply racism is embedded within institutional structures. For instance, in Racism Shapes Careers, the argument is made that the UK’s institutional landscapes are rooted in colonial histories. These structures perpetuate whiteness as the cultural default, shaping the environments in which individuals are expected to succeed (Garrett, 2024). This perspective suggests that racism is not merely individual or occasional but systemic, woven into the fabric of what we perceive as “normal.”

Critical Race Theory (CRT) furthers this understanding by examining how academic institutions often struggle to engage with race-related issues. There is noticeable anxiety around free speech and academic freedom, especially when it comes to implementing D.E.I. policies (Bradbury, 2020). This tension was made visible when a group of Cambridge professors rejected the AdvanceHE award, citing concerns about censorship. Moreover, there’s unease about the perceived “Americanisation” of British academia, where student-led demands for social justice are often seen as disruptive rather than transformative.

The 2021 Sewell Report, which controversially concluded that there is no systemic racism in the UK, adds another layer of complexity. With a panel largely composed of right-leaning figures, the report was widely criticised by scholars for reinforcing a narrative that dismisses lived experiences and historical realities (Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, 2021). The Telegraph echoed the report’s tone (The Telegraph, 2023), while many institutions failed to push back. For instance, UAL (University of the Arts London) as an institution neither challenged nor discussed the report publicly. This silence to me can be seen as performative, a responsibility to D.E.I. in words but not in action.

On a personal level, as a London-born individual of Latin-American heritage, I have encountered racism first-hand. One memory stands out: a teacher once told me, “Omar, why don’t you go back to Chile?” While not traumatising to me, this moment demonstrates how racism manifests in everyday academic settings. These experiences, often silenced or ignored, reflect a broader cultural issue. D.E.I. is essential in confronting this, but it must also be critically examined. Policies meant to foster inclusion should not suppress open dialogue. As the TED Talk speaker suggests, even contentious challenges can hold value, provided they encourage growth rather than harm (TEDxTalks, 2020).

As bell hooks writes, “Stories help us to connect to a world beyond the self.” By telling our stories, we uncover others, weaving a fabric of shared understanding (hooks, 2010). The TED Talk echoes this, affirming that dialogue is the bridge between difference and empathy (TEDxTalks, 2020).

Bibliography 

Bradbury, A. (2020) A critical race theory framework for education policy analysis: the case of bilingual learners and assessment policy in England, Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(2), pp. 241–260. doi: 10.1080/13613324.2019.1599338.

Channel 4 Entertainment (2022) Big Boys: Jack Rooke on identity, masculinity and mental health. [YouTube video] 18 May. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3wJ7pJUjg (Accessed: 14 July 2025).

Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. (2021) Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities: The Report. London: HM Government. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-report-of-the-commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities (Accessed: [insert date]).

hooks, b. (2010). Teaching critical thinking: Practical wisdom. New York. Routledge. 

Rhianna Garrett (11 Feb 2024) Racism shapes careers: career trajectories and imagined futures of racialised minority PhDs in UK higher education, Globalisation, Societies and Education, DOI: 10.1080/14767724.2024.2307886

TEDxTalks (2020) We need to talk about race: Understanding privilege | Ben Lindsay | TEDxFolkestone. [YouTube video] 1 May. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR4wz1b54hw (Accessed: 14 July 2025).

The Telegraph (2023) Britain’s woke nightmare: How anti-racism became a Trojan horse. [YouTube video] 26 January. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRM6vOPTjuU (Accessed: 14 July 2025).