Explore how historical and ongoing systems, colonial, racial, gendered, ableist shape what you study and gain the skills to critically rethink your discipline and co-create more inclusive, forward-looking curricula across Imperial.

Module details

  • Offered to Year 2 students in Autumn Term - Mondays 16:00-18:00
  • Offered to Year 3 students in Spring Term - Thursdays 16:00-18:00
  • Planned delivery: On campus (South Kensington) & Online
  • 1-term module worth 5 ECTS 
  • Available to eligible students as part of I-Explore 

Got any questions?

Contact the lecturer
Valentin Laurent
v.laurent@imperial.ac.uk

Sophia Quazi
s.quazi@imperial.ac.uk

Eleonora D'Elia
eleonora.delia10@imperial.ac.uk

Jess Wade
jessica.wade@imperial.ac.uk

Together, we will examine how historical and ongoing systems, colonial, racial, gendered, ableist, have shaped what is taught, who is represented and how knowledge is valued across disciplines. We will invite you to critically engage with the curriculum as a dynamic site where power, identity and representation intersect.  Through structured analysis and collaborative discussion, you will gain the skills to critically evaluate curricula in your own discipline and across fields, and to envision more equitable and inclusive approaches. The module will also provide a space for reflection and co-creation, enabling you to contribute to the development of inclusive learning materials that can inform teaching and learning practices across Imperial.

Please note: The information on this module description is indicative. The module may undergo minor modifications before the start of the coming academic year.

Accordian

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module, you will better be able to: 

  • Identify and evaluate contributions from marginalised groups in STEMM
  • Reflect on and articulate lived experiences of inclusion/exclusion to develop awareness of belonging in academic contexts
  • Critically analyse how curricula and power structures shape knowledge, inclusion and exclusion in higher education
  • Collaborate to design an inclusive educational resource
  • Communicate EDI concepts to diverse audiences
  • Reflect on your learning and propose future directions for curriculum reform.
Indicative core content
  • What is a curriculum and why does it matter
  • Power, knowledge, and exclusion
  • Hidden figures in STEMMB
  • Belonging and lived experience
  • Decolonising in practice
  • Designing inclusive educational resource
  • Reflection and looking forward: make your degree more inclusive
Learning and teaching approach

This module will have a mix of face-to-face time and independent work. During our contact hours, you will be receiving input from academics and students towards the current landscape of Identity within the curriculum. Throughout these sessions you will work towards broadening your STEMMB expertise with wider social and cultural contexts. Most sessions will include critical analysis and collaborative work, you will explore how power, identity, and representation shape what is taught and valued in your discipline. You will be asked to apply creative thinking to real-world challenges of inclusion and equity in education.

Aligned with the aims of the STEMMB stream, the module will invite students from all scientific and technical disciplines to reflect on their academic identity and the shared values that unite STEMMB fields. By engaging with multidisciplinarity and inclusive curriculum design, students will learn to see how their disciplinary knowledge can contribute to more equitable and socially responsive approaches to teaching, research, and problem-solving. The group work will welcome discussions, research and feedback on the current curriculum and will culminate in your input on how to improve all the different EDI areas in your current offer.  Within your own time you will be expected to carry out research and critical thinking tasks on these issues. 

Assessment

Coursework: 

  • Group Project: Development of an EDI resource, online or presentation (70%)
  • Reflective Essay, 500-1000 words (30%)
Key information
  • Requirements: It is compulsory to take an I-Explore module during your degree (you’ll take an I-Explore module in either your 2nd or 3rd year, depending on your department). You are expected to attend all classes and undertake approximately 100 hours of independent study in total during the module. Independent study includes for example reading and preparation for classes, researching and writing coursework assignments, project work and preparing for other assessments 
  • I-Explore modules are worth 5 ECTS credit towards your degree; to receive these you will have to pass the module. The numerical mark that you obtain will not be included in the calculation of your final degree result, but it will appear on your transcript 
  • This module is designed as an undergraduate Level 6 course 
  • This module is offered by the Department of Earth Science and Engineering with the Department of Materials