BISC Intercultural Media Project: Professor Interview Reflection

By Kashy Antonio

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. The Interview Questions

3. Meet the Professors + Interviews

4. Kashy’s Takeaway

5. Final Remarks

Introduction To get a sense of what steps are being taken to create systematic change in the education system on a global scale, it’s important to look at the past, present and potential future of education across multiple perspectives. The last segment by Sowmiya touched on student experiences in education, and this segment of interviews will give you a glimpse into the educational pasts and teaching experiences of some of the leaders in education today.

I interviewed 4 BISC professors to get a look at education through their lens. Each interview consisted of interesting stories of individual experiences in education, their thoughts as professors today, and recommendations for change going forward. An interesting overlap in all the interviews was the continuous mention of themes of accommodations, tailoring education to student needs/different learning styles, the issues of the grading system, and how Covid-19 has taught us new and important lessons about education. By reading this blog, I hope that together we can reflect on our experiences in education and understand what changes have been, and currently are being made to bring about systematic change.

The Interview Questions

Below are some of the questions I asked the Professors about their own education, the contributions they have made to the education of others, and the impacts of equity/inequity along the way. *As you read each question, feel free to answer some of them yourself by looking back at your education, and contemplating inequities you’ve faced while in school, things you would change in the education system, how COVID-19 affected education for you etc. I found that many of the professor’s answers touched upon concerns that I’ve also had, so when watching each interview feel free to see if any of your answers match up with theirs too!

1. How long have you been working in the education system/give a brief timeline of your education?

2. What are your thoughts on this phrase - “Education should be equitable and not equal”

3. What are some factors you remember from your time as a student that you would characterise as education inequities?

4. Looking back at that time in comparison to today, what are some opportunities you have noticed that are available for students today that you did not experience?

5. As a professor, what are some issues in the education system you have noticed that acted as barriers for previous students with disabilities, and/or students on the grand scale?

6. What recommendations would you make to bring about change in the education system and why?

7. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, what differences have you noticed in the education system, and do you find them to be effective or ineffective?

Meet the Professors

Dr. Isabelle Brent

Dr Isabelle Brent is the Head of Student Success and Development at the BISC, as well as an Upper year Psychology professor. She has a range of responsibilities around the castle in which she is accompanied by her trustee pal Sidney (the cutest dog ever!). One of these many responsibilities is running the BISC Skills Award (BSA). With a specialization in educational psychology, Isabelle designed the BSA as a way for students to leave the BISC with relevant skills and graduate attributes that help nail down exactly what a castle kid should look like. Through running several workshops, Team’s meetings, as well as bookable slots for help on skills like time management, note taking, and more, Isabelle’s investment in student success is instrumental and very appreciated.

Watch Dr Brents Interview Here: https://youtu.be/Kgc0CdypOYg

Dr. Anna Taylor

Dr Anna Taylor is the PSYC 100 professor here at the BISC, as well as the Deputy Academic Director. As a student in her class, Dr Taylor’s enthusiasm and interest in her weekly lectures and seminars is very inspiring. Throughout her life, modifying the way people think, as well as the way animals think and behave has always been very important to her, with this passion leading to her decision to become a psychologist and professor. In all her roles she takes pride in ensuring students’ curriculum needs are met and that each student acquires the skillset necessary to be able to achieve academic success. When asked her thoughts on the phrase “should education be equitable or equal?”, – Dr Taylor answered, ‘It’s not a terrible phrase, but I probably want to write a whole essay thinking about it before I commit to it!’ - I hope this gives you a brief glimpse into her passion and thoroughness!

Mr. Charan Rainford

Since 2018, Mr Charan Rainford has been teaching at the BISC and is currently undergoing a PhD in Political Studies at Queen’s University. He has experience teaching 3rd and 4th year courses in the Department of Political Studies, as well as Upper Year Health Courses. Charan is also the Academic Advisor here at the BISC and through our interview and undertakings around the castle, his endeavours for ensuring students have equitable academic experiences is evident. Born in Sri Lanka, Charan attended school as a child in Jordan before migrating to the UK in sixth form (equivalent to grade 8 in Canada). From learning in British and American curriculums through education in Jordan, as well as attending university in both the UK and Canada, Charan has a wide and interesting perspective on education that is necessary in the effort to look at education on a local and global scale.

Watch Mr Rainfords Interview Here: https://youtu.be/sVtDuxotkhw

Dr. Robert Hyland

Here at the BISC sustainable development was a theme introduced early in the fall term, and is of great interest to Dr. Robert Hyland. Not only is he passionate about ensuring youth today are aware of our resource depleting world and the importance of developing new sustainable practices, but he is also the film and media professor at the BISC. Robert is very active all over the campus as you will see him singing as a base in the BISC Open Choir, hosting Robbie Burns celebrations, as well as taking part in student projects like this one. With teaching experiences in countries such as Japan, Canada, Taiwan,g and the UK, Robert has a detailed knowledge of education systems around the world and gave insight into this valuable information to bring about a new perspective that will be explored in this blog.

Kashy’s Interview Takeaway

The Roots of Education: Past

When I think back to my experience in education as a child, common themes of play, creative expression, personality/character development and social exploration come to mind. It was a time when memorising the 22 bones of the axial skeleton or intricate organelles of a cell weren't my top priorities, rather they were mainly about what game we’d be playing during recess that day, or who had a crush on who. As much as we want to only remember the good memories of our educational experiences, for the most part, everyone has had struggles along the way, which you can expect when trying to find a balance between education and all the other various aspects of life. However, if these struggles revolve around factors that those in positions of power can change for the better, then there needs to be movement in the direction of change!

So the question stays - what can we do to foster systematic change and further improve the education system?

My experience – Culture Shock: As someone who attended primary school in Ireland (junior infants to 5th class) and completed my pre-secondary education in Canada (grade 6 to grade 12) - from the age of 11 my education journey has involved entering a completely new culture/teaching system. One day in grade six when reading out numbers in response to a math question, I had pronounced the number ‘three’ as ‘tree’, since that's how it is enunciated in Ireland. After this most unintellectual pronunciation of the digit (by Albertan standards), the whole class erupted with laughter. I was very confused as to what was so funny, but I eventually understood after the teacher briefed me on my unfamiliar pronunciation. It was honestly more of an experience where I laughed with the crowd and learnt something about the new culture, I was in. This isn't always the case for many international students who struggle with the English language much more than reading a single number.

Photo from my scrapbook of schooling in Ireland

My first day of school after moving to Canada

Q. What are some factors you remember from your time as a student that you would characterize as education inequities?

Professor Anna Taylor gave insight into what education looked like for her growing up, touching on some of the highlights and hardships she encountered along the way. Moving countries to pursue education was a major aspect of her education journey, with Anna moving from France to the UK as an International University student. Learning more about the background of her success as a professor today was remarkably interesting and relatable.

Have you gone to school in a different country? How was the culture shock/experience fitting in? Did you have to learn a new language?

“Like many academics, I feel like my entire life has been somehow linked to education.” - Dr Anna Taylor

Dr. Anna Taylor expands on her experience with language and education which she remembers started at quite an early age. With parents who worked as European Civil Servants, she recalls always being surrounded by examples where her parents discussed with their colleagues, carried out duties, and taught one another what was learnt. With this being the way of life she observed throughout her childhood, Dr Taylor concluded that this is what adulthood entailed, - teaching and learning from one another.

Fast forward to her university years - with this educational foundation, Dr Taylor made the decision to move to the UK as a foreign language student. Upon arrival, although her written English was already up to par, spoken English was something she would continue to improve in over time while in university. Unfortunately, from what she remembers, there weren't really any support facilities for international students, and mentions that many students ended up getting really low grades or dropping out due to the lack of support in place. It’s an incredibly tasking thing to learn the ins and out of a new language, and Dr. Taylor mentions how even for her it could be quite stressful at times. With mental health being more of a new concept at that time, Dr Taylor believes she definitely had some rough days here and there but nevertheless she continued to push on, with this resilience getting her to where she is today.

Q. Looking back at that time in comparison to today, what are some opportunities you have noticed that are available for students today that you did not experience?

My experience - Accommodations have been of great help to me in my journey through education while dealing with narcolepsy. In grade 5, I began exhibiting unknown symptoms of EDS (excessive daytime sleepiness), cataplexy attacks, and hypnopompic hallucinations. For me at 10 years old, that fun, carefree side of school began to get clouded over by these draining physiological phenomena. As a result - focusing on my work in class, staying awake during group discussions, writing important tests and learning new topics became harder and harder as the years progressed. With no accommodations in place, an unresolved diagnosis from my family doctor, as well as disapproving eyes, this health issue which I just recently received diagnosis for in 2020, happened to be narcolepsy and it was affecting my education journey like nothing before. Through high-school, I didn’t really know accommodations were something I could inquire about while struggling to stay focused on my schoolwork as they weren’t really talked about. As a current Queen’s student though, from the get-go student supports like QSAS were made known to all students, which is how I discovered they are offered, and their services of supplying a Letter or Accommodation and support for students were something I’m grateful to have access to.

Dr Isabelle Brent didn’t have this kind of support that I have been able to receive with narcolepsy, and during her undergraduate degree, illness was a factor that resulted in having to postpone her education to continue after her recovery. Dr Isabelle Brent should have been able to continue her term despite this health setback, and education shouldn’t be dependent on a factor like illness that is out of one’s control. Although not necessarily chronic, this doesn’t exempt periodic health situations from consideration and all those needing help to continue on in education should be supported. With today This demonstrates the importance of accommodations.

As the Head of Student Success and Development at the BISC, Dr Isabelle Brent’s role involves helping student who require accommodations to feel seen and have their needs met. Her role education is an example of making conscious efforts to address past inequities in the education system. She is a living example of how issues in the past that don’t make education equitable, when addressed benefit everyone. Isabelle has helped out with my process of needing accommodations at the BISC and I’m really grateful today that the stigma behind accommodations is beginning to fade. For those undergoing mental health issues we still have much more progress to make in ensuring the process to receiving considerations in education is both fair and doesn’t

The Situation Today: Present

Q. As a professor, what are some issues in the education system you have noticed that acted as barriers for previous students with disabilities, and/or students on the grand scale?

As much as school can, and should be fun, its main purpose is to help students “learn to learn”, however when one doesn’t have the adequate tools/funds to do so, education can be more of a burden rather than a blessing and this shouldn’t be the case. Thankfully, today, much progress has been made in the areas of providing bursaries, and funding - recognising students of this generation undergo much different challenges than what students went through in the past.

Dr. Robert Hyland touched on this in fascinating detail. He mentioned how from the time he was attending university to today; the price of education has increased by at least 2/3 compared to what he had to pay. With this influx in pricing, students who might not have family wealth, the ability to take out a loan, or access to scholarships could potentially lose out on the opportunity to acquire a steady job/make a decent living as a result. He mentioned a hypothetical situation of how it doesn't make sense that a family with a salary of 35,000, will be asked to pay costs of 70,000 just to pursue quality education. This expensive cost wouldn’t be a problem for a family that makes a salary of $100,000, on the other hand, which demonstrates the value of money to people of different socioeconomic standing and how some people are in better positions for success. This all leads back to the discrepancies in equity that we still need to work on. As a solution, he talked of how more scholarship opportunities need to be put out there, rather than unclaimed money kept hidden, and students who need it left to suffer which Target 4.b of SDG 4 specifically touches on: Target 4.b: “By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries” (UNESCO, 2019).

I agree with Robert as I believe the process behind scholarship applications is something that should be mandatory to learn about in school, as a lot of students who qualify for money aren't aware of where to find it/how to apply. For equity to be served, all students should be able to acquire those skills in school especially when parents at home might not be able to help fill out forms or give the best possible advice to ensure success. Skills like these that only select students have the capabilities of developing due to more privileged circumstances should receive attention and focus, and as a result those on the less fortunate side of the spectrum can acquire the necessary funds needed for our current expensive education system.

Speaking of finance and skills, this directly ties into the survey conducted by Tsegaw and Sowmiya and the specific data that displayed how students at the BISC believe there is a lack of education of basic life skills. These skills are needed when transitioning from high school to the real world. In my experience as a recent high school graduate, learning what taxing entails, or how to set up a TFSA (Tax Free Savings Account) for example, are some life skills in pertinence to finance that I have had to learn more about through YouTube. That being said, it was no surprise that fellow BISC students had similar thoughts. This directly corresponds to Target 4.4: “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship” (UNESCO, 2019).

Figure 1: Results from the student survey

COVID-19 Tidbit

Covid-19 has definitely brought out the creative side in Professors as they were forced to shift from the usual in person setup at the BISC to a flipped learning style. When asked whether they thought the methods used during the pandemic have been effective or ineffective, the following points were brought up…

• The ability to replicate a classroom environment can be tedious when students don’t turn their camera’s on, and it makes professors feel like they’re talking to a screen over teaching actual students

• This use of online platforms such as zoom has enabled new ways for those who may be sick, unable to join in person or for other reasons with a new way to participate rather than having to miss out and catch up on their own time.

• The format of flipped learning where live zoom sessions occur, as well as in-person discussion, allows for those of various learning preferences to take part in whatever way they feel most comfortable whether that be through the chat box or by unmuting and speaking up

Looking Forward to Equitable Education: Future

Q. What recommendations would you make to bring about change in the education system and why?

Each professor elaborated on factors in education they would change and each interview is with watching. Mr. Charan Rainford specifically contributed his own thoughts about recommendations on tailoring education to fit individual needs. He believes there needs to be more of a balance between supporting students and building resilience in students. While accommodations might be great and necessary for those who need them, his concern was that these may facilitate a complacency, rather than help students overcome specific challenges that have the potential to be worked on. In Psychology, cognitive dissonance is the phenomenon in which beliefs clash with reality creating conflict in how a person really thinks and what’s being presented to them. This definitely has the potential to occur if there are long term accommodations in place that extend deadlines and allow too much extra time. When the issue may have simply been procrastinating – one may easily pin it upon their health instead.

Mr Rainford’s teaching philosophy revolves around trying to teach a course that everyone can relate to. He believes an instructor should recognise and respond to the fact that there are students who require greater attention – due to the fact that the needs of students aren’t equal. Dr Rainford mentioned how he wasn’t a natural speaker in public, but he had to adjust and eventually improved with time and experience. Helping a student succeed but also equipping them for a world where things aren’t always so supporting is his goal as an Academic advisor.

With all that being said, we see the importance of making accommodations + adequate support for students available as this is vital for those who really need them, however it’s good to ensure students have a glimpse of how the real world is and its lack of support outside of university.

Final Remarks

We have made profound change and today even though there are still a-lot of things to work on in the system, seeing this change that has come over the years can be a great motivation for the future and to keep working to ensure Quality Education is available for all students. Dr. Anna Taylor mentioned when asked about her recommendations for change going forward, that “Every time we find one barrier, another one is uncovered but maybe that’s the way it has to be for change to come about.” I think this is a great phrase to move forward with, as it’s only through asking the tough questions, looking at what education has been like in the past and what it can potentially be like in the future, that systematic change can actually come about.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and can take some new perspectives with you about education! Thank you for reading😊

By Kasopefoluwa(Kashy) Antonio

Sources

UNESCO. (2019). Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) | Education within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sdg4education2030.org. https://sdg4education2030.org/the-goal