Compassion in higher education: Vikki Hill with Dr Theo Gilbert

Last year, Vikki Hill, Educational Developer – Attainment (Identity and Cultural Experience) at UAL recorded a series of conversations with Dr Theo Gilbert, Associate Professor, Learning and Teaching, University of Hertfordshire about his research into the micro-skills of compassion in higher education and how they related to UAL Creative Mindsets.

A key strand of the UAL attainment work is currently being developed to center themes of belonging and compassionate pedagogy to support the elimination of the awarding gap and to address inequitable student experience. It is timely to revisit these conversations and to consider what role compassionate pedagogy has for the UAL community.

Compassionate pedagogies #1: Creating connections – Vikki Hill with Dr Theo Gilbert

In this discussion, Dr Theo Gilbert introduces his research and explains how compassionate micro-skills can develop group work with student communities and build connections to create more equitable, inclusive spaces.

Compassionate pedagogies #2: Love and oppression  –  Vikki Hill with Dr Theo Gilbert

Vikki Hill and Dr Theo Gilbert discuss Paulo Friere and consider why it is so important for universities to build compassionate cultures and pedagogies for teaching and learning.

Compassionate pedagogies #3: Risk, failure and resilience – Vikki Hill with Dr Theo Gilbert

In this conversation, Dr Theo Gilbert explains how compassion can counteract the problematic affects of self-esteem to develop kindness and resilience.

Compassionate pedagogies #4: Stereotype threat and micro-skills – Vikki Hill with Dr Theo Gilbert

Dr Theo Gilbert expands on his research on how to apply the micro-skills of compassion to alleviate the negative affects of stereotype threat and anxiety. In this discussion Theo offers some practical ideas on how to build this into teaching practice.

Further reading and information

For more information on assessing the micro-skills of compassion visit: https://compassioninhe.wordpress.com/

To find out more about UAL Creative Mindsets visit: https://ualcreativemindsets.myblog.arts.ac.uk/

If you are interested in connecting with the work on compassionate pedagogy, please get in touch with Vikki Hill, v.hill@arts.ac.uk