Unconference as a pedagogical tool for 'decolonising’ teaching and curricula

Challenges to traditional transmission models of knowledge are not new, but unconferences, resulting from an emphasis on informal connections, are a welcome addition to the toolkit for the education entrepreneur who thrives in the social learning paradigm and champions collaborative learning to (re)humanise higher education. In our paper we discuss the use of the unconference format as a pedagogical tool to ‘decolonise’ teaching and curricula.
Methodologically the paper utilizes a case study approach where data is collected through reflective journaling, participant observation, interviews and a survey. The case focuses on an event organised by the authors in July 2023 at the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE), Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom. The unconference subverted the expert-centred structure
of conferences, at the same time as it sought to de-centre and disrupt the traditional teacher-student power relation of the transmission of knowledge.