What did you do to create inclusive practice and how did you do it?
Research shows that drug use is normalised and culturally accommodated in western societies; it is embedded in the pathways and transitions from adolescence to adulthood. Students come to university and the curriculum with lived experience of drug consumption. Therefore, the substance misuse module that I lead utilises lived experience as an essential pedagogical, analytical and reflective tool to examine theories but also students’ own lived experiences. Examples of this include a visit to the local shopping centre where students take photos of everyday products that contain a ‘drug sign’ in high street stores from which they regularly purchase other products, e.g., clothing, magazines, books, birthday cards, health products, beauty products, etc. Each photographed product will display drugs/drug use/alcohol consumption on the product or in the marketing or branding, highlighting how culturally accommodated drugs have become and encouraging students to reflect on this reality in our modernity. Another example involves students being invited to bring to the lecture their own cultural products in the form of music: we listen to lyrics of songs that are about drugs and related experiences, and note changes over different decades. This helps the students become aware of the omnipresence of drugs in their cultural environment as part of their lived experience.
Why did you implement your example of inclusive practice?
The practices described above allow students to utilise their lived experience as an important form of knowledge that is valued in the module. They also allow students to reflect on their own environment and consumption of products, and to deconstruct the factors and forces which may be underpinning them. This may in turn impact their own cost/benefit decision relating to substance misuse. This approach enables students to tangibly see a range of theories studied in the module (e.g., the role of post-modernism with its emphasis on the figural and signs) in action in the consumer society that pervades our culture. Moreover, it allows students to see the normalisation of drug use – one of the tenets of drug use theory – in action in the shopping centre.
What was the impact of your case study?
The student experience is positively impacted by this module as the focus of study – substance misuse – is brought to life in a range of ways that are centred on students’ lived experience and engagement with everyday consumer products. Student attainment is positively affected as engagement in the module is high; this is reflected in student grades for their case study assessment.
What were the lessons learned?
Consider how the topics of study in a module can link to the lived experiences of the students. Think about how such experiences may relate to everyday items/objects/practices, which may be incorporated into an activity, visit or other experience as part of the learning experience of the module.