Pedagogy in Focus
Cultivating Critical Global Citizenship Education through Defamiliarisation and Collaborative Online Learning: A Case of South Africa and Germany
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Zayd Waghid,
Susanne Leitner
In the Global South, particularly in South Africa, neoliberal curricula face opposition from higher education students, as seen in the #Feesmustfall and #Rhodesmustfall campaigns. These movements resist the prioritisation of Western/European values over African knowledge, reinforcing epistemic racism and disregarding students' perspectives. In Germany, recent social and academic discourses have increased awareness of the country's colonial history. However, many Germans remain unaware of this history and its relevance, often associating racism solely with National Socialism, thus ignoring ongoing institutional racism. Learners with migration backgrounds face limited opportunities within the neoliberal German school system. Additionally, racism and colonialism are not mandatory topics in teacher education. This study explores the pedagogical approach of defamiliarisation, based on Andreotti’s (2014) critical approach to Global Citizenship Education (GCE), to challenge neoliberalism's negative connotations in both the Global North and South. By centring pre-service teachers as critical global citizens, this socially just pedagogy aims to mitigate neoliberalism's negative impacts. Defamiliarisation has shown benefits in challenging South African students' perceptions and decolonising their perspectives by disrupting the dominant Global North knowledge paradigm (Waghid & Hibbert, 2018a; Waghid & Hibbert, 2018b). We examine how a short film highlighting neoliberalism's oppressive nature can foster meaningful dialogue and enhance students' emotional and intellectual engagement. Additionally, we discuss how critical global citizenship competencies can be strengthened through online collaborative learning using the social networking platform Flipgrid, promoting collaboration and communication between South African and German students, and raising awareness of their societal roles.
Innovative Pedagogy in Preparing Social Work Students for Artificial Intelligence Integration: Tools or Threat - Opportunities and Challenges
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Terence Yow
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforms industries, the social work sector is increasingly leveraging AI-driven tools to enhance service delivery, improve decision-making, and address complex societal issues. Preparing students as future social workers to adapt to this technological shift requires innovative pedagogical approaches that integrate AI education with core social work values and practices. Based on a research with 102 Social Work students and 211 Social Workers in Singapore to understand their attitudes, experience and receptiveness towards the use of AI, the pedagagy had been reviewed and revised to prepare students towards greater readiness in the adoption of AI before they enter the workforce. This paper highlights the critical role of innovative pedagogy in equipping social work students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical frameworks needed to navigate AI adoption effectively. By incorporating interdisciplinary learning, experiential training, and critical reflection, educators can foster digital literacy, ethical awareness, and adaptability among students. Practical examples, including simulations of AI-assisted case management and collaborative projects with technology experts, will demonstrate how such pedagogies prepare students to balance technological efficiency with human-centered care. Through this exploration, we gain insights into reimagining social work education to bridge the gap between technological advancements and the profession's commitment to social justice, empowerment, and inclusion.
