First-year writing course fosters sense of belonging among Indigenous students: Opinion

In an article for The Conversation, University of Victoria scholars Loren Gaudet and Lydia A I Toorenburgh discuss a first-year university writing course that they developed for Indigenous students. The authors explain that the course was built around a key core learning outcome: Feelings of belonging among students. As such, the course provided a “homeroom-style class” for Indigenous students, offering students essential information about navigating both scholarly writing and academic life at UVic. Gaudet and Toorenburgh intentionally fostered community-building by bringing in representatives from Indigenous-specific supports and adopting anti-oppressive grading practices. The authors share the positive feedback from students, including one student who said that the course provided a “very safe space” for them.

The Conversation