Beyond critical pedagogy of place: sensory-embodied learning through the university campus

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed an alarming chasm between traditional higher education pedagogies and the lived experiences of students, posing new challenges to educators worldwide . Addressing this, our study proposes a curricular paradigm shift that foregrounds sensory and embodied learning. Influenced by a Critical Pedagogy of Place framework, we conceptualize the delivery of an urban studies module as an experience-centred encounter with the campus. Our research examines the implications of incorporating course activities and teaching styles that promote sensory-embodied forms of learning and their potential to break free from the confines of the physical classrooms. Empirical evidence from our study demonstrates a remarkable 87% increase in student theoretical comprehension, heralding the transformative potential of turning university campuses into sensorial and embodied critical spaces. Such a transformative pedagogical approach critically questions the outmoded banking education model and encourages students to interrogate deep-seated social and cultural norms and practices. In pushing the boundaries of traditional pedagogy, our study suggests the need to revamp higher education learning experiences to resonate more closely with contemporary students’ lived experiences.