When referring to the learning happening in their classes, L2 and L3 continuously talk about “sharing knowledge” or “sharing information” (Interview with L2 & Interview with L3). Their classes are very interactive and require a high level of “in-class participation”, as S3 describes it (Interview with S3). This becomes most apparent in the tutorial of Class 2 in which “the students are asked to work as interactively with the class and be as creative as possible.” (Class 2: Tutorial 27/08/2015). But L2 also actively engages the students in her tutorial, for example by making them “guess the meaning” of Aboriginal English words (Class 1: Tutorial 03/09/2015). This interaction between students and teachers is described by all three students as a conversation rather than a one-directional, up-front lecturing (Interview with S1, Interview with S3 & Interview with S2) and makes S1 “feel more comfortable” (Interview with S1).

In this participation and conversation, the students of both classes are given the opportunity to utter their own input and ideas. On the one hand, the tutors regularly ask students to discuss and reflect on various issues (e.g. Class 1: Tutorial 03/09/2015 & Class 2: Tutorial 03/09/2015) and offer room for questions and comments after every student presentation (e.g. Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015). In L2’s opinion, flexibility is needed for this (Interview with L2). On the other hand, students are also welcomed to “share their opinion” (Class 2: Tutorial 27/08/2015) and even make suggestions for solutions during the lecture of Class 1 (Class 1: Lecture 27/10/2015). When listening to someone’s lived experience or world view, be it the tutor’s or a student’s, L3 wants the audience not to be passive but rather to actively “engage” with what is presented to them (e.g. Interview with L3). Thus, he is also “trying to engage with their lives and their experiences in [his] learning practice” (Interview with L3) and is thus establishing the relationship between the parties.

As the lecturers and tutors are not the only ones who share information and stories with the class, the knowledge transmission is not limited to the students learning from the teachers. L2, for example, repeatedly states that she “learn[s] so much from the students (Interview with L2) because she herself will “always be a student” (Interview with L2). Admitting that their own knowledge is limited, L2 and L3 both also ask the students for help if they cannot remember a detail or are not sure about an issue (e.g. Class 1: Tutorial 27/08/2015 & Class 2: Lecture 29/10/2015). These questions do not function to test the students’ knowledge but are genuine. Due to the student presentations but also through comments made by students, S1 thinks that the students “teach each other in a way” (Interview with S1). Furthermore, she explains that other students’ inquiries about her own background have encouraged her to do further, independent research (Interview with S1).

For a full list of all quotes relating to sharing knowledge, please click here.

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