L2 and L3 both ascribe great importance to the issue of diversity. They both emphasise that people’s opinions (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015) and perceptions (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015 & Interview with L3) differ. In addition, different students may realise different things (Interview with L3) and consequently give different answers (Interview with S2). S2 notices that this diversity receives recognition in L3’s class through the equal value which is ascribed to all answers (Interview with S2). Furthermore, L3 attempts to use the “cultural diverse […] student population” (Interview with L3) by drawing on international students’ experience and trying to connect the rest of the audience to […] the diversity […] that lives in that classroom” (Interview with L3).

Because of this diversity, L2 gives the advice: “It’s always good to read more than one source.” (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015).

Treating diversity openly recognises people’s background and creates a less judgmental environment.

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All three lecturers and tutors encourage further learning. Mostly this is done through information on material which students can look at to learn more about the topic. Those additional sources are often audiovisual and not purely academic. L1, for example, recommends informative videos (Class 1: Lecture 06/10/2015) and documentaries (Class 1: Lecture 13/10/2015) as well as websites (Class 1: Lecture 27/10/2015). L3 even suggests watching interesting feature films which are based on ture events (Class 2: Lecture 27/08/2015). L2 compiles a whole list of good autobiographies which in her opinion, are “easier to read than anacademic article” (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015). In addition she also gives the general, future-oriented advice “to experience a different culture in another way than just from a book” (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015)

Further learning is connected to independent learning as the additional knowledge is gained independently.

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The classes aim to teach Aboriginal issues from a positive (Class 1: Tutorial 03/09/2015) and non-judgmental perspective (Class 2: Lecture 27/08/2015) because “no one should feel good or bad about what happened” (Class 2: Lecture 27/08/2015). In cases where this is rather difficult, L3 apologises for giving a negative account (Class 2: Lecture 27/08/2015). This attempted non-judgmental attitude goes hand in hand with the way in which cultural diversity as well as diversity of opinions are valued and contributes to a positive learning environment.

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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).

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Peers is a term which both L2 and L3 use in their interview to express that they do not see themselves as superiour to their students (Interview with L2 & Interview with L3). It is closely linked to the idea of a relationship between teachers and students which is discussed as a separate category.

As L2 sees herself as “part of the group” (Interview with L2), she prefers to sit with the students rather than in front of the class (Interview with L2). In her opinion, it would be even better, if the classroom would provide the possibility to sit in a circle because ““if you’re in a circle there’s no leader […] And everybody is equal […] including the teacher” (Interview with L2).

In addition to this physical representation of equality, both L2 and L3 also put themselves on one level with the students through certain comments they make. Both tutors frequently admit that their knowledge is not all encompassing (e.g. Class 1: Tutorial 27/08/2015 & Interview with L3) and that they, as well, make mistakes (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015 & Class 2: Lecture 27/08/2015). Therefore, not only the students are learning from the tutors but also vice versa. They share knowledge. In addition, L2 tells the class that she has been very nervous the first time she was holding a lecture in order to calm down a nervous student (Class 1: Tutorial 03/09/2015). Furthermore, S1 feels that the stories which L2 tells allow the students to question and challenge her instead of accepting her as a higher authority (Interview with S1).

The fact that the lecturers and tutors seem to be standing on the same level as the students makes them more accessible and contributes to the positive learning environment.

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L2 as well as L3 use reflection questions in their classes (e.g. Class 1: Tutorial 27/08/2015 & Class 2: Lecture 27/08/2015). By reflecting on an issue, the students actively engage with the topic and build their own opinion. This opinion can later be shared with the class (Class 2: Tutorial 03/09/2015). Furthermore, in the final assessment (Class 1: Lecture 06/10/2015) as well as in the last tutorial session of Class 1 the students are asked to reflect on what they learned and which significance this has for them (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015). Thus, they actively have to find a connection between the content of the class and their life.

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Storytelling is an important part of both classes. “[Q]uite often I’m able to () tell a story about each topic […] that we discuss in class.”, L2 says (Interview with L2) and S1 agrees: “L2 tells stories” (Interview with S1). L3 is “also a big fan of narrative so [he] love[s] the idea of talking. Love[s] the idea of storytelling. Love[s] the idea of sharing. Lived experiences.” (Interview with L3).

As he mentions, the lecturer’s or tutor’s lived experience with a topic is one kind of story told during both classes (Class 1: Lecture 01/09/2015, Class 1: Tutorial 03/09/2015 & Interview with L3). Furthermore, stories can function as real-life examples of the issues discussed (e.g. Class 1: Lecture 01/09/2015, Class 1: Tutorial 03/09/2015 & Class 2: Lecture 29/10/2015), show diverse opinions (Class 1: Lecture 01/09/2015), serve as proof (e.g. Class 1: Tutorial 03/09/2015) and underline a topic’s significance (Class 1: Lecture 06/10/2015). Their overall aim, according to L2 and L3, is to provide a context for the abstract academic content which will help the audience to connect with it (Interview with L2 & Interview with L3). To do so, stories are either told at the end of the topic discussion as examples as explained above or at the beginning as openers introducing the topic (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015 & Class 2: Lecture 03/09/2015).

If tutors or lecturers are telling personal stories, in S1’s opinion, this also means that they bring their personal lives into the classroom (Interview with S1) which “allows [the students] to challenge them” (Interview with S1). The teachers, however, are not the only ones to tell stories. By inviting the students to do the same (Interview with S3), the content also becomes connected to the students’ own world.

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As the classes treat Aboriginal topics, the lecturers and tutors have a close relation to the content. L2 confirms this by saying: “My family is Aboriginal health” (Interview with L2). L3 also explains that the academic texts are often based on his culture (Interview with L3). Therefore, the lecturers and tutors are able to “put […] issues in context” (Interview with L2) which in turn makes them easier to understand.

In practice this can happen in several ways. L1, for example, compares the relationship of the famous Aboriginal person she is talking about to her own (Class 1: Lecture 13/10/2015) whereas L2 refers to places mentioned in presentations or people shown in videos by explaining how she knows them (Class 1: Tutorial 17/09/2015 & Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015). She also often describes what certain aspects, such as events or a specific autobiography mean to her personally (Class 1: Tutorial 17/09/2015 & Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015).

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When names are mentioned in examples (Class 1: Lecture 13/10/2015), stories (Class 1: Lecture 13/10/2015) or student presentations (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015), L1 and L2 give further information about these people. As they are Aboriginal as well as non-Aboriginal (Class 1: Lecture 13/10/2015) and come “from diverse backgrounds and from the past as well as the present” (Class 1: Lecture 13/10/2015), this information adds to the acknowledgment of diversity in the classes. Additional information on people as well as their visual appearance in video clips can also make them and with them the content appear more real (Interview with S2).

L2 and L3 also provide the class with the background of the authors they themselves as well as the students use as references (Class 1: Tutorial 10/09/2015, Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015 & Class 2: Tutorial 03/09/2015) to enable a better understanding of the authors view point.

Furthermore, the people on which background information is given are not limited to the content of the classes. As S2 notes, in the Institute “the lecturers introduce themselves to you, who they are, what nation they’re from, they give you a bit of a background to themselves” (Interview with S2).

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In the lecture L1 “stresses the importance of always going back to the original source by comparing interpretation to a game of Chinese whispers” (Class 1: Lecture 25/08/2015). She brings the class in contact with such “original sources” by reading out passages from documents (Class 1: Lecture 27/10/2015) and websites (Class 1: Lecture 27/10/2015) and directly quoting politicians (Class 1: Lecture 25/08/2015) and Aboriginal people (Class 1: Lecture 01/09/2015). L3 also refers to this topic by saying that he would like to more often include a talk with experts in his classes (Interview with L3).

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