About the Project

Co-creation methods are well established in both research literature and institutional experience. Co-creation in this project due to the nature of the participants and their context. This project evaluates and develops co-creation under exceptional circumstances.

Firstly, participants are leaders in a war context, which makes their participation complex. Participants can be absent without notification due to war violence in their area. Thus a very high level of insecurity exists when planning and undertaking (co-creation) efforts and we must use flexible means to ensure effective participation without exclusion.

Secondly, the participants work in fast changing contexts. For instance, during the first part (of three) of the taught programme this year, participants had a strong focus on physical infrastructure of education, as 12% of schools and universities are severely damaged or destroyed. By 2024, the national planning and programme of rebuilding will have started, and participants are likely to need to focus on educating displaced learners (in-country and abroad, and especially children evacuated from areas under attack, including many without their parents).

Noting the fast pace of changing needs, we need to develop a framework of informing our curriculum accordingly. Research is produced at a much slower pace, but the education leaders we work with have up to date insight into what developments and challenges are current. Using these insights and knowledge whilst maintaining a focus on the research based key concepts and approaches of educational reconstruction, is of paramount importance.

We need to develop structural, sustainable means of using those insights to inform our (co-) teaching approach on an ongoing basis – and inform the way we build Warwick's new Masters programme on Post Conflict Reconstruction of Education.

Project Aims

The project will focus on developing a framework to establish a co-creating and iterative approach to curriculum development. The programme is the development of a flexible and online Masters on Educational Reconstruction (during or post war, conflict or crisis). The Masters will be informed by the current offer for Ukrainian Education Leaders working in-country on the reform and reconstruction of education (primary, secondary, tertiary). Furthermore, we wish to develop a continuous co-creation curriculum renewal framework to ensure participants on the future Master are always working on relevant cases, challenges, topics and themes, whilst the core concepts and methods in the curriculum (and the learning outcomes) remain stable.

Project Team

Lead: Matt Street (FOLD)

Lead: Gwen van der Velden (Executive Office/SELCS)