A Weaving Conversation: Co-Creating Research-Community Partnerships Through Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Pedagogy

Bio

Dr Yanyan Li is an Early-career Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick. She holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Warwick, and an MA in Applied Linguistics (Distinction) from University College London. She is an Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy and Fellow of Warwick International Higher Education Academy. Her research interests cover multimodal communication, conversation analysis, classroom interaction and relationship work. She is an interdisciplinary researcher whose interests span behaviour change theories, health interventions, digital and mental health, and research culture. She has contributed to public engagement initiatives, collaborating with Coventry’s theatre and poetry groups, as well as creative arts organisations, to promote creative and accessible research communication.

Case Study Summary

In her case study, Yanyan reflects on ‘Connections and Conversations through Poetry’, a research-community partnership she led in Coventry. The project was designed to make her academic research on conversation analysis (CA) accessible after noticing her own university students struggled with its technical nature. She engaged a diverse group of local residents and migrants, using an interdisciplinary pedagogy where poetry became an arts-based method to explore the mechanics of social interaction, such as turn-taking, pauses, and repair, in an emotionally resonant way. Her primary aim was to create a brave space where participants became co-creators, examining themes of community, connection, and identity through shared verse.

Co-designed with Coventry Poet Laureate Emilie Lauren Jones, the project involved six workshops that culminated in a public performance and a published anthology. Activities like ‘folded poetry’ and embodied voicing allowed participants to experience CA principles organically rather than through lectures. The focus on constructive feedback sessions also strengthened listening and communication skills, mirroring the CA concept of conversational repair. As a result, participants developed a deeper awareness of interactional dynamics and gained confidence in self-expression. A significant outcome was the formation of a genuine community, with a vibrant WhatsApp group becoming an ongoing space for participants to connect and support each other’s creative journeys.

The process posed challenges that prompted Yanyan’s personal and professional growth. She had to navigate her dual roles as a researcher and facilitator, making complex theories accessible while supporting the emotional labour of participants sharing vulnerable, personal stories. She learned to prioritise emotional safety over performance perfection, fostering group solidarity. This experience was transformative, reshaping her identity as a researcher, teacher, poet, and migrant. Yanyan concludes that the project demonstrated how a relational, adaptive, and emotionally attuned pedagogy can successfully dissolve the boundaries between academia and community, using co-creation to foster authentic human connection and deeply meaningful learning.