The 2014 Immigration Act in British Universities by Douglas Cairns

I work at Edinburgh University, where the Students’ Association (EUSA) has recently issued a formal call for the renaming of the David Hume Tower, the University’s most prominent blot on the city’s skyline, on the grounds that the Enlightenment philosopher after whom the building is named held ‘extremely problematic and incredibly harmful’ beliefs regarding ‘the inferiority of non-white peoples’ (‘Campaign to rename Edinburgh University building named after David Hume wins Students’ Union support’, Edinburgh Evening News 6 July 2020).
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Sociological Barriers to Community Engagement with Higher Education Institutions

This is a presentation examining sociological barriers communities face in engaging with higher education institutions. Globally there is a discussion around the unsustainable ways which humans are living on the planet and everyone is told that they play an important role in meeting the challenges which are now at our doorstep.  There is international consensus that climate breakdown and the problems of unsustainable ways of living and being on the planet must be addressed on a system wide, community wide and individual level. Read more…

Is Alternative Education The Route To Utopia? Alex Dunedin Responds to Hina Suleman’s Questions

This is a piece of writing where Alex Dunedin responds to Hina Suleman’s questions about whether alternative education is the route to Utopia. One of the joys of having been involved in doing Ragged University is getting to meet so many people who love learning and who are invested in analysing the differing aspects of doing education in various ways.  I had the pleasure of meeting the inspirational Hina Suleman at Liverpool John Moore’s University where she was involved in doing a session with students exploring ways of approaching teaching and learning. Read more…

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Education as Human Development

This expresses the philosophy of education underpinning the values of Ragged University. This thesis is an expanded version of a presentation originally given at the British Educational Research Association conference held in Liverpool John Moores University 8th November 2018 which spoke to the of ‘Transitions: Challenges, Threats & Opportunities across the Post-compulsory Sectors’.  Its original title was ‘Education as Human Development; Rewilding and Saving Social Mammals from the Ostracism of the Market’ Read more…

An Exploration of Informal Education with Students at John Moores University

This is material which accompanies a presentation given at Liverpool John Moores University as a part of a module created by Craig Hammond and Angie Daly which focuses on informal education.  I was asked to give different perspectives on education outside and beyond formal educational settings and the session was recorded which you can listen to.  This articule is to accompany the discussion and provide some materials for reflection.
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Theorising Autopedagogy; Relating Education to Human Rights

This is a collection of notes on the idea of autopedagogy – the self directed innate behaviour of garnering means with which to learn in structured ways.  This speaks to ideas of a living curriculum and the creation of curricula through self orienteered gleaning, foraging, collating, creation and curation of activities. All the writings and the website of Ragged University act as an open copy book of the evolving and emerging ideas of education and models of learning available to everyone. Read more…

Consuming Education; BERA Panel on Challenges, Threats & Opportunities across the Post-compulsory Sectors

On the 8th of November 2018, the British Educational Research Association (BERA) held a conference at Liverpool John Moores University on the theme of ‘Transitions: Challenges, Threats & Opportunities across the Post-compulsory Sectors‘.  I (Alex Dunedin) was lucky enough to be invited to both take part in a panel discussion on the themes and to submit a paper.  Read more…