1. IJADE 14th International Journal of Art & Design Education Conference 2025: ‘Fostering a culture of compassionate pedagogy through participatory and inclusive teaching methodologies’

Abstract: Through fostering a culture of compassionate pedagogy, we promote the value of empathic approaches to design through human-centred sustainable practices in higher education. This abstract draws on teaching practice which encourages and ignites empathic approaches to design discourse through collaborative, inclusive and experiential learning.

Adopting a dialogic design thinking approach to projects which explore participatory, sensory and inclusive design methodologies, first-hand research is drawn from a recent project working collaboratively with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The project considers approaches to learning through lived and shared experiences, enabling human-centric accessible design innovation in real-world scenarios and exploring concepts relating to the ‘way we live with others in mind’, addressing, how design has the capability to impact, enrich and empower other people’s lives.

Through tactile exploration, creative briefs enable us to examine our connection to and fluency within textile practice. Connectivity with tacit modes of learning encourage engagement and critical discourse around the discipline, promoting belonging, inclusivity, equity and empathy through learning, in turn, empowering learners to establish personal values for practice and ways of developing emotional intelligence through active listening and reflection, inspiring a generation of responsible global citizens.