The Capability Approach, Pedagogic Rights and Course Design: Developing Autonomy and Reflection through Student-Led, Individually Created Courses

ABSTRACT

University education can provide more than discipline knowledge development. It can also develop lifelong skills such as autonomy, critical reflection, and independent thought. With its concern for the individual and development of the self as well as society, the Capability Approach offers a useful framework for evaluating individual development beyond disciplines. This paper aims to employ the Capability Approach to explore how student-led learning might lead to individual and social development. As there is a focus on courses and curricula, it employs the complementary concept of Pedagogic Rights. It presents findings from a small-scale qualitative research project, which included the perspectives of individuals who had recently completed self-designed, individually-created courses. Findings show that student-led courses align with Capability Approach values, providing a space for individual development and expansion of capabilities.

KEYWORDS:

• Capability approach
• pedagogic rights
• student-led learning
• graduate attributes
• student-led learning
• Higher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rowan Murray

Rowan Murray is the Head of English Language for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Science and Engineering at the Centre for Open Learning in the University of Edinburgh. She is also a current PhD in Education and Social Justice candidate with Lancaster University. Her research interests include educational transitions, decolonisation, critical pedagogy, and English for Academic Purposes.