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Learning and Teaching Conference 2010 LTC7 2010

The Exceptional Student Journey

Inclusive Learning and Teaching

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University Strategy Map

•Inspire our students to develop their full potential

•Recruit and support high quality students from all backgrounds

•Deliver an exceptional student experience centred on inspirational L&T

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University Values

•Inclusiveness (diversity, equal opportunities and access)

•Professionalism (Provision of effective and efficient customer-focused services)

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Drivers of Diversity

•Widening Participation

•International students

•UK legislation

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1. Race equality

9. Disability equality

6. Marriage/civil partnership

4. Age equality

8. Gender reassignment/transgender equality

5. Gender equality

3. Sexual orientationequality

7. Pregnancy/childcare

•3a: Lesbian women•3b: Gay men•3c: Bisexual people•3d: Heterosexual people

•4a: Older people•4b: Younger people

•5a: Women•5b: Men

•6a: Someone who is married or in a civil partnership•6b: Someone who is not married or in a civil partnership•6c: Someone wanting to use facilities in connection with a wedding/civil partnership ceremony

•7a: Someone who is pregnant and doesn’t know they are pregnant•7b: Someone who is pregnant and knows about their pregnancy•7c: Someone who has childcare responsibilities - but who is not accompanied by the child(-ren) when using sports facilities•7d: Someone accompanied by their child(-ren) when using sports facilities

•8a: People who are planning to undergo gender reassignment•8b: People who have undergone gender reassignment•8c: Other people who identify as trans/transgender

• 9: This includes a wide range of impairments – covered in a separate session

The ‘Strands’ of Equality

•1a: “White” ethnic origin•1b: Black or minority ethnic (“BME”) people•1c: People who are mixed-race

2. Religious equality

•2a: Christianity•2b: Atheist/None•2c: Islam •2d: Buddhism•2e: Hinduism•2f: Sikhism•2g: Judaism•2h: Other

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Diversity in the student populationMatch the strand to the proportion of students

Based on figures at December 2008:

Out of 26,344 home/EU students

•11.4% a) Female•17.5% b) Disclosed a disability•6.6% c) Over 25•60.4% d) From a minority ethnic group•57.1% e) Declared a religion

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Diversity in the student populationMatch the strand to the proportion of students

Based on figures at December 2008:

Out of 26,344 home/EU students •11.4% (3K) d) From a minority ethnic group•17.5% (4.5K) c) Over 25•6.6% (2K) b) Disclosed a disability•60.4% (16K) a) Female•57.1% (15K) e) Declared a religion

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Diversity in the student population

Based on figures at December 2008:

There were a further 3,673 International students, of whom •87.4% (1017) were from a Minority Ethnic group•47.6% (1747) were over 25•1.3% (46) had disclosed a disability•50.9% (1804) were female•78.5% (2676) had declared a religion

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The Learning and Teaching Cycle 

1. Planning

2. Content

3. Methods/

Delivery

4. Assessment

5. Evaluation

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Quotes from Student ConsultationPlanning

•It would be helpful if reading lists balanced male and female authors

•It is helpful when students from different backgrounds are encouraged to mix – e.g. sharing information in small, mixed groups

•Some students can find it difficult to study in the library

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Quotes from Student ConsultationModule Content

•It’s helpful to have a mix of male and female role models

•As an international student I find it helpful if examples aren’t always based on a UK or European perspective

•Lecturers need to acknowledge the contribution and perspectives of students from different backgrounds

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Quotes from Student ConsultationMethods/Delivery

•It can be difficult if Lecturers assume I (an International student) have the same background knowledge as a home student (e.g. British history/culture) – encourage pre-course reading

•More use of the VLE would sometimes help to support e.g. part time students, or those with caring responsibilities

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Quotes from Student ConsultationAssessment

•Students need to be made aware of deadlines for requesting extensions

•Examiners need to be made aware of any special needs of individual students

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Evaluation

•Are there obvious patterns of attrition?

•Are there obvious patterns of attainment?

•Will you students leave with a better understanding of diversity issues in society?

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Consider a student who is normally an active person with a good social life in her own friendship group. She is frequently required to research topics in her own time, finds it difficult to understand lecture content and seems not to enjoy group work. In class she is very quiet and never voluntarily responds to questions. Which of the following might apply?

•She is a mature student returning to study after a long break•She is an international student with English as a second language•She is one of very few women on the course•She is deaf

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A half-day session on inclusion in relation to disabled students

For curricula, L&T activities and assessment, how do we:

• Identify potential barriers

• Lessen these by changing the activity or increasing flexibility, while retaining skills and knowledge outcomes, and

• Share good practice?

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EXAMPLE

Activity: Lecture

50 minutes

PowerPoint slides and use of whiteboard

Venue: Michael Sadler LG 15

Time: Semester 1, Thursdays 17:00

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What do we expect students to do?

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• Find the venue

• Get to venue…

• …at the right time

• Find a seat

• Sit still

• Fit in with peers

• Keep quiet

• Hear/listen

• See/watch

• Take notes

• Process, understand, make links, reflect

• ‘Daydream’, tune in again

• Ask or answer questions

• Leave (library, home, social)

• Review/revise the learning material later

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EXAMPLE

Activity: Lecture

50 minutes

PowerPoint slides and use of whiteboard

Venue: Michael Sadler LG 15

Time: Semester 1, Thursdays 17:00

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Lecture delivery

• Fast or well-paced?

• In a familiar accent and style?

• Well-structured with topic changes cued?

• Using examples from students’ own experience? (personal or academic)

• Pauses or changes of activity within lecture?

• Allowing time to process or view visual aids?

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PowerPoint slides

• Size of text on slides

• Background to the text – plain or not

• Colour of text and background

• Contrast/boldness of text and diagrams

• Availability - in advance, electronically

Whiteboard

• Copies available for students?

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Venue issues:

• Physical access to building and room (all parts of room?)

• Seating, and writing surface available

• Listening experience – PA system, external and internal noise

• Visual experience – sightlines, lighting

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Time of lecture:

• In relation to the rest of student’s day/timetable

• Time of day

• Accessible routes available at this time?

• External environment – dark, busy, transport?

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Solutions?

• Be open-minded – are there other ways to achieve the same ends?

• Prepare in advance… review/plan your module in good time…

• Come to our half-day session to share ideas on how to make things easier for disabled students (maybe all students) AND ourselves

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It may not be as difficult as you think

From a hard of hearing student:

The thing that really changed my whole experience of the course was when the tutor started to repeat the comments and questions made by the other students.

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Contacts:

Kathy Aveyard k.a.aveyard@adm.leeds.ac.uk

Sheenagh Hull s.hull@adm.leeds.ac.uk

Home page:

www.equality.leeds.ac.uk

Training sessions:

www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/for-staff/training/