Inclusivity in HEVersion 692

Sarra Saffron PowellUniversity of Liverpool

Session outline

External contexts

Institutional responses/position

Approaches and practice/inclusive pedagogy

Inclusion

“At a time when prevailing neo-liberal policy aims to position higher education as an economic venture and students as customers, discourses of inclusion are vital. Terms such as access, widening participation, equity, equality and diversity, and lifelong learning commonly feature in discourses of inclusion related to higher education. The shifting meanings and fluid uses of these terms serve as an indication of the increasing tensions between neo-liberal economic forces and the role of higher education in modern society”

Widening Participation Conference 2012 - Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education

• What institutional agendas and drivers impact your practice?

What is widening participation (WP?)

It address systematic occlusion to the right of education

= REMOVING BARRIERS

WP - inheritance

Gov. targets (2006) 50% participation rate 18-30 year old in HE by 2015

Low - Socio economic

backgroundDisabled

Care leavers

Ethnic minorities

HEFCE strategic objectives

Aim HigherFinancial

incentives

Enhancing the student experience?

Internationalisation

£9,000 fees“economic

contractual logic”Cousins, 2012

Access Agreement(fee capping,

£50,000 penalties)

“Massification” of HE

Staff:students

Student Charter

Quota of Students Policy (AABs)

Some drivers and legislation

Economic model

Fair access

• The notion of ‘fair access’ has its roots in liberal concerns to promote access to higher education to individuals from ‘disadvantaged’ backgrounds who are deemed to have high levels of potential ability. In recent years, admissions policies and practice have become an explicit focus of national policy in the UK, underpinned by concerns to promote fair access to all students recognised as having the potential to benefit from HE.

• Fair Access? Research on admissions to higher education

“Toxic correlations/Access and social identities”

Professor Louise MorleyUniversity of Sussex, UK

Widening Participation Conference 2012 - Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education

Or “Reality check”?

Challenge-laden

• Major structural/cultural challenge to HEIs, requiring higher rates of involvement and rates of achievement to those who have been traditionally under-represented excluded

• Inclusivity is an institutional response to those challenges AND

• individual pedagogical decisions

Barriers

• Engagement (pre-admission)• Admissions procedure• Retention• Engagement in university culture ‘student

experience’• Language• Physical barriers

• Lit. indicates identity ‘simple sense of belonging’ – is key.

Institutional responses• Russell group cf post-1992 HEIs = exceptionally

poor • Russell group cf Russell group = exceptionally

good• WP a key strategic aim • High levels of resourcing• HEA inclusive cultures programme – high levels

of commitment• Go Higher access programme (revised,

resourced) • Policy auditing/implementation• Student representation (LGoS)

• Student support infrastructure (student services)• Student support learning skills development (

iLearn, workshops) • Curriculum Review/design (diversifying

assessment, delivery, internationalising curricula)• Teaching qualifications (improving teaching

practice)• Induction Review (transition support)• Peer mentoring system• Faculty Skills Advisors• Development of Digital Literacies/elearning• ..more

Good practice

• Inclusive pedagogy = good practice• takes a coherent approach which is

anticipatory and proactive• has a strategy for delivering equal opportunities and

diversity policies• involves the whole institution• matches provision to student needs• incorporates regular reflection, review and refinement of

strategies and methods that actively involve disabled students.

• (www.open.ac.uk)

Commonality?

Alexander Graham Bell

Thomas Edison Winston Churchill

Hans Christian Anderson

Peter Conrad (NASA)

Alexander Faludy

John Lennon

Pablo Picasso

Albert Einstein

Alexander Faludy• GCSEs at age 9

• A-Levels at the age of 11

• At age 15 and 7 months, University of Cambridge

• became the youngest undergraduate

• IQ top 0.2 per cent of the population

• Handwriting, aged 9• Aged 15, write two words a minute

In practice• Resource design (word, ed.pdf)• Visuals/text/auditory• Clarity (space/colour)• Learner styles/types of learner (multimodalities)• Delivery (diversify) • Curriculum/module design (think

barriers/opportunity to practice for assessment)• Assessment and feedback (diversity/timeliness)• Formative • Group work (+peer assessment)

• elearning/flexible delivery (+VITAL)• Developing digital literacies (multi modal)• clickers• Student engagement/choice (voice/feedback)• “Mindfulness” Language (academic speak/ novice-

expert continuum)• Expectation (motivation/confidence)• Constructive alignment • Transparency (communication)

Questions?

Institutional Lead in Inclusivity:• sarrasaf@liv.ac.uk xt 41180

refs

Barnett R., (2000) University Knowledge in an Age of Supercomplexity, Higher Education, 40, pp. 409-422

Brookfield, S., (1998) Critically Reflective Practice, The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 18, pp. 197-255

Morley L., (2012) Widening Participation Conference 2012 - Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education

Gosling D., (2002) Models Of Peer Observation of Teaching, Learning and Teaching Support Network Generic Centre,.

Further resources• Beyond Prejudice: Inclusive learning in practice from the Learning and Skills Development Agency offers

strategic and practical pointers for the provision of an inclusive learning environment.• DEMOS: Online Materials For Staff Disability Awareness (2002) is an online resource aimed at academic staff,

and examines the issues faced by disabled students in higher education. Modification of examination and assessment arrangments are also discussed.

• Engineering Subject Centre Guide to Working with Disabled Students (2nd Edition June 2005) includes practical ideas and case studies.

• Premia resource base awareness and development materials are for everyone involved in making the research environment more accessible for disabled students.

• SCIPS (Strategies for the Creation of Inclusive Programmes of Study) database provides information to support academic staff in improving access to the curriculum for disabled students.

• SENDA compliance in Higher Education: an audit and guidance tool to accessible practice within the framework of teaching and learning 2002, including a useful section on assessment.

• Teachability (2000) offers information and resources for academic staff to help in the provision of an accessible curriculum.

• Techdis has relevant resources and references, including a database of information and products to assist disabled students and staff.

• University of Bristol Access Unit provides fact sheets for supporting disabled students.• University of Wolverhampton - Learning, teaching and assessment:

good practice guides for staff teaching d/Deaf students in art, design and communication and in science and engineering.

Thanks