Inclusive Learning and Teaching at Swansea University

The Higher Education Academy’s ‘Inclusive Curricula’ Project

HEA Inclusive Curricula Project at Swansea

• Identify Swansea’s approach to inclusivity and support for disabled students

• Initial focus on the needs of disabled students – opportunity for largest impact

Desired outcome:

• Mainstreaming inclusive learning, teaching and assessment for the benefit of all students

What do we mean by ‘Inclusive Curriculum’?

Inclusive learning and teaching is where all students’ entitlement to access and participate in a course is anticipated, acknowledged and taken into account…’ (HEA, Morgan et al., 2011)

What does an inclusive curriculum mean in practice?

“Anticipating, acknowledging and taking into account that”:

Students have multiple identities that have been shaped by their educational, cultural and social backgrounds, leading to different dispositions (levels of esteem, motivation, aspiration, expectations, preferences, etc.) and face different circumstances in life (familial obligations, age, disability, financial, geographical, flexibility, etc.);

All students apply different approaches to learning

Equality of Opportunity – A Level Playing Field

• Enabling all students to learn on an equal basis - making as few reactive adjustments as possible

• An anticipatory approach to learning, teaching and assessment methods – thinking about how students learn as part of development

Why should we change?

• Equality Act (2010) provides a legal frame ensuring equality of opportunity for students with protected characteristics

• Around 10% of the student population have a declared disability, health condition or mental health issue. The true number will be higher.

• Increasing numbers of home and international students from a diverse range of backgrounds with different learning styles.

Why should we change?

• QAA Quality Code – Inclusivity is mainstreamed

• Above all – better learning experience for students!

What does it achieve?

• A better student learning experience for all• Improved engagement of disabled students• Increased understanding of staff• Fewer adjustments• Easier for staff and students• Fewer complaints, appeals and litigation

How do we achieve an inclusive culture?

• Awareness• Engagement• Training and support• Resources• Whole institution approach

Progress

• Good progress to date in some areas• Increasing awareness across campus• Inclusive approach central to Feedback and Assessment Policy• Inclusivity embedded within module and programme design and

review• Blackboard minimum policy – lecture materials online• SALT developing resources with Student Services• Informed by good practice in sector• Mediation and resolution process to ensure staff and students are

enabled to provide inclusive learning, teaching and assessment

• We still need to do more as a University!

Making small and simple changes

• Talk to students about what works for them

• Ensure lecture materials, slides etc are in an accessible format (guidance provided)

• Ensure lecture materials are provided electronically for all students at least 24 hours before the lecture

• Record, podcast, video or allow all students to record your sessions

• Review teaching and assessment methods

• Prepare alternative assessments in advance

• Ensure learning outcomes can be assessed in a number of ways

Making small and simple changes

Making lecture materials available online makes a huge difference to students’ engagement and experience of learning!

The best use of technology to support learning:

“Having course notes put on blackboard makes the course more accessible for me as I miss a lot due to a disability.”

“All the lecture notes are uploaded on Blackboard which is easily accessible. And for certain modules the assignments need to be uploaded online and marks are also shown on Blackboard. There are various support materials available as well.”

“If people could get stuff onto BB a before lectures so we could print it out to make notes on that would be the most helpful thing ever.”

Key Resources

• Disability Link Tutors• APECS Training sessions• Student Support Services – Disability Office, Wellbeing• SALT and SAILS • Inclusivity on SALT website http://

salt.swansea.ac.uk/en/inclusive.htm • More under development

What happens next?

• Further development of Link Tutor role• Enhanced training, support and guidance materials for staff• Enhanced Codes of Practice with inclusivity embedded as key• Engage staff and students in all subject areas with inclusive approaches• Ensure Bay Campus and Singleton campus developed with inclusive

delivery in mind