student attainment and experience conference university of derby what are students’ perceptions of...

Student Attainment and Experience Conference

University of Derby

What are students’ perceptions of learning support for their hidden disabilities in higher education classrooms? A cross sectional study in an East Midlands university in the UK.

Rosemary Shepherd, 22nd June 2015

[email protected]

Points for discussion Literature and policy underpinning the research

Feedback from students on the learning support they are receiving in higher education

What might be some of the concerns and/or dilemmas for tutors in managing the needs of students with learning support plans?

EdD research on student perception of learning support Research into students’ perceptions of the support they

receive for hidden disabilities in higher education classrooms.

A steady rise in the numbers of students entering higher education with both physical and hidden disabilities (Gibson, 2012; Madriaga et al. 2011; VanBergeijk et al, 2008; Konur, 2006; Avramidis and Skidmore, 2004)

The driving force for the increased numbers of students entering higher education with ‘disabilities’ is the legislation and policies to provide better equal opportunities for students with disabilities. (Konur 2006)

Disabled Students Allowance 1993 (currently under scrutiny)

Statistics for University of Derby 2002 – 2012Higher Education Standards Agency HESA

Full time Undergraduate students studying their first degreeYear Students enrolled Receiving DSA Percentage

2011/12 8705 785 9.0

2010/11 8245 795 9.7

2009/10 8160 735 9.0

2008/09 7645 520 6.8

2007/08 7155 365 5.1

2006/07 7140 330 4.6

2005/06 7285 150 2.1

2004/05 7165 295 4.1

2003/04 7365 170 2.3

2002/03 7260 215 2.9

HESA 2013

www.derby.ac.uk/education

HE policy and inclusive practice

Dearing Report in 1997 - a ‘more socially representative university sector’ to ‘remove barriers to citizens’ social and economic participation’ (Sheeran, Brown and Baker 2007:249).

‘Elitism to Inclusion’ 1998 - to move from what had been seen as a ‘discriminatory attitude on the part of [some] tutors’ to the making of reasonable adjustments to students with declared disabilities.

Disability and Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 updated in 2005 to ensure equality for disabled people in education, SENDA 2001

Equality Act 2010 - Direct/indirect discrimination, discrimination by association or discrimination by perception


EdD research - Sample and themes 14 semi-structured interviews - Stages 1, 2 and 3

9 JHS, 5 Single honours EDS Age 20 – 50 plus 12 females, 2 males. One Jamaican female, 13 White British Dyslexia, Epilepsy, Dyspraxia, Bi-Polar, Depression/Anxiety, ME, Bone disease

Themes discussed Diagnosis of hidden disability, Study needs assessment and equipment provided - DSA Approaching tutors about support plans Teaching methods in the classrooms - what works best, where do

students struggle? Student strategies

Key theme mental health issues


Feedback on Student Wellbeing Services and provision of equipment

Different levels of support – severity of disability - mixed messages

Equipment for some but not for others - confusion

Difficulty accessing training for equipment use

Pending discussions with student wellbeing


Accessing the learning support plan – a ‘misty’ area The learning support plan is emailed to student

Module leader alerted by email

Details can be viewed on peoplesoft - on the class list


Click on Related ContentSupport Plans by Class 6

CatalogeModule Term ID

Student Name

Support Plan Reasons

Support Plan Start Term

Advisor name

Requirements Notes

4EDXXX 2013 xx xxx DYSLEXIA , 2013xxx Requirements Notes

4EDXXX 2013 xx xxx DYSLEXIA , 2013xxxx Requirements Notes

4EDXXX 2013 xx xxx DYSLEXIA , 2013xxx Requirements Notes

4EDXXX 2013xxx xxxxx

DEPRESSION , MIGRAINES 2013

xx Requirements Notes

4EDXXX 2013xxx xx DYSLEXIA , 2013

xxxxx Requirements Notes

4EDXXX 2013xxx xxxx DYSCALCULIA , 2013

xxx Requirements Notes


Click on Requirements

ID NameRequirement

Area Description

1 x mm A03LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :

Please provide copies of lecture notes in advance unless to do so would academically disadvantage the student.

2 x mm A13LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :

Please allow the student to use their laptop in class for note taking purposes.

3 x mmAED1

LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :

Extended deadlines of 1 week for submission of all assessed work excluding group work, presentations and modules that contain progressive assessments.

4 x mmAED62


Extended deadlines of 2 weeks for submission of final year Independent Study.

5 x mmMH14


Allow student to record lectures and seminars using their own digital voice recorder.

6 x mm A01 LIBRARY :Extended book loan service: 5 weeks on resources normally loaned for 3 weeks; 2 weeks on resources normally loaned for 1 week.

7 x mm A01PLACEMENT :

The student should contact their placement tutor as soon as possible after preparation of this Support Plan to discuss their needs on placement.


Notes details for the studentID Name Notes Note Title Notes Details

1 x xxxx 01LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :

LECTURES AND TUTORIALS: Discuss Support Plan with tutors.

2 x xxxx 07LIBRARY : EXTENDED BOOK LOAN

LIBRARY - EXTENDED BOOK LOAN: Restricted and two day loans are not included in these arrangements and cannot be extended.

3 x xxxx CONFCONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT

This is a confidential document, held in your electronic student record and is only accessed by appropriate members of University staff, for the purpose of arranging your support.

4 x xxxx SP SUPPORT PLAN

Your Support Plan is an on-going, continuous document to help you throughout your time at university. If you feel there are any adjustments to be made to it, or want to discuss any aspect of your Support Plan, please contact the Student Wellbeing Service.


How are learning support plans used?

What happens next? What do tutors do with support plans?

Are students meeting tutors to discuss learning needs and reasonable adjustments?


Discussions on the learning support plan Students with learning support

plans often avoid approaching tutor to discuss learning needs

Didn’t know they had to talk to tutor about their learning needs

Assumed tutor would know Didn’t want to. Worried or embarrassed about

approaching tutor

Tinklin, Riddell and Wilson, (2004) informs us that students may experience anxiety and the fear of exposure or failure if they discuss their disability.

Embarrassment/fear of approaching tutor about support planI haven’t said anythingYou do feel strange… you feel embarrassedYou feel like a right pain to the lecturersNo I’m a bit shyI wouldn’t know what to say…..I don’t think support told me to go to and talk to themIt affects me a bit and I don’t want to be labelledI think some lecturers are more terrifying than othersI didn’t feel confident to go and see themIt’s weird having to talk to themSaying.. I’ve got dyslexia, like having a tag alreadyI get a bit embarrassedI should be able to go up and say.. I have this problemNot approached a tutor face to faceIt’s easier for them to look at it (support plan)I don’t know if people know You need someone to play the game with youNot sure if my support plan is in place or not


Approaching tutors about the support plan

Concerns and unhelpful responses Supportive tutor

He ignored it (email) didn’t even acknowledge it

Some tutors are fantastic, they print scripts on blue paper!

You’ve made it very hard on yourself coming to university

Tell me what you need, I’ll make sure it is there for you

They’re not bothered They’ve been so supportive

They’ve not been interested

They wouldn’t help

Another tutor was just not very helpful


Difficulties experienced in the classroomHe put the blinds down… put all the fluorescent lights on… [Used] overhead screen… [for] all his lecture notes and read them in a very thick accent

If you don’t leave them confused you have not done your job… I don’t want to be confused

Lecture notes not available before session

They do a lot of scribbling… wiping it off… and moving on to something else

I was completely zoned out… Really dark room… with no windows… I couldn’t cope...

She'd say how teachers need to be sensitive towards other's needs… and do exactly the opposite

Kept my head down… read it, didn’t talk to anyone, I got nowhere… not taking it in at all

White background on screen

I tried to record it and the tutor wouldn't let me I needed to go to the toilet and to walk around… I was told… you've got to wait

If it's just boring and monotone… talking at you

They call me out and say "oh what did we learn" I don’t know… it's embarrassing

[Tutor says ]stop what you are doing and focus on the board… I am still writing notes [trying keep up]

[She has] lots of powerpoints and just reads them off

Reading tasks… 26 pages long … 25 minutes with questions

She talks in very flat tones like… rarr rarr rarr


Positives in the classroomI love how she is so enthusiastic

When I was stressed I was able to tell her that

She has slides and pictures and videos

We were moving around and just interacting with people

There was visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning

I find that having groups discussions help… it's nice to talk to other people about it

Having slides on udo

I think that… asking questions... always helps

She makes us laugh I like having a personality

She never uses white on powerpoints

All scripts were printed on blue paper

Talks without relying on powerpoints

They'll simplify it down and then… do activities on it

I like slower talking

She responded by email regularly

We pool our ideas and present them back


Teaching methods - Inclusive practice Inclusive pedagogy - teaching approaches that address the

learning of all learners to accommodate a range of needs (Le Roux and Graham 1998; Florian and Linklater 2010; Florian and Black-Hawkins 2011)

Focusing on ways of extending what is already in place in terms of materials and delivery styles, and which responds to the differences between learners rather than ‘specifically individualizing for some’ (Florian and Linklater 2010:370).

A ‘shift’ from the traditional directive delivery of information, to thinking about teaching methods that work for most learners with some add on methods that support students who are experiencing learning difficulties (Long, 2011) .


Disable Students Allowance -Cuts

David Willets (April 2014) Minister for Universities and Science

Written Ministerial statement…

“We believe that HEIs are better placed to consider how to respond in many cases, including giving greater consideration to the delivery of their courses and how to provide support”

Cuts delayed until 2016/7

How will universities and tutors respond?


Summary There is a rise in students coming into higher education with special

educational deeds and disabilities

Tutors need more awareness of a range of learning needs

Need to ensure inclusive practice for all students

Communication between Wellbeing services/student/tutor

Strategies for students

Managing the cuts in DSA…. Mental Health Issues


References 1 Avramidis, E. and Skidmore, D. (2004) Reappraising Learning Support in

Higher Education, Research in Post-Compulsory Education Vol 9 No 1 pp63 – 82

Florian, L. and Linklater, H. (2010): Preparing teachers for inclusive education: using inclusive pedagogy to enhance teaching and learning for all, Cambridge Journal of Education, 40:4, pp369-386

Florian, L. and Black-Hawkins, K. (2011): Exploring inclusive pedagogy, British Educational Research Journal, 37:5, pp 813-828

Holbrook, T., Moore, C., and Zoss, M. (2010) Equitable intent: reflections on Universal Design in education as an ethic of care. Reflective Practice, Vol 11, No 5 pp 681-692

Gibson, S. (2012): Narrative accounts of university education: sociocultural perspectives of students with disabilities, Disability & Society, 27:3, 353-369

Konur, O., (2006) Teaching disabled students in higher education, Teaching in Higher Education. Vol. 11:3, pp. 351-363

References 2 Long, M., Wood, C., Littleton, K., Passenger, T., and Sheehy, K., (2011) The

Psychology of Education, 2nd Ed. London: Routledge. Madriaga, M., Hanson, K., Kay, H., and Walker, A., (2011) Marking-out normalcy

and disability in higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education. Vol. 32:6 pp 901-92

Sheeran, Y., Brown, B.J., and Baker, S., (2007) Conflicting philosophies of inclusion: the contestation of knowledge in widening participation. London Review of Education 5, (3): 249-263, https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/2086/2431/sheeran2%20(2).pdf?sequence=1 Accessed June 2015

Silver, P., Bourke, A., & Strehorn, K., (1998): Universal Instructional Design in Higher Education: An Approach for Inclusion, Equity & Excellence in Education, 31:2, pp47-51

VanBergeijk, E., Klin, A., & Volkmar, F., (2008) Supporting More Able Students on the Autism Spectrum: College and Beyond, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Vol. 38:7, pp1359–1370

Willets, D. (2014) Written Ministerial Statement (modernising the DSA) http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-vote-office/April%202014/7%20April%202014/1.BIS-HE-Student-Support.pdf June 2015


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