Excellence in Curriculum Design, Learning, Teaching and Assessment for Disabled Students

1
Excellence in Curriculum Design, Learning,
Teaching and Assessment for Disabled Students

• Alan Hurst
• Trustee Skill National Bureau for Students
  with Disabilities

2
Why this focus?

• Key experience for all students in HE
• Growing student dissatisfaction and protests
  about teaching
• Increasing tuition fees and value for money
• Specialist disability advisers suggest most of
  the challenges they and disabled students
  encounter are curriculum-related

3
What evidence is there about disabled students
experiences in higher education?

• HESA statistically based report May 2009
• HEFCE Review of policies and practices due
  November 2009
• ESRC Research undertaken in four HEI published
  in September 2009
• Annual Report of the Office of the Independent
  Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIAHE)
• The National Student Forum

4
National Student Forum Annual Report 2009

• Chapter Five Improving the Experience of
  Disabled Students Issues
• Need for more tailored information prior to entry
• Insufficient knowledge of specialist funding
  available
• Misconceptions and stigma unwittingly
  perpetuating discrimination
• Academic disadvantages
• Non-academic challenges arising from
  insufficiently accessible features of life in HEI

5
National Student Forum Annual Report 2009

• Chapter Five Improving the Experience of
  Disabled Students Recommendations
• Improve advice and guidance for prospective
  disabled students
• Review and revise enrolment and induction
  procedures to ensure that they are inclusive and
  meet the needs of disabled students
• Raise awareness of disability issues within HEI
  amongst the wider student community
• Improve disability awareness amongst academic
  staff
• Ensure that institutional feedback methods
  capture data from disabled students and are used
  to improve future provision

6
National Student Forum Annual Report 2009

• Government response Improving the
  Experiences of Disabled Students which
  referred to Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) but
  without action plan on the following
• Explore the feasibility of an Association of
  International Disabled Students
• Integrate disability awareness training for all
  students in the orientation period
• Improve disability-awareness training for all
  staff in HE
• Develop a bank of student ambassadors for
  disability
• Increase the emphasis on disability issues in
  feedback mechanisms
• Establish national guidelines to strengthen the
  use of Personal Development Plans (PDP) for
  disabled students
• Investigate the feasibility of a centralised
  electronic library for disabled students
• Commission research into the comparative
  progression rates for disabled students

7
National Student Forum Annual Report 2009

• Chapter One Teaching and Supporting Learning
  some issues faced by students
• Lack of clarity and advance information about
  what learning is like in HE
• Insufficient emphasis on the development of
  pedagogical skills
• Lecturer inaccessibility
• Insufficient course innovation

8
Issues in Learning and Teaching (continued)

• Insufficient choice in mode of study
• Confusion around transferability of credit
  between HEI
• Balancing choice with coherence
• Too much assessment OF learning rather than FOR
  learning
• Insufficient opportunity to collaborate, engage
  with and co-design the learning experience
• Inadequate study resources
• A narrow view of learning

9
National Student Forum Annual Report 2009

• Recommendations on Learning and Teaching
• Professionalise teaching and learning within all
  HEI
• Personalise and differentiate approaches to take
  account of disabilities, learning difficulties
  and learning styles
• Increase flexibility in course structures
• Increase range of modes of study
• Develop a cross-institutional strategy to enable
  students to co-design and manage their learning
• Undertake regular reviews of course content and
  material to ensure currency and relevance

10
Recommendations on Learning and Teaching continued

• Ensure a university-wide focus on assessment for,
  not just of, learning
• Review adequacy and accessibility of study
  resources for number and range of students
• Monitor and formally record students broader
  learning
• AND (HIDDEN SOMEWHAT IN A TABLE ON PAGE 31)
  Incentivise HEI to achieve excellence in teaching
  and learning as well as research

11
National Student Forum Annual Report 2009

• Some further thoughts
• Style of report presentation not necessarily
  accessible for some potential readers
• Random examples of good practice
• Lack of recognition of power and influence of
  professional bodies
• No mention of potential of External Examiner
  system (given moves to give Externals greater
  authority)
• Little reference to students legal entitlements
  and to the value of concentrating on anticipatory
  actions rather than post hoc reasonable
  adjustments
• Lack of linkages to changes in the wider context
  ( e.g. forthcoming QAA revised Code of Practice)
• Needs to ensure disability embedded more into
  other sections of the NSF Report

12
Closing Comments

• Progress to excellence through partnerships
  between students and many others
• NSF Report does recognise students own
  responsibilities page 14 As a student, if I
  am to be successful in my learning experience, I
  acknowledge that I need to

13
I acknowledge that I need to

• Be an active partner in my learning
• Strive for excellence in all my academic
  achievements
• Be pro-active in undertaking any research
• View my learning whilst in H.E. as broader than
  just my academic achievements
• Take seriously the feedback I am given in order
  to maximise my potential

14
How will we know if we are getting it right?

• My learning experience is a high priority for the
  institution
• My courses are flexible yet structured and
  transferable
• Essential resources are easy to access and
  readily available
• My learning is personalised to my needs where
  possible
• I can be an active partner to my institution in
  the design and management of my education
• Assessment and feedback are used to help me learn
• My institution encourages me to view my education
  as more than just subject knowledge

15
The (not new/same old) Message

• What is good practice for disabled students is
  good practice for all students
• AND
• What is viewed as getting it right for all
  students means getting it right for disabled
  students too.