International Politics Teachability Pilot Project

1
International PoliticsTeachability Pilot Project
Learning together to deliver an inclusive
curriculum Tuesday 8 July 2008
2
Action Plan Priorities

• 3 priorities identified
• To audit general awareness of disabilities and
  current legislation across all staff.
• To audit a selection of Part One, Part Two and
  Masters modules in order to evaluate issues of
  accessibility and inclusivity.
• To consider the potential difficulties posed by
  teaching across multiple locations.

3
Departmental Project Team

• Project led by team of three members of
  administrative staff and one member of academic
  staff.
• Admin members of the team includes those
  responsible for recruitment and external affairs,
  timetabling etc.

4
Staff awareness I

• Training session run by Graham Charters at
  Departmental Away Day.
• Training session for Part Time Teaching Staff
  (Graduate Teaching Assistants) run by the
  Teachability team. Created worksheets for this
  session.

5
Staff awareness II

• Outcomes
• Reasonably high level of interest and engagement
  from staff
• Many staff had limited previous knowledge of
  accessibility issues
• Wide-ranging discussion of current practice and
  best practice ideas
• Raised awareness that the Teachability Pilot
  Project was taking place
• Effects persisted over time (e.g. staff
  approaching team members with further questions
  etc etc)

6
Module audit I

• Questionnaire designed and distributed to all
  students on a selection of undergraduate and
  Masters modules.
• Questionnaire focussed on
• Suitability of teaching environment
• Accessibility of lectures and seminars
• Teaching resources
• Opportunity for general comments

7
Module audit II

• Outcomes
• Limited amount of useful feedback received
• Students overwhelmingly concentrated on physical
  access issues
• Some useful comments
• Also provided an opportunity to recruit students
  for Focus Group

8
Focus group I

• Attempted to make student engagement central to
  the project
• Initial meeting with Guild of Students Disability
  Officer
• Recruited for a Focus group via questionnaire and
  via email to all students

9
Focus group II

• Outcomes
• Limited success in recruiting volunteers for
  focus group
• Initial focus group meeting confirmed some of the
  issues raised in questionnaire responses
• Need to find a way to engage a broader range of
  students

10
Teaching locations

• Prior to the project we expected the fact that
  much of our UG teaching is carried out on the
  Llanbadarn Campus would cause accessibility
  problems.
• Although there were some complaints about this in
  the questionnaire results these were not
  generally related to disability issues
• A different problem (concerning the layout of
  teaching rooms) was brought to our attention and
  is being followed up.

11
Competence standards I

• As part of the Teachability project we decided to
  identify the Competence Standards applicable to
  degrees in our department.
• These were drafted by the Teachability team and
  discussed with key colleagues (HoD, DUS, DGS etc)
  and with Graham Charters.
• The proposed standards were then discussed at a
  Departmental Board meeting at which they met with
  universal approval.

12
Competence standards II

• The Competence standards we identified are
• 1. To possess the capacity or potential to
  acquire, comprehend and use, by whatever means,
  information and knowledge of the academic
  literature and debates within the chosen field of
  study.
• 2. To possess the capacity or potential to
  produce, by whatever means, coherent essays,
  dissertations and other written work that
  provides arguments and analysis which is
  supported by appropriate evidence from the
  academic literature.
• 3. To possess the capacity or potential to
  participate, by whatever means, in group
  discussions of the academic literature, argument
  and knowledge within the chosen field.
• Examples of adaptations would include, use of a
  sign interpreter, amanuensis, screen reader and
  other computer technology, extra time, Braille,
  recording of lectures/seminars, alternative
  assessment methods, audio books etc

13
Next steps

• Review of Departmental promotional materials
• Training on accessibility issues to be included
  in annual PTTS training programme

14
Lessons learned

• It is vital to have the support of the HoD to
  make the project work
• Need to get the sequencing of activities right
  (e.g introduce the project to staff first etc)
• It is important, but not easy, to include
  students in the process
• Staff responded well to the session from Graham
  perhaps it helps to have an outside expert do
  this?
• Lack of awareness was common amongst staff but
  hostility towards the project was not
• We already do many things well