Three ways to understand inclusive teaching and learning practices
What makes our teaching and learning practices inclusive and how do we know if we’re getting it right?
Inclusive design goes beyond checklists and font sizes; it requires a dynamic mindset where we expect to learn, grow, and adapt to the identities of our learners, as well as doing what we can to establish supportive learning communities.
In 2022 the Inclusive Learning and Teaching Advisory Board drafted a set of principles for inclusive teaching and learning practices, or pedagogies, enabling rich discussions to take place among School Academic Leads for Inclusive Pedagogies (SALIPs). Our conversations about inclusive pedagogies have been refreshing and we are excited about this way of thinking.
The principles can be categorised as preparedness, responsiveness, and community building. These will develop over time as our thinking continues to evolve.
Jenny Brady (Inclusive Learning and Teaching Manager, LITE)
Preparedness
Inclusive practice involves an anticipatory approach that considers students’ diverse needs and creates effective practice for all. While some reasonable adjustments for specific students will always be necessary, inclusive practice reduces our reliance on this by creating accessible opportunities for the widest number of students.
Inclusive learning design must ensure that learning outcomes, competency standards, and expectations are clearly articulated.
The context and the environment we create for students determine access to learning and teaching, rather than individual student characteristics. Inclusive learning design must ensure that learning outcomes, competency standards, and expectations are clearly articulated. For instance, creating a flexible curriculum would allow a diverse range of students’ personal and collective needs and expectations to be met.
In the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science (PRHS) we have created guidance for staff on effective engagement with disability summary sheets. This outlines good pedagogic practices, e.g., clearly structured reading lists, captioning video content, wearing microphones during lectures. Such guidance anticipates a diverse range of needs and thereby significantly reduces staff time and resources spent on ad-hoc adjustments.
Responsiveness
Inclusion is not a static or top-down approach but instead relies on a dynamic engagement with our students. It requires ongoing reflection and opportunities for students to engage in dialogues about their needs. In PHRS, we are increasing the use of formative assessment, and reducing summative, to enable students to understand their own development needs and work to their own goals. We are also ensuring staff share and discuss their practices. For example, colleagues ask students at the start of the module to write down the academic skill they would most like to develop, thus tailoring our support specifically for them.
Dr Christina Nick (SALIP in the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science)
Community Building
It can be challenging for students on discovery modules, mature and part time students to feel part of a community. This is key to the Lifelong Learning Centre’s (LLC) approach to welcoming and including all students.
Tutors communicate explicitly, online and in workshops, a clear acceptance of different life experiences; with students being encouraged to share this among peers.
On the LLC’s Creative Writing discovery modules, interactive discussion and peer feedback are integral to the pedagogic design. Tutors communicate explicitly, online and in workshops, a clear acceptance of different life experiences; with students being encouraged to share this among peers. Guidance is given about how to offer each other affirmative, constructive feedback and students co-create principles for honest, yet respectful communication. Online spaces are also provided to enable the discussions to develop further between sessions. Consequently, students are empowered to work collaboratively to develop their craft, valuing each other — and their own contributions.
On many of our courses, learning communities are created through recognising and valuing the experiences students bring into their study. This approach requires students to engage with a range of learning resources prior to their workshops, such as videos, reading, podcasts, padlets and discussion boards. This allows their time together to be focused on sharing their different perspectives on the material. Students are asked to reflect explicitly on what they are learning from their peers and how they can integrate this into their own learning journey. By doing so, tutors and students co-construct knowledge.
Dr Catherine Bates (SALIP in the Lifelong Learning Centre)
Learn more about the principles of inclusive pedagogies and how you can apply them to your work in Student Education.
Jenny Brady, Inclusive Learning and Teaching Manager, LITE; Dr Christina Nick, SALIP in the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science; Dr Catherine Bates, SALIP in the Lifelong Learning Centre
