1Clare Trott: Supporting dyslexic STEM students

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This session• Legal framework• Dyslexia• Reading • Lectures• Notes• Visual learning• Memory• Assessments

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Legal Framework

• Institutions required to make “reasonable adjustments” for disabled students

• Ensure access to goods and services. • Put in place “anticipatory measures”. – Removal of unnecessary barriers– Promote best practice for the inclusion

• putting in place good “anticipatory measures” will pre-empt potential barriers

Dyslexia“likely to be present at birth and to be lifelong in its effects. It is characterised by difficulties with phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing speed and the automatic development of skills that may not match up to an individual’s other cognitive abilities. It tends to be resistant to conventional teaching methods, but its effects can be mitigated by appropriately specific intervention…” (BDA, 2007)

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Dyslexic people are likely to think visually or laterally in some learning situations where neuro-typicals would be more likely to think verbally or logically.

Problem Solving

Cooper (2006)

Dyslexic 80% 20%

Non-Dyslexic 55% 45%

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Dyslexic students STEM subjects • Appears less literacy skills• Practical

However:• mathematics is – Logical – analytical system – hierarchical structures.

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Visual Stress

• 12% of the general population but • Approx 65% of dyslexics (Evans 2002)

• “The inability to see comfortably without distortion and discomfort.” Wilkins (1995)

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Visual Stress (Dyslexsim, 2005)

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Reading: choice of text book

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Reading: prioritised reading list

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An Inaccessible Lecture

• Handwritten• Few example• No reference to real problems• Lack structure• No headings• After lecture• pdf

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Lecture structure• Prior knowledge link to memory

– Product rule for differentiation– Implicit differentiation– Sine/cosine functions

• Recap from previous lecture• Aims of lecture• Summary of key points at end• Structured headings

– Definition, Theorem, proof, practical eg, worked eg, check, …

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Non-linear structure• Mathematics is sequential and logical

• Need to remember intermediate results for later use

• Can it be made more “dyslexia-friendly”?

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H = 0.25K + L + h(100 - L0.5K0.5)H = 0.25K + L + 100h - L0.5K0.5h

 

  

HK H

LHh

0.25 - 0.5 L0.5K-0.5h

0.25 - 0.5 L0.5K-0.5h = 0

0.5 L0.5K-0.5h = 0.25

L0.5K-0.5h = 0.5 (1)

1 - 0.5L-0.5K0.5h

1 - 0.5L-0.5K0.5h = 0

0.5L-0.5K0.5h = 1

L-0.5K0.5h = 2 (2)

100 - L0.5K0.5

100 - L0.5K0.5 = 0

L0.5K0.5 = 100 (3)

(2) (1)L-0.5K0.5h = 2 L0.5K-0.5h 0.5

K / L = 4 K = 4L Substitute in (3) L0.5K0.5 = 100L0.5(4L)0.5 = 1002L = 100 L = 50, K = 200

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Notes• Simultaneous

notes/listen• Keep pace in

lectures

• Prefers to listen • Relies on full notes

beforehand• Accessible format

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Implications

• Structuring written work• Documentation of

methodProblem-solving

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Memory Symbolic material

• Provide a list of all notation• Departmental consistency

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Assessment• CAAs– Answer only– Transcription errors

• Recall in exam– theorems– definitions– formulae

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Theorems a. State a particular definition or theorem

Rote Recall b. Reason a proof.

• Dyslexics who find such learning difficult – understand maths – can develop the proof

Without (a), (b) cannot be done. Double Penalty.

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“There are about 60 theorems in this module, I cannot learn them!” (Rob, 2006)

Definitions Theorems MarksModule 1 19 17 27%Module 2 16 42 24%

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Conclusions• Choice of text books• Prioritised reading lists• Lecture structure• Accessible notes beforehand• Memory and notation

– Provide list– Dept. consistency

• Assessment– Mode of assessment– Allows dyslexic students to show understanding and

ability

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References

• Beacham N and Szumko J (2005) Dyslexsim, Iansyst, Caambridge• British Dyslexia Association (2007)http

://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/further-information/dyslexia-research-information-.html (accessed 06/07/12)

• Cooper R (2006) Making learning styles meaningful Patoss Bulletin, 19 (1) p58-63

• Evans B (2002) Dyslexia & Vision, Whurr, London• Trott C (in press) Good Practice Guide for Mathematics Support for

STEM Students with Dyslexia, HE STEM project, Institute of Physics, London

• Trott C (2012), Mathematics, dyslexia, and accessibility, in Cliffe E and Rowlett P (eds), Good Practice on Inclusive Curricula in the Mathematical, HEA MSOR Network and National HE STEM program, pg 25-28, http://mathstore.ac.uk/node/2095

• Wilkins, A.J. (1995). Visual Stress Oxford University Press, Oxford