European LINK Network and Skill's Annual Higher Education Conference

Monday 30 NovemberRadisson SAS Manchester

Airport

SKILL

Bringing about change through a strategic approach

to inclusive learning and teaching

Dr Val Chapman (NTF)

November 30th 2009

Higher Education Academy Project (Sep 2007- Dec 2008)

Title: Developing Inclusive Curricula in Higher Education

Research focus How can we engage the interest and commitment of

academic staff to further develop their inclusive learning and teaching practice?

Process

Methodology: Appreciative Inquiry University project team – included a disabled student Student researchers from a single Institute

n=7 range of impairments range of courses

Time frame for student involvement: Jan 04 – Mar 31 2008

Inclusive Learning and Teaching

‘By inclusive learning we mean thegreatest degree of match or fit between the individual learners’ requirements and the provision that is made for them’

Tomlinson J. (1996)

Appreciative Inquiry

Based on David Cooperider’s (1999) doctoral work at Case Western Reserve University

Eschews former Organization Development (OD) deficit models Espouses a positive approach to change that builds a vision for

the future based upon what already works well within an existing system

self-empowering philosophy ‘4-D’ process (Discover, Dream, Design and Destiny) Focus on collaborative working of all stakeholders Engages all stakeholders in systematic participation in a jointly

constructed vision of an organization’s future

DISCOVERY

What gives life here?

Appreciating

DESIGN

What should be - the ideal?

Co-constructing

DREAM

What might be?

Envisioning results

DESTINY

How to empower, learn and improvise

Sustaining

Appreciative Inquiry

Deficit model:

identify problem analyse the root cause brainstorm solutions and analyse develop an action plan implement action plan review and revise

8

AI can be used to:

Consult with people Learn from past experience Involve a whole organisation or

community in change Motivate and create active interest Build a vision for the future that

everyone can share and help put into practice

9

10

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) process at UW

AIworkshop

(students)

Students’Post-it activity

Student’sinterviews

(VI)

Focus group with disabled

student researchers

Generation ofadjectives

Briefing on inclusion

and AI

Generation ofpropositional statements

Focus group interviewQuestions

Inaugural ISESstaff/student

research summit

Studentpresentation

Staff response

Prioritisationmeeting

Further planning

& embeddin

g

Inclusion

survey

DREAMDESIGNDESTINY

DISCOVERY

START

Pre-workshop activity

Staffdevelopme

nt

Roll out model to additional

departments

11

Discovery phase (Jan/Feb 08)

Selection of student researchers Pre-workshop activity AI workshop Data collection by student researchers

Post it exercise Disabled student’s interviews with disabled peers Focus group interview (conducted by student member of

project team) Answers to reflective questions (pre-workshop activity)

Development of propositional statements

Data sets

Pre AI workshop reflective accounts from disabled student researchers

Transcript of focus group interview with disabled student researchers conducted by disabled student project team member

Transcripts of disabled student’s interviews with disabled peers

List of positive adjectives from large sample of all ISES students

13

Dream phase (Mar 08)

Inaugural Institute of Sport and Exercise Science (ISES) staff/student research summit

Student researchers’ presentation Audience:

Vice Chancellor Guest speaker – Chief Executive, British Paralympic

Association ISES staff Departmental Learning and Teaching (L&T) representatives

14

Post-it data from sample of ISES students

Top four adjectives (n=265):

Enjoyable Interesting Challenging Fun

Post-it data: staff perceptions

Top four responses:

Challenging Rewarding Practical / applied Interesting

Propositional statements

1. All students make a positive contribution to the learning of their peers.

2. Students value the School’s strong sense of community and being made to feel part of it.

3. Students love it when staff support and celebrate their achievements.

4. Staff inspire students through being role models. 5. Students really enjoy learning through doing.

Propositional statement

6. The School of Sports and Exercise Science offers students a ‘ticket to their future’; it gives them the opportunity to ‘do things for themselves’, to ‘become more independent’, to ‘reinvent themselves’ and ‘be their own person’. It offers a ‘liberating’ and transformative experience.

18

Design phase (Apr 08)

Prioritisation meeting with ISES team to determine: Individual priorities Draft priorities for referral to departmental Learning and

Teaching Committee Staff survey – ISES staff confidence ratings in inclusive

practice (via survey monkey, 78% response rate) Analysed to determine staff development priorities

Departmental priorities agreed at ISES meeting

Share innovative practice; champion good practice; act as advocates for recruitment of disabled ISES staff and students

Use peer observation to focus on inclusion Ensure effective screening to identify

disabled/dyslexic students and/or issues Monitor retention & achievement in order to

identify issues

20

Aspirational goal…

Within the next two yearsthe ISES team will have aninternational reputation asleaders in the field ofinclusive practice in sportand exercise science.

21

Destiny phase (Ongoing)

Supplemental resources SCIPS (Strategies for Creating Inclusive Programmes

of Study) www.scips.worc.ac.uk (used 24/7, page ranked by Google 5/10)

Implementation of innovative staff development package

Embedding inclusive policy and practice in existing departmental structures and systems e.g. peer observation

http://www.scips.worc.ac.uk/

http://uk.qatrain2.eu/

Additional projects in progress

National teaching Fellowship Scheme project: Employability and Disability Usemyability (http://www.usemyability.org/)

Two Minute Tips Multi formats e.g. ‘how to guide a blind person’ video

Qatrain4 students Web resource for disabled students (VET)