Inclusive teaching means providing learning opportunities that are free from bias and that take into account a diversity of individual needs and learning styles related to disability, race, socio-economic status, gender, language, ethnicity, geographical isolation, sexuality, work commitments and family responsibilities.
While some students with disability may learn differently, they are have the same rights and responsibilities as other students. However, students with disability are not an homogeneous group. Their individuality, particular strengths, aspirations and needs must be recognised.
It is important to remember that it is not the disability itself that should be of interest but its impact on the student’s ability to access material and demonstrate knowledge.
Approaches to teaching which assist all students to learn include:
- Making sure students know what and how they are expected to learn: that is, they are told or can accurately work it out for themselves. This can be done by:
- previewing new topics and showing how the new material fits in with other parts of the subject
- making explicit what you expect students to learn from a lecture or tutorial
- summarising the main points of a topic and making clear how that topic will be assessed
- Integrating instructions on how to learn with teaching content and designing the workload so that students have time to reflect on what they have learned, to see how it fits in with their previous learning and experience, and to work out what they will need to learn next
- Helping students see the relevance of their learning to broader personal and vocational goals. Provide opportunities for students to relate what is taught in class to their own experiences and values
- Demonstrating your interest and enthusiasm for your subject. Your students will better appreciate the intellectual challenge if you relate your teaching to your research interests and activities
- Providing adequate feedback on how students are progressing with their learning, particularly in regard to their learning goals
- Assessing students’ learning in line with what they thought they had to learn and providing opportunities for students to learn how to deal with assessment tasks before the final assessment
Students may also learn best when:
- They have some choice about what they learn and how they learn, that is, when teaching is student-centred. Where possible, provide short "electives" within a subject, and introduce a variety of learning tasks – project work, problem-based and resource-based activities
- They can talk through the material with other students or a tutor. You might provide opportunities for structured group activities in your subject so that students experience both individual and collaborative learning. Have students research selected areas of a topic independently, but then collaborate in small groups for the purposes of completing a report, assignment or presentation on the topic. There are many benefits to be gained from shared experiences in learning.
Encourage the establishment of student self-help, discussion or focus groups. Such groups could be organised on the basis of existing tutorial or lab groups, but can also be organised beneficially across years and levels. Students thus have experience of a wider range of approaches and attitudes from which to draw for their own learning.
- They can apply their learning in a practical or vocationally relevant way. Project work can take into account various career or further study options available
- They are able to move from the concrete to the abstract. In your explanations, begin with examples or applications of theory to "real life" situations, and then move to discussion of the more abstract ideas
Inclusive assessment strategies
There are some inclusive assessment practices which will enhance the learning of all students in the class:
- Know what, in particular, you are assessing, and make this clear to students
- Create assessment activities in which students have the opportunity to link their learning to what they already know
- Make your expectations clear
- Avoid using assessment methods which encourage students to rote learn. Open book examinations are one way of doing this
- Make explicit the way in which marks will be allocated, both in discussion with the class beforehand and on the examination paper
- Provide alternative pathways to stated objectives: allow for flexibility in approach, organisation and assessment. You might, for instance, provide project-based exercises in which students choose their own topic. The greater the diversity of methods of assessment, the fairer the process for the greatest number of students
- Make accommodations based on individual circumstance and need. Remember that students may need the opportunity to experiment to find the adaptation or accommodation which best meets their learning needs
- Include self-assessment as a component of the course. Self-assessment involves discussion with students about the criteria according to which they assess their own performance and the level of performance required for different grades
- Discuss assessment alternatives with staff with previous experience teaching students with disabilities. You (and your department) should regularly review any alternative arrangements to ensure that these meet both the student’s needs (which may change over time) and stated course objectives
Adapted from a publication in the UniAbility series