This
entire resource is available in PDF Format. To Access and download
this version click here.
"The
establishment of good communication
is the foundation to student success"
(Hodge
& Preston-Sabin, 1997)
2.1
Keys to Inclusive Practice
2.2 Main Principles
2.3 How can
I make my practices more inclusive?
2.4
What About Physical Access?
2.5
What About Access to Information/Study Materials?
2.6
How Can Technology Assist?
2.7
What Makes Curriculum Inclusive?
2.8
Assessment Design and Adjustment
You
can’t be all things to all students, however, by adopting inclusive
practices there will in fact be less demand made on your time and resources
by the individual. Some students will have individual requirements. Where
this is so, the best solutions for maximising participation come about
when the student and teacher work together to develop creative alternatives.
Resources to assist this process are available within institution’s
support services, and the broader community. (See Section
6 for details)
2.1
The keys to inclusive practice are your ...
- Awareness
- that adjustments
made to afford inclusion are a right not a favour
- access involves
more that physical access. Information needs to be made available
in accessible formats.
- consultation
with students facilitates appropriate provision
- Flexibility
- Imagination
- Innovation
- Patience
- Communication
- Common Sense
Good Practice
An email sent from a
University Lecturer to a student who has a visual impairment:
Dear Roberta,
I will be your
new theory lecturer this semester, so I just wanted to make contact
with you to let you know this. Please feel free to e-mail any time
if you need help with anything in theory, or if there are things I'm
not doing helpfully enough for you in class!
As well as a
final exam for theory, I will give two written tests, one on Aug 14
and the next one on Sept 11. We should meet at some point so you could
let me know how to administer these, and other homework assignments.
I have scheduled
office hours for Tuesdays 9-11am and Fridays 10-11am, or by appointment
if these times don't suit, so you can come and talk with me outside
of class if necessary during the semester. My office is room 109,
and I have a mailbox on the 2nd floor for messages and homework.
I look forward
to meeting you next week.
Dr Maria Grenfell
2.2 Main
Principles
There
are four main principles informing inclusive teaching practice.
- While some students
with disabilities may learn or perform in ways different from others
they are still part of the student body as a whole.
- Students with disabilities
have the same rights and responsibilities as other students.
- Students with disabilities
are not an homogenous group: their individuality, particular strengths,
aspirations and needs must be recognised.
- It is not the disability
itself, but the effect the disability has on the student’s ability
to access, learn and demonstrate knowledge and skills which is relevant.
Factors to
consider
- Students may have
needs that are not visibly obvious such as hearing, vision, learning
or psychiatric disability.
- In some instances,
the consequences of medical conditions, eg. diabetes or epilepsy, may
have a disabling effect. Other students may have disabilities such as
cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis which can be
associated with various impairments.
- Students with similar
disabilities may require different adjustments.
- Students may not
be fully aware of the consequences of their disability in the study/training
arena. Students who have recently acquired a disability through illness
or accident may still be learning how to adjust. During the course,
their ability to function may vary and they consequently have difficulty
in adjusting to their situation. Therefore the effectiveness of adjustments
to the course curriculum and assessment may also vary.
2.3 How can I make my practices more inclusive?
Focus on inclusive
strategies for all students, then on any individual requirements.
There
are a number of practical ways in which students can be assisted, such
as giving class notes and handouts ahead of time and permitting lectures
to be taped. This practice, if implemented, may be of benefit to all students.
Sometimes students with disabilities will need more time to complete tasks,
assignments and/or examinations.
General
Inclusive Strategies
Prior
to students commencing their course:
- When collating/preparing
course materials, lecture notes etc., always attempt to do so in electronic
format.
- Where possible, negotiate
with students directly regarding their needs and consult others, eg
disability services staff, as necessary (see Section 6 for details of
who can assist you).
- Make required book
lists and course materials available to allow students to begin their
reading and preparation early. Extra time to read material is often
important.
- Provide students
with chapter outlines, task analyses or study guides that cue them to
key points in their reading.
- If students need
existing hard copy materials in accessible formats eg on disk or tape,
this needs to be organised early as the process takes some time.
Your
institution’s disability support staff can assist with information,
advice and resources.
- Orientation to the
laboratory/workshop and equipment before classes start, can minimise
students anxiety.
During
the course:
- Use a variety of
teaching methods and presentation styles.
- Use plain english
and minimise the complexity of communications.
- Arrange seating thoughtfully
and face toward the class whilst speaking.
- Stay on the topic;
demonstrate; use concrete examples.
- Rephrase information
if students do not understand.
- Write key points
and assignments on the board and/or on handouts.
- Ensure that there
is effective communication between yourself and the students. This may
mean reading aloud material that is written on the blackboard or overhead
transparencies.
- In laboratory or
workshop situations, the labelling of equipment, tools and materials
is helpful.
- Some flexibility
with assignment deadlines, assessment practices and extra reading time
may be appropriate and will ensure students are not disadvantaged because
of their disability.
- Ask if assistance
is required, don’t assume it is, but be alert to the student’s
needs.
- Resolve safety issues,
if they exist, in a manner which respects the student and his/her rights.
Other
Factors To Consider
- In communicating
with students, consider:
- the way in which
the disability affects capacity to participate;
- is the condition
permanent or temporary?
- are symptoms constant
or do they fluctuate? - are there periods of latency?
- It is important to
distinguish between the more subtle effects of conditions and apathetic
behaviour. effects of medication may cause chronic weakness, drowsiness,
fatigue and memory problems. These difficulties need not preclude students
from success in the long run.
- The student using
a wheelchair or other equipment may have difficulty getting to sessions
on time. Others may have periodic or irregular difficulties, as a result
either of their disability or side effects of medication. Understanding
the reasons for late or irregular attendance and being flexible in applying
attendance rules would be helpful.
More
specific guidelines and examples can be found in Appendix
A and the series of Fact Sheets.
Acknowledgment
is made of material reproduced with permission from the following sources:
Flinders University of South
Australia, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia,
UNIABILITY - Students with Disabilities in Higher Education: A Resource
Guide for Staff, University of South Australia, Adelaide, 1993.
Reference:
Hartmann,
R. and Redden, M., Measuring student progress in the classroom: a guide
to testing and evaluating progress of students with disabilities.
Health Resource Centre, Washington DC, 1985.
Continue
through to the next section on Strategies
|