Beyond compliance: aligning disability issues with learning, teaching and assessment approaches

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Beyond compliance aligning disability issues
with learning, teaching and assessment approaches

• Part of the HEA disability seminar series
• Wednesday 1st October 2008

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Aims of the seminar

• To focus on the key challenges
• As identified by delegates and presenters
• To have short, sharp inputs to stimulate
  discussions
• To identify practical solutions to the identified
  challenges

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Group Exercise

• Either
• Think of an example in your own Institution
  (department, faculty, etc.) which has positively
  contributed to an enhanced alignment
• What motivated this change?
• What were the key challenges?
• How were they overcome?

• Or
• Think through an example which wasnt (or is
  not yet)
• positive
• what are the ongoing challenges?

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The Big issues

• Models of delivery central Vs devolved model
• Integration of data, and attendant analysis
• Disability Vs impairment specific approaches
• User - led developments
• Institution - wide ownership and accountability
• Adapting and / or adopting existing good practice

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• Teaching Assessment
•                                                 
                                                    
                       
• Our classrooms are microcosms of the diverse
• society in which we live. The aim of inclusive
  teaching
• is not to dilute standards or change content,
  but to
• adopt a teaching style that accommodates a
  diversity
• of abilities, cultural backgrounds, and
  learning styles
• and needs. This approach acknowledges that
  students
• with disability may learn differently, but are
  not less
• academically capable.
• Inclusive teaching recognises the social context
  of disability and encourages a flexible approach
  that anticipates diversity and uses it in the
  curriculum.  Examples of inclusive teaching
  include
• Providing reading lists before classes start
• Positioning yourself where you can be seen by
  everyone
• Using a variety of teaching methods
• Making lecture notes available before lectures.
• Clearly identifying key ideas in lectures and
  assignments
• Drawing on the students own experiences
• Being flexible with assessment methods
• Setting clear expectations 

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Leeds Met Initiatives

• Disability Strategic Group
• - interrogation of statistics
• Disability Research Conference
• Disability issues central in annual staff
  development festival
• Strong disability function
• Senior Management buy in