Learning and Teaching Conference 2010 LTC7 2010 The Exceptional Student Journey

1. Learning and Teaching Conference 2010LTC7 2010 • The Exceptional Student Journey • Inclusive Learning and Teaching

2. University Strategy Map • Inspire our students to develop their full potential • Recruit and support high quality students from all backgrounds • Deliver an exceptional student experience centred on inspirational L&T

3. University Values • Inclusiveness (diversity, equal opportunities and access) • Professionalism (Provision of effective and efficient customer-focused services)

4. Drivers of Diversity • Widening Participation • International students • UK legislation

5. 3a: Lesbian women • 3b: Gay men • 3c: Bisexual people • 3d: Heterosexual people • 1a: “White” ethnic origin • 1b: Black or minority ethnic (“BME”) people • 1c: People who are mixed-race • 2a: Christianity • 2b: Atheist/None • 2c: Islam • 2d: Buddhism • 2e: Hinduism • 2f: Sikhism • 2g: Judaism • 2h: Other 3. Sexual orientation equality 1. Race equality 4. Age equality 9. Disability equality 2. Religious equality • 4a: Older people • 4b: Younger people • 9: This includes a wide range of impairments – covered in a separate session The ‘Strands’ of Equality 5. Gender equality 8. Gender reassignment/ transgender equality • 5a: Women • 5b: Men 7. Pregnancy/childcare 6. Marriage/civil partnership • 8a: People who are planning to undergo gender reassignment • 8b: People who have undergone gender reassignment • 8c: Other people who identify as trans/transgender • 7a: Someone who is pregnant and doesn’t know they are pregnant • 7b: Someone who is pregnant and knows about their pregnancy • 7c: Someone who has childcare responsibilities - but who is not accompanied by the child(-ren) when using sports facilities • 7d: Someone accompanied by their child(-ren) when using sports facilities • 6a: Someone who is married or in a civil partnership • 6b: Someone who is not married or in a civil partnership • 6c: Someone wanting to use facilities in connection with a wedding/civil partnership ceremony

6. Diversity in the student population • Match the strand to the proportion of students • Based on figures at December 2008: • Out of 26,344 home/EU students • 11.4% a) Female • 17.5% b) Disclosed a disability • 6.6% c) Over 25 • 60.4% d) From a minority ethnic group • 57.1% e) Declared a religion

7. Diversity in the student population • Match the strand to the proportion of students • Based on figures at December 2008: • Out of 26,344 home/EU students • 11.4% (3K) d) From a minority ethnic group • 17.5% (4.5K) c) Over 25 • 6.6% (2K) b)Disclosed a disability • 60.4% (16K) a) Female • 57.1% (15K) e) Declared a religion

8. Diversity in the student population • Based on figures at December 2008: • There were a further 3,673 International students, of whom • 87.4% (1017) were from a Minority Ethnic group • 47.6% (1747) were over 25 • 1.3% (46) had disclosed a disability • 50.9% (1804) were female • 78.5% (2676) had declared a religion

9. The Learning and Teaching Cycle

10. Quotes from Student Consultation • Planning • It would be helpful if reading lists balanced male and female authors • It is helpful when students from different backgrounds are encouraged to mix – e.g. sharing information in small, mixed groups • Some students can find it difficult to study in the library

11. Quotes from Student Consultation • Module Content • It’s helpful to have a mix of male and female role models • As an international student I find it helpful if examples aren’t always based on a UK or European perspective • Lecturers need to acknowledge the contribution and perspectives of students from different backgrounds

12. Quotes from Student Consultation • Methods/Delivery • It can be difficult if Lecturers assume I (an International student) have the same background knowledge as a home student (e.g. British history/culture) – encourage pre-course reading • More use of the VLE would sometimes help to support e.g. part time students, or those with caring responsibilities

13. Quotes from Student Consultation • Assessment • Students need to be made aware of deadlines for requesting extensions • Examiners need to be made aware of any special needs of individual students

14. Evaluation • Are there obvious patterns of attrition? • Are there obvious patterns of attainment? • Will you students leave with a better understanding of diversity issues in society?

15. Consider a student who is normally an active person with a good social life in her own friendship group. She is frequently required to research topics in her own time, finds it difficult to understand lecture content and seems not to enjoy group work. In class she is very quiet and never voluntarily responds to questions. Which of the following might apply? • She is a mature student returning to study after a long break • She is an international student with English as a second language • She is one of very few women on the course • She is deaf

16. A half-day session on inclusion in relation to disabled students • For curricula, L&T activities and assessment, how do we: • Identify potential barriers • Lessen these by changing the activity or increasing flexibility, while retaining skills and knowledge outcomes, and • Share good practice?

17. EXAMPLE • Activity: Lecture • 50 minutes • PowerPoint slides and use of whiteboard • Venue: Michael Sadler LG 15 • Time: Semester 1, Thursdays 17:00

18. What do we expect students to do?

19. Find the venue • Get to venue… • …at the right time • Find a seat • Sit still • Fit in with peers • Keep quiet • Hear/listen • See/watch • Take notes • Process, understand, make links, reflect • ‘Daydream’, tune in again • Ask or answer questions • Leave (library, home, social) • Review/revise the learning material later

20. EXAMPLE • Activity: Lecture • 50 minutes • PowerPoint slides and use of whiteboard • Venue: Michael Sadler LG 15 • Time: Semester 1, Thursdays 17:00

21. Lecture delivery • Fast or well-paced? • In a familiar accent and style? • Well-structured with topic changes cued? • Using examples from students’ own experience? (personal or academic) • Pauses or changes of activity within lecture? • Allowing time to process or view visual aids?

22. PowerPoint slides • Size of text on slides • Background to the text – plain or not • Colour of text and background • Contrast/boldness of text and diagrams • Availability - in advance, electronically • Whiteboard • Copies available for students?

23. Venue issues: • Physical access to building and room (all parts of room?) • Seating, and writing surface available • Listening experience – PA system, external and internal noise • Visual experience – sightlines, lighting

24. Time of lecture: • In relation to the rest of student’s day/timetable • Time of day • Accessible routes available at this time? • External environment – dark, busy, transport?

25. Solutions? • Be open-minded – are there other ways to achieve the same ends? • Prepare in advance… review/plan your module in good time… • Come to our half-day session to share ideas on how to make things easier for disabled students (maybe all students) AND ourselves

26. It may not be as difficult as you think • From a hard of hearing student: • The thing that really changed my whole experience of the course was when the tutor started to repeat the comments and questions made by the other students.

27. Contacts: Kathy Aveyard k.a.aveyard@adm.leeds.ac.uk Sheenagh Hull s.hull@adm.leeds.ac.uk • Home page: • www.equality.leeds.ac.uk • Training sessions: • www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/for-staff/training/