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Rethinking perspectives on educational adjustments

Rethinking perspectives on educational adjustments. Biba Rebolj Building Bridges Conference 2014, May , Stockholm. Some common dilemmas. Adjustments vs. academic standards Insufficient definitions Little guidance Reactive instead of proactive approach.

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Rethinking perspectives on educational adjustments

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  1. Rethinkingperspectives on educationaladjustments Biba Rebolj BuildingBridgesConference 2014, May, Stockholm

  2. Some commondilemmas • Adjustments vs. academic standards • Insufficient definitions • Little guidance • Reactive instead of proactive approach

  3. Theexistingconceptofadjustments • Most common general definition: adjustments should provide students with disabilities equal opportunities in order to have same possibilities in achieving success as other students • Many concrete practical guidelines about various types and forms of adjustments, but not many precise definitions and specific directions regarding what adjustments should be -> theoretical starting points on which concrete guidelines should stand are missing • Terminology: informed decisions and auxiliary aid

  4. Twodimensionsofadjustments • Macro level • Institutional (faculty, university); general adjustments, usuallyprovided in advance • Micro level • Study process; an interaction between academic staff and a student • Marked with expectations, attitudes, beliefs about student‘s (dis)abilities

  5. Enteringthefield … • Institutions make provisions about how to attain a status and how to design reasonable adjustments • Discussing needs and demands – a grey area! • Students may claim rights to adjustments after/if they disclose themselves • Adjustment goal: to reach independence

  6. Enteringthefield 2 • The idea of changing the existing teaching methods and assessment strategies is not very popular and welcomed • The concept of „reasonable“ appears somewhat vague • Designing adjustments from student‘s disability instead of ability

  7. Perspectivematters • PoorAfricanchildren, living in povertyin needforhelp • (-> message: pleasedonateandfeelsorryforthem!)

  8. Differentviewpoint

  9. Academicstandard perspective • Traditional perspective • Standards as a rigorous central interest • Adjustments as an unfair advantage • Existing (negative) attitudes and beliefs

  10. Promisingstudentperspective • Central interest is in a student • Diversity in teaching and learning is welcomed; student is seen as an equal entity in discussing adjustments • Student‘s active role and self-advocacy • Negotiation adjustments is an interactive process with proper feedback between a student and a professor

  11. Rethinkingadjustments

  12. Keyquestions • What is the objective of a specific course/study? • Which teaching methods are necessary? • Which learning outcomes are expected and why? • Which methods of testing learning outcomes are necessary and why? • Which performance level must a student reach in order to attain the planned learning objectives?

  13. Establishing a perspective: a conceptofsensibleadjustments • Expectations by both – a student and a professor • Objectives to be reached with adjustments • Quality monitoring – testing the efficiency of adjustments • Reflection

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