Assignment 6:

Inclusive approaches to teaching and learning

Creating an inclusive learning and teaching experience

Under the Euality Act 2010, it is unlawful for education institutions to discriminate against any student in any teaching and/or learning activities. Providers must ensure that teaching and learning is inclusive for all students, including disabled students. The anticipatory duty requires that teaching staff anticipate the needs of students regardless of whether or not they have disabled students in their classes and to make reasonable adjustments. Example Teaching searching and researching (information literacy) skills to students from the School of Performance. The aim is for students to: Learn why it is important to be able to search effectively Develop search terms and use a variety of search techniques to get relevant results Know where to look for information which databases, catalogues, websites to use Reflection Sometimes the concept of research is difficult to integrate into the students current work, unless the session is organized in the context of beginning a particular assignment. In consider that information literacy skills to be useful transferable skills, that once certain concepts are grasped that these can be reapplied indefinitely to a wide variety of situations beyond Higher Education. I found it to be helpful for the students to make the connections between library research in an academic context and to research/ information searching in a wider context e.g. leisure pursuits and future employment. With students of Performance in particular, I find that they can express ideas through music and the body, but struggle to make the transition to using the written word. Just for students to articulate their research idea is problematic for them. Before they can start researching they need to identify search terms or phrases that are relevant to their research. Sometimes getting them to use a thesaurus can help, or just to discuss their ideas with a friend. I have also discovered that one of our new resource tools, Credo Reference, can be enormously helpful in stimulating ideas for search terms and help them make connections with related material.

Constraints on applying this guideline I would like the Performance students to feel comfortable in the library space and reasonably confident in tackling research in this environment. I have therefore devised some teaching ideas for the new term, which initially would begin in their studio space exploring a topic of research in a familiar way. After which we would move into the library and translate these ideas into a search strategy. I think that physically making the transition from one space to another would help students break down any barriers they may have to using the library. Unfortunately, this learning experience would require more time in both the planning and execution. Moreover, exploring a range of environments within one session is

Adapted from University of New South Wales TOOLKIT resources

Creating an inclusive learning and teaching experience

ideal might may be impractical given the notice period for booking sessions and room booking considerations. Kolbs Experiential Learning Cycle indicates the value of learning by doing and think these type of sessions would be beneficial for students who are both visual and kinesthetic learners. Providing access to resources such as handouts and PowerPoints could also be beneficial to many students, especially those with dyslexia, however the notice period for the delivery of sessions is often too short to ensure that these are ready and available in advance.

Resources Looking at resources to support the teaching of information literacy (IL) is something I am very interested in. I like to pursue the possibilities new technologies offer students in improving the experience and enhancing understanding. Recently I have been working to set up an Online Information Literacy module for our students. This will mean that there is more flexibility in IL course provision. We can use it to complement, supplement or preempt library research sessions. It would also allow students to refer to it as a reminder or work through the modules at their own pace. Library resources also provide a variety of options for students who learn in different ways, for example: We loan Dictaphones and coloured sheets There are many e-resources such as eJournals, eBooks, video streaming which can help students interact differently with text resources and other types of information sources There is mindmapping software installed on the computers in the library There are more accessible PDFs developed by our Digitisation Officer for core text extracts There are text to speech technologies on computers

Staff development and liaison opportunities Inclusivity is about sharing good practice with people internal and external to the organization. For me it is about sharing good practice with other library colleagues and lecturers to understand student needs and encourage IL sessions to centre round assignments to make them as relevant as possible. It is important to work with the student services such as Disability support, ASK, Dyslexia Support, note-takers, support tutors to share experience, to understand, and to accommodate different needs during library sessions. The Educational Development Lecturers are useful contacts to have as they can identify problem themes and are also great advocates for the library service.

Adapted from University of New South Wales TOOLKIT resources