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Student Attainment and Experience Conference
University of Derby
What are students’ perceptions of learning support for their hidden disabilities in higher education classrooms? A cross sectional study in an East Midlands university in the UK.
Rosemary Shepherd, 22nd June 2015
Points for discussion Literature and policy underpinning the research
Feedback from students on the learning support they are receiving in higher education
What might be some of the concerns and/or dilemmas for tutors in managing the needs of students with learning support plans?
EdD research on student perception of learning support Research into students’ perceptions of the support they
receive for hidden disabilities in higher education classrooms.
A steady rise in the numbers of students entering higher education with both physical and hidden disabilities (Gibson, 2012; Madriaga et al. 2011; VanBergeijk et al, 2008; Konur, 2006; Avramidis and Skidmore, 2004)
The driving force for the increased numbers of students entering higher education with ‘disabilities’ is the legislation and policies to provide better equal opportunities for students with disabilities. (Konur 2006)
Disabled Students Allowance 1993 (currently under scrutiny)
Statistics for University of Derby 2002 – 2012Higher Education Standards Agency HESA
Full time Undergraduate students studying their first degreeYear Students enrolled Receiving DSA Percentage
2011/12 8705 785 9.0
2010/11 8245 795 9.7
2009/10 8160 735 9.0
2008/09 7645 520 6.8
2007/08 7155 365 5.1
2006/07 7140 330 4.6
2005/06 7285 150 2.1
2004/05 7165 295 4.1
2003/04 7365 170 2.3
2002/03 7260 215 2.9
HESA 2013
www.derby.ac.uk/education
HE policy and inclusive practice
Dearing Report in 1997 - a ‘more socially representative university sector’ to ‘remove barriers to citizens’ social and economic participation’ (Sheeran, Brown and Baker 2007:249).
‘Elitism to Inclusion’ 1998 - to move from what had been seen as a ‘discriminatory attitude on the part of [some] tutors’ to the making of reasonable adjustments to students with declared disabilities.
Disability and Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 updated in 2005 to ensure equality for disabled people in education, SENDA 2001
Equality Act 2010 - Direct/indirect discrimination, discrimination by association or discrimination by perception
www.derby.ac.uk/education
EdD research - Sample and themes 14 semi-structured interviews - Stages 1, 2 and 3
9 JHS, 5 Single honours EDS Age 20 – 50 plus 12 females, 2 males. One Jamaican female, 13 White British Dyslexia, Epilepsy, Dyspraxia, Bi-Polar, Depression/Anxiety, ME, Bone disease
Themes discussed Diagnosis of hidden disability, Study needs assessment and equipment provided - DSA Approaching tutors about support plans Teaching methods in the classrooms - what works best, where do
students struggle? Student strategies
Key theme mental health issues
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Feedback on Student Wellbeing Services and provision of equipment
Different levels of support – severity of disability - mixed messages
Equipment for some but not for others - confusion
Difficulty accessing training for equipment use
Pending discussions with student wellbeing
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Accessing the learning support plan – a ‘misty’ area The learning support plan is emailed to student
Module leader alerted by email
Details can be viewed on peoplesoft - on the class list
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Click on Related ContentSupport Plans by Class 6
CatalogeModule Term ID
Student Name
Support Plan Reasons
Support Plan Start Term
Advisor name
Requirements Notes
4EDXXX 2013 xx xxx DYSLEXIA , 2013xxx Requirements Notes
4EDXXX 2013 xx xxx DYSLEXIA , 2013xxxx Requirements Notes
4EDXXX 2013 xx xxx DYSLEXIA , 2013xxx Requirements Notes
4EDXXX 2013xxx xxxxx
DEPRESSION , MIGRAINES 2013
xx Requirements Notes
4EDXXX 2013xxx xx DYSLEXIA , 2013
xxxxx Requirements Notes
4EDXXX 2013xxx xxxx DYSCALCULIA , 2013
xxx Requirements Notes
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Click on Requirements
ID NameRequirement
Area Description
1 x mm A03LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :
Please provide copies of lecture notes in advance unless to do so would academically disadvantage the student.
2 x mm A13LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :
Please allow the student to use their laptop in class for note taking purposes.
3 x mmAED1
LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :
Extended deadlines of 1 week for submission of all assessed work excluding group work, presentations and modules that contain progressive assessments.
4 x mmAED62
LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :
Extended deadlines of 2 weeks for submission of final year Independent Study.
5 x mmMH14
LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :
Allow student to record lectures and seminars using their own digital voice recorder.
6 x mm A01 LIBRARY :Extended book loan service: 5 weeks on resources normally loaned for 3 weeks; 2 weeks on resources normally loaned for 1 week.
7 x mm A01PLACEMENT :
The student should contact their placement tutor as soon as possible after preparation of this Support Plan to discuss their needs on placement.
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Notes details for the studentID Name Notes Note Title Notes Details
1 x xxxx 01LECTURES AND TUTORIALS :
LECTURES AND TUTORIALS: Discuss Support Plan with tutors.
2 x xxxx 07LIBRARY : EXTENDED BOOK LOAN
LIBRARY - EXTENDED BOOK LOAN: Restricted and two day loans are not included in these arrangements and cannot be extended.
3 x xxxx CONFCONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
This is a confidential document, held in your electronic student record and is only accessed by appropriate members of University staff, for the purpose of arranging your support.
4 x xxxx SP SUPPORT PLAN
Your Support Plan is an on-going, continuous document to help you throughout your time at university. If you feel there are any adjustments to be made to it, or want to discuss any aspect of your Support Plan, please contact the Student Wellbeing Service.
www.derby.ac.uk/education
How are learning support plans used?
What happens next? What do tutors do with support plans?
Are students meeting tutors to discuss learning needs and reasonable adjustments?
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Discussions on the learning support plan Students with learning support
plans often avoid approaching tutor to discuss learning needs
Didn’t know they had to talk to tutor about their learning needs
Assumed tutor would know Didn’t want to. Worried or embarrassed about
approaching tutor
Tinklin, Riddell and Wilson, (2004) informs us that students may experience anxiety and the fear of exposure or failure if they discuss their disability.
Embarrassment/fear of approaching tutor about support planI haven’t said anythingYou do feel strange… you feel embarrassedYou feel like a right pain to the lecturersNo I’m a bit shyI wouldn’t know what to say…..I don’t think support told me to go to and talk to themIt affects me a bit and I don’t want to be labelledI think some lecturers are more terrifying than othersI didn’t feel confident to go and see themIt’s weird having to talk to themSaying.. I’ve got dyslexia, like having a tag alreadyI get a bit embarrassedI should be able to go up and say.. I have this problemNot approached a tutor face to faceIt’s easier for them to look at it (support plan)I don’t know if people know You need someone to play the game with youNot sure if my support plan is in place or not
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Approaching tutors about the support plan
Concerns and unhelpful responses Supportive tutor
He ignored it (email) didn’t even acknowledge it
Some tutors are fantastic, they print scripts on blue paper!
You’ve made it very hard on yourself coming to university
Tell me what you need, I’ll make sure it is there for you
They’re not bothered They’ve been so supportive
They’ve not been interested
They wouldn’t help
Another tutor was just not very helpful
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Difficulties experienced in the classroomHe put the blinds down… put all the fluorescent lights on… [Used] overhead screen… [for] all his lecture notes and read them in a very thick accent
If you don’t leave them confused you have not done your job… I don’t want to be confused
Lecture notes not available before session
They do a lot of scribbling… wiping it off… and moving on to something else
I was completely zoned out… Really dark room… with no windows… I couldn’t cope...
She'd say how teachers need to be sensitive towards other's needs… and do exactly the opposite
Kept my head down… read it, didn’t talk to anyone, I got nowhere… not taking it in at all
White background on screen
I tried to record it and the tutor wouldn't let me I needed to go to the toilet and to walk around… I was told… you've got to wait
If it's just boring and monotone… talking at you
They call me out and say "oh what did we learn" I don’t know… it's embarrassing
[Tutor says ]stop what you are doing and focus on the board… I am still writing notes [trying keep up]
[She has] lots of powerpoints and just reads them off
Reading tasks… 26 pages long … 25 minutes with questions
She talks in very flat tones like… rarr rarr rarr
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Positives in the classroomI love how she is so enthusiastic
When I was stressed I was able to tell her that
She has slides and pictures and videos
We were moving around and just interacting with people
There was visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning
I find that having groups discussions help… it's nice to talk to other people about it
Having slides on udo
I think that… asking questions... always helps
She makes us laugh I like having a personality
She never uses white on powerpoints
All scripts were printed on blue paper
Talks without relying on powerpoints
They'll simplify it down and then… do activities on it
I like slower talking
She responded by email regularly
We pool our ideas and present them back
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Teaching methods - Inclusive practice Inclusive pedagogy - teaching approaches that address the
learning of all learners to accommodate a range of needs (Le Roux and Graham 1998; Florian and Linklater 2010; Florian and Black-Hawkins 2011)
Focusing on ways of extending what is already in place in terms of materials and delivery styles, and which responds to the differences between learners rather than ‘specifically individualizing for some’ (Florian and Linklater 2010:370).
A ‘shift’ from the traditional directive delivery of information, to thinking about teaching methods that work for most learners with some add on methods that support students who are experiencing learning difficulties (Long, 2011) .
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Disable Students Allowance -Cuts
David Willets (April 2014) Minister for Universities and Science
Written Ministerial statement…
“We believe that HEIs are better placed to consider how to respond in many cases, including giving greater consideration to the delivery of their courses and how to provide support”
Cuts delayed until 2016/7
How will universities and tutors respond?
www.derby.ac.uk/education
Summary There is a rise in students coming into higher education with special
educational deeds and disabilities
Tutors need more awareness of a range of learning needs
Need to ensure inclusive practice for all students
Communication between Wellbeing services/student/tutor
Strategies for students
Managing the cuts in DSA…. Mental Health Issues
www.derby.ac.uk/education
References 1 Avramidis, E. and Skidmore, D. (2004) Reappraising Learning Support in
Higher Education, Research in Post-Compulsory Education Vol 9 No 1 pp63 – 82
Florian, L. and Linklater, H. (2010): Preparing teachers for inclusive education: using inclusive pedagogy to enhance teaching and learning for all, Cambridge Journal of Education, 40:4, pp369-386
Florian, L. and Black-Hawkins, K. (2011): Exploring inclusive pedagogy, British Educational Research Journal, 37:5, pp 813-828
Holbrook, T., Moore, C., and Zoss, M. (2010) Equitable intent: reflections on Universal Design in education as an ethic of care. Reflective Practice, Vol 11, No 5 pp 681-692
Gibson, S. (2012): Narrative accounts of university education: sociocultural perspectives of students with disabilities, Disability & Society, 27:3, 353-369
Konur, O., (2006) Teaching disabled students in higher education, Teaching in Higher Education. Vol. 11:3, pp. 351-363
References 2 Long, M., Wood, C., Littleton, K., Passenger, T., and Sheehy, K., (2011) The
Psychology of Education, 2nd Ed. London: Routledge. Madriaga, M., Hanson, K., Kay, H., and Walker, A., (2011) Marking-out normalcy
and disability in higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education. Vol. 32:6 pp 901-92
Sheeran, Y., Brown, B.J., and Baker, S., (2007) Conflicting philosophies of inclusion: the contestation of knowledge in widening participation. London Review of Education 5, (3): 249-263, https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/2086/2431/sheeran2%20(2).pdf?sequence=1 Accessed June 2015
Silver, P., Bourke, A., & Strehorn, K., (1998): Universal Instructional Design in Higher Education: An Approach for Inclusion, Equity & Excellence in Education, 31:2, pp47-51
VanBergeijk, E., Klin, A., & Volkmar, F., (2008) Supporting More Able Students on the Autism Spectrum: College and Beyond, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Vol. 38:7, pp1359–1370
Willets, D. (2014) Written Ministerial Statement (modernising the DSA) http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-vote-office/April%202014/7%20April%202014/1.BIS-HE-Student-Support.pdf June 2015
www.derby.ac.uk/education