Inclusive teaching – all things to all students and staff?

Higher education as we know has undergone dramatic changes over recent years.

Our students have changed in terms of their expectations and needs, and so the way in which we approach our teaching has the capacity to become richer as a result to make the most of this change – to become inclusive of this change.

This inclusivity is embraced within Loughborough’s mission statement and values, it is what we are and what we seek to be:

Mission and Values

Why we are here

• To further knowledge and understanding through internationally-recognised research
• To provide a high quality, comprehensive educational experience that prepares our graduates for their future lives and the global workplace
• To influence the economic and social development of individuals, businesses, the professions and communities
• To shape national and international policy and practice

The way we will work

We will:

• Respect each other and celebrate our diversity
• Recognise and reward excellence in our staff for their contribution and commitment
• Be inclusive and value the views of our staff, students, alumni and partners
• Respect the communities and environments in which we operate
• Work together as a team with professionalism and integrity
• Take pride in being the very best we can be

[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/strategy/]

Across higher education the definition of inclusivity has broadened over time to be not only about providing the legal requirements of equal educational opportunities to all students regardless of their requirements, entitlements and backgrounds. It also now embraces the positive advantages of inclusive teaching which develops the contributions from students with different backgrounds and different approaches to their education.

During this month of May we are focusing on the ways in which we can develop the richness of learning through embracing and enabling inclusive teaching and learning across our programmes.

A number of institutions have been already exploring how we can we maximise the ways in which inclusive teaching practices develop learning for our students and ourselves. We have the opportunity to draw upon this research and consider its implications for our own practice. This material is OER – Open Educational Resources – so do feel free to use any of it which is helpful to your academic practice.

https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/your-university/teaching-and-learning/inclusivity

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/ocsld/consultancy/inclusive-teaching/

This month’s focus Designing for Inclusivity on explores different elements of inclusivity to enhance our basic teaching and learning. All sessions can be booked through myHR.

Teaching & Supporting Students with a neurodiversity – 7 May

Designing for Inclusivity – 14 May

Inclusive teaching practice – 26 May

Inclusive teaching with international students – 28 May

Considering how we design, deliver and develop learning through inclusive programme design, teaching and assessment is at the heart of academic practice. Sharing your inclusive practice with others is one way to help development of our learning community – support your own practice and that of others by contributing to and learning from the May Focus on sessions (some with coffee and cake – for details check myHR.)