A short introduction to inclusivity in higher education

1. Inclusivity in HE
Version 692
Sarra Saffron Powell
University of Liverpool

2. Session outline
External contexts
Institutional responses/position
Approaches and practice/inclusive pedagogy

3. Inclusion
“At a time when prevailing neo-liberal policy aims to
position higher education as an economic venture and
students as customers, discourses of inclusion are vital.
Terms such as access, widening
participation, equity, equality and diversity, and lifelong
learning commonly feature in discourses of inclusion
related to higher education. The shifting meanings and
fluid uses of these terms serve as an indication of
the increasing tensions between neo-liberal economic
forces and the role of higher education in modern
society”
Widening Participation Conference 2012 - Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education

4. • What institutional agendas and drivers impact
your practice?

6. What is widening participation (WP?)
It address systematic occlusion to the right of
education
= REMOVING BARRIERS

7. WP - inheritance
Gov. targets (2006) 50% participation rate 18-30 year old in
HE by 2015
Low - Socio
economic
background
Disabled
Aim Higher
Care
leavers
Ethnic
minorities
Financial
incentives
HEFCE strategic objectives

8. Some drivers and legislation
Enhancing the student experience?
Economic model
Internationalisation
£9,000 fees
“economic
contractual logic”
Cousins, 2012
“Massification” of
HE
Staff:students
Access Agreement
(fee
capping, £50,000
penalties)
Quota of Students
Policy (AABs)
Student Charter

9. Fair access
• The notion of ‘fair access’ has its roots in liberal
concerns to promote access to higher education
to individuals from ‘disadvantaged’ backgrounds
who are deemed to have high levels of potential
ability. In recent years, admissions policies and
practice have become an explicit focus of national
policy in the UK, underpinned by concerns to
promote fair access to all students recognised as
having the potential to benefit from HE.
• Fair Access? Research on admissions to higher education

10. “Toxic correlations/Access and social
identities”
Or “Reality check”?
Professor Louise Morley
University of Sussex, UK
Widening Participation Conference 2012 Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education

11. Challenge-laden
• Major structural/cultural challenge to
HEIs, requiring higher rates of involvement
and rates of achievement to those who have
been traditionally under-represented excluded
• Inclusivity is an institutional response to those
challenges AND
• individual pedagogical decisions

12. Barriers
•
•
•
•
Engagement (pre-admission)
Admissions procedure
Retention
Engagement in university culture ‘student
experience’
• Language
• Physical barriers
• Lit. indicates identity ‘simple sense of belonging’
– is key.

13. Institutional responses
• Russell group cf post-1992 HEIs = exceptionally
poor
• Russell group cf Russell group = exceptionally
good
• WP a key strategic aim
• High levels of resourcing
• HEA inclusive cultures programme – high levels of
commitment
• Go Higher access programme (revised, resourced)
• Policy auditing/implementation
• Student representation (LGoS)

14. • Student support infrastructure (student services)
• Student support learning skills development
(iLearn, workshops)
• Curriculum Review/design (diversifying
assessment, delivery, internationalising curricula)
• Teaching qualifications (improving teaching
practice)
• Induction Review (transition support)
• Peer mentoring system
• Faculty Skills Advisors
• Development of Digital Literacies/elearning
• ..more

15. Good practice
• Inclusive pedagogy = good practice
• takes a coherent approach which is anticipatory and
proactive
• has a strategy for delivering equal opportunities and
diversity policies
• involves the whole institution
• matches provision to student needs
• incorporates regular reflection, review and refinement
of strategies and methods that actively involve disabled
students.
• (www.open.ac.uk)

16. Commonality?
Alexander
Graham Bell
Peter Conrad
(NASA)
Hans Christian
Anderson
Albert Einstein
Thomas Edison
John Lennon
Pablo Picasso
Winston
Churchill
Alexander
Faludy

17. Alexander Faludy
• GCSEs at age 9
• A-Levels at the age of 11
• At age 15 and 7
months, University of
Cambridge
•
•
• Handwriting, aged 9
• Aged 15, write two words a minute
became the youngest
undergraduate
IQ top 0.2 per cent of the
population

18. In practice
•
•
•
•
•
•
Resource design (word, ed.pdf)
Visuals/text/auditory
Clarity (space/colour)
Learner styles/types of learner (multimodalities)
Delivery (diversify)
Curriculum/module design (think
barriers/opportunity to practice for assessment)
• Assessment and feedback (diversity/timeliness)
• Formative
• Group work (+peer assessment)

19. •
•
•
•
•
elearning/flexible delivery (+VITAL)
Developing digital literacies (multi modal)
clickers
Student engagement/choice (voice/feedback)
“Mindfulness” Language (academic speak/
novice-expert continuum)
• Expectation (motivation/confidence)
• Constructive alignment
• Transparency (communication)

20. Questions?
Institutional Lead in Inclusivity:
• sarrasaf@liv.ac.uk xt 41180

21. refs
Barnett R., (2000) University Knowledge in an Age of
Supercomplexity, Higher Education, 40, pp. 409-422
Brookfield, S., (1998) Critically Reflective Practice, The Journal
of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 18, pp. 197255
Morley L., (2012) Widening Participation Conference 2012 Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education
Gosling D., (2002) Models Of Peer Observation of
Teaching, Learning and Teaching Support Network Generic
Centre,.

22. Further resources
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•
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•
•
•
•
•
Beyond Prejudice: Inclusive learning in practice from the Learning and Skills Development Agency
offers strategic and practical pointers for the provision of an inclusive learning environment.
DEMOS: Online Materials For Staff Disability Awareness (2002) is an online resource aimed at
academic staff, and examines the issues faced by disabled students in higher
education. Modification of examination and assessment arrangments are also discussed.
Engineering Subject Centre Guide to Working with Disabled Students (2nd Edition June 2005)
includes practical ideas and case studies.
Premia resource base awareness and development materials are for everyone involved in making
the research environment more accessible for disabled students.
SCIPS (Strategies for the Creation of Inclusive Programmes of Study) database provides information
to support academic staff in improving access to the curriculum for disabled students.
SENDA compliance in Higher Education: an audit and guidance tool to accessible practice within the
framework of teaching and learning 2002, including a useful section on assessment.
Teachability (2000) offers information and resources for academic staff to help in the provision of
an accessible curriculum.
Techdis has relevant resources and references, including a database of information and products to
assist disabled students and staff.
University of Bristol Access Unit provides fact sheets for supporting disabled students.
University of Wolverhampton - Learning, teaching and assessment: good practice guides for staff
teaching d/Deaf students in art, design and communication and in science and engineering.

23. Thanks