Promising practices for inclusive teaching and learning

Transcription

1 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning Prmising practices are teaching practices that enable all students t becme active cnfident learners. The literature n this tpic stresses that there is n single set f practices that will be effective with every student. 1. Inclusive teaching creates a learning cmmunity Learning shuld be largely a scial, cllabrative experience. Articulating and sharing ideas and respnding t thers reactins increases cnfidence, imprves thinking and deepens understanding. A supprtive learning envirnment, where learners feel empwered t negtiate tasks and be part f a shared cntext, is necessary t develp cperatin amngst students. Display a genuine interest in yur students and their prgress and enable frequent student-teacher and student-student cntact. Prvide pprtunities fr students t find ut abut and learn frm each ther. Intrductins - hw? Address yur students by name when yu interact with them (check prnunciatin with them, if uncertain; dn t assume Western name frms e.g. family name is nt always last name). Ensure that yur students knw hw t address yu. Encurage students t learn each ther s names in small classes. Talk abut and/r develp yur wn nline prfile where yu talk abut yur apprach t teaching and learning; include sme infrmatin abut yur wn cultural rigin and any crss-cultural teaching and learning experience r research interests yu have. Establishing an inclusive teaching and learning envirnment hw? Use small grup wrk, r think/pair/share activities in class time (even lectures) Page 1 f 9

2 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning Mve students between grups. Use lw risk (n assessment) in class pair r grup activities. Use Blackbard and scial netwrking t facilitate cntact and interactin; if pssible, t replicate a small class envirnment, invite uplading f phts, persnal stries, sharing f useful general infrmatin, and s n. 2. Inclusive teaching is explicit The university itself is a dynamic culture, with a multiplicity f sub-cultures imbued with their wn discurses, literacies, practices. Frm this perspective every student s transitin t university is seen as a crss-cultural experience. Research that shws that all students face similar challenges when they enter university, including the mismatch between student and teacher expectatins; lack f access t staff, and managing wrklads (Lawrence, 2003: 5). Teaching inclusively means making expectatins explicit. Establish a shared understanding f class behaviur - hw? Clarify the frmat and purpse f the particular sessin type yu are teaching and the type f student participatin; fr example, differences between lectures, tutrials, pracs and clinical placements. Establish inclusive class grund rules at the beginning f the semester and use them as a reference pint fr apprpriate behaviur during classes: In small classes, guide students t negtiate their wn cde f cnduct. In larger classes, prvide a framewrk and ask fr student feedback and ratificatin f grund rules. Fr RHD supervisin, use a questinnaire cmpleted befrehand and/r have a guided discussin between the student and all supervisrs t develp shared expectatins. Establish a shared understanding f learning bjectives and assessment Explicitly state and discuss the learning bjectives s that students are aware f what is being asked f them as learners. vwww.tedi.uq.edu.au Page 2 f 9

3 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning Align and make direct links between the stated bjectives, appraches t teaching and learning and the assessment tasks that will be used. (This will als help yu fcus n what is imprtant.) Make yur marking scheme quite clear. Let students knw if and hw much the emphasis is n cmmunicating infrmatin and ideas r n language accuracy. 3. Inclusive teachers shw respect fr, and value, diverse talents, ways f learning and persnal histries Students bring different talents and preferred styles f learning t a frmal learning situatin. Brilliant students in the seminar rm may be all thumbs in the lab r design studi. Students rich in hands-n experience may nt d s well in thery r creative prblem slving. Students need the pprtunities t shw their talents and learn in ways that wrk fr them. They als need t be extended t learn and wrk in new ways. The effective classrm acknwledges supprts and uses this diversity apprpriately t enhance the learning experience. Find ut and acknwledge the value f the diversity f the class hw? Use hands up exercises, ice breakers and s n t assess diversity. Draw yur class s diversity wheel, r ask student t d it. Ensure that students knw wh t cntact t discuss cnfidential issues, such as mental illness. In assessed grup wrk, ensure that the task is designed s that all students will gain frm it and nne are advantaged r disadvantaged. Ask students t draw n their wn experience and backgrunds t apply, illustrate r questin what they are learning and prvide pprtunities fr sharing this with the class. Cnsider giving students chice with assessment tasks, s they can investigate a tpic that is relevant t them. Emphasise the value f diverse teaching and learning envirnments in a glbal wrld. Cmmunicate all feedback with respect fr the persn receiving it. Avid tkenism: Ensure that n student is put int the rle f being the vwww.tedi.uq.edu.au Page 3 f 9

4 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning tken ther by being asked t cmment n what a particular cultural grup thinks. Cnsider using vides, and ther media, t put frward experiences and perspectives f nn-dminant grups (e.g. Indigenus peple), rather than expecting students frm these cultural backgrunds t speak. 4. Inclusive teachers cmmunicate high expectatins and prvide apprpriate supprt High expectatins are imprtant fr everyne: fr the prly prepared, fr thse unwilling t exert themselves, and fr the bright and well mtivated. Expecting students t perfrm well becmes a self-fulfilling prphecy when teachers and institutins hld high expectatins fr their students if students are given apprpriate supprt. Challenging students and develping in them a sense f independence and respnsibility fr their learning must be accmpanied by the apprpriate amunt f supprt. Otherwise the develpment we strive fr in the students may be hindered. This des nt mean spn feeding. Inclusive teachers use scafflding t enable students perfrm at a higher standard than they are currently capable f ding; that is, they carefully design activities t help bridge this gap. Ensure that supprt is temprary and adjustable, designed t decrease as students prficiency and cnfidence increases. Use an incremental, stepped apprach. Prviding supprt hw? Calibrate tasks in class and fr assessment Prvide and discuss mdels fr prblem slving, academic writing, ral presentatin and s n, but explain the functin f a mdel it is nt fr direct cpying. Use feed frward let students knw hw they are ging befre submitting a piece f summative wrk; fcus n slutins t difficulties rather than what is wrng. Design assessment s that ne piece prvides the fundatin fr the next. Give fcussed effective feedback: Less is mre. The same mistake repeated is ne mistake crrect well nce. Cnsider using snap sht marking t allw fr shrt sharp feedback with lng dcuments (e.g. blgs, reflective jurnals). vwww.tedi.uq.edu.au Page 4 f 9

5 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning 5. Inclusive teachers recgnise and respnd t the additinal challenges f learning in an additinal language English cmes in many frms; fr example, American English, Indian English. Nn English-Speaking Backgrund (NESB) students in Australian universities may have: grwn up in Australia cme straight frm secndary schl in Australia cme frm a university r language schl in Australia r verseas cme frm a schl r university in a nn-anglphne cuntry where English is the language f instructin. Imprve ral cmmunicatin - hw? Make yurself understd. Cnsider the causes f yur students reluctance t speak in class. Explre students expectatins re ral cmmunicatin and be explicit abut yurs. Design nn-threatening, lw stake interactins in class (shrt, fun, icebreakers; think/pair/share; active games, such as ball-thrwing t direct shrt easy questins t students). Build up gradually frm pairs t larger grups. Design intercultural grup wrk s there is mutual benefit. Mdel respectful, schlarly dialgue implicitly and explicitly Allw students time fr preparatin befre speaking give time t write dwn answers first. Design fr inclusin and explratin f students cultural and persnal knwledge in ral activities. Use a range f methds t explre tpics (rle play, brainstrms, debates) Encurage students t supplement ral cmmunicatin with written, visual and multi-media cmmunicatin where apprpriate. Develping written cmmunicatin skills hw? Assess yur students skill levels early (e.g. minute papers, shrt bis, vwww.tedi.uq.edu.au Page 5 f 9

6 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning shrt assessment). Be realistic fcus n what is imprtant and achievable. Scaffld skill develpment (in curses and acrss prgrams, if pssible). Explain and clarify academic expectatins and standards regarding written wrk. 6. Inclusive teachers plan fr and manage cntrversial situatins in class Develping inclusive learning envirnments des nt mean aviding cntrversy. On the cntrary, the discussin f cntrversial issues may help students t achieve desired learning utcmes. They may be used t raise the cmplexity f an issue abut which students may believe there is nly ne perspective. They are an inevitable part f sme teaching and learning, such as the discussin f ethical issues and religius beliefs. It is imprtant t anticipate and plan fr cntrversy, but unlikely that we can anticipate it all. Planning fr manageable cntrversy hw? Find ut abut yur prspective students cultural and educatinal backgrunds as far as pssible befre the class. Anticipate material that is likely t cause cntrversy and establish grund rules befre intrducing it. Understand that sme students can feel mre uncmfrtable than thers because they believe that it is imprtant that grup members feel cmfrtable find ways t discuss this with the class. Include statements abut classrm prcesses and expectatins fr discussing cntrversial material in the curse guidelines. Perhaps include assessment tasks which require students t reflect n their wn develpment f skills fr managing cntrversy. Mdel the way t critically analyse and argue frm evidence abut an issue frm mre than ne perspective. Be pen with students abut the purpse f class discussin, including cntrversy. Cnsider making classrm and nline civilities ne f the expected (and vwww.tedi.uq.edu.au Page 6 f 9

7 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning assessed) learning utcmes f the tpic. Develp the art f respnding neutrally t statements which yu find cntrversial by listening, paraphrasing, asking fr evidence, analysing underlying assumptins and asking fr ther view pints. Challenge the ideas withut putting dwn the persn. Be explicit abut the cnditinal nature f knwledge in the discipline. Be explicit abut the value f knwing what yu dn t knw and encurage students t explre what they dn t knw and t set new learning gals. Reward explratry, respectful discussin; fr example, use criteria and standards t assess participatin. Use discussin strategies which encurage students t listen carefully t each ther, such as requiring the next speaker t paraphrase the views f the previus speaker. Ask students t interview a persn with a different perspective and reprt their views either verbally r in a written piece. Use debates. Have students take ne psitin ne week and the ppsing psitin the next week. Then ask them t reflect n the experience. Anticipate and debrief strng emtins such as anger; fr example, ask students t signal when they are feeling uncmfrtable with the directin f the discussin. Expect resistance and plan t return t sme issues n several ccasins. vwww.tedi.uq.edu.au Page 7 f 9

8 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning 6. Inclusive teachers are aware f their wn assumptins abut learning and teaching, as well as thse f their students A gd start fr thinking abut culture, yur wn and thers, is nticing what yu find surprising, r perhaps ffensive, abut differences in everyday behaviur between smene frm a different cultural grup and yurself. When this happens think abut what cultural rules the ther persn and yu might be using (Carrll 2000). Expectatins abut rles, respnsibilities and relatinships f teachers and students can vary. Find ut abut yur students prir experience in educatin and their expectatins at university - hw? Use a mdified cultural mapping exercise. Use a discussin abut expectatins (f students and teacher(s)) t draw up a learning and teaching cntract. Fr RHD supervisin use a questinnaire t be filled ut by students and supervisrs; revisit frm time t time. Becme mre aware f yur wn assumptins, values, expectatins - hw? Reflect and discuss with thers: What surprises r trubles yu abut the behaviurs f peple frm cultures different frm yur wn? Review yur wn practice, r seek peer review, using the fllwing questins as a framewrk: What strategies/methds d I use t establish an inclusive teaching and learning envirnment? Which strategies/methds wrk well? What evidence d I have that these strategies/methds are successful? Which strategies/methds d I need t mdify? What new strategies/methds culd I adpt? vwww.tedi.uq.edu.au Page 8 f 9

9 Prmising practices fr inclusive teaching and learning This set f prmising practices has been cllated frm the fllwing surces: Carrll, J. & Ryan, J. (2005). Teaching internatinal students: Imprving learning fr all. Oxn, UK: Rutledge. Flinders University. Cultural diversity and inclusive practice tlkit. Available frm Gdy, A. s f effective university teaching. Available frm Griffith University. Gd practice guide: Internatinalising the curriculum. Available frm Lawrence, J. (2003). The deficit-discurse shift: university teachers and their rle in helping first year students persevere and succeed in the new university culture. Available frm lawrence1.htm vwww.tedi.uq.edu.au Page 9 f 9