Professor Christine HockingsInstitute for Learning Enhancement

University of Wolverhampton

Inclusive Practice and Open Educational Resources:

a research-informed workshop

Centre for Inclusion and CurriculumThe Open UniversityMay 18th 2011

Outline

• Principles of inclusive learning and teaching - ESRC/TLRP WP research & OER development

• Developing inclusive L&T in your institution

• Changing the script - ‘the artisan teacher

Research projectLearning and teaching for social diversity and difference in HE

• How do teachers engage diverse groups of students?• How do they academically engage all students?• How can we facilitate development of inclusive learning

environments?• What are the implications for policy and practice in

university teaching?

www.wlv.ac.uk/teaching4diversity

Key concepts

Academic engagement in diverse groups occurs when teachers

Create safe, inclusive spaces– Get to know students as individuals– Establish ground rules for collaborative learning

Develop strategies that harness students’ experience and knowledge– Start with what students know, then apply theory (biographical turn) – Connect with students’ lives, backgrounds and future aspirations– Facilitate uncertainty, confusion & difference– Encourage public articulation of thinking & collaborative problem solving

Teach reflexively and with sensitivity to individual & cultural differences– Mindful of own beliefs and identity and their impact on student learning– Coordinate interaction, mixing different student (with a purpose)– Anticipate students’ requirements and interests– Respond flexibly to emerging needs and interests of student

Inclusive L&T principles in practice

Unit 2

Human resourcesStrategies that harness students’ experience and knowledge (16/30)

Mathematics.Articulating thinking publically (17/30)

Digital Media Sensitive to the cultural diversity of the group (22/30)

Learning to Teach Inclusively Module

• To what extent do you/your colleagues practice inclusive L&T already? How do you know?

• What factors help or hinder inclusive practice in your institution?

• What role could Open Educational Resources play in developing inclusive L&T in your institution?

Engaging & developing inclusive L&T

Change the script - The artisan teacher

group size

bureaucracy

rooms

resources

time

targets

efficiency

We can all become artisan teachers

Knowledgeable

Mindful

Practical

Innovative Creative

Principled

Principles of inclusive L&T

Safe space for reflection & development

Structural integration, co-ordination &review

Community of Practice

of

Artisan Teachers

Becoming an artisan teacher

If we can all become artisan teachers, we will retain and engage more students in learning that is relevant and meaningful to them.

User engagement & collaboration

• End of Project Conference – 20th September 2011

• Download video clips in original quality & use them for your own staff development Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/13478

• Download and test the materials and module and test with your colleagues

• Request video clips that would be useful

• Contribute to the body of inclusive video materials

• Participate in a module / video user group -Project blog: http://www.wlv.ac.uk/Default.aspx?page=25525

• Open to all ideas and suggestion. C.Hockings@wlv.ac.uk

Some recent papers on inclusive L&T

Hockings, C (2011) Hearing voices, creating spaces: the craft of the ‘artisan’ teacher’ in a mass higher education system. Critical Studies in Higher Education

Hockings, C. (2010). Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research. York HEA.

Hockings, C., Cooke, S., & Bowl, M. (2010). Learning and teaching in two

universities within the context of increasing student diversity: complexity, contradictions and challenges. In M. David (Ed.), Improving learning by widening participation. London: Routledge.

May, H & Bridger, K. (2010) Developing and embedding inclusive policy and practice in HE. York: HEA [www.heacademy.ac.uk]