Academics, disability officers, educational developers, disability support staff and administrators at the University of Plymouth worked to develop thinking, systems, policies and processes of inclusive teaching, learning and assessment.
This has led to the development of an ‘inclusive student journey’ from admissions to alumni.
The ‘inclusive student journey’ includes:
- Considerations of inclusion in outreach, admissions and induction. For example, through specialist pre-sessional induction for students with autism and students with visual impairments.
- Inclusive teaching, learning and assessment methodologies. Resources to support staff to develop an inclusive approach have been developed and collated, and can be found in Plymouth’s Inclusive Teaching, Learning and Assessment webpages.
- Continuing development of the ways in which technology can be used to support student learning. Information has been collated on a webpage dedicated to technology for inclusive practice.
- A process for planning inclusive field trips. For example, Mental Health First Aid training is now available to all staff on field trips to complement traditional First Aid training.
Learning points and reflections
Inclusive practice needs to be considered throughout the student journey, from admissions to alumni. Some areas, such as laboratories and practical work, require particular consideration. Different parts of the university working together is key to making the student journey inclusive, including collaboration between academics, Disability Assist, educational developers, non-medical helpers and administrators.
Further information
You can find other case studies about reasonable adjustments and inclusive educational environments here.