NADP Annual Conference & AGM 2008 - Abstracts of presentations for workshop sessions
[Updated 08/05/08]
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Workshop Session 1 - Tuesday 24th June 2008
Climate Change - Are Assessors qualified to Assess
Climate change does not have to refer just to the weather; climate can also refer to the conditions a person is expected to work in.
When in the early 1980s a few individuals started to assess the needs of post 16 students for whom it was felt technology may assist in their education, there were no rules, no training, no guides, no funding and not many of them (assessors or students). Assessors often felt left out in the cold.
Now we have a climate is warming up and it is the assessor who is feeling the heat. Assessors are expected to know so much, assessors are expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the academic environment; be it FE, HE, Foundation or PhD and be able to advise on strategies that help the student, the lecturer, tutor, examination officer, library staff, disability support advisers, students and non medical helpers. Assessors have to understand the complex rules of funding. Whilst some of the funding rules are more straight forward, the difference between Access to Work, FE and HE is still very diverse.
The assessor is expected to have knowledge of all assistive technology applications inside out - all 64,000 of them!! On top of this assessors have to know what everything costs and make judgements as to the value of a wide range of elements from pen grips to internet connection. Lately assessors have been asked to comment on the suitability of a student's ability to attend a course - where will it all end?
What this session would like to achieve is an overview of the assessor's role and what qualifications and knowledge an assessor needs to provide a complete and rounded assessment of those people in the post 16 sector who have additional needs.
The role of demand-led funding in reforming provision for those with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities
The LSC has launched is new Demand-led Funding system to the Post 16 sector.
It has reform funding for Additional Learning Support (ALS) and is (in partnership with DCSF and the sector) planning a single funding system for all those with LLDD (in the FE sector) and SEN (in the schools sector) for 2009/10.
This session will outline the proposals and how they fit with the wider Progression Through Partnership, 14-19 and skills agendas.
By the end of the session delegates will understand the LSC's proposals and be able to contribute to the consultation and be able to see where the changes will impact on their organisations to assist future planning.
From a Distance - Supporting students with mental health issues in a distance learning environment
The Mental Health Liaison Worker Scheme exists to support students with a disclosed mental health difficulty.
The Open University is a distance learning organisation. This scheme seeks to provide a mechanism where students can get support to deal with difficult situations. It runs in conjunction with other methods of support that are offered to students by the university. Often these are where contact with the institution is required and this in itself may be a source of difficulty for the student. Having a contact who is trusted by the student and who can liaise between them and the university can be of value.
The scheme is open to any student with a mental health difficulty. Students disclosing such a difficulty are invited to join. If they so wish a liaison worker is allocated. The worker will make contact approximately 3 times per year. Usually these will be at 'pinch points' such as before an exam or where a TMA is due.
During the session delegates will look at numbers of students on the scheme, the benefits to the student and to the institution of being involved. They will also understand the logistics, costing and management required and how such a scheme rests alongside existing university structures and support mechanisms.
By the end of the session delegates will clearly comprehend a simple yet effective means of supporting students and be able to understand the potential transferability of such a support scheme.
Supporting Staff who support deaf students
During the session delegates will...
- discuss problems that staff may encounter.
- share experiences of supporting their staff who are working with D/deaf students.
- discuss pros and cons of various training for staff.
- how institutions can make life easier.
By the end of the session delegates will be aware of ways to minimise problems and situations that may impact on their staff and be aware of different training that can support staff in their work with D/deaf students.
Workshop Session 2 - Tuesday 24th June 2008
Developmental co-ordination disorder (Dyspraxia) in further and higher education - issues for identification, assessment and support: Do pure specific learning difficulties exist
[Update 08/04/08] This workshop will not be running.
[New] Improving FE-HE Transition Experiences of Disabled Students
This workshop is located within the national agenda of widening access and draws upon research with disabled students who have made the transition from FE to HE and will provide participants with guidelines in supporting students during this key phase of their academic career.
The FE-HE Articulation Project is a multi-strand project which aims to enhance the transitional experiences of students as they move from FE to HE. Research to date has shown that this transition can be complex and problematic – raising a multiplicity of issues relating to student motivations, aspirations and expectations as they move into new, larger and fragmented environments with new approaches to learning, teaching and assessment.
Disabled students may face additional challenges in accessing timely, focussed, relevant information. This means that additional support may be required to facilitate a smooth transition. This support might involve information clearly focussed and targeted information on courses, and institutional systems as well as access to key contacts in Universities.
During the session delegates will be consider the key challenges for disabled students as they move from FE to HE, consider the role and value of mentoring in facilitating smooth transitions between FE and HE and develop strategies to support disabled students in their transition from FE to HE.
By the end of the session delegates will have enhanced understanding of the challenges facing students moving from FE to HE and develop and understanding of the value of mentoring in supporting students during the FE-HE transition.
Doing the Duty: How to get the information out to schools and departments. The development of the Learning Support Plan as a means of communication
The Learning Support Plan evolved out of a concern for offering appropriate support for disabled students without conferring an unfair advantage and at the same time maintaining academic standards. The Plan developed through consultations with faculty and department staff throughout the institution. Once the Plan had been established it became possible to withdraw extensions to coursework on grounds of dyslexia, as well as 'sympathetic marking' of examination scripts.
The Learning Support Plan is the means of communication between the student, the disability service, and all departments and faculties associated with the student. The student holds the Learning Support Plan and periodically updates it in consultation with the Disability Co-ordinator.
The workshop will document the development of the Learning Support Plan and discuss its effectiveness as a means of meeting the Disability Equality Duties. Participants will discuss the feasibility of adapting the Plan for use in their own institutions.
During the session delegates will consider the structure, systems and communication channels of their own institution to identify ways they could develop and implement an effective Learning Support Plan. This will include reviewing their departmental staffing provision to ensure the allocation of sufficient resources for drawing up and maintaining individual plans for disabled students.
By the end of the session delegates will appreciate one model for communicating between departments about students' support needs and have considered the development of a model for their own institution.
HEFCE review of policy as it relates to disabled students: Interim findings on research into HE provision and support for disabled students
Introducing the findings from the research and gathering input and views from the workshop delegates.
Assistive Technology as an Individualised Toolkit
Many assistive technologies have been designed primarily to work with word processor packages, spreadsheets and e-mail clients plus web browsing, but they have become increasingly complex and high level user skills are often paramount for successful outcomes. Some would say this is necessary to deal with the many new software packages and web based technologies that have appeared over the years. It is proposed that putting together a personal technology environment and individualised toolkit may prove to be a good option in many situations, providing an agile solution with cost in mind. This presentation explores some of the options available and the barriers that are presented.
During the session delegates will be asked their opinions, advice and feelings in relation to what is being discussed. It is hoped those participating will share experiences and debate the issues that arise in on-line learning and social networking situations.
By the end of the session delegates will learn more about the issues that are arising for disabled students in on-line learning situations and discover some of the strategies used by HE students when working on-line.
Workshop Sessions 3 and 4 - Wednesday 25th June 2008
Support maths and engineering students with dyslexia and matchematical difficulties
Mathematical notation poses particular difficulties for dyslexic students studying maths and engineering disciplines. Students need to write, manipulate and accurately retrieve a wide range of symbols and notation which it is difficult to capture using a computer or audio recordings. Tablet PCs are Windows laptops with the additional facility of being able to capture handwritten material using a pen.
A research trial was undertaken during autumn 2007 involving engineering and maths students at Loughborough University who were loaned Tablet PCs with a number of software packages. The students used the Tablets in a number of settings including note taking during lectures, completing practice exam questions and during tutorials and lab sessions.
This presentation will report on the strategies the students were able to implement via their Tablet PCs to help overcome the difficulties associated with their dyslexia. It will also discuss the benefits of using Tablet PCs to support students with mathematical difficulties.
Employing, supporting and working with staff with disabilities
Staff with disabilities who were involved in the development of the Disability Equality Scheme identified, as a key issue, the lack of co-ordinated support for new staff with disabilities and in particular, staff who acquire a disability while in service. This was in contrast to the well documented and publicised support for disabled students. A working group was convened of stakeholder staff from across the institution who drew upon their own knowledge and expertise and best practice across the sector to develop the policy. The policy introduces new practices and procedures that enhance existing support within the University for the benefit of staff with disabilities, their managers, work colleagues, and those who are in a position of providing support. This includes a Code of Good Practice, a Toolkit for Managers, the appointment of a Staff Liaison Officer and a 'Register of Experts' in the University.
During the session delegates will work in small groups on a number of case study scenarios involving non-physical disabilities where the options for reasonable adjustment and the impact upon work colleagues may not be so obvious.
By the end of the session delegates will have acquired an example of an approach to improving support for staff with disabilities and have had the opportunity to discuss real case studies of staff with disabilities that may be considered challenging.
Assessing the learning profile of students with dyslexia: a practical and holistic approach
This workshop introduces research in progress. In order to provide a practical and holistic measure of a student's abilities and difficulties, a student self-assessment questionnaire has been designed that can be administered within a learning support context. The aim is to provide practical information on a student's strengths and difficulties that can be used to inform support and measure progress. The tendency for dyslexia to occur alongside other specific learning difficulties) is widely known but formal assessment reports do not always cover the practical implications for each student. Additionally, reports rarely investigate the full range of strengths and resources that the student brings to the learning situation. A series of questions are answered by the student in order to measure their abilities in two areas: firstly, the student's range and extent of specific learning difficulties and secondly, their profile in relation to multiple intelligences.
During the session delegates will learn about current debates on the co-occurrence of specific learning difficulties / Neurodiversity, gain an understanding of the theory of multiple intelligences and how this relates to formal dyslexia assessments and investigate how the current research findings and the assessment tool can be used within a learning support context.
By the end of the session delegates will have a clearer understanding of neurodiversity and multiple intelligences and have gained awareness of a new assessment tool and how students can benefit from its use.
An Inclusive Positive Approach to Higher Education for Students with Asperger's Syndrome
Manny Madriaga has systematically followed eight students who have Asperger's Syndrome (AS) during their first year in various UK universities, and has learned from their insights. Nicola Martin has worked with practitioners in diverse roles in seventeen universities to help them to develop more empathic and effective services to students who have AS.
Students with AS commonly experience stereotype and lack of empathy from other people, often arriving with previous experience of exclusion. Staff often feel worried about their ability to help. In reality, respecting individuality, communicating with clarity, anticipating, and finding ways around potential difficulties, reliably backing the student up, and empathically seeing situations from their perspective are the cornerstone of effective services. Students often reinvent themselves at university, are euphoric about their achievements, and become increasingly independent and socially included, over time. Services can help or hinder them in this learning process. This study focuses on helpful approaches.
An exercise in empathy will form part of the session.
By the end of the session delegates will understand better how to provide effective services for students with AS in HE.
Download Abstracts of Workshops (MS Word, 88 Kb)