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Inclusive Learning

What is Inclusive Learning?

Inclusive learning has a number of aspects to it that must each be defined before the overall terminology itself can be defined. The term can be divided into two main aspects, the simplest and most generic of which is 'learning'.

Wilson (2008) defines learning as the process of "gain[ing] knowledge or a skill; what the learners do during a session". Although the second part of this definition is only correct for a perfect session, the aim of the session is always that the learners will fundamentally absorb and understand the material that is being delivered, which could therefore define learning as 'the aim of encouraging learners to absorb and understand material that is being delivered to them'.

Inclusion itself is open to interpretation and opinion, and is the primary topic of this paper. Wilson (2008) defines inclusion as the process of "finding opportunities to include all learners", although this is of limited value as it still fails to define the 'include' part of inclusion. Wilson (2008, pp. 153) does, however, expand the definition of inclusion as being "about creating interesting, varied and inspiring learning opportunities for all learners; ensuring all learners contribute and are never disadvantaged by methods, language or resources".

Princeton University (2009) defines 'include' as the act of "allow[ing] participation in", or acknowledging "the right to be part of" an activity, which agrees with the definition by Wilson, as both identify participation and contribution as an important aspect in the definition of inclusion.

The Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE [2008]) have made significant research into the subject, and have defined inclusive learning as a comprehensive set of key factors:-

These factors highlight a number of interesting points, and re-affirm the definitions previously identified in addition to building further upon them. These points highlight the importance of the role that students, staff and educational institutions play in ensuring inclusion, as it must always be a two-way process; inclusion cannot occur unless all parties involved are on board and aiming toward it, which is reiterated in the word cloud analysis (see below) of these definitions. The analysis highlights the major areas involved as students, schools, participation, learning, staff and education.

Inclusion: Word Cloud courtesy of Wordle (http://www.wordle.net)

Inclusion: Word Cloud courtesy of Wordle (http://www.wordle.net)

The University of Sheffield (2009) also identify a definition of inclusive learning, and offer points on both what it is, and also what it isn't.

What it is What it isn’t
  • Creating and presenting opportunities for learning in such a way that they are accessible to all students
  • Making what we teach and the way we teach it much more flexible
  • Taking into consideration different learning styles
  • Using subject matter to teach about diversity issues
  • Making radical changes to a course
  • Only for some subject disciplines
  • Just for under-represented groups
  • Something additional to core work

Inclusive learning can therefore be considered a culmination of the best points from each definition, and is not as simple as a single statement, but rather a collection of ideas, theories and intentions that aim to promote a number of different values including participation, valuing others, culture change, elimination of barriers and embracing differences and similarities simultaneously.

It is recognised that inclusive learning is the responsibility of all involved, particularly teachers and students, to ensure that the inclusion happens and that exclusion is eliminated as much as possible, and this must incorporate appropriate attitudes to each of the values and an appreciation of equality and diversity and how it can be successfully applied in a learning environment. However, schools and communities each have a role to play in ensuring the success of inclusion, as each plays a major part in the overall social environment within which the learner operates.

However, inclusive learning is not the delivery of equality and diversity issues in the learning environment, but does include the observation and incorporation of their key values. It is also not restricted to specific subject areas or categories of learner, but a tool for utilisation across all areas and subjects, for all learners and other parties involved.

Why aim for Inclusive Learning?

Inclusive learning appears to involve a lot of work, and may fail quite easily if some learners refuse to co-operate, so it must be evaluated for its relevance and added benefit that it can bring to the learning environment and learners, not to mention the tutor and reputation of the learning provider.

A major reason why inclusion must occur in the learning environment is fundamental and irrefutable: legislation. Modern UK law and statutes contain a number of Acts around equality and diversity issues, including discrimination, harassment and human rights, all of which must be observed and adhered to in the learning environment, or the learning provider and tutor may be subject to weight of the UK judicial system. Some of these laws stem from UK legislation, such as the anti-discrimination Acts and other such law, while others are European law that has been ratified by the UK government. CSIE (2008) identifies the ratified legislation as including:-

The law places an obligation on educational institutions to provide education without any form of discrimination, and cannot lawfully discriminate “between pupils on grounds of race, sex, disability or sexual orientation in admissions, access to benefits or services, exclusions, and in the employment of staff” (CSIE [2008]). CSIE (2008) also explains that the Education and Inspections Act 2006 requires educational institutions to promote inclusion "through community cohesion, … where all communities share a common vision and sense of belonging … [and] primarily concerns differences between communities in relation to cultures, ethnicity, religions or non-religion and socio-economic status, but it also connects with other equality issues of disability, age, gender and sexual orientation".

Schools, Colleges and Universities can therefore not lawfully differentiate between pupils, but must also promote their community values and a shared sense of community spirit. Inclusive learning is the primary tool used to meet these obligations.

In addition to the legal obligations placed on educational institutions, there are also moral and social values that these organisations must pursue to fulfil their requirements and maintain their reputations and standing as quality education providers. CSIE (2008) identifies these values as including:-

Gravells (2009) identifies inclusive learning as "

  • recognising that each of your learners is different from other learners in many ways, and should not be excluded from any activities within your sessions for any legitimate reason
    • ". However, this deviates from the recognition under Equality and Diversity that some exclusion may be necessary where the learner is at risk or in danger if they pursue an activity.

    For example, it is deemed perfectly acceptable to exclude a learner from using heavy machinery if that learner refuses to undertake the appropriate safety induction and declines the use of personal protective equipment. Exclusion with a legitimate reason can be acceptable depending upon the potential consequences of including the learner, although it is accepted that this is not always the case even where a legitimate reason may exist.

    This is where the process defined by Wilson is applicable, as the aim is to find opportunities to include learners, not to blindly include all learners by default regardless of other practice or procedure. In this example, the opportunity should be taken to either persuade the learner to undertake the appropriate safety training and use the equipment available, or to find an alternative option – where a support worker may be called in to use the equipment on the learner's behalf.

    However, excluding the learner from attending demonstrations or other lessons around the use of the equipment in this example would not be an acceptable application of exclusion, and could not be justifiable under any circumstances. Exclusion is justifiable in circumstances where there are underlying circumstances, such as disciplinary issues, where the learner creates a situation through inappropriate behaviour that endangers themselves or other learners, or causes significant disruption to the learning environment, or where the inclusion would be detrimental to all involved.

    CSIE (2008) reinforces this by stating that there are exceptions to inclusion for justifiable reasons such as religion and beliefs, and that the law enables educational institutions to "reject prospective students on grounds of their age". CSIE also adds that "some disabled pupils and pupils with a statement of 'special educational needs' may be segregated in special schools", and confirms that learners may be "temporarily or permanently exclude[d] … for disciplinary reasons".

    However, the benefits that inclusion can have on the learning environment and associated areas can be significant, and could easily justify inclusive learning without the moral and legal obligations even being considered. Wilson (2008, pp. 153) quotes from a report by the Scottish Funding Council (2006:4) that a senior manager in an FE college believes that successful inclusion will offer the following benefits to the learning environment:-

    How can Inclusive Learning be applied?

    Inclusive learning can be applied through a number of means to ensure that the learning environment and other parts of the education are inclusive. It can be observed through a number of different aspects in the planning and delivery of the education, specifically through the use of a number of tools and techniques that are listed below:-

    Planning
    Teaching and Learning Methodologies
    Resources
    Final Assessment

    Planning

    Careful planning of the sessions to be delivered can be made on the Session Plan and Scheme of Work, taking into account and noting options available and routes taken to ensure inclusion where this can be applied. These documents will provide the detail of how the activities and styles in the remainder of the list can be applied to the course and learning environment, and will document the physical evidence that inclusion is intended should any issues arise.

    Existing scheme documentation can generally be quite easily adapted to incorporate inclusive learning techniques, through consideration of "technology changes, curriculum content, current practice and legislation" (Wilson, 2008 pp. 156), while lesson plans can incorporate the outcomes of the initial assessment into ensuring that each learner's needs are catered for. Adaptation of lesson plans can include consideration of the way the content is to be delivered, and will utilise each of the remaining points in the list to do so, such as the use of SMART targets, the type of tasks and activities used, and the teaching methods used to deliver the lesson.

    The initial assessment of a learner is the initial step in the implementation of inclusive learning, as it is the teacher's tool for identifying the learner's needs, and assessing how they must be satisfied. The assessment will also aim to identify whether the learner has any additional learning support requirements (ALS), or whether they have a disability that must be considered when arranging activities, and the preferred learning style of the learner. This feeds into the lesson plans to enable the teacher to understand what their learners needs are, and to be able to account for them in their planning.

    Initial assessment can be carried out through a number of different methods, which can be teacher-led, student-led or a combination of the two. It is critical that the initial assessment is carried out accurately in the first instance, as failure to do so can impact on learner retention rates and result in a learner feeling that they are excluded from a session or course if their needs are not being met. These methods can include:-

    Each of these methods involves the learner to a different extent, and either asks directly the information that is needed, which relies upon the learner's comfort and honesty in its provision, or observation of the learner’s responses to certain activities, which may not be wholly reliable depending upon the learner’s state of mind and many other factors at the time of the observation. Each method is suited to different learning styles, and must therefore be carefully considered against the type of course being offered; for example, an Arts and Crafts course is more likely to attract learners with kinaesthetic learning styles, and they may respond better to structured activities as an assessment method than a written test/questionnaire or verbal interview, while a literature class may fare better with a written test or questionnaire.

    Teaching and Learning Methodologies

    Utilisation of different methodologies in terms of teaching and learning styles in the learning environment can be extremely beneficial to a learning environment provided the methods used are appropriate and relevant. The three learning styles (visual, aural and kinaesthetic) can each be catered for by using a number of different types of resource, or varying the teaching style to ensure the attention of all learners is received, and that each learner has the potential to learn something from the session.

    Variations in teaching styles can aid learners by increasing participation. For example, delivered teaching (also known as pedagogy) involves learners on a lesser scale, as it involves delivering the education to the learner – a prime example involving telling the learner the information, or delivering it to them via presentation and expecting them to take notes. This can be approached from a more active, learner-centred direction of helping the learner to learn (andragogy) where the learner has a greater responsibility and input into their own learning. Andragogy can involve group discussion of ideas and theories, role play and other activities.

    Experimentation with different teaching styles, and combining pedagogy and andragogy can have mutually beneficial results on the learners and their education. Greater participation on behalf of the learner can help to improve their attention span in the learning environment and their own sense of involvement, subsequently resulting in greater memory retention and understanding of the lesson being delivered.

    This inclusion can involve methods such as nominated questioning, where each learner takes their turn in answering questions posed to them by the teacher, and differentiation in language, expression and communication methods. The teacher can also help class cohesion by changing seating positions of the learners so that each learner interacts with a greater proportion of the class, and is not consistently sat in a particular area of the classroom that might otherwise segregate the learner from the rest of the class.

    Resources

    Resources are a significant factor in ensuring that inclusion occurs, as they can play a key role in meeting learner's needs and addressing differences in learning styles. The resources available to teachers can vary, but largely consist of the use of targets and Individual Learning Plans (ILP), tasks and activities used within the learning environment, group work and learner support.

    The use of ILPs and SMART targets can help a learner to clarify what their aims and objectives are within the course, in addition to identifying where they currently are in their studies and what they need to achieve. These give the learner a clear set of goals and a timescale to aim for. This can assist a learner in feeling included within the learning environment, as they have a greater understanding of their position and what they must do, in addition to the vision of involvement and relative independence in the setting and achievement of their targets.

    In delivering the session, the teacher will also design and use a number of tasks and activities to assist in the learning process. These activities can utilise a number of different learning styles, depending how they are designed, and as a result be used to enhance inclusion in the learning environment through needing learner’s individual learning styles and needs. These can also be combined with group work, which can help a learner to create relationships and bonds with their peers, and consequentially create their own inclusion within the class and assist in the inclusion of others.

    The resources can also be tailored to individual needs in terms of accessibility, through the appropriate use of enlarged font sizes where the learner has reading difficulties, different font types to help learners with dyslexia and other such hindrances, elegant use of graphics, audio-visual displays and assistive technology such as screen-reading software and Braille or audio versions of handouts and other class material.

    In addition to these, most teachers can call on the resources of the learning provider's Learner Support Unit, which can provide an assistant to the learner to aid them both within the learning environment and in their supplementary studies – for example, accessing materials in the Learning Centre/Library and supporting them with their work when needed. This can help to include students that might otherwise struggle without some form of dedicated assistance that the teacher themselves cannot provide.

    Final Assessment

    Both formative and summative assessment can be utilised in the incorporation of inclusion in the learning environment. Different methods of assessment can be used depending on the learning styles, and each assessment can be aimed at a variety of learning styles simultaneously. Methods of assessment can include observations, tests and examinations with appropriate feedback given that is fair to the learner and delivered in a manner that is positive and private between the teacher and learner to maintain motivation and minimise embarrassment if the learner has not succeeded well in the assessment.

    Feedback surrounding the assessment can also be returned with suggestions for improvement that will encourage the learner to better understand where they have failed to succeed, and remain sufficiently motivated to re-attempt the assessment at a later date.

    When undertaking the actual assessment, special arrangements can be made for learners that have a particular need or disability, such as additional time to complete the assessment or assistance in the completion of it if they are physically incapable of doing so unaided.

    In Summary

    Inclusive learning can be defined as a collection of ideas, theories and intentions that aim to promote a number of different values including participation, valuing others, culture change, elimination of barriers and embracing differences and similarities simultaneously. It is the responsibility of all involved, particularly teachers and learners who are at the 'front line' of the process, to ensure that the inclusion happens and that exclusion is eliminated as much as possible.

    This must incorporate appropriate attitudes to each of the values identified as being important to inclusion and an appreciation of equality and diversity and how it can be successfully applied in a learning environment. However, schools and communities each have a role to play in ensuring the success of inclusion, as each plays a major part in the overall social environment within which the learner operates.

    However, inclusive learning is not the delivery of equality and diversity issues in the learning environment, but does include the observation and incorporation of their key values. It is also not restricted to specific subject areas or categories of learner, but a tool for utilisation across all areas and subjects, for all learners and other parties involved.

    Successfully applied, inclusive learning can offer significant benefits to the learning environment, including greater participation and enthusiasm from learners and reduced boredom levels resulting from a learner possessing a greater sense of ownership and responsibility of their learning. It can also develop motivation levels and foster an interest in the course for the learner, and increase their achievement by encouraging reflection to take place, even without direction from the teacher.

    Inclusive learning can be applied in the learning environment by considering adaptation of existing techniques such as incorporation of these techniques and observation of the inclusive learning values in the scheme of work and lesson plans, and appropriate adaptation and variation of resources, tasks and activities, and promotion of cohesion and community spirit within both the learning environment itself, and the community of the educational institution and wider community as a whole.

    Referencing this article? Copy and paste the text below!

    Price, J. [Teesside Silversmith] (2009) Inclusive Learning [Online] Available: http://www.teessidesilversmith.com/resources/html/inclusivelearning.php Accessed: 19/05/2012

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