The widening participation agenda and equality legislation have contributed to an increasingly diverse student population in higher education. To reflect on this and explore strategies to build and improve on work in this area the HEA held a summit meeting on Inclusive Learning and Teaching.
This reflective paper outlines the commitment and initiatives undertaken by Aston University as an outcome of this summit.
In providing an inclusive learning experience for all students it is not the aim exclusively for equality in treatment and support in HE at Aston University as all students have individual needs but in equal opportunity for them to achieve a fulfilling and rewarding outcome.
The Aston 2012 Strategy affirms the University’s commitment to an inclusive learning environment stating that ‘a high performance organisation requires a stretching and challenging yet supportive culture where the contributions of individuals and groups are recognised and respected’. Therefore Aston University strives to provide and further develop a high quality inclusive learning and teaching (L&T) environment and thereby enhance the learning experience for all students. The current programme will facilitate the development of institutional change through the engagement in focused activities reflection on our understanding and progress in effectively supporting our students in HE and the development of a network of partner institutions with similar goals in providing inclusive L&T communities.
The two areas of development that the University is currently focusing on are student development and (academic) enhancement and curriculum design. The Curriculum and Learner Development Working Group (a sub-committee of the University L&T Committee) is working with the Student Guild and the Student Peer Mentoring Team to enhance inclusive practice across the institution for example to ease the transition of new students into HE through development of the pre-entry peer mentoring scheme. The group is also developing new staff workshops and guides on inclusive practice and curriculum design raising awareness of intercultural diversity in the University community the further development of the Single Equality Action Plan and VLE site. Through these initiatives we not only hope to develop and enhance practice but over time to accompany it with growing institution-wide awareness and cultural change.
