#6.5 EQUITY & DISABILITY - JOINING FORCES TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE

AHEAD Conference2013

Inclusion of Diverse Learners

http://morelearning4morestudents.com

Introductions

Heather Mole Office for Students with Disabilities

Tynan Jarrett Social Equity and Diversity Education Office

Workshop agenda

1. Introductions2. Topics– Partnership, challenges, solutions,

successes

3. Discussion

Participant Introductions

What institution are you from?

What department are you in?

History OSD

• Originally narrow mission - services to students with disabilities• New mission – to facilitate and

support the inclusion of diverse learners by facilitating wider access to learning, promoting Universal Design, supporting students

History SEDE

• SEDE - new office 8 years institutionally• 4 year old positions Equity Educational Advisors • Mandate is to work with students, staff and faculty in all

units and departments; a challenge because broad, therefore we work to find areas of highest impact

• Integrating into long established units, convincing people to collaborate

• Developing material from scratch

History TLS

• Mission: The mission of Teaching and Learning Services (TLS) is to promote and support the ongoing development and enhancement of teaching and learning at McGill University. Our team collaborates with professors, departments, Faculties and fellow teaching support units to create adaptable and innovative learning environments in which outstanding teaching is recognized and rewarded.

History of partnerships• 2008 collaboration TLS-SEDE -Safer Spaces workshops

– Safe Space campaign

• 2008 OSD, SEDE, TLS – diversity in the classroom video

• 2009 GPS/TLS developed Graduate Education Initiatives– SKILLSETS– Mandate: Excellence and Innovation in Enhancing the Graduate Student

Experience

• Expanded Safer Spaces to include UD (SKILLSETS)– Target graduate students, professors and staff – Integrating into long established units– Challenge: Faculty attendance

Partnerships continued

• 2012 Joint Board of Governors and Senate meeting – Creation of an event focused on Universal Design

• 2012 Inclusion of Diverse Learners Working Group

Silos

Zdnet.com

ashburnweb.com

Breaking Down the Silos

• Reach out - Open up dialogue about mandates, theoretical frameworks, pedagogy

• Learn each other’s languages• Pinpoint the expertise and the needs in each

unit to find the sweet spot

© 2013 The Future We Want

Collaboration

TLS

OSDSEDE

Sweet spotWhere our missions meet and our expertise is mutually beneficial

Joint Projects • Presentation to Senior Administration (Joint

Board Senate) on Universal Design for Learning• Inclusion of Diverse Learners Working Group –

formalizing collaboration (no terms of reference)– Consultation on workshops (e.g., assessment

+course design)– Invitations to working groups (TLSWG + UTLWG)– Teaching Portfolio for tenure file – inclusion – Consultation on Course Evaluations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjUKGBipJZA

GoalSocial Justice Education, Critical Multi-Cultural Education, Universal Design for Learning and Learner-Centered Teaching

UDL

SJECME

Learner-centered teaching

yourinnerskinny.ca

Activity:

• Identify a challenge you have faced when working for the inclusion of diverse learners

• Goal: to engage participants in a discussion on collaboration and issues with building partnerships across units with different mandates

• What have you done at your university to build collaboration?

• Have you discovered the sweet spot?

Common barriers and available tools

• Anxiety• Depression• Attendance issues• Isolation• Phobias• Attention and distractibility

Examples of tools currently explored by some supervisors:• Skype for routine appointments• Submission and feedback on document share

sites• Synchronous document & comment sharing –

e-chat• Brain mapping and project management

software• Integration of social media in supervisory

relationship (Texting, Messaging, Facebook).• Use of Outlook for scheduling• Youtube videos for feedback and progress

reports• Web platforms to showcase research and

authorship (academia.edu) – motivational impact

• Experiential learning and real world connections

Common barriers experienced by Graduate students:

Common barriers and available toolsCommon barriers experienced by undergraduate and graduate students:

• Anxiety• Depression• Attendance issues• Alienation• Discrimination• Isolation• Phobias• Poverty• Attention and distractibility

Examples of accessible practices currently explored by staff and faculty :

• Skype for routine appointments• Integration of social media in

academic/service relationship (Texting, Messaging, Facebook).

• Culturally competent teaching and support services: training and professional development for all employees

• Youtube videos for feedback and progress reports

• Mentorship by and for members of underrepresented groups

• Web platforms to showcase research and authorship (academia.edu) – motivational impact

• Experiential learning and real world connections

Solutions:

• Sustained effort to build deep collaboration• Capacity Building between units, with faculty

members: critical reading groups• Awareness campaign (marketing)• Workshops• Information sessions (orientation)• Presentations: Faculty, Department, Service

Unit and Senior Admin

Discussion

• Questions?• Comments?• Feedback?