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Welcome 2020

MA SEN and Inclusion

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Welcome to the University of Northampton

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to your studies at the University of Northampton. The purpose of this document is to help you prepare for coming to study with us and give you an opportunity to meet members of your programme team as well as other students who’ve chosen the same course. We want to make sure that you are inspired, anchored, prepared, and enabled to succeed.

Through engaging with our welcome and induction activities you will get to know your super-supportive tutors, have a chance to make new friends and be able to access what you need to know and do to start studying successfully. Ultimately, we want you to feel confident about how you will learn.

This Welcome Pack covers the following key areas:

1. Details of 3 online Welcome and Induction sessions scheduled during the second half of August and the first three weeks in September

2. Technical information to make joining these sessions as easy as possible 3. What happens during Welcome and Induction Week – meeting with your

Personal Tutor and other University-wide events

Welcome and Induction Online Sessions We would like to invite you to join members of your subject and programme team, and other students joining you at the University of Northampton this year for three online welcome and induction sessions in the weeks leading up to the start of term. The details of your programme specific sessions are as follows:

Getting to Know You Session 1

Date: Monday 24 August

Time: 5 – 6pm

Link: Click here to join MA SEN and Inclusion Session 1

Introduction to Learning and Teaching on your Programme Session 2

Date: Monday 7 September

Time: 5 – 6pm

Link: Click here to join MA SEN and Inclusion Session 2

Supporting Your Success Session 3

Date: Monday 14 September

Time: 5 – 6pm

Link: Click here to join MA SEN and Inclusion Session 3

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If you are a Joint Honours student, don’t forget to check out both subject areas and join the different sessions for each subject.

Preparing you for Learning and Teaching at Northampton Learning and teaching at the University of Northampton is designed to help you take control of your own learning, using small group teaching, team-working and one-to-one tutorials that allow learning to take place in face-to-face environments and using carefully crafted digital experiences. To help you prepare for this personalised approach to learning, our welcome and induction activities are designed to introduce you to our learning technologies so that you are ready to go for the start of term. Through engaging in some preparatory work before our live sessions, you can think about some of the questions you might have and have opportunities to explore the many ways in which you are supported. You can also meet the other students on your programme.

What to do if you can’t attend the live session If you are unable to attend the live session, we will be sharing any resources used on our Programme NILE site (the Northampton Integrated Learning Environment). You will be able to access these once you have enrolled.

Technical Support As part of our welcome and induction, we would like you to engage with us using our online tool, Blackboard Collaborate. It is broadly similar to using Skype or Zoom, which you may have come across before. You will be able to join your Welcome and Induction sessions as a guest, meaning that you do not need to create an account in order to participate.

Using Collaborate 1) Test whether your browser will work with Collaborate 2) Review the student guide to using Collaborate 3) Test Collaborate by visiting our test ‘classroom’ to address any technological

challenges. This classroom will be available 24/7 from now until the end of September. You can join the classroom now and follow the instructions to test your audio and video functions.

If you are still experiencing difficulties, please call our on-site team for further help: +44 (0)1604 893333.

LinkedIn Learning Once you become a student at the University of Northampton, you will also have access to a wealth of online technical support through LinkedIn Learning so you can improve your digital skills any time, any place.

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Getting to Know You Session 1

The aim of this session is to help you begin to meet new people, make new friends and get to know the staff team who will be with you over the course of your studies. Pre-work tasks have been marked with a turquoise highlighting pen and the expectation is that you will have either thought the tasks through or completed them before our online session.

1. Pre-Work Task 1: If someone were to ask you the following questions, what would your response be? Think your answers through as those will be discussed during our online session:

• What groups and communities do you belong to and what ones would you like to belong to at University? • What values define you as an individual? • What do you most want to achieve by coming to University? • What does it mean to be part of a University community? • What 3 things will challenge you most about being at University? • Why have you chosen this course? • What have you studied previously? • Where do you see yourself 3 years after graduation? • What is the strangest food you have eaten? • What is your favourite hobby?

As many of the students in our programme either come from different parts of the world or have had different cultural experiences that influence who they are today, I would also like you to complete the following pre-session task to discuss when we meet: Task 2: Click on this link and follow the instructions to contribute to the our ‘My Cultural Experience’ Padlet. As with the tasks for all these sessions, it is up to you what you choose to share during the live sessions.

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2. Your Online Session We will meet online using Collaborate. When you click on the Collaborate link and enter the ‘room’ you will see four icons at the bottom of the screen. When communicating in these sessions, click on the following icons on the screen to change your communication status.

Microphone is off

Microphone is on

Camera is off

Camera is on Pre-session activities have been highlighted in this section. When you see this please make sure you have prepared the requested activity for the session. Introduction to using Collaborate Click here to join MA SEN and Inclusion Session 1 We will spend a few minutes getting to know how the Collaborate online system works as this will be one of the ways we will teach you online Hello and welcome We will welcome you all to this first group session and greet each other. We will ask you to take it in turns and to share your camera and microphone during your turn so we can all see and hear each other. Once you have said hello please switch your camera off until asked to switch it on again and please mute your microphone until you are asked to speak again. Session Check –in You will be asked to offer one word verbally to describe how you are feeling at the start of the session. We will not be using cameras here. Switch your microphone on to speak, then when you have offered your word please switch the microphone off.

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Prepare and share a one minute introduction to yourself to the group You will be asked to share with your peers your answers to the following questions - why have you chosen this course? - what have you studied previously? - where do you see yourself 3 years after graduation? - what do you most want to achieve by coming to University? Please switch on your microphone and camera as you share your answer. Discovery questions We will spend some time getting to know each other a little more. We will be discussing your responses to these questions, so you can prepare your answers ahead of time: • What is the strangest food you have eaten? • What is your favourite hobby? Please switch on your microphone and camera as you share your answer. Meeting the team – part 1 We will be joined by some of the lecturers who teach on the MA SEN and Inclusion. They will say a quick hello and introduce themselves. Belonging at University We will spend some time continuing to get to know each other a little more. We will be answering these questions so you can prepare your answers ahead of time:

• What groups and communities do you belong to and what ones would you like to belong to at University?

Please switch on your microphone and camera as you share your answer. Session check out You will be asked to offer one word to describe how you are feeling at the end of the session. You can type in your word in the chat section of the screen. Goodbyes We will meet online again in our next session on Monday 7 September. We will ask you to take turns and share your camera and microphone at this point so we can all see and hear each other as we say goodbye.

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Introduction to the Learning and Teaching on your Programme Session 2

The purpose of this session is to learn more about how learning and teaching will work on your programme of study and meet your teaching team for this year. This will also be a great time to talk about how we have made our campus ‘Covid Secure’ and if there are any particular arrangements you need to be aware of depending on what you are studying.

1. Pre-Work Your task: Take some time to familiarise yourself with How We Teach. This page provides an overview of how we personalise your learning to ensure that you get the best experience possible. We will use this page as the basis for our discussions in the live session, where we will explore what this looks like for your programme of study, and in line with the latest guidance around Covid-19.

Please also click on the link above to find out more about how we use digital technologies not only to support your studies, but also to prepare you for living and working in the modern world.

You may want to have a go at The Induction Investigation … an online, puzzle-based challenge to introduce you to the work of Library and Learning Services and how they support all students. This challenge can be undertaken individually but is more fun if completed in a team.

This pre-work should take you about an hour.

2. Your Online Session Pre- session activities are highlighted. When you see this please make sure you have prepared the requested activity for the session. Hello and Welcome (once more) Click here to join MA SEN and Inclusion Session 2 We will welcome you all to this second group session and all greet each other. We will ask you to take it in turns and to share your camera and microphone at this point so we can all see and hear each other.

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Session Check –in You will be asked to offer one word verbally to describe how you are feeling at the start of the session. We will not be using cameras here. Introduction of Inclusion activity (please see below) Meet the team part 2 We will be joined by some of the lecturers who teach in the MA SEN and Inclusion. They will say a quick hello and introduce themselves. Continuing to get to know each other We will use breakout groups for the first time in this session. This is one of the ways we will teach you online. In your breakout groups you will play the ‘See ya’ activity. This is an activity designed to help us familiarise ourselves with each other and establish connections. It is our aim in the MA SEN and Inclusion to build a strong community and we use every opportunity to do so. You will be asked discovery questions in your groups, designed to be fun and give everyone a better idea about you as a person. Two truths and a lie We will work together as a whole group again. Please prepare three statements about yourself; two should be true and one should be a lie. Group members will take it in turn to try and guess which is the lie. Session check out You will be asked to offer one word to describe how you are feeling at the end of the session. You can type in your word in the chat section of the screen. Goodbyes We will meet online again in our next session on Monday 14 September. We will ask you to take turns and share your camera and microphone at this point so we can all see and hear each other as we say goodbye. Inclusion activity (to be completed for Monday 28 September) Follow the link and watch the following clip ‘Make it stop’ produced by the National Autistic Society: NAS Make it stop After you have watched the clip reflect and make notes on the following:

• How is the visit to the ice skating centre perceived by the young person? • What are the typical reactions she receives? • How would you support the young person and the wider population in the ice skating centre, to make this an inclusive and successful visit?

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Asking questions, reflecting on thought provoking ideas and concepts, analysing policies and practice are all challenges you will face on the course. You will be expected to be able to communicate clearly your thinking and justification for the points and arguments that you make both in writing and in discussion. The final activity to start you on this reflective journey is the following:

• Spend some time writing down what inclusion means to you, record and reflect on what has informed your thinking about inclusion • Prepare a definition of inclusion • Justify how your definition of inclusion could apply to educational contexts and broader societal contexts • After you have done some reading come back to your definition and make any changes or amendments you think may be needed • Input your final version of the definition in this Padlet to discuss in the first session for SENM019 Key Concepts in Inclusion and Diversity or SENM026 Understanding Autism Spectrum Session.

Optional further preparation As part of our course we will be exploring a variety of topics in depth, but you may wish to make a start by reading the following books. Please note that these books are available through the UoN library. The first one introduces you to the idea of critical thinking, which is central to your success as a postgraduate student:

• Wallace, M. and Wray, A. (2016) Critical reading and writing for postgraduates (3rd ed.) London: SAGE.

You may also like to start thinking about the idea of inclusion as it is an underlying theme in all our modules. A good book to consult that focuses on the UK and USA context is the following:

• Tomlinson, S. (2017) A Sociology of Special and Inclusive Education. London: Routledge.

Additional sources focusing on global perspectives of inclusion can be found within the following Open access article:

• Kathy-Anne Jordan, K. A. Sudha Ramaswamy, S. (2013) ‘Global Perspectives on Inclusion.’ Global education review, 1(1), pp.10–13.

Some important policy documents on inclusion you may wish to explore (available online) are the following:

• United Nations (2006) United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• UNESCO (1994) The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action of Special Needs Education. UNESCO: Salamanca, Spain. • Department for Education/Department of Health (2015) Special educational needs and disability code of practice 0-25 years. [online]. Available

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from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf [Accessed 10/07/20].

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Supporting Your Success Session 3

The purpose of this session is to introduce you to the different teams and services around the University who can support you in your studies and help you identify which of these you need to engage with.

1. Pre-Work Your task: Visit the University Supporting You webpages to find out more about all our teams. The core teams you should find out about include:

• Library and Learning Services, including our Academic Librarian and Learning Development Teams

• Academic and Pastoral Support from your Personal Tutor and our Student Support and Advice Team

• The Student Information Desk who can signpost you to our specialist support services

• The University of Northampton Students’ Union – for clubs and societies, sports and other social activities, as well as support, information and guidance

Make a note of those teams that you think will be particularly helpful. Discussing these with your Personal Tutor during your 1:1 meeting with them will help you make a good start to your academic year, although if you want to contact them earlier, their details are available online.

This pre-work should take you about half an hour.

2. Your Online Session During the online session, we will think about what it means to come to University and be part of the wider University Community. You will have an opportunity to ask those questions that you haven’t yet found an answer to. In preparation, you might like to think about what coming to University means for you in particular – your hopes and dreams and also to think about what you might find challenging. Don’t worry – you only have to share what you are comfortable to talk about.

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Pre-session activities are highlighted. When you see this please make sure you have prepared the requested activity for the session. Hello and Welcome Click here to join MA SEN and Inclusion Session 3 We will welcome you all to this third group session and all greet each other. We will ask you to take it in turns and to share your camera and microphone at this point so we can all see and hear each other. Session Check –in You will be asked to offer one word verbally to describe how you are feeling at the start of the session. We will not be using cameras here. Looking ahead to study and being at University We will spend some time answering your questions. Please prepare any questions you have about your degree programme to share at this time. You may find it useful to think about and note down the following:

• What 3 things do you think will challenge you most about being at University? Please share using your microphone. Working more with Collaborate We will continue to develop your skills in using Collaborate. We will practice using the Poll tool here. You will be asked some informal questions and asked to complete some polls. Meeting the team – part 3 We will be joined by some more of the lecturers who teach on the MA SEN and Inclusion. They will say a quick hello and introduce themselves. Pre university reflections You will be asked to share your reflections on the three sessions we have done together so far. This is your opportunity to say what your strongest impression of the time we have spent together is. Imagine you are driving away in a car and you look back in the mirror and see these sessions. What is the strongest image you see reflected in the mirror? Please share using your microphone. Session check out You will be asked to offer one word to describe how you are feeling at the end of the session. You can type in your word in the chat section of the screen. Goodbyes We will ask you to take turns and share your camera and microphone at this point so we can all see and hear each other as we say goodbye. We will meet again on campus for our next session on Monday 21 September between 16:30 and 18:30. Details have been included on your online timetable.

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What Happens Next? 1. Immediately before the start of term, we will ensure that all students are

allocated to a Personal Tutor group (see below). If you are a Joint Honours student, you will be in a tutor group with other students who share one of your subject areas. You will meet your tutor on campus during the week of the 21 September, along with the other members of your group. You can find out when your Personal Tutor Welcome session is on your online Timetable. At the University of Northampton, our Personal Tutors meet regularly and frequently with their tutees, both in group and in 1-to-1 sessions. They will help you to reflect on how your studies are going and explore actions you can take to maximise your chances of success.

2. You will also be invited to a short (10 minute) 1-to-1 session with your Personal Tutor. This would be a good opportunity for you to discuss any questions you may have about personalised support if you haven’t already contacted those teams directly. Please know that you can also get in touch with your Personal Tutor directly should you need to. Your PT will tell you more about how to do this.

3. Your Subject/Programme Team may also offer some additional activities during the week of the 21st September. Details of these will be available through your online timetable.

Information about other Welcome and Induction events across the University during the week of 21st September will be shared with you in due course. We are planning these in line with the latest government guidance around Covid-19 and so full details won’t be available until nearer the time. These are all designed to help you make a solid start to University, whether you are living on our beautiful Waterside Campus, staying locally or commuting in when necessary, or studying remotely.

Who are the Personal Tutors for your Programme? Just before the start of our Welcome and Induction week, the University will send you an email with the name of your Personal Tutor. You will need to use this information to know which face-to-face session you will need to attend with your Personal Tutor, based on the groups below:

Personal Tutor Group Personal Tutor Name

MA SEN and Inclusion Tereza Aidonopoulou-Read (MA Programme leader)

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*please note that you will be emailed separately with your Personal Tutor details at a later date. Contact email: tereza.aidonopoulou@northampton.ac.uk