The inclusive curriculum
Learning and teaching delivery is inclusive and participatory. It reflects the diversity of student strengths and needs, and actively supports student mental health and wellbeing.
Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in the curriculum is a long-term commitment, but beyond considering accessibility there are important ways that staff can augment their active/blended learning courses in order to improve inclusivity. As a next step, staff could conduct a ‘decolonising the curriculum’ review, to check their curriculum is not reinforcing systems of control and privilege and evaluating their reading and resource lists to extend diversity (see SOAS resource below).
The Learning Well framework offers advice and ready-made learning resources and activities which can be incorporated into active/blended learning courses in order to:
- foster student wellbeing, belonging and learning mindsets
- build mutually supportive and inclusive learning communities
- promote opportunities for dialogue, partnership and co-construction
Students are introduced to the 5 principles of the Student Charter as a scaffold for introducing mindsets, strategies and practices that support these aims. It provides a foundation for enlisting students as collaborators in constructing a more inclusive curriculum and learning environment.
The Learning Well approach is committed to fostering students’ sense of belonging so that they can achieve and flourish, better facing the challenges they encounter, participating in communities of learning, and recognising, acknowledging and valuing a diversity of voices. Underpinning the approach is a commitment to values of social justice, equality and compassion that acknowledges the complexity of the social and emotional worlds we inhabit, while valuing and drawing on the diversity of the resources that each of us brings with us and contributes to our communities of learning. It provides a good foundation for enlisting the students themselves as partners in decolonising the curriculum, for example.
Other useful resources
- Supporting female Muslim students in physiotherapy education
- Chinese students use of visuals, lists and tables vs uninterrupted academic prose
- Kingston University London – Inclusive Curriculum
- Embedding and Assessing Compassion on the University Curriculum
- Equality & Diversity Staff Data Report 2016/17
- Equality & Diversity - Student Data Report 2016/17
- UAL – Debiasing_Strategies
- UAL – Creating inclusive briefs
- UAL – Eliminating Inequality Formative Assessment
- UAL – Internationalising_curriculum
- UAL – Rethinking industry engagement
- UAL – Reducing referrals
- The Inclusive Curriculum Toolkit