A Study Into Optimising Inclusive Teaching and Learning Strategies for Dyslexic Arts Students

“A study into optimising inclusive teaching and learning strategies for dyslexic arts students

(Art & Design, Music, Drama)”

Teaching and Learning Innovation Project

2011

Dr Robert Clarke

School of Art, Design and Architecture

University of Huddersfield

4

Acknowledgements

I am most grateful to the following for their valuable contributions to the project: Suzi Tibbetts, Janet Price, Jennifer Brearey, Jo Mitchell, Simon Rose, Julia Blair, Dr Rowan Bailey, Dr Amanda Tinker, Dr Karen Dennis, Margo Fourman, Barbara Chiappe, Lisa Ward, Kathrine Jensen, Olaojo Aiyegbayo, Qona Rankin, Ushio Miura, Dr Ulrika Wolff, Dr Kate Saunders, Rachel Ingham, Jo Gregory, Dr Margaret Malpas, Katherine Hewlett, Tony Steffert, Dr Beverley Steffert, and all the students who kindly gave time to share their experience.

Contents

1.  Introduction 3

2.  Aims and Objectives 3

Modification of Objectives 4

3.  Work undertaken and outcomes achieved 4

Methodology 4

Student Experience – Interviews 5

Student Experience – Screening for Dyslexia 6

Audit of University Dyslexia Support 7

Staff Training 8

Dyslexia Awareness Week 8

External Agencies 8

4.  Knowledge Transfer 9

5.  Project Evaluation 9

Aims 9

Objectives 10

Evaluative Summary 11

6.  Implications 12

Recommendations 12

7.  Dissemination 14

1.  Introduction

This research project is the first of its kind to focus on dyslexic arts students at the university. It emerged from teaching experiences in which students’ written work indicated that levels of dyslexia were higher than available statistics suggested, and above the level of dyslexia in found in the UK population.

Previously published research (Lundeberg and Wolff 2002; Steffert 1997)[1] had confirmed an expectation that a higher incidence of dyslexia exists among arts students than among those from other disciplines. The reasons for this are complex and subject to debate. However, the origins of dyslexia are genetic and, in an educational context, matter less than the need to ensure that the learning needs of dyslexics are recognised and strategies are in place to enable all to achieve optimal performance.

The project’s findings indicate that a quarter of arts students in the sample fell within the moderate to severe band of dyslexia.[2] In other words, a significant minority of arts students are dyslexic to a level likely to affect their ability with language and language processing skills. To put this in perspective, the incidence of dyslexia in those arts subjects tested is two and half times higher than the incidence of dyslexia in the general population (10%). [3]

These findings confirm previous anecdotal evidence from university staff; more significantly, they align with statistics provided by the Royal College of Art which acknowledges that 28% of its students are dyslexic.[4] The recognition of higher levels of dyslexia among particular subjects can only lead to an openness that ultimately is empowering for dyslexics.[5] Nevertheless, it presents a sustained challenge and a requirement that in some areas greater attention is given to dyslexia.

2.  Aims and Objectives

Aims

1.  Using examples of best practice in the field and through consultancy advice of experts, the project aims to research, design and evaluate modes of teaching, learning and assessment which may offer more flexible alternatives to enhance student achievement.

2.  To provide insights into how assessment of arts students’ critical thought could be applicable in wider contexts than just for those with dyslexia-type learning difficulties.

1. To present evidence on which to base a substantial bid for external funds to support deeper research into the particular learning needs of arts students.

Objectives

1. Screen levels of dyslexia within volunteer sample groups from the three discipline areas of Art and Design, Music, Drama.
2. Involve renowned experts (Dr Beverley Steffert et al) and national organisations (British Dyslexia Association etc.) in providing consultant advice and feedback on the strategies, progress and outcomes of the project.
3. Produce recommendations to enhance the teaching and learning strategies for dyslexic students in Art and Design, Music, Drama and suggest how these may be incorporated into module design with potential applications for all students.
4. Publish and disseminate findings: in journals and at conferences; and within the relevant schools and across the university.
5. Provide evidence for a collaborative bid with the British Dyslexia Association and others for external research funded by the European Agency for Development of Special Needs Education.

Modification of Objectives

Overall, the original aims and objectives of the research were realistic and, as it proved, necessary. However, as data emerged it became clear that the issues were larger and more complex than could be dealt with in the duration of the project. Therefore, it was necessary to revise the objectives accordingly as follows.

The scope of the initial objectives 1 and 2 (above), which were the foundation of the research and upon which all implications rested, required that the original applied objective: With arts staff and students to devise and test and explore realistic teaching and assessment methods best suited to enable dyslexic students to achieve optimal learning and make these available online through Blackboard etc. would be better met in a subsequent bid that was successful and is current (2012). That second phase of the research is also developing aspects emerging from objective 3 (above).

3.  Work undertaken and outcomes achieved

For the purposes of clarity, the project’s progress is set out sequentially in tabulated format, followed by a discussion of notable aspects that arose from the research.

Methodology

In view of the cross-disciplinary nature of the project - encompassing as it did, data collection from Art and Design, Music and Drama, as well as involving an audit of the current dyslexia support provided by Student Services - it was necessary for the research to progress simultaneously across a number of fronts. The need to cross-reference, check and triangulate both staff and student experience required an iterative approach to ensure, on one hand, the relevance and accuracy of information disclosed, and on the other, a sufficiently responsive methodology that would enable realistic evaluation of findings. Vitally, this was informed by involvement with external agencies and experts in the field, and undoubtedly, this was essential for the rigour required.

The schedule of the project and the availability of students and staff meant that the research methods were adjusted to concentrate on priority issues. Therefore, a methodological focus was organised around four thematic strands as follows:

Student Experience / University Support / Staff Experience / External Agencies
·  Sample groups
·  Individuals
·  Transcripts
·  Experiential narratives
·  Screening / ·  Audit of systems and statistics.
·  Dyslexic support mechanisms (re. dyslexic support tutors; academic skills tutors; disability officers, academic staff) / ·  Workshops
·  Presentations
·  Meetings
·  Questionnaires / ·  British Dyslexic Association. (BDA)
·  Association of Dyslexia Specialists in Higher Education (ADSHE)
·  European Dyslexia Association (EDA)
·  Independent Consultants

Student Experience – Interviews

It was essential that the project was informed by an understanding of the dyslexic students’ experience and the lessons drawn from it. Any changes in how dyslexics might be supported depended on the nature of what they revealed. So, in order to maintain consistency, structured interviews were devised and conducted with representative samples from each of the subject undergraduate disciplines (Art & Design, Drama, Music). The principal aims of the interviews were threefold:

i.  To understand the individual narratives of dyslexia across the whole educational experience and family background.

ii.  To contextualise this in relation to the challenges and effects of dyslexia upon learning at university.

iii.  To evaluate the impact of dyslexia support students accessed at university.

Forty qualitative student interviews were audio recorded. Twenty-four were typed for detailed analysis as transcripts, as determined by the research team.[6] All participants were volunteers and their responses were anonymised for ethical and quotational purposes. While the sensitivity many feel about dyslexia limited the number willing to be interviewed, this was not the case with the screening (see below). Qualitative methods of discourse analysis were used to identity four narrative tropes in students’ experience, as shown in the following table.

Narrative Strands / Data Analysis
Subject skills
Support experience
Coping strategies
Esteem / Categorical: consistencies and differences (Strauss)
Metaphorical: symbolic language, description (Patton, Smith)
Situational : experiential contexts (Spradley)
Hermeneutical: interpretational layers (van Manen)

This proved an effective way to separate the analytical, situational and personal data and it facilitated identification and cross-referencing of consistencies and differences in responses. Consequently, the evidence was evaluated in terms of a spectrum ranging from subtle nuance to broad assertion. The rich extent of information the interviews provided will be the basis for future follow-up and analysis as students progress through their degrees.

Student Experience – Screening for dyslexia

Whereas the interviews were necessarily qualitative, screening combined qualitative and qualitative purposes and these were:

i.  To provide a snap-shot of the incidence of dyslexia beyond those who are already recognised as dyslexic.

ii.  To identify those individuals who may be dyslexic but who have not been screened before.

Screening for dyslexia is no more than an indicator of the probability of the presence/absence of the condition and where a respondent is in the spectrum of dyslexic characteristics. Therefore, it is important to emphasise that the form of screening used was not a diagnostic assessment and did not aim to reveal learning difficulties which frequently co-occur with dyslexia.

Nonetheless, screening is the first intervention in the diagnostic process (which leads to an educational psychologist’s assessment); so, to acquire an indication of levels of dyslexia, the project used Smythe and Everatt’s (2009) checklist recommended by the BDA (2010).

The results were as follows:

Student Group / Number in sample / Students with signs consistent with moderate or severe dyslexia number / %
Fashion/costume / 131 / 31 / 24
Contemporary Art / 60 / 21 / 36
Graphic Design / 49 / 11 / 22
Drama / 33 / 9 / 27
Music / 31 / 7 / 22
Total / 304 / 79 / 26% av.

The samples were composed of current student groups selected on their availability and willingness to complete the checklist. Results indicate that around one quarter of students in the sample may be in the moderate/severe spectrum of dyslexia as against the 10% level of dyslexia found the in the UK population.[7] An average figure of 26%, though high, is consistent with the Royal College of Art which reports that approximately 28% of its students are dyslexic. Some research has suggested that even higher incidences of dyslexia may exist among arts subjects more generally.[8] The results indicated that around 9% of those in the sample were unaware that they might be dyslexic. Our research began with the hypothesis that the incidence of dyslexia in arts subjects at the university is higher than available statistics show; the project has confirmed this hypothesis.

Audit of University Dyslexia Support

The project audited the current learning support for dyslexic students at the university. To do so it used BDA criteria for the HE Quality Mark – a substantial document of detailed categories by which the BDA assesses support provision across the university. This was completed and the draft sent to the BDA for evaluation. As a consequence of the project’s work, and positive feedback from then BDA, the university is now in a position to make a formal application for the official assessment by the BDA in the summer term.

In terms of the support for dyslexic students, the project divided its research into two parts:

i.  The specialist support provided centrally by Student Services (Disability Officers, Dyslexic Skills Tutors - DSTs)

The project worked with Jo Mitchell and Simon Rose who provided statistical data, audit information, and contributed valuably to team meetings. Additionally, recorded discussions took place with dyslexia support tutors to gather their expertise and experience of working with dyslexic students.

The student interviews expressed appreciation for the support provided by the university’s Wellbeing and Disability Services.

Several issues became evident to the project and briefly in summary these are:

·  Because Dyslexia Support Tutors are hourly paid, the opportunity for them to meet as a team and share professional experience does not exist.

·  Often the rooms in which dyslexic support takes place are not adequate.

·  Increasing demand on the financial resources made available by the university presents challenges in terms of prioritisation.

ii.  The support offered by the Schools (Academics and Academic Skills Tutors - ASTs)[9]

The role of the ASTs was also much appreciated by students whom, they felt, brought specialist subject knowledge of the disciplines to their role and this could have a crucial impact on the student learning. ASTs had noticed the increase in numbers of dyslexic students and of those who had a range of learning difficulties among which dyslexia was dominant.

During a year of university-wide revalidations, the project’s emerging implications were instrumental in influencing modifications to the teaching, learning and assessment strategies of contextual courses in ADA with which the author is involved. For example, the student interviews and BDA workshops initiated as part of the project, informed strategies by which key skills in reading, writing and comprehension could be restructured for the benefit of all. Currently, these modifications are being trialled and evaluated with an undergraduate group to prepare the way for 2012-13 when the revalidated degrees are introduced. In other words, lessons being learnt from dyslexic students are having an impact on how pedagogy can be rethought to assist integration of academic skills for all.

A challenge in this area (ii. above) has been to ensure a wider knowledge of dyslexia amongst academic staff. The research data has indicated a need to enhance teaching staff knowledge of dyslexia and TLA strategies that best enable both disclosed and undisclosed dyslexics to achieve optimal performance.

Staff Training

Two BDA workshops were organised by the project and held at the university in May. These all-day courses, led by Rachel Ingham, were well attended and the staff feedback was enthusiastic. The course titles were

i.  “Understanding dyslexia in Higher Education: an introduction to the identification of and screening for dyslexia.” (4/5/11)