although our stone may disappear, the ripples extend to the oceans enhancing faculty engagement to...
TRANSCRIPT
Although our stone may disappear, the ripples extend to the oceans
Enhancing faculty engagement to achieve
equity for disabled students
Presented by Alexandra Smith
Contributors Rachel Anderson Smith & Ava Gibson
• Collaborative inquiry
• Making it work for us and Faculty
• Learning from each others practice
• Working out a similar objective
- enhancing inclusive practice
- encouraging student achievement
Faculty Engagement: What is it?
• New Zealand Code of Practice for an Inclusive Tertiary Education Environment
• Tool to assist TEIS create greater inclusion for disabled students
• Provides principles, best practice guidelines, and legislative framework
• Endorsed by TEC as the guideline for TEIs to use in providing support for students with impairments
• Victoria University has a commitment to its implementation. First step, an audit
Kia Orite: Catalyst for Change
• To inform the audit
• Reach a wider audience
• To give solidity to our findings
• To encourage further debate and discussion
Research as a tool
• Creates a powerful platform for change• Discovers the best of what is• Every persons story is of value • Draws on the traditions of narrative,
strength based and solutions focused therapy, positive psychology, and social constructivism
• Brings the themes together, builds collaboration and shared vision
• Energises and inspires
Choosing Appreciative Inquiry
• Provide recent examples of good teaching and learning practice
• Gather qualitative data about successful inclusion strategies to inform practice
• Contribute to international and local research on students with impairments
Objectives
• Meetings and discussion
• Developing questions and research proposal, ethics
• Planning and practice –
focus groups trial
• Running focus groups
• Review and writing up
Research Process
• Being aware of our assumptions
• What do we mean by inclusive practice and does it fit with research? Flexibility in the focus groups.
• Both groups bring different things to the table
Challenges of Research and Practice
• Joys …– Fun, laughter, sharing– Stimulating, greater
opportunity for learning– Encouraging, shares the
work load – Expands into other areas
and interests
Working Collaboratively
• Challenges ….– Different expectations – Different experiences and philosophies– Working through disagreements– Achieving multiple outcomes, research
agenda, vs audit, vs structural & cultural change
– Deadlines & time commitments – Changes in membership– Managing the writing
Working Collaboratively
• Learnings…– Clarify expectations and commitments
at the beginning– Review expectations and
commitments as it progresses– Need to articulate assumptions and
beliefs– If you throw a stone, there will be
ripples– You can’t control where the ripples go
Working Collaboratively
• Highlighted Kia Orite in School of Education. • Topic on agenda at staff meetings e.g.
assessment and curriculum material• More accurate information on DSS processes• Greater Liaison with DSS by Faculty
Administrators • Qualitative findings and report • Collaborated on paper and research
What we have achieved
• Future papers are in the planning stages to contribute to the research in the area of tertiary inclusion for Students with Disabilities
• Led us to thinking more about how we are working to support students
• How might this process work in your organisation?
Future ripples for us