Inclusive Education is about teaching and learning in a way the dismantles the dominant structures within higher education. Creating a curriculum that centres and not others, benefits all students.
The following are key ways of centring inclusive education:
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recognising the diversity and global nature of the student population and using this as an asset in learning and teaching;
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acknowledging our responsibility to enable all students to actively engage with their learning; and,
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seeking to support students to challenge themselves, the School and the wider world through independent and critical thinking.
When designing our curriculum we must ask the following questions
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Whose perspective and values does the curriculum put forward?
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Is the curriculum relevant and meaningful to all learners?
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Who does the curriculum include and who does it exclude?
In addition to asking questions like these, we need to also focus on how we engage with students in the classroom. As such, we need to include key questions that focus specifically on this aspect of curriculum design, such as:
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How does the course seek to incorporate the knowledge & understanding brought to it by students from diverse backgrounds?
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How are students given the opportunity to analyse and recognise their own tacit knowledge and the influence of their experiences and cultural identity?
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How does the course enable other knowledge/perspectives to be recognised and valued?
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In what ways are students helped to examine their own values, compare them with the values of others, and engage in respectful debate where differences occur?
(Killick, 2005)
The Inclusive Education Action Plan (IEAP) provides a framework for the development and enhancement of inclusive education. By working in partnership with staff and students, IEAP aims to empower educators and support their journey in the delivery of inclusive education. IEAP focuses on five key areas: academic mentoring, anti-racism in higher education, curriculum enhancement, developing higher education identities, and inclusive pedagogies which are broken down in greater detail on the Inclusive education at LSE website.
For more information please contact Dr Akile Ahmet, Head of Inclusive Education: a.ahmet@lse.ac.uk.
Further resources
Information from DWS about adjustments and inclusive teaching guides