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Diversity-focused unit design: preliminary reflections from responding to students’ learning experiences
This presentation focuses on attempts to better support students who identify as neurodiverse. In 2021 in an introductory social work unit, students engaged in groupwork to prepare and complete a presentation as part of an assessment task. I discovered that a student with ADHD, who had shared their diagnosis with their group, including their limitations, had experienced discrimination during the groupwork process. After exploring what had occurred, I reflected and realised that none of the group members had been provided the learning required to work across diversity in this unit. In response, I have included content on neurodiversity into the curriculum that is relevant to workplace contexts, including groupwork. I have also amended the assessment task to place less importance on the presentation itself and more on the collaborative process. Over a 12-month period, I have engaged in a critical reflective process to analyse the design of the units I coordinate, how I respond to the needs of students with Learning Access Plans (LAPs), and both formal and informal student feedback, including from students who identify as neurodiverse. In this presentation I share my process and the preliminary findings of my evaluation to suggest ways in which teaching and learning responses can be positively shaped by student feedback, and also actively promote diversity as a strengthening force behind group work learning activities.
History
Publication title
Proceedings of the 2022 Teaching Matters ConferenceEditors
'.'Pagination
1 piece- abstractDepartment/School
School of Social SciencesPublisher
University of TasmaniaPlace of publication
LauncestonEvent title
Teaching MattersEvent Venue
OnlineRepository Status
- Restricted