Understanding Inclusive Learning and Teaching in Education and Training
Task 1 – Inclusive Learning Issues
Inclusive teaching means recognising, meeting and adapting to the learning needs of all students, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability or sexual orientation. This starts with acknowledging that students are members of diverse communities, have different individual learning needs and equal opportunity to access the learning experience. Key features of inclusive teaching and learning are involvement of all individuals in the learning process, treating them equally and fairly without excluding anyone. Inclusive teaching promotes recognition and respect of different experiences, individual abilities and needs between a group of learners. Encouraging group work, differentiate activities, ensuring an accessible environment to all learners, challenging stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice as they happen are all key features of inclusive teaching and learning.
Asking individual question using eye contact and calling students by their name will make learner feel valued and involved. Asking open questions pausing for a few seconds and keeping eye contact with all learners, then pick a learner to answer the question can be a way to apply inclusive learning, as all learners will be thinking about a response.
Use of resources and materials that promotes positively all aspects of community and society, equality and diversity can help to develop the conditions for a learning environment based on respect and trust. This, together with the use of different methods of teaching, learning and assessment approaches based on learner needs will generate an environment where learning will safely and effectively take place.
There are many barriers to learning that will affect individual students in different ways.
These are: teaching and learning approach, resources, and assessment method.