1. Active group work – making it inclusive Professor Christine Hockings Institute for Learning Enhancement University of Wolverhampton HEA / UWBS subject conference Group Working June 20 th 2012

2. Academic engagement in groups They are actively exploring their own and others’ knowledge, experience and backgrounds in a search for deep understanding, meaning and knowing Teachers’ approaches to & craft in L&T Teachers’ conceptions of students Teachers’ knowledge & experience Educational background Social & cultural background Aspirations & interests Approaches to learning Life & work experiences Prior knowledge Ways of knowing A key challenge is how to engage all individuals within a large and diverse group… Synthesising information Questioning & challenging ideas Conjecturing & critiquing Reflecting & evaluating

3. Benefits of ‘mixing’ student groups maximises learning from different people, cultures, etc develops interpersonal and team working skills fosters peer support networks outside class helps to establish relational equity between individuals

4. Watch these video clips. What challenges do the students and teachers face when coordinating and working within mixed groups? What strategies could you adopt for addressing these challenges? What resources & support would you need? (20 mins) Challenges for teachers & students A B C

5. Engaging ALL students in mixed groups Create safe, inclusive spaces Get to know students as individuals Establish ground rules for collaborative learning Harness students’ experience and knowledge Start with what students know, then apply theory (biographical turn) Connect with students’ lives and future aspirations Facilitate uncertainty, confusion & difference Encourage public articulation of thinking & problem solving Teach reflexively and with sensitivity to differences Mindful of impact of own beliefs and identity on student learning Coordinate interaction, mixing different students (with a purpose) Anticipate, prepare & respond flexibly to different and emerging requirements and interests

6. Becoming an engaging and inclusive teacher in HE www.wlv.ac.uk/LTImodule 3 units Content, activities, forum, assessment, links to other resources, etc. LTI video collection - Over 130 video clips in a range of subjects. All subtitled. LTI video collection Module developed in Xerte for accessibility Available via OU Labspace or via UoW website. Down load and repurposing guide with video tutorial Currently embedded in UoWembedded in UoW Learning to Teach Inclusively Module

7. References and links Hockings, C., Brett, P & Terentjevs, M (2012) Making a difference – Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education through open education resources. Journal of Distance Education. Hockings, C (2011) Hearing voices, creating spaces: the craft of the ‘artisan’ teacher’ in a mass higher education system. Critical Studies in Higher Education 52 (2) 191-205 Hockings, C. (2010). Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research. York HEA. Hockings, C., Cooke, S., & Bowl, M. (2010). Learning and teaching in two universities within the context of increasing student diversity: complexity, contradictions and challenges. In M. David (Ed.), Improving learning by widening participation. London: Routledge. Perry, W. & Hockings, C. (forthcoming) Using LTI OER to support local academic development initiatives. Available from www.wlv.ac.uk/LTIEmbeddingwww.wlv.ac.uk/LTIEmbedding OER module Learning to Teach Inclusively www.wlv.ac.uk/LTImodulewww.wlv.ac.uk/LTImodule OER Learning to Teaching Inclusively Project website www.wlv.ac.uk/teachinclusivelywww.wlv.ac.uk/teachinclusively