{"id":2088,"date":"2024-10-18T11:53:40","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T10:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=2088"},"modified":"2024-10-18T11:53:40","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T10:53:40","slug":"inclusive-module-design-considering-the-needs-of-dyslexic-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=2088","title":{"rendered":"Inclusive module design: considering the needs of dyslexic students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Courtney Ince\u00a0 ~ Learning Designer<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I recently had the pleasure of working with a module team that were designing a Level 2 undergraduate art history module called Art and Life before 1800<\/em>. It\u2019s a particularly complex and ambitious thematic module that forms a pivotal stage in a new named degree pathway. It aims to incorporate active learning and inclusivity alongside a radically decolonised curriculum. It is the first full module in art history that students will study on the new named degree.<\/p>\n

Because of this, I have been working closely with the module team to embed reverse learning design (prioristing the intended learning outcomes instead of topics to be covered) and informed pedagogy into the design and drafting, so that students are well supported throughout their learning journey. As inclusivity was at the forefront of the design process for Art and Life before 1800<\/em>, I carried out some research on module design for neurodiverse students, particularly those with dyslexia. In this post, I will share with you the findings from this research and will leave you with some tips and techniques that you can use in your own practice methods.<\/p>\n

People with dyslexia can find auditory processing of information difficult; active learning is a much better way to make learning accessible and inclusive. Research suggests that getting students to transform information into different formats aids in retention of information and processing (e.g., producing a visual diagram, a poster, or storyboard, etc) and this can be helpful particularly to students with dyslexia (although it benefits everyone).<\/p>\n

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Writing style<\/h5>\n

The British Dyslexia Association (2023a) has a useful style guide on their website; the principles in the guide help you consider the difficulties experienced by some dyslexic people and gives advice on how to use text and speech to facilitate ease of reading. When carrying out my research, I found the \u2018Writing Style\u2019 section to be the most useful in terms of module design. Here are the main points:<\/p>\n