Welfare reform on the Web (October 2006): Education - UK - higher

E-learning and disability in higher education: accessibility research and practice

J. K. Seale

London: Routledge, 2006

The book evaluates current practice and provision of e-learning in higher education and explores the tools, methods and approaches available for improving its accessibility to disabled students. It examines the social, educational and political background behind making e-learning accessible and considers the role of the key stakeholders involved: lecturers, learning technologists, student support services, staff developers and senior managers. Key topics covered include:

• The opportunities that e-learning can offer students with disabilities
• The impact of accessibility legislation, guidelines and standards on current e-learning practice
• The reliability and validity of accessibility related evaluation and repair tools;
• Practical guidelines for ‘best practice’ in providing accessible e-learning experiences.

Formal qualifications for language tutors in higher education: a case for discussion

L. Barnes

Deafness and Education International, vol.8, 2006, p.106-124

Increasing numbers of deaf students are entering higher education in the UK, but present at below national norms in terms of their literacy, numeracy, and general study skills. In order to compensate for their limited literacy skills, deaf students are supported by language tutors. Language tutors help students prepare for assignments, advise on the presentation of written work, and facilitate access to texts by modifying the language of course materials, examinations or assignment briefs or by translating them into British Sign Language. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study of the working practices of language tutors at one university and makes a case for developing formal qualifications in the field.

Towards inclusive learning in higher education: developing curricula for disabled students

M. Adams and S. Brown (editors)

London: Routledge, 2006

This book brings together current thinking about disability and academic pedagogy in higher education and explores how developing good practice for disabled students is good practice for all students. It demonstrates how inclusive provision can be achieved through innovative thinking about practice to ensure an equality of opportunity. Topics covered include:

• Transition and access to higher education
• Current barriers to inclusive education
• Communication and information technology
• Employability and work placements
• Examination and assessment
• Quality assurance and benchmark descriptors

The widening participation agenda: is it working?

M. Gravelle

Race Equality Teaching, vol.24, Summer 2006, p.8-13

Statistics, reports and anecdotal evidence indicate that black and minority ethnic students continue to be less successful than their white peers and that they encounter more difficulties and setbacks. This article describes a small study in the Primary Teacher Training Department of a university. It attempted to identify some of the obstacles the students encountered and to ascertain whether these were differently experienced by students from non-traditional backgrounds.