This week I had to consider the challenges faced by disabled students in HE So here are a few of my thoughts regarding the challenges dyslexia can bring in HE.
Common to all Education
- Researching - accessing library system and using efficient and effective search terms, difficulties scrolling through digital library list, slower reading pace,a possible need to reread a paragraph several times to understand full meaning, difficulties reading and pronouncing new words.
- Academic writing - a possible lack of organisational skills, inability to see errors especially concerned with grammar and spelling,difficulties in note taking impact on writing as student may have to go back to a source as their notes may not be coherent enough to use, inability to confidently use new technical or subject specific words.
- Assessment - written assessment may be difficult and extra time may be needed to complete it, slower,messier writing may be a problem as well as difficulties with spelling and grammar.
- Meeting with tutor and fellow students - See below.
Campus Based
- Listening and note taking - compounded by the possible presence of a sensitivity to background noise and bright lights, slower note taking and reading, lack of organisational skills needed to produce coherent and usable notes, poor handwriting leading to incoherent notes and mental and physical exhaustion due to the demands of listening and note taking at the same time. Less of a challenge with online modules where lectures are recorded, can be paused and transcripts are available to allow the student to select the relevant text rather than write it out.
- Meeting with tutor and fellow students - .if organisational skills are a challenge then this will impact on meetings where the student needs to be there at a specific time,with certain resources or work completed, sight reading out loud within a group setting may not be possible or may cause a greater level of anxiety, following group readings may be difficult due to slow reading speed, it may be difficult to retain and follow a list of auditory directions, collaborative writing may be difficult due to slow speed, incoherent writing and difficulty organising their writing.
Online Based
- Listening and note taking - particularly difficult during online tutorials where students need to listen and note take in real time, or where transcripts of video lectures etc are not available.
- Academic writing - difficulties maybe compounded by the addition of online forums and blogs where participation is required, difficulties with writing that were largely unseen in campus based modules can become very visible. Due to a reduced level of verbal interaction between students the assimilation of new words maybe more difficult.
- Since dyslexia is even less likely to be disclosed on an online module support for the challenges faced by the student may not be as easily available as for those completing the campus based module.
- Meeting with tutor and fellow students - the conversations between tutor and their fellow students may take on a more written format than verbal which can prove a barrier to the student really engaging with the course.
This is by no means an exhaustive list and students may only have to face a small number of these challenges or they may have to face all of them. These challenges not only have a direct impact on their academic work but can also impact their confidence and self esteem levels, they may not be able to relate to peers due to feelings of inadequacy and isolation, they may experience higher levels of stress,anxiety and exhaustion and be locked into using study techniques that are not beneficial to them. Ensuring courses are prepared in such a way as to ease these challenges is essential for students to achieve their full potential.