Inclusive education is an international goal and a fundamental human right. This course introduces key concepts and models linked to policy, research and practice in inclusive education. It considers inclusive education from two perspectives; examining mechanisms of exclusion or barriers to learning that can exclude particular groups or individuals from their presence, participation, achievements in education; and the concept of inclusive education as involving transformative processes that move towards all learners experiencing an appropriate curriculum, encountering diverse forms of assessment and engaging in socially just practices in teaching and learning.

Friday 9am to 12am

Presentation - students are asked to work in groups on a 10-minute presentation of a theory, concept or model linked to inclusive education

Written - students are asked to analyse critically an example of practice within an education system or internationally and evaluate to what extent it is inclusive (3000 words)

The aims of the course are:

to introduce students to important concepts and theories in inclusive education;
to introduce students to important theoretical debates and discourses in inclusive education
to discuss recent developments in inclusive education.
to reflect on the contextualisation of inclusive education globally and locally

By the end of this course students will be able to:

LO1 Show critical understanding of theories/ models related to inclusive education, drawing on a range of appropriate literature.

LO2 Contextualise inclusive education taking account of curriculum, pedagogy and/or assessment in an educational setting, describing the learners' experiences in that context.

LO3 Reflect on the assumptions that underlie ideas of inclusive education in a cultural context.

LO4 Analyse critically the learners' experiences and their policy and historical contexts in terms of the models/ theories related to inclusive education; and propose action to move towards more inclusive practice well founded in the theory and research.

LO5 Demonstrate a professional quality of oral/ written communication in the assignment, keeping within the time/ word limit and including referencing and bibliography in accordance with programme guidelines.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components of the course's summative assessment.