5 A novel bioscience ‘capstudy’ assessment based on Universal Design for Learnin
5 A novel bioscience ‘capstudy’ assessment based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Jo Rushworth; Graham Lawson; Unmesh Desai; Nazmi Juma; and Abigail Moriarty
Introduction
Almost half (49 per cent) of young people in the UK are now going to university (Ford, 2017). The growing student numbers accessing Higher Education (HE) from increasingly diverse backgrounds mean that traditional teaching, learning and assessment methods require a more inclusive approach. At De Montfort University (DMU), the number of students on the Biomedical Science (BSc) course has more than doubled from approximately 90 to 200 students in the last four years. Similarly, the Medical Science (BMedSci) course has grown from 21 students in 2014 to 50 in 2018.
Concomitant with the increase in students has been the diversification of students’ academic qualifications, demographics and personal characteristics. DMU was named as the 2018 University of the Year for Social Inclusion by The Sunday Times Good University Guide, due to the success of its diverse student population in exams and graduate job prospects. We are extremely proud that, compared to the rest of the university sector, we welcome significantly higher proportions of students from ethnic minorities, disadvantaged backgrounds and mature students. Approximately one in five DMU students also declares a disability.
The BSc and BMedSci students represent a large and highly diverse cohort. The majority come from non-A level routes, such as Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Level 3 diplomas, and Access to Higher Education courses. The student population is mainly comprised of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students, and over 20 different nationalities are represented. Approximately 60 per cent are female, and a large number are from Widening Participation backgrounds, often the first in their family to attend university. A significant number of students declare a disability or specific learning disability, including dyslexia, autism, hearing and visual impairments, and mental health difficulties.
Despite increasing diversification of the student body, the sector has been slow to respond to their learning needs and preferences (Capp, 2017). The challenge for lecturers who teach large, diverse cohorts is to engage and provide appropriate individual learning support, and to ensure that each student has an equitable opportunity to demonstrate their learning through appropriate and flexible assessment methodology. This presents an opportunity for universities to introduce innovative approaches to learning, teaching and assessment.
Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework based on decades of pedagogic and neuroscience research. UDL provides flexibility and options that afford every student an equitable opportunity to learn, and to demonstrate their learning, in ways that suit their individual learning preferences and needs. This is achieved by giving stu