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Perspectives on Educational Adjustments: Bridging Gaps in Academic Standards

This presentation at the Building Bridges Conference in Stockholm delves into the dilemmas surrounding educational adjustments, such as the balance between adjustments and academic standards, lack of clear definitions, and the reactive nature of approaches. It explores the existing concept of adjustments, highlighting the need for theoretical foundations to guide practical guidelines. The discussion covers terminology, two dimensions of adjustments (macro and micro levels), and the challenges faced when entering the field of educational adjustments. Different perspectives on adjustments, including the traditional academic standards viewpoint and the promising student perspective, are examined. Key questions and the importance of establishing sensible adjustments are also addressed, emphasizing the need for clear objectives, quality monitoring, and reflection.

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Perspectives on Educational Adjustments: Bridging Gaps in Academic Standards

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  1. Rethinkingperspectives on educationaladjustments Biba Rebolj BuildingBridgesConference 2014, May, Stockholm

  2. Some commondilemmas • Adjustments vs. academic standards • Insufficient definitions • Little guidance • Reactive instead of proactive approach

  3. Theexistingconceptofadjustments • Most common general definition: adjustments should provide students with disabilities equal opportunities in order to have same possibilities in achieving success as other students • Many concrete practical guidelines about various types and forms of adjustments, but not many precise definitions and specific directions regarding what adjustments should be -> theoretical starting points on which concrete guidelines should stand are missing • Terminology: informed decisions and auxiliary aid

  4. Twodimensionsofadjustments • Macro level • Institutional (faculty, university); general adjustments, usuallyprovided in advance • Micro level • Study process; an interaction between academic staff and a student • Marked with expectations, attitudes, beliefs about student‘s (dis)abilities

  5. Enteringthefield … • Institutions make provisions about how to attain a status and how to design reasonable adjustments • Discussing needs and demands – a grey area! • Students may claim rights to adjustments after/if they disclose themselves • Adjustment goal: to reach independence

  6. Enteringthefield 2 • The idea of changing the existing teaching methods and assessment strategies is not very popular and welcomed • The concept of „reasonable“ appears somewhat vague • Designing adjustments from student‘s disability instead of ability

  7. Perspectivematters • PoorAfricanchildren, living in povertyin needforhelp • (-> message: pleasedonateandfeelsorryforthem!)

  8. Differentviewpoint

  9. Academicstandard perspective • Traditional perspective • Standards as a rigorous central interest • Adjustments as an unfair advantage • Existing (negative) attitudes and beliefs

  10. Promisingstudentperspective • Central interest is in a student • Diversity in teaching and learning is welcomed; student is seen as an equal entity in discussing adjustments • Student‘s active role and self-advocacy • Negotiation adjustments is an interactive process with proper feedback between a student and a professor

  11. Rethinkingadjustments

  12. Keyquestions • What is the objective of a specific course/study? • Which teaching methods are necessary? • Which learning outcomes are expected and why? • Which methods of testing learning outcomes are necessary and why? • Which performance level must a student reach in order to attain the planned learning objectives?

  13. Establishing a perspective: a conceptofsensibleadjustments • Expectations by both – a student and a professor • Objectives to be reached with adjustments • Quality monitoring – testing the efficiency of adjustments • Reflection

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