1 Clare Trott: Supporting dyslexic STEM students.

1Clare Trott: Supporting dyslexic STEM students

July 2013 2

This session

• Legal framework• Dyslexia• Reading • Lectures• Notes• Visual learning• Memory• Assessments

July 2013 3

Legal Framework

• Institutions required to make “reasonable adjustments” for disabled students

• Ensure access to goods and services.

• Put in place “anticipatory measures”.

– Removal of unnecessary barriers

– Promote best practice for the inclusion

• putting in place good “anticipatory measures” will pre-empt potential barriers

Dyslexia“likely to be present at birth and to be lifelong in its effects. It is characterised by difficulties with phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing speed and the automatic development of skills that may not match up to an individual’s other cognitive abilities. It tends to be resistant to conventional teaching methods, but its effects can be mitigated by appropriately specific intervention…”

(BDA, 2007)July 2013 4

July 2013 5

Dyslexic people are likely to think visually or laterally in some learning situations where neuro-typicals would be more likely to think verbally or logically.

Problem Solving

Cooper (2006)

Dyslexic 80% 20%

Non-Dyslexic 55% 45%

July 2013 6

Dyslexic students STEM subjects

• Appears less literacy skills

• Practical

However:

• mathematics is – Logical

– analytical system

– hierarchical structures.

July 2013 7

Visual Stress

• 12% of the general population

but

• Approx 65% of dyslexics (Evans 2002)

• “The inability to see comfortably

without distortion and discomfort.” Wilkins (1995)

July 2013 8

Visual Stress (Dyslexsim, 2005)

July 2013 9

July 2013 10

Reading: choice of text book

July 2013 11

Reading: prioritised reading list

July 2013 12

An Inaccessible Lecture

• Handwritten• Few example• No reference to real problems• Lack structure• No headings• After lecture• pdf

July 2013 13

Lecture structure

• Prior knowledge link to memory– Product rule for differentiation

– Implicit differentiation

– Sine/cosine functions

• Recap from previous lecture

• Aims of lecture

• Summary of key points at end

• Structured headings– Definition, Theorem, proof, practical eg, worked

eg, check, …

July 2013 14

Non-linear structure

• Mathematics is sequential and logical

• Need to remember intermediate results for later use

• Can it be made more “dyslexia-friendly”?

July 2013 15

H = 0.25K + L + h(100 - L0.5K0.5)H = 0.25K + L + 100h - L0.5K0.5h

HK

HL

Hh

0.25 - 0.5 L0.5K-0.5h

0.25 - 0.5 L0.5K-0.5h = 0

0.5 L0.5K-0.5h = 0.25

L0.5K-0.5h = 0.5 (1)

1 - 0.5L-0.5K0.5h

1 - 0.5L-0.5K0.5h = 0

0.5L-0.5K0.5h = 1

L-0.5K0.5h = 2 (2)

100 - L0.5K0.5

100 - L0.5K0.5 = 0

L0.5K0.5 = 100 (3)

(2) (1) L-0.5K0.5h = 2 L0.5K-0.5h 0.5

K / L = 4 K = 4L Substitute in (3) L0.5K0.5 = 100L0.5(4L)0.5 = 1002L = 100 L = 50, K = 200

July 2013 16

Notes

• Simultaneous notes/listen

• Keep pace in lectures

• Prefers to listen • Relies on full notes

beforehand• Accessible format

July 2013 17

July 2013 18

Implications

• Structuring written work• Documentation of

methodProblem-solving

July 2013 19

Memory Symbolic material

• Provide a list of all notation• Departmental consistency

July 2013 20

Assessment

• CAAs– Answer only– Transcription errors

• Recall in exam– theorems– definitions– formulae

July 2013 21

Theorems

a. State a particular definition or theorem

Rote Recall

b. Reason a proof.

• Dyslexics who find such learning difficult – understand maths

– can develop the proof

Without (a), (b) cannot be done.

Double Penalty.

July 2013 22

“There are about 60 theorems in this

module, I cannot learn them!” (Rob, 2006)

Definitions Theorems Marks

Module 1 19 17 27%

Module 2 16 42 24%

July 2013 23

Conclusions• Choice of text books

• Prioritised reading lists

• Lecture structure

• Accessible notes beforehand

• Memory and notation – Provide list

– Dept. consistency

• Assessment– Mode of assessment

– Allows dyslexic students to show understanding and ability

July 2013 24

References

• Beacham N and Szumko J (2005) Dyslexsim, Iansyst, Caambridge• British Dyslexia Association (2007)http

://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/further-information/dyslexia-research-information-.html (accessed 06/07/12)

• Cooper R (2006) Making learning styles meaningful Patoss Bulletin, 19 (1) p58-63

• Evans B (2002) Dyslexia & Vision, Whurr, London• Trott C (in press) Good Practice Guide for Mathematics Support for

STEM Students with Dyslexia, HE STEM project, Institute of Physics, London

• Trott C (2012), Mathematics, dyslexia, and accessibility, in Cliffe E and Rowlett P (eds), Good Practice on Inclusive Curricula in the Mathematical, HEA MSOR Network and National HE STEM program, pg 25-28, http://mathstore.ac.uk/node/2095

• Wilkins, A.J. (1995). Visual Stress Oxford University Press, Oxford