The importance of subject choice

What considerations need to be made when discussing course choices?

Making the transition from school to college is a big step for students with disabilities. During that transition a number of changes will happen which students must be well prepared for. It is important for Guidance Counsellors to encourage students to read the college’s prospects, or better still, to make an appointment with an academic member of a college department for a face-to-face meeting. To help prepare for this, Guidance Counsellors should discuss at length the following areas with students:

• Relevance of the course
• College location and its built environment
• Teaching styles
• Methods of assessment
• Teaching and learning supports
• Workloads

Relevance of the course:

Students with disabilities should carefully consider the career implications of the third level courses they wish to pursue. Sometimes students can pick courses because they know someone in the course, or their parents or teachers advise them to do so. Students should be strongly encouraged to think about their own interests and long-term goals and the impact, if any, their disability may have. For example…

• Should they pursue a degree, a diploma or certificate course and how far would these qualifications go in meeting their requirements?
• Should they pursue a full-time or part-time course or a distance-learning course?
• What would the implications of each of these options be?
• What career options might be available after the course has been completed?
• Students should also be encouraged to think about whether they would enjoy practical subjects as opposed to theoretical subjects. They should also consider…
• The core subjects of the course (and elective modules if relevant)
• Whether the course is taught all year long or whether it is broken down into semesters.
• The accessibility of practical subjects like fieldwork or laboratory work.
• If the student is denied access to practical work because of accessibility issues, what alternative arrangements can be put in place by the college?

College location and its built environment:

In making an informed decision about a particular course, students should consider the following factors…

The location of the college and the level of accessibility to it by public or private transport.

The accessibility of the campus, its buildings and facilities

The timetable – students should try to find out what the timetable is like and whether there would there be enough time between lectures to get from one place to another. If the timetable is not immediately available, one idea is to contact other students who have done the course for a better idea of what it is like.


Teaching Styles:

The way in which courses are taught plays a key role in the decision making process. Students should find out…

• How lectures are presented within the course – will there be handouts or PowerPoint presentations?
• Will there be any tutorial / small group work?
• Will reading lists be provided or will it be left to the student to research the area independently?

Method of assessment:

Students should contact the particular department to find out how the course is assessed. Will subjects be assessed by…

• Assignments?
• Examinations?
• Presentations?
• Attendance?
• Practical work?
• A combination of the above?

Teaching and learning supports:

• What educational supports will be available to the student (e.g. note takers, assistive technology, dyslexia support, exam supports etc)
• Who is the contact person in the college where these supports can be discussed and arranged?
• What teaching and learning strategies are used?

Workloads:

In terms of workload, students with disabilities should be encouraged to consider the following questions…

• How good are their organisational skills, their study skills and time management skills?
• How do they think they might deal with heavy reading lists?
• If, as a result of their disability / medical condition, they will require periods of hospitalisation, how will they keep up with workloads or will the department make any concessions for the student?
• How much time is generally required to transcribe material into Braille, or transfer to large print, onto tape or other accessible formats?
• Do they perceive any difficulty in learning new ‘subject specific’ language or vocabulary?
• Do they know how to write assignments and what are their word processing skills like?
• What challenges can students with different types of disabilities sometimes face when they choose a particular type of third level course?

In many cases, students are strongly advised against pursuing particular careers because of concerns related to their disabilities and capabilities. It is true that some students with disabilities can experience different challenges with regard to particular course demands, but these challenges need to be fully explored. For example, a student with dyslexia who wishes to pursue a career in Nursing should be encouraged to think about possible challenges related to the way in which he/she organises and processes information. A student who has a visual impairment who wishes to pursue a career in Computers should consider accommodations that might be required in advance, such as Assistive Technology or other similar adjustments. A student with a medical condition such as Cystic Fibrosis, who wants to pursue a career in Physiotherapy should give consideration to issues related to stamina and investigate the possibility of flexible working hours etc.
The role of the Guidance Counsellor therefore, is to raise the student’s awareness of the opportunities that exist as well as the challenges that might arise in relation to their own individual disability. Consequently, the student is empowered to make the right career choice.
SCIPS (Strategies for the Creation of Inclusive Programmes of Study) is a database that provides comprehensive information for academic staff to assist students with disabilities to improve their access to third level courses. It concentrates on ten subjects and offers strategies for inclusive curriculum design. These subjects include:

• Computing
• Dance, Drama and Performance
• English
• Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism
• Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research
• Music
• Nursing
• Physiotherapy
• Social Work
• Veterinary Science

To use SCIPS, click on
http://www.scips.worc.ac.uk∞


Please note that to use SCIPS you must register and be logged in. Once you register, simply click on the ‘Browse’ icon on the menu bar on the left hand side of the home page.


Where can I find out more information?

AHEAD - ‘An Accessible Curriculum: A Learning Resource Pack for Academic Staff in Third Level on Making Curriculum Accessible for Students with Disabilities or Specific Learning Difficulties’ is available for purchase from AHEAD.
www.ahead.ie


‘An Initial Study of Computer-Based Media Effects On Learners Who Have Dyslexia’ is a useful on-line publication
http://www.techdis.ac.uk/resources/files/MediaEffectsOnDyslexiaBeacham.pdf∞


Bartett, D., & Moody,S. (2000) “Dyslexia in the workplace” is available in most bookshops


Case Studies are available on this site. Click here for more information


‘Computer Based Science Assessment: Implications for Students with Dyslexia or Specific Learning Difficulties’ - 1994 (USA) is available on-line
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv01.htm∞


Disability.ie is a portal site for disability related information in Ireland
http://www.disability.ie/displaydoc.asp?a=gohome∞


Doyle, C. & Robson, K. - ‘Accessible Curricula - Good Practice for all’ is available in PDF format. http://www.techdis.ac.uk/resources/files/curricula.pdf∞


‘LD on line’ provides useful information on learning disabilities, and a list of resources on teaching strategies http://www.ldonline.org/article.php?max=20&id=0&loc=27∞


Miles, T., & Gilroy, D. (1986) “Dyslexia at College” is available in most bookshops


Quest for Learning is an excellent website targeted at students, teachers and employers around disability issues. It inlcudes topics on study skills, disability awarenss and employability skills.
http://www.questforlearning.org∞


‘The University of Strathclyde (UK),- Teachability: Creating an accessible curriculum for students with disabilities’. This on line site has a number of booklets available for academic staff, promoting the creation of an accessible curriculum for students with disabilities.
http://www.teachability.strath.ac.uk/∞


Wright. D. J. (1999) ‘Deaf and Hearing Impaired Peoples' Access to Nurse Education: The Barriers’ is available on-line
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~md1djw/HCP-disability/deafaccess/deafpaps/barrier.pdf∞

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