Dyslexic difference and contextual studies writing in creative arts higher education: Three telling cases

Abstract

Students with the specific learning difficulty of dyslexia (SpLD) are now common in UK higher educational contexts. Whether this reflects an increase in the prevalence of the condition or is a manifestation of changes in both understandings of dyslexia and diagnostic processes in the UK, is not clear. But what is clear is that the increased visibility of dyslexia reflects a wider cultural turn, which sees both the breaking down of elitist notions about who is entitled to a `higher education´, and a questioning of ableist beliefs about how learning should occur (Mallett et al., 2016). Using semi-structured interviews (Kvale, 1996, 2011) and an interpretive approach, this article explores the ways that three students made sense of their higher educational experiences within the context of current UK higher education (HE) dyslexia policy. The experiences of these three student case studies, understood to be `telling´ (Mitchell, 1984) rather than `typical´ cases, help to support an exploration of some of the complexities of dyslexic difference, as experienced in one creative arts higher education institution. While research indicates that dyslexia can lead to low expectations of achievement for, and by, learners, I argue that, within the creative arts context of this study, dyslexic difference led to proactive, reflexive approaches to learning that can be learned from and that this may have applications for inclusive practice in HE more broadly.