Additional Learning Support Research Articles

Additional support needs and approaches to dispute resolution: the perspectives of Scottish parents

This paper draws on data from an ESRC funded project (RES-062-23-0803) which explores the use of dispute resolution mechanisms in the field of special educational needs in England and additional support needs in Scotland. Here, we present findings from a survey of Scottish parents’ perspectives on the management of disagreements about additional support needs (ASN) in the wake of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (the ASL Act). One of the aims of the ASL Act was to increase parental rights in relation to the education of children with additional support needs. Amongst other measures, the new legislation puts in place a range of mechanisms, specifically formal mediation, adjudication and the Additional Support Needs Tribunal, to facilitate the resolution of disputes between the parent and the school or local authority. Evidence from the survey suggests that, although a significant minority of parents are highly dissatisfied with local authority provision, only a minority have used the new formal dispute resolution procedures. Parents were generally dissatisfied with negotiation at school level as a way of resolving disputes, but also had reservations about the new ways of resolving disagreements, particularly mediation. The implications of these findings are discussed, including the possibility that, over time, parents may be able to use the dispute resolution procedures to improve provision generally, rather than as a means of maximising their individual share of educational resources.

An investigation of factors impacting on mainstream teachers’ beliefs about teaching students with learning difficulties

The relationship between teacher experience, further professional development training, and beliefs and attributions about teaching students with additional learning support needs was studied in a sample of 199 mainstream general class primary school teachers. Using multiple regression, it was found that none of the teacher experience or professional training variables were significant predictors of locus of causality, stability, or controllability attributions, or of teacher self‐efficacy with students with difficulties in learning. Self‐efficacy, however, was a positive predictor of attributions, and sympathy a negative predictor. Multivariate analysis of variance found no relationship between teacher experience, further professional development training, and dependent outcome variables: self‐efficacy with learning difficulties, coping with learning difficulties, interactions with people with disabilities, or general optimism. Implications for continued professional development are discussed.

Funding for equity and success in English further education colleges, 1998–2003

‘Incorporation’ in Further Education in England and Wales centralised policy control and implemented a per‐pupil funding formula that promoted equity, in that colleges were paid more for enrolling ‘disadvantaged’ students, and for performance, in that funding was contingent on retention and student success rates. This article analyses the impact of funding policy on student success rates for adults in general further education colleges using five years of student‐level administrative data from 1998/99 to 2002/03. Results from descriptive statistics show that student success rates rose by 10% during the five‐year period, with the largest gains made by ethnic minorities, adult basic education students, and students from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Logistic regression results mirror the descriptive statistic results but find especially strong gains for adult basic education students and students receiving additional learning support funding.

From Multi-User Virtual Environment to 3D Virtual Learning Environment

While digital virtual worlds have been used in education for a number of years, advances in the capabilities and spread of technology have fed a recent boom in interest in massively multi-user 3D virtual worlds for entertainment, and this in turn has led to a surge of interest in their educational applications. In this paper we briefly review the use of virtual worlds for education, from informal learning to formal instruction, and consider what is required to turn a virtual world from a Multi-User Virtual Environment into a fully fledged 3D Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). In this we focus on the development of Sloodle – a system which integrates the popular 3D virtual world of Second Life with the open-source VLE Moodle. Our intent is not simply to provide additional learning support features for Second Life, but to study more generally the ways in which integrated virtual environments can benefit teaching and learning, and this is the focus of our closing discussion. Keywords: Multi-User Virtual Environments; Virtual Learning Environments; gamebased learning; Second Life; Immersive Virtual Worlds DOI: 10.1080/09687760802526707

From Multi-User Virtual Environment to 3D Virtual Learning Environment

While digital virtual worlds have been used in education for a number of years, advances in the capabilities and spread of technology have fed a recent boom in interest in massively multi-user 3D virtual worlds for entertainment, and this in turn has led to a surge of interest in their educational applications. In this paper we briefly review the use of virtual worlds for education, from informal learning to formal instruction, and consider what is required to turn a virtual world from a Multi-User Virtual Environment into a fully fledged 3D Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). In this we focus on the development of Sloodle – a system which integrates the popular 3D virtual world of Second Life with the open-source VLE Moodle. Our intent is not simply to provide additional learning support features for Second Life, but to study more generally the ways in which integrated virtual environments can benefit teaching and learning, and this is the focus of our closing discussion.Keywords: Multi-User Virtual Environments; Virtual Learning Environments; gamebased learning; Second Life; Immersive Virtual WorldsDOI: 10.1080/09687760802526707

ADHD: Creating Continuing Dilemmas for Education in Scotland.

Over the last fifteen years the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has acquired a high level of professional acceptance and public awareness in Britain. A range of critiques have also developed in relation to the concept of ADHD, the constellation of symptoms that make up the ‘disorder’, its diagnosis and the use of medication. However diagnoses and medication rates continue to increase. This increasing medicalisation of behaviour is paradoxical in relation to current policy and legislative direction of Additional Support for Learning in Scotland. This paper summarises some of the critiques of the concept of ADHD, discusses their minimal impact on practice and refers to research data to highlight some issues for education. The data from a small pilot study highlights the role primary schools take in the diagnosis of ADHD, their relationship with the diagnosing professionals and the management of prescription medication during the school day. Finally the paper argues for further social and educational research on this important issue.

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) act (2004): What does it mean for the Way Teachers Work Together?

The introduction of the Additional Support for Learning Act (2004) has been a significant milestone in Scotland’s understanding of issues of inclusion. The Act is already beginning to have a significant and far-reaching impact on the work of schools; requiring staff to reconceptualise what was traditionally known as ‘special needs’ and asserting a much more complex and dynamic view of the potential barriers to inclusion. This paper explores the experiences and changing understandings of key staff (pastoral care, learning support, behaviour support) in three mainstream secondary schools as they worked to translate the new legislation into a coherent, holistic and sustainable set of practices. The paper raises some critical and timely questions about the tensions between competing priorities and roles and responsibilities for those working in education in such challenging times but also offers comment on the emerging potential of the legislation for building new confidence and capacities.

Low birthweight and preterm birth in young people with special educational needs: a magnetic resonance imaging analysis

BackgroundAlthough neuroanatomical and cognitive sequelae of low birthweight and preterm birth have been investigated, little is understood as to the likely prevalence of a history of low birthweight or preterm birth, or neuroanatomical correlates of such a history, within the special educational needs population. Our aim was to address these issues in a sample of young people receiving additional learning support.MethodsOne hundred and thirty-seven participants aged 13–22 years, receiving additional learning support, were recruited via their schools or colleges and underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Obstetric records, available in 98 cases, included birthweight and gestational data in 90 and 95 cases, respectively. Both qualitative and quantitative voxel-based analyses of MRI data were conducted.ResultsA history of low birthweight and preterm birth was present in 13.3% and 13.7% of cases, respectively. Low birthweight and preterm birth were associated with specific qualitative anomalies, including enlargement of subarachnoid cisterns and thinning of the corpus callosum. Low birthweight was associated with reduced grey matter density (GMD) in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) bilaterally, left inferior temporal gyrus and left insula. Prematurity of birth was associated with reduced GMD in the STG bilaterally, right inferior frontal gyrus and left cerebellar hemisphere. Comparison of subjects with no history of low birthweight or preterm birth with a previously defined control sample of cognitively unimpaired adolescents (n = 72) demonstrated significantly greater scores for several anomalies, including thinning of the corpus callosum, loss of white matter and abnormalities of shape of the lateral ventricles.ConclusionAlthough a two-fold increased prevalence of a history of low birthweight and preterm birth exists within the special educational needs population, other aetiological factors must be considered for the overwhelming majority of cases. Neuroanatomical findings within this sample include qualitative anomalies of brain structure and grey matter deficits within temporal lobe structures and the cerebellum that persist into adolescence. These findings suggest a neurodevelopmental mechanism for the cognitive difficulties associated with these obstetric risk factors.

Technology‐enhanced research: educational ICT systems as research instruments

Determining the potential of educational information and communications technology for enhancing teaching and learning is the subject of a great deal of research activity. This paper argues that the technologies employed to enhance learning can also be exploited for the enhancement of research. Recorded learner–system interactions, dynamically captured computer screen activity and visual attention tracking all provide sources of rich process data that can be triangulated with tradition learning outcome (product) data. Such multiple data source approaches can be used in various research design and methodological contexts—design experiments, microgenetic experiments, case studies and so on. Process‐analytic methods can reveal the fine details of an individual’s learning trajectory and permit the effects of short‐timescale interventions upon longer term learning outcomes to be assessed. In this paper, three illustrations of technology‐enhanced research (TER) are described. The first example (switchER) illustrates an iterative learner‐centred design cycle. The second example (Hyperproof) illustrates how process data can elucidate individual differences in learning. The third example (PATSy, VL‐PATSy) demonstrates how an established online e‐learning system can be used as a tool for identifying students’ clinical reasoning difficulties and how it can then be extended by having additional learning support resources added to it together with a context‐sensitive, rule‐based delivery system. The paper concludes with a discussion of broader TER issues such as the need to anticipate and plan for the analysis of large amounts of rich data. It concludes by suggesting some further ways in which TER might be exploited and provides links to some potentially useful TER tools and resources.

Policies on special needs education: competing strategies and discourses

This paper critically examines the array of policy approaches that have been adopted in the field of special needs education in Scotland over recent years. These are characterized in the following ways: (1) supporting or changing the child—an individualized approach; (2) making schools inclusive for all—a systems approach; (3) challenging the mainstream—an anti‐discrimination approach. Each approach creates different distributions of power, accountability and resource allocation. They formulate categories and eligibility requirements that can both include and exclude children (and their parents), and create rights and duties with varied potential and limitations. Thus, the policy approaches may aver their promotion of inclusion but, in fact, they create a new quilt of inclusive and exclusive policies and practice. This is further examined through the analysis of official statistics, which suggests that there has been little difference in the proportion of children who are excluded spatially from mainstream schools and classrooms. Recent legislation, the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, claims to underpin a radical new approach to promoting inclusion. However, many features of the Act suggest that it will reinforce the power of professional groups, rather than investing more power in children and their parents. There is a real danger that, whilst policy frameworks shift, practices remain the same as a result of inertia and resistance to change.

Why Some Students Refuse Additional Learning Support: Transition at a Further Education College

In a specialist further education college, it was recognised that students aged 16/17 transferring to vocational study after their compulsory schooling were refusing to take up their entitlement to additional learning support. This created a shortfall in the college's predicted units of funding; also, course managers reported that several of these students were finding it difficult to meet the academic content of their programmes of study. After investigation it was discovered that the reasons for refusing additional learning support were complex: a powerful mixture of issues relating to self-esteem, fear of discrimination and institutional pressure created by a need to maximise funding which had led to some poor practice in admissions and limited knowledge of differentiated learning and teaching strategies. The testimony of selected students gained through a process of formal interviews provided significant evidence which contributed to a change in additional support provision within the college.

Structural correlates of intellectual impairment and autistic features in adolescents

Intellectual disability, a common but under-researched condition, is strongly associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although studies have investigated the neural correlates of intelligence quotient (IQ) and ASD in intellectually unimpaired subjects, these issues have not been addressed in intellectually impaired subjects. We studied 63 intellectually disabled adolescents receiving additional learning support and 72 controls using whole brain tissue volumes extracted from native space and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in normalised space. We applied a qualitative and quantitative review of VBM preprocessing and modified the optimised method to establish optimum co-registration of the brains in normalised space. We report tissue density differences at cluster level with adjustment for underlying smoothness. Individuals with intellectual disability had smaller total white matter and total brain tissue volumes than controls, as well as reduced grey matter density in the right cerebellar hemisphere and left temporo-parietal cortex, and reduced white matter density in the posterior corpus callosum. Intellectually disabled subjects were additionally subgrouped according to their degree of reported autistic features. Reduced grey matter density was detected in the thalamus of subjects with autistic features scoring within the pervasive developmental disorder range as compared to subjects below the threshold for ASD, and increased white matter density was detected in the left superior temporal gyrus of subjects scoring above the threshold for autism as compared to subjects below the threshold for ASD.

Adjustment to the first year in school — A Singapore perspective

SUMMARY This paper investigates the concept of adjustment to school for a group of primary one (first grade) pupils in Singapore. Pupils rated by their teachers as being well adjusted obtained significantly higher grades at the end of the school year, did not require additional learning support, and exhibited better social skills compared to children judged to be poorly adjusted. Of interest are factors that contribute to successful adjustment in the first year of school in an examination-oriented educational system: children's primary home language, pre-requisite entry skills from preschool, and the father's occupation. Implications for early childhood educators and parents are discussed.

Integrated Services for Children with Disabilities: A Staff Development Perspective

This paper derives from research commissioned by a Scottish local authority (LA) and its associated Health Board through its Joint Strategy Group. Within an overall policy framework of social inclusion and the pursuit of social justice, the Joint Strategy Group considered the social and economic impact of disabilities on children and families and addressed how more integrated policy and service provision for this group might be developed. To that end, issues of staff development and training were identified as a priority and the writers were asked to investigate, first, what was needed by different groups of staff across all departments and, second, how far those needs were being met within the framework of current provision. The work was carried out with a range of staff from the Health Board and from LA departments providing a range of services. The focus in this paper is on findings emerging in relation to education staff and to the adequacy of systems of staff development in supporting their participation in coordinated support for pupils with additional support needs. Qualitative and quantitative data enabled comparison between the staff development opportunities available to different groups of staff. Interesting disparities and anomalies arise from these comparisons and these are discussed here. The paper contextualises the project in current social policy with its emphasis on social inclusion and the pursuit of social justice. Integrated services are viewed as a main means of pursuing social inclusion, not least in education where the recent Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 endorses provision through coordinated support. This paper argues that the impetus towards more integrated services throws into relief dissimilarities in the staff development experiences of teachers and others supporting young people. Differences and tensions in approaches to staff development are discussed and evidenced using data from the research project. At worst, the lack of congruity in opportunities available to different groups could undermine effective joint working but will, in any event, create difficulties for those trying to promote a culture of collaborative working. Finally, the paper offers some thoughts on the implications of the research for a staff development strategy in relation to coordinated support for children with additional support needs.

Muslim women in higher education: new sites of lifelong learning

How does a traditional research-led university embrace the implications of lifelong learning and widening participation? If it lowers its entry requirements or offers a more flexible approach to adult learning, can it continue to strive for and attain academic excellence? Using a project designed to increase participation by an under-represented group, this paper explores the institutional issues involved in developing lifelong learning strategies in partnership with local colleges and community organizations. Lifelong learning is not cheap to deliver, as non-traditional students may need additional learning support. Off-campus delivery can decimate an orderly campus-based timetable, extra exam boards had to be set up; extra books and learning resources have to be duplicated across different sites. However, the institutional benefits include greater flexibility in university procedures, and a source of enthusiastic mature learners from an under-represented group.

'A Luxury for the First World': A Western perception of Hong Kong Chinese attitudes towards inclusive education

ABSTRACT The debates I explore in this article were prompted by conversations I had with a Government Education Inspector who accompanied me on a visit to a primary school and participated in a series of workshops I organised while I was on a fellowship at Hong Kong University. May Lee's challenge to me that a non-selective education system was a luxury only the First World could afford provoked me into acknowledging a whole new dimension for our discussions of the function of segregated education for groups excluded from the mainstream. I begin by introducing the education system in Hong Kong as it was in the early 1990s. Then I go on, and discuss the activities and conversations I shared with May Lee. Patterns of inclusion and exclusion in Hong Kong reflect a deeply-respected concept of a 'good school'; special schools and classes are the only settings for the provision of additional learning support. I discuss examples of each. Finally, I discuss inclusion in education in the context of a developing country, drawing on the work of Chinese, Indian and Western writers to assess May Lee's claim. Opinion is divided. I conclude that the force of an international rhetoric of inclusion obscures the continuing operation of a cultural commitment to selection.

Interacting with computer-based simulation: The role of dialogue

Simulations have established a role in the teaching of medicine, since their dynamic qualities lend themselves to training students to deal with high risk situations in a safe environment. However, when used to teach at a more conceptual level, students often encounter difficulties in learning from simulation. This has led to the conclusion that additional learning support needs to be included. The paper describes a formative evaluation study in which medical students were recorded interacting with a simulation model of calcium balance. Video protocols were analysed according to students' performance on diagnostic and patient management tasks, and the quality of their understanding of the physiological model that lies behind the simulation. The role of dialogue interaction, between students and between experimenter and student, was investigated as a potential source of learning support. Since existing dialogue analysis techniques required extension and synthesis to serve our goals, a specially devised mark-up scheme DISCOUNT was used for the analysis. Insights were gained from an examination of learning in relation to types of dialogue and these were further supported by students' own views concerning the value of the system. Although all students demonstrated learning gains, these were greater amongst single students interacting with the experimenter than amongst students co-operating on tasks in pairs. Dialogue analysis revealed that experimenter-student interaction contained many more inquiries causing students to explain their reasoning, justify their conclusions, or state implications from data. This prompting of reflective activity seemed to result in a deeper understanding of the physiological model. The implications of this are that interaction of an inquiry style needs to be encouraged for maximum learning benefit to be gained and, if support can be built in to the simulation which renders interaction with the system closer to that of inquiry dialogue, then learning at a conceptual level should be enhanced.