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Learning Guide Unit 6
Overview
Unit 6: Barriers to Learning
Topics:
Barriers to successful learning
Benefits of differentiated learning
Promoting classroom inclusivity
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:
Evaluate structural barriers and their impact on student learning
Investigate the benefits of differentiated learning in order to overcome barriers
Assess the value of strategies which promote classroom inclusivity
Tasks:
Peer-assess Unit # 5 Assignment
Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum
Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum
Complete and submit the Group paper
Complete and submit the Portfolio Activity
Introduction
This unit explores several issues which pose barriers to successful student learning and considers strategies to combat these challenges
Learning Guide Unit 6
Overview
Unit 6: Barriers to Learning
Topics:
Barriers to successful learning
Benefits of differentiated learning
Promoting classroom inclusivity
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:
Evaluate structural barriers and their impact on student learning
Investigate the benefits of differentiated learning in order to overcome barriers
Assess the value of strategies which promote classroom inclusivity
Tasks:
Peer-assess Unit # 5 Assignment
Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum
Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum
Complete and submit the Group paper
Complete and submit the Portfolio Activity
Introduction
This unit explores several issues which pose barriers to successful student learning and considers strategies to combat these challenges
Writing
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Learning Guide Unit 6
Overview
Unit 6: Barriers to Learning
Topics:
- Barriers to successful learning
- Benefits of differentiated learning
- Promoting classroom inclusivity
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:
- Evaluate structural barriers and their impact on student learning
- Investigate the benefits of differentiated learning in order to overcome barriers
- Assess the value of strategies which promote classroom inclusivity
Tasks:
- Peer-assess Unit # 5 Assignment
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum
- Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum
- Complete and submit the Group paper
- Complete and submit the Portfolio Activity
- Introduction
-
- This unit explores several issues which pose barriers to successful student learning and considers strategies to combat these challenges.
- “A barrier to learning is anything that stands in the way of a child being able to learn effectively. A learner may experience one or more barriers to learning throughout his or her education. A child with a disability will experience that disability as an intrinsic barrier to learning and will require varying levels of support to accommodate their disability in order to reach their full academic potential. Barriers to learning are not limited to intrinsic barriers. They can also be societal/environmental barriers. For example extreme poverty, abuse or neglect will all act as barriers to a child’s learning” (R2ECWD, n.d., para 1).
- Barriers are created by a number of influences—some of which are outside of the teacher’s control. The student learner comes to the classroom with genetic, physiological, and bio-maturational factors that shape the way they experience the classroom. Socio-cultural and economic situations of students also create different learning experiences. The educational system itself may hold policies that may unfairly affect some students in negative ways. “Barriers to learning refer to difficulties that arise within the education system as a whole, the learning site and/or within the learner him/herself, which prevent access to learning and development.” (Department of Basic Education-Republic of South Africa, 2014).
- But there are significant barriers of which the teacher can be aware and make an effort to counter. This unit will explore some of the various barriers teachers can make strides towards minimizing in the classroom thereby enhancing student learning gains. The focus of this unit will examine problems presented by potential stereotype threats perceived by students, adhering too strictly to highly specific materials and approaches which may alienate some learners and strategies that can be used to highlight the relevance of curriculum learning objectives.
- References
- Department of Basic Education-Republic of South Africa (2014). Screening, identification, assessment & support policy. Retrieved from http://www.enspired.net/sites/default/files/uploaded-files/sias_2014.pdf
- Right to Educate Children with Disabilities (R2ECWD) (n.d.).Systematic barriers to inclusive education: Factsheet 6. Retrieved from http://www.included.org.za/R2ecwdsite/docs/Factsheet%206.pdf
Reading Assignment
1. Steele, C. M. (1997, June). A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance. Retrieved from http://users.nber.org/~sewp/events/2005.01.14/Bios+Links/Krieger-rec5-Steele_Threat-in-the-Air.pdf
- Claude Steele is a leading expert on the effects of stereotype threat. In this article, Steele explains the dangerous effects of stereotype threat and explores the ways in which these judgments perpetuate barriers that unfairly disadvantage women and African-Americans. Steel’s research examines the decline in academic performance among different classroom settings. The reading is approximately 17 pages.
2. Interventions Handout (n.d.). Empirically validated strategies to reduce stereotype threat. Retrieved from https://ed.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/interventionshandout.pdf
- Summarizing large bodies of research, this document provides quick teacher strategies that can help prevent stereotype threat in the classroom. Each strategy is supported by a peer-reviewed journal article. Approximately 1 page.
3. Light, D. (2012). Rebuilding for learning: Assessing barriers to learning and teaching, and re-engaging students. Retrieved from https://www.isbe.net/Documents/rebuilding-case-study.pdf
- This document is a case study that follows the challenges of a specific school district in Georgia, USA. The case study documents how one district coordinated efforts to address barriers to learning and teaching. The major factors addressed in the document include barriers such as dropout rates, disparities among different socio-economic backgrounds, racial and ethnic achievement gaps, and immigrant populations. Approximately 34 pages.
4. Kent Intermediate School District (n.d.). Classroom adaptations: Creating a climate of success. Retrieved from https://www.trimesters.org/uploads/3/4/7/1/34719762/classroomadaptations.pdf
- As teachers come to understand the various barriers to student learning, this document provides examples of adaptations for teachers and suggestions of modifications that can accommodate different student needs. The document also includes considerations for students with learning challenges. Approximately 28 pages.
Optional Videos
1. Casper H. (2009). Stereotype threat: Social psychology in action. Retrieved from (3:07)
- The video clip summarizes stereotype threat. In it, Steele explains one of his studies that explains how the threat can be addressed.
2. Teachings in Education. (2017). Differentiated instruction: Why, how, and examples. Retrieved from (5:30)
- This video provides justification and explanations of differentiated instructional approaches that can be used in the classroom to help students overcome potential barriers to learning. Teachers may think that including differentiated techniques will be too involved or demand significant changes to the curriculum, but in fact, there are numerous strategies that can be easily employed without much distraction.
- Discussion Assignment
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- In the discussion forum, you are expected to participate often and engage in deep levels of discourse. Please post your initial response as early in the unit as possible and continue to participate throughout the unit. You are required to post an initial response to the question/issue presented in the Forum and then respond to at least 3 of your classmates’ initial posts. You should also respond to anyone who has responded to you.
- Share with your peers what you consider to be a barrier that teachers tend to neglect when they make efforts to support student learning. What’s forgotten? You might think about issues of race, poverty, gender, emotional/cognitive/physical challenges, etc.
- As you construct your post, speculate as to why teachers might overlook this specific barrier. Is the oversight a failure of teacher pedagogy, lack of classroom support, antiquated school policy, or some other reason?
- As you reply to your peers, share your thoughts about the barriers they suggest are most often neglected. Do you agree with their positions? Were there any similarities between your barriers and your peers?
- Discussion Forums will be assessed using this rubric.
- Group Activity
- Your group work is due at the end of this unit. Each member of your group must hand in a copy of the final paper in the Group Activity Submission area. Your Group Project will be assessed by our instructor using this rubric.
Portfolio Activity
This unit has focused on barriers to learning that arise within the educational system and tend to obstruct successful learning. Some examples include:
- educational practices that fail to make accommodations for students with cognitive or physical disabilities
- negative stereotypes toward students
- curriculum expectations which do not provide the same opportunities for students of different socio-economic backgrounds
Barriers are often embedded within the policies of a school or within the long-held practices of the teacher’s methods.
In your reflection, think about your personal educational history. Did you experience any barriers to your education? If you did not personally experience a memorable encounter with any barriers, can you remember any classmates who did? What was the experience like?
In what way was your educational experience influenced by this barrier. Include details about whether or not accommodations were made or if there were efforts to redress the barrier. How might this experience better inform your empathy for different student experiences?
This activity will be assessed by your instructor using the Portfolio Activity Rubric.