«INSIGHT: Inclusive teaching methods in higher education»: introducing the best examples of inclusive practices in the social sphere at the international level
«INSIGHT: Inclusive teaching methods in higher education»: introducing the best examples of inclusive practices in the social sphere at the international level
March 5, 2025
We are pleased to present the progress of the Erasmus+ Higher Education Project «INSIGHT: Inclusive teaching methods in higher education», which the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine has joined as an official partner.
The partnership includes seven universities (Università Degli Studi Di Modena E Reggio Emilia-IT, Linneuniversit Etet-SE, Wirtschaftsuniversitat Wien-AT, Universidad Pablo de Olavide-ES, Podilskyi State University-UA, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine-UA, Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana-SUPSI-CH), the European Dyslexia Association (EDA-BE), a dyslexia company (SOS Dyslessia-IT), and two organizations specializing in organizing and managing learning activities (ECECE-AT)., Formodena-IT).
The main goal of the project is to equip educators with targeted learning strategies and tools, to promote the learning and participation of university students with special educational needs (SENs) in an inclusive relational model in which differences cannot be reduced to categorical individual attitudes.
The project team from NUBiP has identified students who are highly motivated, members of associations or student unions, and will be involved in the project's governing student committee for 3 years:
Valeria Havrylyuk (1st year, specialty «Social work»(dyslexia));
Sofia Rasenchuk (2nd year, specialty «Social work»);
Olexandra Drozdovska (2nd year, specialty «Social work»).
A pilot course on the project has also been defined, which has become an educational component«Fundamentals of social inclusion and barrier-freeness», which is normative (a cycle of special (professional) training).
The aim of the course is to prepare future social workers for professional activities in an inclusive social space.
The main objectives of the course are:
- introduce students to the regulatory framework, scientific, theoretical and applied issues of organizing social inclusion of persons with special needs at the international, state, and territorial levels;
- development of skills of organization, ensuring accessibility and unhindered provision of social services to various categories of recipients of social services; skills of barrier-free communication; attentive attitude to the needs of residents, especially vulnerable categories;
- develop students' skills and abilities to use theoretical and practical knowledge in future professional activities with various categories of social service recipients.
At the European policy level, more and more attention is being paid to human rights and social justice. Today, inclusion is seen as a value and as a strategy for promoting social unity, citizenship and a more just society. Thus, a key policy priority for all countries working on this vision should be to plan more effective training, education and permanent support systems that focus on empowering educators to participate in inclusive practices in order to ensure a high-quality educational process.
In the context of higher education, transnational documents define two closely interrelated priorities: the development of an inclusive culture, policies and practices for guaranteeing universal social rights (Unesco, 2019; UNHCR, 2021) and the improvement of the quality of training, teaching and professional training (High Level Group EU 2013; EHEA conferences of Yerevan 2015; Paris 2018; Rome 2020).
The fundamental problem that precedes effective changes in teaching is the presence of noticeable barriers at the level of beliefs, attitudes and practices of educators, administrations, which often create biases, misunderstandings, especially in relation to students and students with SENs.
Unfortunately, the number of students and students with special educational needs (SENs) is constantly growing, so there is a need to use special learning tools, which are often still considered "exceptional", so they are perceived as answers to an "individual problem", and not equal opportunities for everyone.
In National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine initiatives for the development of educational inclusion are unquestioningly supported, and the main fundamental postulates are reflected in the relational-ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, Morris, 2006), the opportunity approach (Sen, 1985; Nussbaum, 2004), and universal design.
The educational process at NUBiP of Ukraine is based on the existing regulatory framework, in compliance with the main provisions of the UN Convention on the rights of people with disabilities of 2006, which was ratified in Ukraine on 16.12.2009, and entered into force on 06.03.2010. In accordance with the laws of Ukraine «On education» (2017) and «On higher education» (2014), inclusive education has been introduced in educational institutions of Ukraine at various levels. In higher education institutions, inclusive education provides for a system of educational services guaranteed by the state, based on the principles of non-discrimination, taking into account the diversity of people, effective involvement and inclusion in the educational process of all its participants.
In NUBiP of Ukraine there are resources for applying the ideas of inclusive teaching methods, in particular:
1) spatial, include to a large extent the presence of architectural accessibility, informative content and convenience for applicants;
2) material and technical support, which includes specialized technical support (reasonable adaptation: providing students with specialized technical equipment for the accessibility of the educational process). Specialized laboratories have been established in NUBiP of Ukraine:
- Educational and scientific center «Laboratory of social and psychological rehabilitation», which is equipped with means of rehabilitation, psychological relief and art therapy.
- Inclusive computer class «Laboratory of digital technologies in social work», which is equipped with specialized equipment for applicants with special educational needs.
- Ipo- and apitherapy laboratories with appropriate equipment. The university also has a Botanical Garden for conducting natural therapy classes. A wellness center has been created for medical support of persons with disabilities, and a sports complex is functioning for physical rehabilitation.
3) Human resources provide for the presence of specialists who implement various types of support to applicants with special educational needs: practical psychologists, mentors of student groups, specialists of the department of social work, medical personnel, scientific and pedagogical workers who improve their skills and acquire inclusive competence;
4) methodological resources are adapted to the needs of applicants with disabilities (methods, techniques, techniques, teaching technologies);
5) an educational environment that includes a system of activities, classroom and extracurricular activities to form an inclusive culture among participants in the educational process.
Within the framework of the project, it is planned to increase the number of activities aimed at the formation of inclusive competence, inclusive culture, barrier-free communication skills of participants in the educational process, and the introduction of exemplary inclusive practices.
We invite you to visit our website to learn more https://insightprojecteu.org/
We are working convincingly on THE IDEA and STRATEGY to get THE RESULT!
Daria SUPRUN,
professor of the department
social work and rehabilitation
