Creating Inclusive Subject Communities: New QAA Advice

Embedding inclusion and accessibility in the curriculum to enhance the student experience is the focus of a new QAA resource published today. Creating Inclusive Subject Communities has been produced to support QAA Members in developing a shared understanding of inclusive education and has practical information to support providers seeking to ensure their approaches to designing and delivering learning, teaching and assessment are inclusive at institutional and subject levels.

It draws on the UK Quality Code’s Advice and Guidance and focuses on four parts of the academic journey: curriculum design, course content, learning and teaching, and assessment and feedback practices.

The resource is designed to support course teams, academics, educational developers and professional services staff in a range of activities. These include informing new and existing course design discussions, stimulating discussions about inclusive assessment and feedback practices, and supporting staff and student partnerships to create inclusive subject learning communities.

Through the resource, we aim to stimulate conversations about embedding inclusivity within the subject curriculum. The guidance was produced in collaboration with staff and students from across our Membership, including members of the QAA Student Strategic Advisory Committee (SSAC).

Dr Ailsa Crum, QAA’s Director of Membership, Quality Enhancement and Standards said: ‘This is a rich and stimulating resource. In producing it, QAA aims to provide practical support for higher education institutions who are seeking to bring about equality of opportunity and an equivalent learning experience for all students.’

Creating Inclusive Subject Communities is available to QAA Members on our Membership Resources Site. Staff and students from QAA member institutions can register for the site via this short registration form.