Inclusion and Diversity: Meeting the Needs of All Students (review)
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Inclusion and Diversity: Meeting the Needs of All Students is part of the Key Guides for Effective Teaching in Higher Education series. Each book in this series attempts to combine practical, pedagogical methods and techniques with the conceptual and empirical foundations that ground them. Inclusion and Diversity, as with each volume in the series, contains an abundance of cited articles, suggestions for additional readings, and key insights from relevant scholars in the field.
Sue Grace and Phil Gravestock, in this particular book, delve into the complexities of diversity and inclusivity in the higher education classroom. Their work is intended primarily for higher education instructors who are relatively new to teaching such as "new lecturers, learning support-staff, or post-graduates" (p. 1). Yet the tenets of creating diverse and inclusive learning environments disseminated throughout this book offer value and insight to educators at all levels.
The editors intentionally use both "inclusivity" and "diversity" throughout the text to emphasize that, while pedagogies must facilitate the engagement of all students, an equally important task is recognizing and celebrating difference in a balanced, constructive way. The theoretical model used as the foundation for the book is the social model of disability (SMD) which speaks to society's [End Page 712] power to impose barriers on certain groups of people while possessing the parallel power to reduce or eliminate the barriers if so inclined.
This volume is based on the United Kingdom (UK) higher education system; and although the editors have sought to include research and best practices from around the globe, it is important to note that diversity and inclusion are contextual. This idea has particular relevance once one introduces the idea of society as both a purveyor and mitigator of educational barriers. The sociopolitical history of a society and how those factors may affect the speed, direction, and depth of change must be placed in its proper context.
The editors look at the life cycle of a student from his or her first day on campus through graduation and beyond. Each chapter begins by addressing its particular topic in a very general way as a means of advocating for "good practice for all students" (p. 4). Intended for use as a reference text, data resource, and instrument to promote personal reflection and growth, each chapter has myriad citations, print and internet resources, best practice suggestions, and prompts for the reader to pause, digest, and reflect on what has been written. This wealth of resources will be of paramount importance to readers who desire a more in-depth treatment of the material. In their approach and selection of materials for inclusion, the editors have sought to promote learning that is transformational for both the student and educator.
Inclusion and Diversity explores essentially three primary areas in its 10 chapters. Although Grace and Gravestock do not explicitly group or name them as such, I identify these areas as (a) understanding the complexities of diverse student populations, (b) introducing the pedagogy and methodology of inclusive instruction, and (c) assessing the impact of inclusive learning environments and their post-graduate implications.
Chapters 1, 2, 6, and 7 focus on the complexities of diverse student populations and speak to the importance of understanding the nature of how diverse the backgrounds, abilities, barriers, and experiences of our students truly are. Chapter 1 introduces the idea that diversity includes differences that may not be readily visible as well as the dangers in blanket stereotyping of student groups. Diversity statistics and legislation related to diversity and inclusion issues (limited to the United Kingdom) are presented as a means of providing a snapshot of the landscape. This chapter also introduces the social model of disability as the conceptual foundation for the book and challenges the reader to begin the process of becoming truly inclusive communicators from lecture materials to course advertisements.
Chapter 2 delves into several educational theories relevant to all...
