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Judith McKenzie

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Disability Inclusion in Education: Building Systems of Support

University of Cape Town

About this Course

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Worldwide millions of children are not able to fully participate in schooling, and this is especially a problem for children with disabilities. In this course, we explore the support that teachers need in order to meet the needs of children with severe to profound hearing, visual and intellectual disabilities.  We consider how this can be done by talking with a range of experts (from teachers to activists) about inclusive education as well as sharing experiences of education. 
Inclusive education is only possible if teachers are supported and empowered to make the curriculum accessible to all learners. The topics in this course cover developing disability confidence and what exactly children with specific impairments need to be able to learn. This includes sharing specific classroom strategies and teaching activities for learners who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, blind or have low vision or have a severe to profound intellectual disability. By the end of the course, you will be familiar with the impairment specific needs of learners with disabilities, and how to build systems of support for inclusive education.

You will be able to purchase a Verified Certificate if you wish to show evidence of your achievements, but this is optional, and you may apply for Financial Aid if you are unable to pay the certificate fee.

This course was developed as part of the project ´Strengthening teaching for Children with profound Hearing, Visual and Intellectual Disabilities in South Africa` co-funded by Christoffel-Blinden Mission (CBM) and the European Union.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Beginner Level

Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Be able to understand disability as an issue of social justice
Describe educator support needs with regards to disability inclusion
Identify the systemic support structures available to teachers within the education system
Understand the impairment specific support needs of learners with disabilities

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

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Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.77/5 (128 Ratings)

Judith McKenzie

Associate Professor

Disability Studies Division

20,410 Learners

2 Courses

Offered by

University of Cape Town

The University of Cape Town is the oldest university in South Africa and is one of the leading research universities on the African continent. UCT has over 25 000 students, of whom 30% are postgraduate students. We offer degrees in six faculties: Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science. We pride ourself on our diverse student body, which reflects the many cultures and backgrounds of the region. We welcome international students and are currently home to thousands of international students from over 100 countries. UCT has a tradition of academic excellence that is respected world-wide and is privileged to have more than 30 A-rated researchers on our staff, all of whom are recognised as world leaders in their field. Our aim is to ensure that our research contributes to the public good through sharing knowledge for the benefit of society. Past students include five Nobel Laureates – Max Theiler, Alan Cormack, Sir Aaron Klug, Ralph Bunche and, most recently, J M Coetzee.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating99%(3,847 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Inclusive education and special education: Equality and equity

This week, we consider what disability inclusion means by exploring different models of disability as well as disability rights and policies. Drawing from the history of special and inclusive education we look at how mainstream schools can move towards becoming inclusive schools and how special education can fit into an inclusive education framework. At the end of this week, there is a graded quiz, where you can check your understanding of the key concepts. Every week, you are invited to reflect on the topics in the discussions where you can talk with others about what this means for your practice as an educator.

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 50 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes

8 videos

Disability Inclusion in Education: Building systems of support4mIntroduction to the course3mIntroduction to Week 11mSocial model of disability and disability rights10mInclusive education and special education11mWhat is inclusive education?7mImplementing inclusive framework9mWrap up1m

3 readings

How the course works5mPodcast: How does special education fit into an inclusive education system?10mResources5m

3 practice exercises

Ways of thinking about disability30mInclusive education30mWeek 1: Inclusive education and special education45m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Supporting disability inclusion

This week focuses on teacher empowerment and what teachers need to know to better support learners with disabilities. We begin by sharing with you what the Teacher Empowerment for Disability Inclusion (TEDI) project's research findings revealed about teachers’ educational needs. This week we hear powerful personal testimonies of individuals living with disabilities about their schooling which highlights the importance of the empowered teacher in their lives when they were learners. At the end of this week, there is a graded peer review and opportunity for reflection through discussion.

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 51 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz

8 videos

Introduction to week 21mTeacher empowerment5mTEDI research methods6mResearch: Teacher educational needs5mSupporting learners who are blind or have low vision11mSupporting D/deaf and hard of hearing learners8mFamilies of people with Intellectual Disabilities10mWeek wrap up1m

5 readings

TEDI research report10mMore stories of personal experiences10mPodcast: Disability confidence10mDisability confidence resources5mResources10m

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Systemic support for educators

This week focuses on the systemic support structures that are available to teachers and educators in order to support learners with impairments. A former teacher and two district officers share their experiences of support structures and the roles they had to shape and implement policies within the spaces they found themselves in. We will also explore some insights from the TEDI research project on how teachers feel they are supported. At the end of the week, there is a graded quiz and optional Honours Peer Review assignment where you can explore these topics further.

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 62 min), 2 readings, 4 quizzes

9 videos

Introduction to week 32mEducation support systems and supporting teacher empowerment for disability inclusion5mHow systems of support work9mHow do teachers feel they are supported, or not supported?8mSchool and district based support systems10mEffective support11mInformal support5mFamily-professional partnerships6mWrap up1m

2 readings

Podcast: Policy approach to support systems10mResources10m

3 practice exercises

Education and support systems30mInformal support systems for educators30mWeek 3: Systemic support for teachers10m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Principles and approaches for disability inclusion

This week discusses how to make the curriculum accessible for all - particularly focusing on those with severe to profound disabilities. This includes understanding some of the causes of specific impairments (hearing, visual and intellectual) and their impacts on learning. We also have the pleasure of learning from experts who outline which principles and approaches can be adopted to best support learners with these specific impairments. At the end of the week, there is a graded quiz where you can test your knowledge of what you have learnt, and through a discussion reflect on your own teaching practices.

3 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 74 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

10 videos

Introduction to week1mAccessible curriculum7mLearner support needs6mTypes of visual impairment6mExpanded core curriculum13mEffects of severe to profound hearing loss12mEducation for learners who are D/deaf or hard of hearing7mWhat is intellectual disability?10mEducation for children with severe to profound intellectual disability7mWrap up48s

1 reading

Resources10m

4 practice exercises

Specific impairments - Low vision and blindness30mSpecific impairments - D/deaf and hard of hearing10mSpecific impairments - Severe to profound intellectual disability10mWeek 4: Curriculum accessibility and learner needs

Reviews

4.8

91 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM DISABILITY INCLUSION IN EDUCATION: BUILDING SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT

by KPJul 5, 2020

Excellent. Fully recommended for understand the disability inclusion and the role of all stakeholders of the school community.

by HHApr 28, 2022

It's currently and extreamly beneficial. It was an eye-openning ecpereince that inspired me to share what I'd learned with others and put it to use in my educational work.

by VFJun 27, 2020

Thank you so much for having this kind of course it really help me on my job. Thank you for sharing your expertise and knowledge. I will apply all the things that I have learned in this course.

by JBMay 30, 2020

Excellent program!

Lectures from experts on the subject on Inclusive education along with Group discussion with peers made the program a grand success .

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Disability Inclusion in Education: Building Systems of Support

Disability Inclusion in Education: Building Systems of Support

About this Course

What you will learn