Learner Survey: What would make your learning experience more inclusive, accessible, and flexible?
What?: A learner survey about what changes you would make to your university/college/centre, or your course, to make it more inclusive, accessible, and flexible.
Why should I participate?: A universal design approach helps us to build more flexibility, accessibility, and inclusivity into how we design and deliver education, which benefits everyone. By contributing, you can support us to better understand the learner experience, and directly influence the development of the National Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education – including all of Further Education and Training (FET), and Higher Education (HE). FET and HE institutions will be invited to adopt this Charter and work towards implementing it in the coming years. Plus, all respondents have the option of being entered into a draw for a €100 One 4 All Voucher!
Who’s asking me to participate?: A partnership of Irish national agencies, education and training boards and higher education institutions working to develop a National Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education. You can find out more about the Charter project here.
Who can participate?: All learners 18 years of age and over in Irish further education and training programmes or higher education courses, including part-time, full-time and post-graduate learners.
How long will it take?: The survey will take approx. 10-15 mins to complete. Before you click to complete the survey, we encourage you to reflect on the 4 key questions below.
Deadline for Response: Please respond by Friday Nov 10th, 2023
What questions will I be asked?
As well as asking which college or ETB you are learning in (used to ensure we cover most areas), we’ll ask:
- What are the 3 biggest changes you would make to how you are taught and assessed on you course/programme to make it more accessible, inclusive, and flexible?
In your answers, you might consider teaching approaches, the types/ accessibility/ inclusiveness of learning materials, assessments, availability and formats of online material or anything else.
- What are the 3 biggest changes you would make to how supports and services are designed and provided at your university/college/centre to make them more accessible, inclusive, and flexible?
In your answers, you might consider supports and services like admissions, libraries, disability, childcare, counselling, IT support, learning support or any others.
- What are the 3 biggest changes you would make to the online platforms & digital communications used by your university/college/centre to improve how you access and use them?
In your answers, you might consider the main website, online booking systems, the virtual learning environment (Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, Teams, Brightspace, Loop), assessment submission platforms, your email/SMS system or anything else.
- What are the 3 biggest changes you would make to the buildings and outdoor areas of your university/college/centre to reduce barriers and/or improve your experience?
In your answers, you might consider building access, social spaces, workspaces, prayer spaces, the sensory experience, toilets and changing places, signage, routes through the campus or anything else.
What will happen with my response?
Survey responses will be collected, stored and destroyed in accordance with AHEAD’s Data Protection policy. AHEAD are a national collaborator on this project. The data will only be shared with project working groups tasked with identifying key themes. These key themes will be used to inform the development of the National Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education, and the associated toolkit for institutions. Anonymised comments may be used within published reports on this work, or in related presentations and campaigns, or funding reports about the project.
Accessibility: If you have any issues with the accessibility of this survey or require assistance to complete it, please contact ahead@ahead.ie and we can provide an accessible word version or support you to contribute in a different way.
