“I am in the learning group of TK. TK explains well the concepts and it is easy for me to understand what I do on my patients.” This statement from a catchup conversation with Maybelle got me thinking again. Am I accommodating all learners and helping them reach their academic goals?
The overarching review by Stentiford and Koutsouris defines an inclusive curriculum that recognizes and accommodates all learners. A simple definition that translates more into a fat volume book. How do I categorize my learners so that I can make sure that all learn. Divisions are many and some of the common ones identified are gender, socio-economic status, race, learning disabilities, mental/physical health status, residency status. A lot more are there on the horizon.
Recently, I came across a innovative curriculum that accommodated high and poor performers in the curriculum. A “curricular space” provided the high guys to go for more learning earning honors. The poor guys had this time being used to be supported as as to cross the threshold to being a safe dentist. Here is a curriculum that converted the challenge of high guys ranting “I am bored” and poor guys saying “Its hard and going to get harder” into an opportunity. This I call inclusiveness.
Can inclusion go too far. I was engaged in deciding the admission for a colour blind candidate into the dental program. We received the go ahead from our panel of doctors saying that this disability does not endanger patients under their care. How about completely blind persons and totally deaf persons. Should they be included or excluded. An interesting paper in nursing education discusses inclusivity against fitness to practice.
What aspects in the curriculum did you change/adapt/modify to make it more inclusive. Share your thoughts.
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