| CODE | IAL3008 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Specific Learning Difficulties | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Inclusion and Access to Learning | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit intends to further build on the knowledge gained in IAL1008 and give a more advanced understanding of the field of Learning Disabilities/Specific Learning Difficulties. Learning Disabilities is a relatively new field (less than sixty years) and people with Learning Disabilities/Specific Learning Difficulties are the largest population within the field of Disabilities, having been and still are being often mislabeled and misunderstood. The students will also be exposed to multi-sensory techniques with regard to intervention and teaching techniques, as these are inclusive techniques through which people with Learning Disabilities/Specific Learning Difficulties learn most effectively. This study-unit is relevant to this course as Learning Support Educators (LSEs) are expected to help the whole classroom and this profile is found in most classroom. Therefore LSEs need to be equipped with the relevant competencies in relation to this neuro-diverse profile in order to successfully and effectively implement UDL and inclusive education. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit intends to introduce the students to the field of Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD). SpLD is a relatively new field (around sixty years) and people with SpLD are the largest population within the field of Disabilities, having been and still are being often mislabelled and misunderstood. The students will also be exposed to multisensory techniques with regard to intervention and teaching techniques Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • Define Specific Learning Difficulties; • Discuss Aetiology and Cognitive Difficulties; • Identify Personality and Social Characteristics; • Explain Assessment and SpLD; • Recognise difference between Dyslexia and Math Learning difficulties/Dyscalculia; • Discuss SpLD in relation to co-morbiidity with other dys-profiles and with ADhD; • Demonstrate knowledge on Multi-sensory Techniques of Teaching literacy and Mathematics; • Discuss the Child with SpLD in the Classroom; • Identify correct and incorrect presentation of assessment, particularly in relation to accessiblity to print and presentation; • Demonstrate the important of awareness of this profile in order to effectively implement inclusion with the UDL framework. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • Apply knowledge on SpLD to the Classroom situation; • Demonstrate ability to link class observations to theories of SpLD; • Employ multisensory teaching skills to the classroom situation; • Illustrate examples in relation to SpLD; • Research how this neurodiverse profile may be addressed in the classroom using inclusive multisensory classroom strategies within the UDL paradigm; • Identify and explain learning and performance behaviour which suggest specific learning difficulties in order to refer; • Design teaching strategies, learning objectives and outcomes with a focus on access to learning; • Provide modified resources to fit the needs and profile of such a population with regard to learning, performance and assessment; • Provide practical teaching activities and strategies that can be used to improve the learning outcomes of students with specific learning difficulties; • Evaluate accessibility of assessment and tests, particularly with regard to presentation and access to print. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts - Bender William N. (2008 6th Edition). Learning Disabilities: Characteristics, Identification Teaching Strategies. USA: Allyn and Bacon. OR - Lerner Janet W. (2002) Learning disabilities - theories, diagnosis and teaching strategies (9th Edition) NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. Supplementary texts (a non-exhaustive sample) - Adams Marilyn Jager (1990) Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print Cambridge MA: MIT Press. - Bartlett, D., Moody, S., & Kindersley, K. (2010). Dyslexia in the Workplace: An introductory guide. John Wiley & Sons. - Davis Ronald D. (1995) The gift of dyslexia UK: Souvenir Press. Dyslexia (Journal) - Farmer, M., Riddick, B., & Sterling, C. (2002). Dyslexia and inclusion: assessment and support in higher education. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Taylor and Francis, Books Customer Services for North America, 10650 Toebben Dr., Independence, KY 41051. - Hall Susan L. and Moats Louise C. (1999) Straight talk about reading USA: Contemporary Books. Henderson Anne ( 1998) Maths for the dyslexic - a practical guide London : David Fulton Publishers. Journal of Learning Disabilities (USA: pro-ed). - Pollack J. and Wallwe E. (1994) Day-to-day dyslexia in the classroom United Kingdom: Routledge Reading – A Journal about Literacy and Language in Education (Blackwell Pub.,UK). - Reid Gavin (1998) Dyslexia: a practitioners’ handbook USA: John Wiley & Sons. - Scott, R., & Snowling, M. J. (2004). Dyslexia and counselling. London, England: Whurr. - Rello, L., Bayarri, C., & Gorriz, A. (2012, October). What is wrong with this word? Dyseggxia: a game for children with dyslexia. In Proceedings of the 14th international ACM SIGACCESS conference on Computers and accessibility (pp. 219-220). ACM. - Smythe, I., Everatt, J., & Salter, R. (2005). The international book of dyslexia: a guide to practice and resources. John Wiley & Sons. - Snowling Charles and Margaret (1997) Dyslexia Biology Cognition and intervention (Ed.) UK: British Dyslexia Association. - Snowling, M., (2000) Dyslexia UK: Blackwell Publishers. - Thomson Michael (Ed.) (2003) Dyslexia included: a whole school approach. London: David Fulton Publishers. - Wilson Barbara (1996) The Wilson reading system 3rd Edition USA: Wilson Languages Training. - Mooney, J., & Cole, D. (2014). Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities And Adhd Give You The Tools F. Simon and Schuster. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite Study-unit: IAL1008 | ||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Ruth Falzon Edward Mazzacano DAmato Carmen Muscat |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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