Taking Universal Design back to its roots : Perspectives on accessibility and identity in undergraduate mathematics

Universal Design has been promoted to address the diversity of learners in higher education. However, rarely have Universal Design implementations been evaluated by listening to the voices of disabled students. For this study, we investigated the perceptions of three disabled students who took part in an undergraduate mathematics course designed with the principles of Universal Design for Learning and Assessment. The study consists of two parts. First, we observed the experiences students had in relation to the accessibility of the course design. The second part consisted of a further analysis of the students identifying processes to understand how they talked about their learning disabilities during the course. Our results highlight many opportunities and challenges that the course offered to the students, whilst also raising concerns about how the students excluded themselves from their student cohort in their identifying narratives. Based on our results, we argue that Universal Design should be returned to its roots by connecting it with the social model of disability. We call for future research to learn from our mistakes and consider the identifying processes of the students while designing, and hopefully co-designing, inclusive learning environments in mathematics.Peer reviewe

Taking Universal Design back to its roots : Perspectives on accessibility and identity in undergraduate mathematics

Universal Design has been promoted to address the diversity of learners in higher education. However, rarely have Universal Design implementations been evaluated by listening to the voices of disabled students. For this study, we investigated the perceptions of three disabled students who took part in an undergraduate mathematics course designed with the principles of Universal Design for Learning and Assessment. The study consists of two parts. First, we observed the experiences students had in relation to the accessibility of the course design. The second part consisted of a further analysis of the students identifying processes to understand how they talked about their learning disabilities during the course. Our results highlight many opportunities and challenges that the course offered to the students, whilst also raising concerns about how the students excluded themselves from their student cohort in their identifying narratives. Based on our results, we argue that Universal Design should be returned to its roots by connecting it with the social model of disability. We call for future research to learn from our mistakes and consider the identifying processes of the students while designing, and hopefully co-designing, inclusive learning environments in mathematics.Peer reviewe

Politicising inclusive learning environments: How to foster belonging and challenge ableism?

Inclusive learning environments have been described as a crucial factor for fostering disabled students' sense of belonging in higher education. However, few empirical studies have elaborated on how learning environments contribute to disabled students' belonging. In this study, we have taken a socio-political approach and widen the theoretical understanding of 'belonging'. We analyse three Finnish disabled students' narrative interviews concerning their experiences of learning environments through a narrative approach. Our findings highlight the complex interplay of learning environments and belonging in the context of STEM and large class sizes. We discuss the role of active learning environments for supporting disabled students' belonging. The narratives show how not belonging might be more productive for these students, as the learning environments are often built on ableism. We redefined inclusive learning environment design and their research as socio-political endeavours: If teachers wish to promote belonging through learning environment design, such design needs to disrupt the broader ableist discourses of higher education.Peer reviewe

Sense of belonging for students with intensive special education needs : An exploration of students' belonging and teachers' role in implementing support

Sense of belonging has been defined as the degree to which an individual feels included, accepted, and supported by others in a variety of social settings, for example, a school context. Previous research on sense of belonging has mainly focused on students with special needs in inclusive schools. There appears to be a shortage of research on sense of belonging in different school placements (general and special) and in post-school life for individuals with intensive special education needs. The purpose of this thesis, which consists of three related, internationally published peer-reviewed articles (Studies I-III), was to examine to what extent sense of belonging can be supported in school and in post-school life for students with intensive special education needs in Finland. Particular focus was placed on the voices of those students in order to understand how best to create a positive school climate that supports sense of belonging for all. Teacher perceptions of the implemented three-tiered support model (Finland' s Basic Education Act 642/2010) and school visit data were utilized to contextualize the students conceptions and experiences. Study I examined conceptions associated with sense of belonging in general and special school placements for middle-school students with intensive special education needs (N = 5). Phenomenographic methods of analysis were utilized in Study I. In Study II, which was based on the narratives of two females (ages 26 and 29) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the focus was on sense of belonging and various life transition issues that may appear in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood in the absence of appropriate social supports. Qualitative narrative approaches were used in Study II to analyze interview and document data in order to create life transition stories. Study III examined the implementation of new, special education legislation in Finland (Basic Education Act 642/2010) among students with intensive special education needs. The material for Study III consisted of (1) survey data on teacher perceptions (N = 526) of the implementation of the education legislation and the current organization of special education services, and (2) observations of the implementation of the legislation in schools (N = 12) across Finland. The analysis of the survey data in Study III was based on sequential mixed-methods design. The school observation data were analyzed qualitatively. In Study I, the qualitative phenomenographic analyses of interview transcripts revealed various conceptions regarding the students sense of belonging in different school placements (general and special). The students had undergone numerous placements in which their sense of belonging had been jeopardized, as disturbing relationships with teachers and peers seemed to have affected the students mental and physical well-being, resulting in disturbing behaviors in their earlier educational settings. Despite the various placements, the students felt better in their current, special, school, which had a positive climate. The results of Study II demonstrated that lack of social support increases the number of school placements and transitions and causes biases in forming a sense of belonging. The findings further suggested that providing social assistance and positive life experiences during emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) seems to matter most in forming a strong sense of belonging in life. Furthermore, the findings of both Studies I and II suggested that, for individuals with intensive special education needs, adapting one s behavior in order to feel a sense of belonging (Juvonen, 2006) might be associated with hiding the unique characteristics of a person s special needs. Study III found that teachers values and beliefs seem to influence the organization of special education (e.g., affecting the overall school climate). Furthermore, some schools and teachers implemented the law s integration requirement by placing all students with intensive special needs in separate units or school buildings, whereas other schools placed students in general education. The findings suggest that students with intensive special education needs can feel a sense of belonging primarily in schools in which adults work in multidisciplinary collaboration, which helps to create an accepting and supportive school climate. In the post-school phase, it appeared that positive experiences during emerging adulthood (between the ages of 18 and 25) seem to matter most in generating a strong sense of belonging to a community. Hence, individuals with intensive special needs would benefit from ongoing support from the time they first enter school with continuation through the post-school transition phase and into adulthood. Also, the results hypothetically imply that the school principal plays a significant role in creating a school climate that supports a sense of belonging for all students. The results of this thesis also shed light on several limitations that prevent generalizations from being made. Therefore, further study is unquestionably needed. This thesis has provided an initial exploration into the under-researched area of sense of belonging in different school placements and in post-school life for students with intensive special education needs. Keywords: sense of belonging, intensive special education needs, school placement, transition, teachers values and beliefs, school climateKuuluvuuden tunne määritellään yksilön kokemukseksi osallisuudesta ja hyväksytyksi tulemisesta erilaisissa sosiaalisissa konteksteissa, esimerkiksi koulussa. Aiempi tutkimus on pääasiassa keskittynyt tarkastelemaan kuuluvuuden tunnetta perusopetuksessa oppilailla, joilla on erityistarpeita, joihin tarjotaan yleistä tai tehostettua tukea. Tämä tutkimus syventää ja laajentaa nykyistä tietämystä kuuluvuuden tunteesta oppilailla, joilla on vaativan erityisen tuen tarpeita. Tämän väitöstutkimuksen, joka koostuu kolmesta artikkelista ja yhteenvedosta, tarkoituksena on selvittää miten kuuluvuuden tunnetta voidaan tukea peruskoulussa ja sen jälkeen. Tutkimuksessa painotetaan erityisesti tutkimukseen osallistuneiden henkilöiden käsityksien ja kokemuksien merkitystä. Oppilaiden käsityksien ja kokemuksien tulkitsemiseen saatiin syvyyttä tarkastelemalla opettajien näkemyksiä kolmiportaisen tuen toteutumisesta. Lisäksi kokonaisuuden tarkastelussa hyödynnettiin kouluissa kerättyjä havainnointiaineistoja. Osatutkimus I tarkastelee oppilaiden (N = 5), joilla on erityisen tuen tarve, käsityksiä kuuluvuuden tunteesta perusopetuksessa. Osatutkimuksessa I käytettiin fenomenografisia analyysimenetelmiä. Osatutkimus II perustui kahden autismin kirjoon kuuluvan naisen (iältään 26 ja 29 vuotiaita) narratiiveihin, joissa tarkasteltiin, millainen tuki oli merkityksellistä kuuluvuuden tunteen tukemisessa elämän eri vaiheissa (lapsuus, nuoruus ja aikuisuus). Osatutkimuksessa II haastattelu- ja dokumenttiaineistot analysoitiin narratiivisen tutkimuksen metodeilla. Osatutkimuksessa III tutkittiin kolmiportaisen tuen toteutumista vaativan erityisen tuen oppilaiden keskuudessa. Osatutkimuksen III aineisto koostui (1) opettajien näkemyksistä (N = 526) liittyen perusopetuslakiuudistukseen lain voimaan tulon jälkeen ja (2) havainnointiaineistosta kolmiportaisen tuen toteutumisesta kouluissa (N = 12). Osatutkimuksen III kyselytutkimusaineisto analysoitiin monimenetelmällisesti. Kouluhavainnointiaineisto analysoitiin laadullisesti. Osatutkimuksen I perusteella oppilailla oli monia erilaisia käsityksiä koskien kuuluvuuden tunnetta. Oppilailla oli useita koulusiirtoja erään suomalaisen keskisuuren kaupungin perusopetuksen kouluissa. Oppilaiden kertomana saatiin tietää, että kuuluvuuden tunne oli joutunut uhatuksi opettajien välinpitämättömyyden vuoksi. Lisäksi muiden oppilaiden kielteinen suhtautuminen oppilaiden erityistarpeisiin heikensi tutkimukseen osallistuneiden kuuluvuuden tunnetta. Haastateltavien mukaan edellä mainitut tekijät vaikuttivat heidän henkiseen ja fyysiseen hyvinvointiinsa. Nykyisessä koulussa (kaikilla oppilailla erityisen tuen päätös) edellä mainittuja haasteita ei ollut. Haastatellut arvioivat, että koulussa vallitsi myönteinen, hyväksyvä ja kannustava ilmapiiri. Osatutkimuksen II tulokset osoittivat, että yksilöllistetyn tuen puute lisäsi koulusiirtoja ja siirtymiä peruskoulun jälkeisessä elämässä. Useat koulusiirrot ja siirtymät myös aikuisuudessa heikensivät kuuluvuuden tunteen syntymistä. Tulokset osoittivat myös, että yksilöllinen tuki ja positiiviset elämänkokemukset varhaisaikuisuudessa (vuosien 18 ja 25 välillä) vahvistavat kuuluvuuden tunnetta. Lisäksi osatutkimuksien I ja II tulokset osoittivat, että yksilön oma tietoinen käyttäytymisen muuntaminen (kuuluvuuden tunteen osatekijä; Juvonen, 2006), jos hänellä on vaativan erityisen tuen tarpeita, voi liittyä tuen tarpeen peittämiseen ympäristöltä. Näin henkilö voisi tulla ympäristön hyväksymäksi. Osatutkimus III osoitti, että opettajien arvot ja uskomukset voivat vaikuttaa erityisopetusjärjestelyihin kouluissa (esim. yleiseen ilmapiiriin erityisoppilaita kohtaan). Osa kouluista ja opettajista tulkitsi lakia siten, että kaikki vaativan erityisen tuen oppilaat sijoitettiin erilleen muista yleisen ja tehostetun tuen oppilaista, kun taas osa kouluista sijoitti oppilaat samaan ryhmään muiden oppilaiden kanssa. Väitöstutkimuksen tulosten perusteella voidaan todeta, että vaativan erityisen tuen oppilaat voivat kokea kuuluvuuden tunteen ensisijaisesti kouluissa, joissa aikuiset työskentelevät yhdessä ja monialainen yhteistyö toteutuu. Aikuisten välinen tasavertainen yhteistyö näyttäisi liittyvän positiivisen kouluilmapiirin syntyyn. Rehtorin rooli kuuluvuuden tunnetta tukevan positiivisen kouluilmapiirin synnyssä vaikuttaisi olevan myös merkityksellinen. Lisäksi peruskoulun jälkeisinä vuosina myönteiset elämänkokemukset synnyttävät vahvan kuuluvuuden tunteen. Tästä syystä, kuuluvuuden tunnetta tulisi tukea ja vahvistaa varhaislapsuudesta saakka. Tämä väitöstutkimus avaa tärkeän ikkunan vaativan erityisen tuen oppilaiden kokemis- ja käsitysmaailmaan. Kuitenkaan tulosten perusteella ei ole suositeltavaa tehdä yleistyksiä. Tätä tutkimusta voidaan pitää esitutkimuksena laajemmille lisätutkimuksille. Avainsanat: kuuluvuuden tunne, vaativa erityinen tuki, koulusijoitus, siirtymät, opettajien arvot ja uskomukset, kouluilmapiir

Anti-ableist pedagogies in higher education: A systems approach

Disabilities and neurodiversity are dominantly understood as something that challenges higher education rather than something that enriches it: ableist underpinnings characterize higher education despite policies of widened access. While earlier research has explored ideas such as ‘inclusive pedagogies’ and ‘pedagogies of belonging’, these important contributions have downplayed the marginalizing nature of pedagogy itself. In this conceptual study, we argue that non-ableist approaches to teaching are not sufficient in itself. We suggest a conceptual model for anti-ableist pedagogies to promote belonging and to challenge the exclusion and marginalization of disabled students. We have drawn on the ecological systems model by Bronfenbrenner to examine anti-ableist pedagogies as understood through the theory of systemic change. We provide a theory synthesis by drawing on earlier work on disability studies and anti-racist pedagogies: without systematic approaches to unpack and challenge the idea of a ‘normal, able student’ in pedagogical design and policies, ‘pedagogies of belonging’ fail to foster ‘belonging’ in a system that builds on exclusion. Our study will benefit both practitioners striving for more inclusive higher education as well as researchers aiming to better conceptualize the questions of belonging in the exclusive systems of higher education

An Extendable Python Implementation of Robust Optimisation Monte Carlo

Performing inference in statistical models with an intractable likelihood is challenging, therefore, most likelihood-free inference (LFI) methods encounter accuracy and efficiency limitations. In this paper, we present the implementation of the LFI method Robust Optimisation Monte Carlo (ROMC) in the Python package ELFI. ROMC is a novel and efficient (highly-parallelizable) LFI framework that provides accurate weighted samples from the posterior. Our implementation can be used in two ways. First, a scientist may use it as an out-of-the-box LFI algorithm; we provide an easy-to-use API harmonized with the principles of ELFI, enabling effortless comparisons with the rest of the methods included in the package. Additionally, we have carefully split ROMC into isolated components for supporting extensibility. A researcher may experiment with novel method(s) for solving part(s) of ROMC without reimplementing everything from scratch. In both scenarios, the ROMC parts can run in a fully-parallelized manner, exploiting all CPU cores. We also provide helpful functionalities for (i) inspecting the inference process and (ii) evaluating the obtained samples. Finally, we test the robustness of our implementation on some typical LFI examples.Comment: the publication is based on the manuscript of MSc. thesis arXiv:2011.0397

Robust estimation techniques for GNSS positioning

Abstract Tracking and navigation problems are often solved using estimation methods that are based on least-squares and Kalman filtering techniques. It is well known that these classic methods are sensitive to unexpectedly large measurement errors. In this article we discuss some robust static and dynamic estimation methods that are designed to be insensitive against outlying observations. Positioning simulations and results of a field test where robust techniques are applied to pedestrian positioning using GPS pseudorange measurements are presented. The results indicate that robust techniques have potential in GNSS positioning