A Literature Review of Universal Design for Learning

This literature review is comprised of four sections: 1) A focus on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), examining the existing literature and key issues in the field. 2) An exploration of how UDL fits with wider pedagogical research on inclusive education and highlights resources published by the Higher Education Academy and other organisations to facilitate and advance inclusive teaching and learning in universities. 3) An examination of the context in which UDL was adopted at DMU, with reference to the withdrawal of Disability Students’ Allowance. It gives an overview of previous projects at the University that precipitated the institution-wide adoption of UDL including the Disability Enhancement Programme and a related TIP project. This incorporates emerging literature about lecture capture technology. 4) The final section maps the broader higher education landscape in the UK considering the adoption of UDL in the context of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), tuition fees and widening participation. The concluding discussion draws together key themes from each section to highlight gaps in existing literature and the position of UDL at DMU

Three units in eleventh-grade English

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1938. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Bonds of Print and Chains of Paper: Rethinking Print Culture and Social Formation in Early Modern England, c.1550-c.1700

This thesis examines the employment of print by institutions in early modern England c.1550-c1700, to challenge existing understandings of print culture. Where previous studies of print focus predominantly on the published, public and popular, my research demonstrates that institutions commissioned and distributed print for a variety of communicative and administrative purposes. By engaging critically with the adoption of print, I interrogate the role of documentary culture in the workings of governance. I argue that print increasingly navigated and negotiated a wide set of exchanges and was a critical component in the development and performance of social relations. Examining institutional records and personal papers, this thesis identifies a previously overlooked corpus of print that was implicit to administration and record keeping. My research supplements existing print catalogues to remap the printed landscape of the period. Each section explores a particular institutional setting, looking in turn at the printed output of the Church, the state and London livery companies to reveal the function of print in administrative practice. To do this, it follows the course of printed sheets from printing house to archive. As a result, it charts a very different circulation and consumption of print. This thesis aims to transform ideas of what men and women read, as much as what institutions printed. Scholars have largely ignored this print and the wider ramifications it has for understanding the paperchains that connected institutions and individuals. By taking a material approach to print, this thesis extends the parameters to discuss and study paperwork more broadly. My research contests the association usually drawn between the adoption of print and the emergence of standardisation and bureaucratic efficiency. I argue this has significant implications for conceptions of state formation, social relations and knowledge production in the early modern period

Universal Design for Learning 2: Evaluation Interim Report

The aim of UDL2 was to manage the transition of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to the academic, cultural, quality and operational infrastructure created by the first phase of the project, which rolled out UDL principles across DMU. The overall aim is to ensure that the UDL framework is embedded as part of the DMU student experience by September 2020. This interim report gives an overview of the evaluation work stream so far. This includes the collection of qualitative data via interviews with key stakeholders, a workshop with DMU staff and analysis of relevant documents. Quantitative data on student good honours, continuation and satisfaction, as well as data relating to DMU Replay has also been collected. The purpose of this work was to ascertain the impact of UDL at DMU on staff and student stakeholders, and the extent to which it has been embedded across the institution at a range of levels

The relationship between psychopathy and autism: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Background and methods: The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise research examining the relationship between autism and psychopathy to: (a) better understand the relationship between these two constructs, and (b) describe the clinical manifestation of the two when they co-occur. A systematic search of the literature returned 36 studies. Results: Across all ages, autistic individuals and those with elevated autistic traits but no autistic diagnoses appeared to have increased callous and unemotional traits or psychopathy relative to the general population. Several studies evidenced that although both constructs are associated with empathetic dysfunction, the underlying mechanisms differ. In adults, psychopathy/psychopathic traits were associated with diminished affective empathy and intact cognitive empathy, whilst the opposite was seen autistic adults and those with elevated autistic traits. In children, those with autistic traits or a diagnosis of autism had diminished cognitive empathy, but not affective empathy, while the relationship between callous and unemotional traits/psychopathy and empathy amongst children was less clear. The co-occurrence of autism and psychopathy was seen to lead to additional empathic and cognitive impairment, but findings were mixed making it challenging to clearly describe the clinical manifestation. Conclusion: There remains a paucity of research investigating the interaction between autism and psychopathy and included studies were characterised by multiple measurement difficulties. Attention should be directed toward developing better methods for identifying psychopathic traits in autistic individuals to advance our understanding of the relationship between autism and psychopathy to allow for the development of appropriate care pathways for this population

Speaking with different voices: the problems with English law and psychiatric injury

Private law courts in the UK have maintained the de minimis threshold as a condition precedent for a successful claim for the infliction of mental harm. This de minimis threshold necessitates the presence of a ‘recognised psychiatric illness’ as opposed to ‘mere emotion’. This standard has also been adopted by the criminal law courts when reading the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 to include non-physical injury. In determining the cut-off point between psychiatric injury and mere emotion, the courts have adopted a generally passive acceptance of expert testimony and the guidelines used by mental health professionals to make diagnoses. Yet these guidelines were developed for use in a clinical setting, not a legal one. This article examines the difficulty inherent in utilising the ‘dimensional’ diagnostic criteria used by mental health professionals to answer ‘categorical’ legal questions. This is of particular concern following publication of the new diagnostic manual, DSM-V in 2013, which will further exacerbate concerns about compatibility. It is argued that a new set of diagnostic guidelines, tailored specifically for use in a legal context, is now a necessity

Action Research with Children: Lessons from Tackling Disasters and Climate Change

Recent research and practice from the fields of climate change adaptation and disaster management has created a shift from emphasis of children's vulnerability and need for protection towards their potential as agents of change before, during and after disaster events. This article examines lessons from action research into children's agency in disaster?prone communities of El Salvador and the Philippines. We describe some of the participatory risk management methods that were adapted for use with children, the centrality of ethics to our approach and the importance of working with a non?governmental organisation (NGO) partner that provides ongoing support in the study communities. The research design was led by external agents in order to cross?compare findings across locations and countries. However, we argue that by engaging children in a process of knowledge generation and analysis, the research broke down some of the assumed hierarchies between researcher and researched common to orthodox approaches

Baseline characteristics of people experiencing homelessness with a recent drug overdose in the PHOENIx pilot randomised controlled trial

Background: Drug-related deaths in Scotland are the highest in Europe. Half of all deaths in people experiencing homelessness are drug related, yet we know little about the unmet health needs of people experiencing homelessness with recent non-fatal overdose, limiting a tailored practice and policy response to a public health crisis. Methods: People experiencing homelessness with at least one non-fatal street drug overdose in the previous 6 months were recruited from 20 venues in Glasgow, Scotland, and randomised into PHOENIx plus usual care, or usual care. PHOENIx is a collaborative assertive outreach intervention by independent prescriber NHS Pharmacists and third sector homelessness workers, offering repeated integrated, holistic physical, mental and addictions health and social care support including prescribing. We describe comprehensive baseline characteristics of randomised participants. Results: One hundred and twenty-eight participants had a mean age of 42 years (SD 8.4); 71% male, homelessness for a median of 24 years (IQR 12–30). One hundred and eighteen (92%) lived in large, congregate city centre temporary accommodation. A quarter (25%) were not registered with a General Practitioner. Participants had overdosed a mean of 3.2 (SD 3.2) times in the preceding 6 months, using a median of 3 (IQR 2–4) non-prescription drugs concurrently: 112 (87.5%) street valium (benzodiazepine-type new psychoactive substances); 77 (60%) heroin; and 76 (59%) cocaine. Half (50%) were injecting, 50% into their groins. 90% were receiving care from Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services (ADRS), and in addition to using street drugs, 90% received opioid substitution therapy (OST), 10% diazepam for street valium use and one participant received heroin-assisted treatment. Participants had a mean of 2.2 (SD 1.3) mental health problems and 5.4 (SD 2.5) physical health problems; 50% received treatment for physical or mental health problems. Ninety-one per cent had at least one mental health problem; 66% had no specialist mental health support. Participants were frail (70%) or pre-frail (28%), with maximal levels of psychological distress, 44% received one or no daily meal, and 58% had previously attempted suicide. Conclusions: People at high risk of drug-related death continue to overdose repeatedly despite receiving OST. High levels of frailty, multimorbidity, unsuitable accommodation and unmet mental and physical health care needs require a reorientation of services informed by evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Trial registration UK Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ISRCTN 10585019

Pharmacist led homeless outreach engagement and non-medical independent prescribing (Rx) (PHOENIx) intervention for people experiencing homelessness: a non- randomised feasibility study

Background: Homelessness and associated mortality and multimorbidity rates are increasing. Systematic reviews have demonstrated a lack of complex interventions that decrease unscheduled emergency health services utilisation or increase scheduled care. Better evidence is needed to inform policy responses. We examined the feasibility of a complex intervention (PHOENIx: Pharmacist led Homeless Outreach Engagement Nonmedical Independent prescribing (Rx)) to inform a subsequent pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT). Methods: Non-randomised trial with Usual Care (UC) comparator group set in Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board, Scotland. Participants were adult inpatients experiencing homelessness in a city centre Glasgow hospital, referred to the PHOENIx team at the point of hospital discharge, from 19th March 2018 until 6th April 2019. The follow up period for each patient started on the day the patient was first seen (Intervention group) or first referred (UC), until 24th August 2019, the censor date for all patients. All patients were offered and agreed to receive serial consultations with the PHOENIx team (NHS Pharmacist prescriber working with Simon Community Scotland (third sector homeless charity worker)). Patients who could not be reached by the PHOENIx team were allocated to the UC group. The PHOENIx intervention included assessment of physical/mental health, addictions, housing, benefits and social activities followed by pharmacist prescribing with referral to other health service specialities as necessary. All participants received primary (including specialist homelessness health service based general practitioner care, mental health and addictions services) and secondary care. Main outcome measures were rates of: recruitment; retention; uptake of the intervention; and completeness of collected data, from recruitment to censor date. Results: Twenty four patients were offered and agreed to participate; 12 were reached and received the intervention as planned with a median 7.5 consultations (IQR3.0–14.2) per patient. The pharmacist prescribed a median of 2 new (IQR0.3–3.8) and 2 repeat (1.3–7.0) prescriptions per patient; 10(83%) received support for benefits, housing or advocacy. Twelve patients were not subsequently contactable after leaving hospital, despite agreeing to participate, and were assigned to UC. Two patients in the UC group died of drug/alcohol overdose during follow up; no patients in the Intervention group died. All 24 patients were retained in the intervention or UC group until death or censor date and all patient records were accessible at follow up: 11(92%) visited ED in both groups, with 11(92%) hospitalisations in intervention group, 9(75%) UC. Eight (67%) intervention group patients and 3(25%) UC patients attended scheduled out patient appointments. Conclusions: Feasibility testing of the PHOENIx intervention suggests merit in a subsequent pilot RCT