It is important that all students are able to benefit from the contributions of tutor and other students in tutorials. The norm is doubtless that most tutors are clearer in, and more prepared for, their contributions than most students. For this reason, and for the benefit of all students, the tutor can make students' contributions more accessible to other students by rephrasing or repeating, or perhaps by recording comments on flipchart or chalkboard.
"I felt in history tutorials as if he thought, She is not really present, she is away in another world. She is not contributing. I knew that was what he was thinking. But I couldn't hear! I was trying to hear, but I was getting lost all the time in what everyone was saying."
For students who lip-read, furniture might need to be rearranged so that the faces of everyone can be seen. A horse-shoe seating arrangement is helpful for this, ideally with none of the participants silhouetted against the light.
If a student with a hearing impairment is being excluded because of several people talking at once (which makes lip-reading impossible) the tutor can control the situation by passing a pencil or baton from person to person, with only the holder of the baton being allowed to speak. Prior notice of the topic and main ideas provides the context crucial for successful lip-reading. If the subject matter is not sufficiently structured to allow this, the main ideas could be recorded on chalkboard or in some other textual way as the tutorial proceeds.
Background noise can be amplified by hearing aids where room loops are not installed. Students might use equipment, such as radio aid systems, to get round the problem, and in this case, speakers might be asked to wear a radio microphone, and this is not a difficult request to comply with. Alternatively, a change of tutorial room to a quieter side of a building or room within a corridor, can help. Rooms with soft furnishings may assist hearing by reducing echo.
Students who use an interpreter will need prior notice of new 'jargon' likely to come up in the tutorial. The interpreter will also need a short break from time to time. A student who is using an interpreter should be give the same opportunity as other students to ask questions or make comments: they might rely on the interpreter to speak for them. However, some deaf people who need an interpreter to enable them to understand a speaker can nevertheless speak independently.
Students who have a visual impairment or some other difficulty in accessing text may be excluded when there is some reading to do in the tutorial. For students in this category, it is particularly helpful to anticipate this by providing such textual material in an accessible format in advance, even if this is not the tutor's usual practice.
Speaking in public is an ordeal for many students, but is often expected of them. Tutors can help greatly by creating an appropriate atmosphere, encouraging students to develop the skill of articulating views and questions. Yet some students may be unduly anxious, for reasons, which might in some cases relate to mental health difficulties. If a tutor knows about such a problem, then treating the student with sensitivity can help to overcome it.
Students who have speech impairments are not necessarily among those who would experience undue stress at having to contribute. Where a student has a severe difficulty with verbal communication, it might be sensible to discuss in advance with the student how they could best contribute. They may wish the tutor to repeat their contribution for the benefit of other students. If the tutor finds that s/he does not always follow what the person is saying, then sitting next to the student and using a notepad and pen can clarify any misunderstandings. Students who use equipment which produces synthesised speech, or who would be able to use overheads rather than speech will benefit from prior notice of the topics to enable them to prepare.
Next: Practical classes, including laboratories, studios and workshops
Copyright: The University of Strathclyde 2000
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