A team led by special needs teacher Clemens Hillenbrand has developed digital learning materials on the topic of inclusion. Podcasts and videos are designed to support students and teachers in teaching heterogeneous classes well.
"They always tell me that I can do it and that I can manage it. And that gives me a boost," explains one student in an audio recording. This "Mutschubs" - or more precisely: constructive support through motivating feedback - is one of the many practical tips for good school lessons. The tips were compiled by a cross-university project team led by the University of Oldenburg. They have been compiled in a free collection of media for student teachers. These free teaching and learning materials (Open Educational Resources or OER) are intended to support students of all teaching specialisms in teaching heterogeneous learning groups and putting inclusive education into practice.
The team led by project leader Prof Dr Clemens Hillenbrand from the Institute of Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation, Prof Dr Franco Rau (University of Vechta) and Prof Dr Marie-Christine Vierbuchen (University of Flensburg) began its work in spring 2021. The project, entitled "Action strategies for heterogeneous classes - OER for teacher training", was funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science for 18 months and has recently been completed.
The results are extensive resources in three main areas: Firstly, the researchers provide answers to the question of how good teaching works in general. Secondly, they look at the content of inclusive education, and thirdly, they provide information on how the specific needs of individual pupils can be recognised.
Podcast, explanatory videos and knowledge texts
The project team has developed different media for each of these three packages: Users can listen to podcasts, watch explanatory videos and read short knowledge texts that provide a clear overview of the current study situation and refer to a variety of sources. The whole thing is available on twillo, Lower Saxony's platform for freely accessible educational materials.
"There was a predecessor project called KLUG, which was aimed at history teachers," explains Hillenbrand. "We had already developed digital learning materials there to support the implementation of inclusion, and we recognised the great opportunities that lie in this."
Another impetus for the current project: "We often noticed in seminars that students find it difficult to transfer the basics of inclusion to their subjects," Vierbuchen explains in the video presenting the project. "We therefore need to create a variety of approaches for students from general teaching careers," adds Hillenbrand. There must be opportunities for independent specialisation so that everyone can find exactly the piece of the puzzle they need.
In discussions with experts from teacher training centres and associations, the team found that the resulting materials can also be very helpful for experienced teachers. "We now think that the potential applications go far beyond university teacher training," reports Hillenbrand.
There is a great need for training in the area of inclusion - also due to the coronavirus pandemic. The COPSY study (Corona and Psyche) by the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf pointed out at the beginning of 2021 that almost one in three children was suffering from mental health problems just under a year after the start of the pandemic.
Many positive experiences with inclusion in all types of schools
"Teachers report that many pupils have great difficulty concentrating due to the two-year pandemic," explains Hillenbrand. "They are no longer used to interacting with others, communicating, dealing with conflicts, working together constructively or persevering when they have to sit together for longer periods of time." This presents teachers with new challenges. The OER material could also be a valuable aid for these problems, for example to be able to respond more specifically to the needs of pupils or to establish the right "classroom management".
Overall, the project team is confident that the "Strategies for heterogeneous classes" can make a significant contribution to spreading the idea of inclusion - in teacher training programmes and beyond. For all those who are already in the midst of implementing inclusion, Hillenbrand formulates a small "encouragement": despite all the restrictions, there are many positive experiences, in all types of schools.
"There is a lot of talk that inclusion has failed. We need to show the opposite - where inclusion has succeeded everywhere, where cooperation works." His plea: "Let's look at what is already working. And take the next steps from there."
