EDM188: Educating Diverse Groups

Module code: EDM188

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Yota Dimitriadi, email: y.dimitriadi@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 1 June 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The aim of this module is to enable students to develop a critical, research-informed understanding of inclusion and diversity in education across formal, informal and digital learning contexts. The module supports students to examine how language, communication, social and structural factors shape participation and access to learning, and interrogate assumptions, power relations, and models that underpin inclusive practice for diverse student groups. In doing so, the module introduces social justice perspectives that highlight equity, fairness, and the transformation of systemic barriers. As a result, the module invites students to consider how to support awareness, design, set and support inclusive and accessible educational and training opportunities.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Use intersectional, ethical, and contextual perspectives to examine inclusive practice and justify professional decisions using research and theory.
2. Critically evaluate research, policy, national or international initiatives related to inclusive education and inclusive professional practice.
3. Analyse theories and frameworks of inclusion with some additional focus on disability and neurodivergence, considering whose voices and experiences are represented or excluded.
4. Critically examine factors that enable or constrain inclusive education or educational initiatives within a range of educational and professional contexts.
5. Demonstrate professional judgement by evaluating learning environments, practices, or resources designed to support the participation of diverse learners.
6. ¸é±ð´Ú±ô±ð³¦³ÙÌýon personal assumptions, values, lived experiences and professional practice in relation to inclusion and diversity in educational contexts and workplace settings, and develop an evidence-informed academic argument.

Module content

The module aims and objectives are designed to deepen students’ knowledge, skills, and understanding around inclusive professional practice with a focus on disability and neurodivergence. While the focus is on educational settings, the skills developed can be transferable across professional contexts. The module emphasises students’ own professional practice, supported by relevant pedagogical evidence-based resources. 

Topics include:

• Representation, identity and intersectionality
• Models of disability
• Factors influencing inclusion
• Language, communication and representation 
• Cognitive, emotional, and linguistic diversity
• Learning inside the classroom
• Inclusive pedagogies and curriculum design 
• Digital access and accessibility
• Learning beyond the classroom
• Inclusive leadership

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module adopts dynamic and interactive teaching and learning approaches that position students as active participants in the co-production of knowledge. Learning takes place through a blend of lectures, seminars, workshops, peer-led group discussions, and whole-class engagement with research literature, delivered face-to-face (potentially online sessions to incorporate guest perspectives. A key feature is simulation and project-based learning, to encourage creative, experiential, and team-based exploration of module concepts. Learning and participation are intentionally multimodal, spanning spoken, written, visual, audio, digital, and embodied forms, to reflect the module’s commitment to inclusive and intersectional educational practice. Throughout the module, students will critically reflect on how modes of participation shape power, access, and knowledge production within educational and professional contexts. Students are expected to complete weekly preparatory reading to support informed and critical participation.

Study hours

At least 18 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Planning for assessment - this is marked and discussed during our tutorials.

Reassessment

Additional costs