Equality and Equity in Teaching and Guidance (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

Pass/Fail

Content scheduling

Orientation webinar: Mon 27.1.2025 from 15.00 to 17.00
Closing webinar: Mon 14.4.2025 from 16.00 to 18.00
Participation in orientation and closing webinars is essential.

Objective

The purpose of the study unit 

In this study unit, you will familiarise yourself with the diversity of students’ learning and studying: the student’s individual needs for support, the significance of culture and language, and the nature of gender sensitive guidance. You will also familiarise yourself with the collaboration networks for guidance and support at an educational institution. In this study unit, you will grow your capabilities as a developer of accessible learning and teaching together with a variety of actors.

Study unit competences

In this study unit, you will promote and develop your interpersonal skills and reflection skills.

The objective for interpersonal skills is to be able to strengthen learners’ competence. You will be able to support learners’ competence for continuous learning, such as self-regulation and reflection skills, and the ownership of their own learning process. You will also have the ability to take into account learner diversity and learners’ personal starting points and goals when planning and carrying out learning sessions and guiding learning. Your approach is dialogical and ethical in a way that supports the well-being of learners.

The objective for reflective skills is to be able to recognise and assess one’s pedagogical assumptions, and work methods as facilitators of learning. You will be able to realistically assess your own learning and competence and set yourself new goals as a facilitator of learning.

Learning objectives

You will be able to assess your own perspectives as a teacher for diverse learners and support the learning of all learners. You will be aware of learners’ individual experience, support needs and backgrounds, and you will understand their significance in the learning process. You will also understand the significance of cultural and gender sensitivity in a teacher’s work. 

Content

Special needs support and guidance as part of a teacher’s competence. Questions of equality, accessibility and inclusion. Culturally sensitive, linguistically aware, and gender sensitive guidance and teaching.

Materials

Ahonen. T., Aro. M., Aro, T., Lerkkanen, M-K. & Siiskonen, T. 2020. Oppimisen vaikeudet. NMI, Otavan kirjapaino.

Korhonen, V. & Puukari, S. 2013. Monikulttuurinen ohjaus- ja neuvontatyö. PS-Kustannus.

Karvinen, M. & Venesmäki, E. 2019. Tilaa moninaisuudelle! Opas seksuaali- ja sukupuolivähemmistöjen yhdenvertaisuuden edistämiseen. https://ranneliike.net/uutiset/15428/tilaa-moninaisuudelle-opas-auttaa-seksuaali-ja.

Niemi, A-M. 2015. Erityisiä koulutuspolkuja? Tutkimus erityisopetuksen käytännöistä peruskoulun jälkeen. https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/158436

Aarnio, H. 2012. Dialogiset menetelmät -sivusto. Hämeen ammattikorkeakoulu. http://www3.hamk.fi/dialogi/diale/menetelmat/

Kuntoutussäätiön oppaat ja hankejulkaisut. https://oppimisvaikeus.fi/materiaalit/kuntoutussaation-hankejulkaisut/

You will find additional learning materials and assignments in the online learning environment.

Teaching methods

Open UAS students and Master's Degree education students: This is an online study unit. It is based on independent work, learning assignments and online guidance. This study unit has a start-up webinar and closing webinar. In orientation webinar the content is presented and instructions are given. In closing webinar we take a sight to the tasks in time.

Student workload

In total, the course consists of 135 hours (5 x 27h) of students’ work:
- Orientation 5 hours (includes 2 hours webinar)
- Self-directed learning in online environment, reading the learning materials, completing the learning assignments 130 h

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The criteria for assessing the approved level are as follows:

Interpersonal skills
- You will understand the significance of student diversity in your own teaching work and the activities of student groups.   
- You will be aware of students’ possible needs for special support . 
- You will understand the importance of cultural and gender sensitivity in teaching and guidance work.  

Reflection skills
- You will identify and assess, from the perspective of promoting student equality and inclusion, the basic concepts, values and attitudes that influence your teaching and you own ways of thinking and operating models.  
- You will set new objectives for yourself as a teacher engaging with student diversity.

Further information

The assessment is qualitative and is based on learning objectives. The methods for evaluation of the learning process are feedback and self-assessment. Competence assessment is based on criteria and the teacher educator makes the assessment decision once all the learning tasks have been completed. The assessment material consists of the learning tasks of the course and self-assessment tasks.