The investigation and evaluation of the support mechanisms offered to adults with a diagnosis of dyslexia in higher education study

Abstract

This research had two aims. The first aim was to investigate the support mechanisms available to learners with dyslexia on programmes of higher education (HE), and the second aim was to assess the effectiveness of any inventions used to improve access to learning for this group of learners. Since the introduction of the National Student Survey (NSS) in 2005, efforts have been ongoing to improve the quality of the educational experience for students on HE programmes. Although the general trend in satisfaction scores is an improving one, this is not the case for learners experiencing disabilities. Around 43% of these learners will have dyslexia.
The research consists of two distinct parts. The first is a cross-sectional website survey and documentary analysis, and the second is a systematic review. The cross-sectional website survey and documentary analysis located and extracted data that detailed the learning support available to learners with dyslexia, from a representative number of higher education institution (HEI) websites in England. The systematic review analysed 10 single studies of experimental or quasi-experimental design and one literature review. These studies focused upon interventions provided to learners with dyslexia in higher education (and its international equivalents).
The combined findings suggest that support for learners with dyslexia in these settings is fragmented and inconsistent, and that there are many areas of existing practice that could be modified to improve opportunities for learning. There is an absence of any model of good organisational practice. There are examples of ‘in-class’ curricular adaptations and ‘outside-class’ additional learning and study skills support, including the use of information communications technology and assistive technology, which have shown some success in supporting the learning of those with dyslexia, but they are not implemented consistently or widely.