Some topics can be distressing for students, or can trigger unwelcome emotions, memories or mental health issues. For students with mental health issues or who have experienced trauma, this can be a crucial accessibility issue. Triggers are personal; different people can be triggered in different ways. The most common triggers relate to trauma, such as sexual or physical abuse, a suicide attempt or other painful memories. Therefore, when modules refer to content that is likely to be be distressing or triggering for students, we need to ensure we signpost this and support students to study these topics in a way that won't compromise their wellbeing. Different topics require a different response. In the OU, we are therefore trialling an approach that involves classifying content into three categories: A, B or C. Category A topics require the most signposting and support, as these can trigger harmful behaviours in students. Category A topics include:
Category B topics may trigger flashbacks of experienced trauma. Category B topics include (but are not limited to):
Category C topics may be painful or distressing to the student. Category C topics include (but are not limited to):
The different categories require a differentiated approach to adjustments, content warnings and support. The OU model is presented in the table below: Guidance for academics and module teams includes example text that they can adapt and use. For example:
The following is example text that may be adapted and included in week 1 or a module guide. Some topics we are covering in this module may be distressing. They may touch on difficult experiences that you have come into contact with (like [examples]) or deal with subjects which may be distressing for you (e.g. [examples]). We’d suggest that before reading on, you check whether any weeks of the module might be challenging for you. This might involve looking over the titles for each week of the module and noticing whether any emotions come up for you and what they are. Do you feel anxious or angry at the thought of certain topics, for example? If so, we recommend downloading the guidance on Studying Emotive Topics in the Downloads section, and speaking to your tutor to ensure they are able to support you. The following is example text that may be adapted and included in at the beginning of a session containing distressing content. Please be aware, this week/session/activity discusses [topic.] If you are likely to find this distressing, please consider carefully how you might want to engage with this. You can find suggestions in the Studying Emotive Topics guidance, in the Downloads page. You might also want to check with your tutor at this point to see how they may be able to support you. or In this activity/session, you'll be asked to [activity]. If you are concerned this might adversely affect your mental health, you might like to skip this activity or engage with it only very lightly. Please speak to your tutor if you have any questions. We have also created template practical guidance on emotional resilience that academics can adapt for their module and use with students. This covers topics such as:
We're also seeking feedback on this approach as part of the trial, so do get in touch or comment below if you have any idea, questions or comments!
41 Comments
|
AuthorKate Lister is a lecturer in inclusive education at the Open University, UK, and is an associate for Advance HE. Categories
All
Archives
August 2021
|