Title: Learners with exceptional needs
Course: EPS 201: PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING (B) > Section: Lesson Ten: Learners with exceptional needs

Learners with exceptional needs

Topic-level overview | Topic/week/section | 10
Topic name: | Learners with exceptional needs
Aim of the topic: | The aim of this topic  is to introduce you to exceptional learners in terms of their categories, the legal framework and the services available for them.
This topic covers:
1. The gifted and talented learners
2. Learning disability
3. Physical and sensory impairments
4. Learners with psychosocial problems
Intended learning outcomes:
At the end of this topic, you will be able to:

1. Describe the strategies for adapting instruction for the gifted and talented learners
2. Propose strategies for adapting instruction  for students with learning difficulties
3. Explain strategies for adapting instruction  for the physical and sensory challenged learners
4. Summarize strategies for adapting instruction  for learners  with psychosocial challenges

Overview of student activity

Overview of student activity: | You are expected to participate by responding to the tasks provided in e-tivities 10.1. 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4. You will make use of the links given for slides, videos, e-book and e-book chapters to enhance your achievement of the intended learning outcomes for topic 10.

Constructive alignment of topic level outcomes with module level outcomes, learning activities and assessment

Constructive alignment of topic level outcomes with module level outcomes, learning activities and assessment
Intended topic learning outcomes: | No of module-level outcome | Activity where students engage with this outcome | Where and how is this outcome assessed?
At the end of this topic, you will be able to:
1. Describe the strategies for adapting instruction for the gifted and talented  learners | 2, 3 & 4 | E-tivity 10.1 | Short answer question in the LMS
1. Propose strategies for adapting instruction  for students with learning difficulties | 2,  3 & 4 | E-tivity 10.2 | Essay question in the LMS
1. Explain strategies for adapting instruction  for the physical and sensory challenged learners | 2, 3 & 4 | E-tivity 10.3 | Essay question in the LMS
1. Summarize strategies for adapting instruction  for learners  with psychosocial challenges | 2, 3 & 4 | E-tivity 10.4 | Short answer questions

Module-level outcomes addressed:

Module-level outcomes addressed:
This topic addresses module-level learning outcomes 2, 3 and 4
Purpose of the topic/week/section:
The purpose of this topic is to equip you with knowledge and skills to enable you understand  various categories of learners with exceptional needs,  be sensitive to their needs during the teaching learning process and apply appropriate strategies that may help them exploit their full potential.
Over to you:
We are likely  to come across learners with exceptional needs in our regular classrooms. In the past, public schools did little to educate these children, but today, many governments have ensured that learners with exceptional needs have free and appropriate education, and are increasingly getting educated in regular classrooms. The term  learner with exceptional needs refers to all those learners who deviate from what is supposed to be average in physical, mental, emotional or social characteristics to such an extent that they require special education services in order to develop their maximum capacity (Henry, 1950).
Pre-topic activity: | Number of hours | 30 minutes
Drawing from your experience as a learner in both elementary and high school, reflect back on the learners you interacted with in school and that you may have considered as having unique needs that required special attention from the school.

1. Prepare a list of these needs and post your answer in the discussion forum 10.0
2. Compare your list with what your colleagues have posted in discussion forum 10.0 with a view to appreciating various special needs.
3. Post the new identified special needs you have picked from your colleagues posts
Face to face time: | Number of hours | 2 hours
Before learners engage in online activites, the medorator is expected to:

1. Definition of the term learners with exceptional needs
2. Introduce the various terms used to refer to learners with exceptional needs
3. The classification of learners with exceptional needs

E-tivity 10.1

Online activity: | Number of hours | 45 minutes
What should students do?
E-tivity 10.1

Read the slides on gifted and talented children and the text on barriers to inclusion. Usig the knowledge gained from the links;

1. Work with a collegue to identify six characteristics that distinguish the gifted learners from other children. Further, describe five strategies that you can use to address the needs of the gifted and talented learners
2. Post your answers on the discussion forum 10.1
3. Read posts from other colleagues and give positive comments to help them improve on their work
Where do they do it? | Discussion board  10.1.
By when should they do it? | By the end of the end of the 2^nd day of the week.
E-moderator/tutor role
1. Provide teaching points
2. Provide feedback on the learning progress
3. Close the discussion forum
How are the learning outcomes in this topic assessed? | Number of hours | 15 minutes
The learning outcomes will be assessed through short anwer questions.
How does this section link to other sections of the module?
This section links to classroom management by providing insights about the characteristics of the gifted and talented learners

E-tivity 10.2

Online activity: | Number of hours | 45 minutes
What should students do?
E-tivity 10.2

Watch this video and read this text (pages 85-98) for more insights on learners with exceptional needs.Based on the knowledge gained from the resources in the above links;

1. Classify various categories of disabilities based on the  nature of the learning disability
2. Propose five strategies that can be used to address the needs of students with learning disabilities to help them benefit from classroom instructions and post your answers to the discussion forum 10.2
3. Read through what your colleagues have posted and identify the additional strategies that have been proposed. Use the new information gained to enhance your work and repost the enhanced to disuccion forum 10.2
Where do they do it? | Discussion board  10.2.
By when should they do it? | By the end of the end of the 3^rd day of the week.
E-moderator/tutor role
1. Provide teaching points
2. Provide feedback on the learning progress
3. Close the discussion forum
How are the learning outcomes in this topic assessed? | Number of hours | 30 minutes
The learning outcomes will be assessed through essay question.
How does this section link to other sections of the module?
This section links to classroom management by providing insights about the characteristics of students with learning disabilities

E-tivity 10.3

Online activity: | Number of hours | 45 minutes
What should students do?
E-tivity 10.3

Read more on physical and sensory impairments from this e-book (pages 101-102). Invite a colleague with whom you can work together and use the knowledge gained from the e-book to;

1. Describe  the different categories of physical and sensory impairments.
2. Based on the categories described above, explain three ways of promoting the least restrictive environment for learners with such impairments and share your answers with your colleagues in the discussion forum 10.3
3. Taking netiquette into consideration, critique your colleagues answers and post the feedback to the discussion forum 10.3
Where do they do it? | Discussion board 10.3.
By when should they do it? | By the end of the end of the 5^th day of the week.
E-moderator/tutor role
1. Stimulate generation of new ideas.
2. Monitor learning progress.
3. Closing the discussion forum.
How are the learning outcomes in this topic assessed? | Number of hours | 30 minutes
The learning outcomes will be assessed through essay  question.
How does this section link to other sections of the module?
This section links to classroom management by providing insights about the characteristics of learners  with physical and sensory challenges

E-tivity 10.4

Online activity: | Number of hours | 45 minutes
What should students do?
E-tivity 10.4

Read this e-book (page 102-104) and use the knowledge gained to;

1. Summarize the strategies for adapting instruction for learners with psychosocial problems and post your work to the discussion forum 10.4.
2. Comment on your colleagues’ posted work, at the same time, note down new ideas that you had not considered and use them to enhance your work.
3. Repost your enhanced work in discussion forum 10.4
Where do they do it? | Discussion forum  10.4.
By when should they do it? | By the end of the end of the 6^th day of the week.
E-moderator/tutor role
1. Stimulate further learning and generation of new ideas.
2. Provide feedback on the learning progress
3. Summarizing the threads and closing the discussion forum
How are the learning outcomes in this topic assessed? | Number of hours | 15 minutes
The learning outcomes will be assessed through short answer  questions.
How does this section link to other sections of the module?
This section links to classroom management by providing insights about the characteristics of learners with psychosocial problems.

= Total number of hours | 7 hours

Some important questions

Some important questions
Which learning resources/ references will scaffold the students’ learning? | The module, the e-books provided on the link, video links and slide share.
How are students enabled to access the resources? | Through the institutional LMS and OER Africa website
Where in this topic are students expected to work collaboratively? | In the discussion board 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4
How has an inclusive approach been incorporated in this topic? | Varied activities for the learners
How will feedback on topic be obtained from students? | Online posts in discussion board.
How will student feedback be used to improve topic? | The e-moderator will consider the feedback from students to ascertain whether they have mastered the content for appropriate interventions where necessary.
At which point(s) will students receive formative feedback on the work they have done in the topic? | By the end of the 10^th week

Question 1

Describe the strategies for adapting instruction for the gifted and talented learners

Guidance to Question 1

The learner should start by giving a brief description of the gifted and the talented and their characteristics. There are many strategies that can be used to adapt instruction to the gifted and the talented. The response should identify at least three strategies and a clear description of each in concrete terms. The strategies may include;

- Putting them in special classes
- Acceleration programs that entail moving them through the curriculum as quickly as they are able to progress
- Enrichment programs such as independent study
- Academic competitions and small group investigations
- Mentor and apprenticeship programs that motivate and challenge them.

Question 2

Propose strategies for adapting instruction for students with learning difficulties

Guidance to Question 2

Learning difficulties encompasses many students with various difficulties including Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and. Dyscalculia. Responses to the question should include appropriate strategies for accommodating instruction for students in these sub categories as follows;

- Provide specific strategies e.g. mnemonics for learning and remembering things
- Analyze errors for clues as to why learners are having difficulty
- Use of concrete examples to illustrate abstract concepts
- Clear explanations of concepts
- Minimize distractions
- Provide study aids
- Give extra time on tests and examinations
- Tape recording their lessons to compensate for poor note taking

Question 3

Explain strategies for adapting instruction for the physical and sensory challenged learners

Guidance to Question 3

The response should identify strategies, explain each strategy with a relevant example of what a teacher should do and specify which students are likely to benefit from the strategy.

General strategies for learners with physical and sensory challenges include;

- Provide access and the same educational opporttopicies that other students have
- Treat students as normally as possible
- Provide assistance only when students really need it

Use technological innovations to assist them

Question 4

Summarize strategies for adapting instruction for learners with psychosocial challenges

Guidance to Question 4

Learners with psychosocial challenges usually have emotional and behavioural disorders involving relationships, aggression, depression as well as other inappropriate socio-emotional characteristics. Appropriate strategies are aimed at helping them fit in a classroom set up so as to benefit from educational instruction. These strategies may include;

- Replacement- teaching appropriate behaviours that substitute for inappropriate ones
- Giving positive reinforcement where necessary
- Individualized teaching to suit the learners needs
- Time-out-isolating the student for brief periods of time