Monash Krongold Clinic’s researchers have worked in partnership with the Victorian Department of Education to launch a new suite of AllPlay Learn resources that helps schools to become inclusive communities.

The AllPlay Learn research program

The AllPlay Learn research program – an initiative with the Victorian Department of Education – was first launched in 2019. Co-designed with the community and developed from decades of research, the program aims to support the inclusion of students with disability in educational settings. To do this, the team developed an online platform which includes a website and professional learning courses on the Foundations of Inclusion (Disability) in early childhood, primary school, and secondary school for Victorian education professionals.

AllPlay Learn helps build capability about disability, reasonable adjustments and evidence-based strategies that support students’ learning and wellbeing. The courses are free accredited professional development courses used by education professionals throughout Victoria. These courses have already shown great results with participants found to exhibit significant improvements in their knowledge and self-efficacy in inclusive classroom practices for students with disability.

The website hosts free, practical guides and resources, including stories, posters, cards and videos, to support families and students. To date, the reach and feedback have been outstanding, with recognition from the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards within the Community Engagement category in 2020.

A new suite of resources for inclusive school communities

Monash Education’s new project with the Victorian Department of Education extends the AllPlay Learn offering. With a focus on strengthening inclusive school communities, the research team has developed a suite of resources that increase awareness about the benefits of inclusion, and outline the ways in which reflection and understanding, partnerships and learning from families and students with lived-experience, can enrich inclusive practices and enhance student agency.

“Since inclusive school communities benefit everyone and support all students to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, the importance of these resources cannot be understated.” - Dr. Ana Mantilla, Director AllPlay Research Programs

Resources are available at: AllPlay Learn Inclusive School Communities

The suite of twenty-four resources for schools, families and students will:

• encourage teachers to take part in a novel interactive ‘challenge’ that prompts them to reflect on how the unique life experiences of each student and their family shapes engagement with their school community, and to consider how to best respond to make all students and families feel valued and included;
• provide guidance about what an inclusive school looks like and how inclusive language supports practice;
• showcase examples of differentiated adjustments to teaching and learning activities;
• summarise the key benefits from inclusion for teachers and leaders, families and all students;
• share parental lived-experience of partnering with the school to support their child with disability, as well as their thoughts on how all families can support inclusion at school;
• share an autistic student’s experience sharing her diagnosis with peers and getting the support she needed, as well as what helps her a voice in their learning at school;
• allow downloads of posters/templates that can be easily printed for use in school staff rooms, classrooms and home.

“These resources are practical, engaging, easy to use and informed by robust research. They bring focus to the importance of all members of a school community being integral in establishing a truly inclusive school culture that welcomes, includes and supports all students of every ability.” – Evan Savage, Principal in Residence, Inclusive Education and Professional Practice, Department of Education, Victoria.

Ready to learn more about creating an inclusive learning environment? Visit AllPlay learn website and discover practical tools, courses, and resources that will empower you to make a difference.

Resources

Resources were informed by research on the benefits of inclusion, and approaches that schools can use to create inclusive school communities, and created in partnership with the Victorian Department of Education Inclusive Education division and regional office teams to ensure relevance across Victorian school contexts.

Download new resources: AllPlay Learn Inclusive School Communities

Free professional learning for Victorian teachers on Inclusive Foundations for Children with Disabilities is available from: AllPlay Learn Online Professional Learning Courses