Developing an inclusive curriculum of architecture for students with dyslexia

Design subjects, including architecture, tend to attract students with dyslexia. The relevant disciplinary skills of three-dimensional design and visual communications often align to these students’ academic strengths. However, as these students progress towards their final award, many appear to find the requirements for extended writing (in the forms of dissertations, reports, etc.), and self-directed personal organization and management to be problematic. A number of interventions, implemented in the architecture curriculum at Northumbria University over a period of five years, seek to provide academic support and alternative assessment methods for these students. The efficacy of these initiatives has been evaluated through a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with graduates of architecture. The enquiry concluded that the development of academic writing skills was viewed by graduating students with dyslexia as desirable with respect to further study and practice; alternative assessment methods provided both problems and opportunities in implementation. Concurrently, staff efforts to understand and manage the impact of dyslexia in higher education studies was highly appreciated in terms of developing self-efficacy and confidence in students’ abilities.