Primary supervisor

Ee Hui Lim

Inclusive learning environments are essential for ensuring that all students can fully participate and succeed. Neurodivergent learners—including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences—often navigate university settings that were not designed with their learning profiles in mind. Challenges related to feedback interpretation, cognitive load, communication, and assessment design can create barriers that impact learning, confidence, and wellbeing.

This project seeks to better understand these experiences and to co-design learning and assessment strategies that promote clarity, accessibility, belonging, and student agency. Drawing on principles from learning analytics, human-centred design, and disability-inclusive education, the project aims to develop practical frameworks and evidence-based recommendations for more inclusive teaching practices.

Aim/outline

The project includes multiple strands that students can select based on whether they undertake a single- or double-semester thesis.

Objective 1: Understanding neurodivergent students’ learning experiences

  • How do neurodivergent students experience current learning and assessment practices?

  • What barriers do they encounter in interpreting feedback, engaging in group work, or navigating digital platforms?

  • What insights emerge about inclusive pedagogy and learning design?

Objective 2: Designing inclusive learning strategies and supports

  • How can assessment, feedback, and in-class activities be redesigned to reduce cognitive overload?

  • What features or structures help neurodivergent students feel more supported, confident, and capable?

  • How can co-design approaches centre lived experience and produce meaningful, student-led solutions?

Objective 3: Enhancing feedback sense-making and feedback literacy

  • How do students with different cognitive profiles interpret and act on feedback?

  • What kinds of scaffolding or presentation formats help make feedback clearer, more actionable, and less overwhelming?

  • What are the implications for strengthening feedback literacy and reflective learning

Approach:
Co-design workshops, case studies, surveys, interviews, prototyping of learning resources, reflective diaries, and analysis of trace/log data. Outputs may include design principles, tool prototypes, or evidence-based recommendations for inclusive curriculum and assessment.

Required knowledge

Depending on the chosen objective(s), students may need experience or interest in:

  • Inclusive education or neurodiversity

  • Human-centred or participatory design

  • Educational research and learning sciences

  • Qualitative research (interviews, thematic analysis)

  • Survey design and analysis

  • Data analysis in R or Python (for students working with trace data)

  • UX methods, prototyping, or design facilitation