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Taking an anticipatory approach to inclusive education

Published on: 15/09/2025 · Last updated on: 15/09/2025

What does an anticipatory approach mean

Under the Equality Act 2010, Universities have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments to education for students with disabilities. An anticipatory approach means proactively considering likely barriers to learning for such students and what reasonable adjustments can be put in place in advance to address these, as well as having processes in place to support further individual adjustments where required (e.g. Disability Action Plans).

What anticipatory actions can I take?

The following five actions are particularly impactful as they support commonly encountered needs across a multitude of disabilities, specific learning difficulties, or long-term health conditions. Anticipatory action in these areas is therefore a good place to start when ensuring the learning environment is built around student needs. Read more below, or you can download a PDF version of the guidance to view offline.

Anticipatory Approaches to Inclusive Education Download file

1. Release core materials early

Providing accessible materials in advance can benefit students in a wide range of ways.

The following tips are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

  • Identify 1-2 key materials per session (e.g., lecture slides, essential reading) that you can upload in advance versus uploading everything in advance.
  • If you can’t upload to Moodle at least 24-hours before class, provide a summary or overview of what will be covered.
  • Reuse previous slide/notes/videos.
  • Provide prompt questions from the reading to help students prepare, if you can’t provide core material early.

Enhancing Access

  • Chunk materials by week/topics and upload in advance.
  • Use a clear label, forum post, or email to announce availability.
  • Add placeholders when final versions aren’t ready.
  • Provide glossaries or a “preview space” with terminology or themes.

Innovative Teaching

  • Use labels and descriptions to provide context and link it to prior learning and/or the bigger picture.
  • Record a weekly preview video/audio intro.
  • Use forums or interactive tools to support engagement before class.
  • Create resources in multiple formats.
  • Create activities for students to reflect and test their own understanding of the content.
  • Leverage GenAI tools to create summaries, additional resources, or key term guides, ensuring you double check its output for clarity and accuracy.

Concern:
“I can’t share my material ahead of time because of privacy issues/spoiler risks/etc.”

Solution:
– Share guiding questions or themes instead of full slides and notes.
– Provide learning outcomes or a warm-up task.
– Create reflective prep tasks that align with session flow.

The following resources are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

Enhancing Access

Innovative Teaching

All studentsBuilds confidence, enables preview, and supports preparedness
Autism, Anxiety, Dyslexia, ADHD, SpLDsReduces uncertainty and cognitive overload
Visual ImpairmentEnables pre-annotation and easier processing of content
Chronic Illness, FatigueSupports planning around energy levels and flares
Deaf, Hard of HearingEnables preview of new or technical terminology that can be hard to lip read
International StudentsTime to translate or review unfamiliar terms

Question to ask yourself:

  • What is the simplest step I could take this week to begin?
  • What one material do I always use that I could post early?
  • Is there any material I shouldn’t post early?
  • If I can’t release core materials, what can I provide instead to prepare students?

2. Provide asynchronous versions of live sessions

Offering students multiple ways to catch-up or re-watch live sessions.

The following tips are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

  • Record live lectures for students to watch in their own time.
  • Upload PowerPoint slides with note to explain the visuals.
  • Reuse recordings or slides from previous years, or a different cohort, if appropriate.

Enhancing Access

  • Break recordings into shorter segments by topic.
  • Use captions for videos and provide transcripts (automatic captions with review).
  • Share a weekly summary document in your Moodle space.
  • Provide a short written/audio/video recap of in-class discussions.
  • Share flipped learning materials ahead of live sessions.

Innovative Teaching

  • Offer multiple formats: video, audio, and text.
  • Include estimated time to complete for each resource/activity.
  • Add asynchronous follow-up tasks like Padlets, polls, or Moodle forums.
  • Use asynchronous collaboration if it will enhance your topic: glossary building, forum debates, shared documents.
  • Ask students to contribute asynchronous content (e.g. 2-minute explainer videos, blog posts, forums).
  • Use interactive tools like H5P to embed reflection questions in videos.
  • Integrate GenAI tools to create summaries or alternative formats (with review).

Concern:
“My lectures don’t involve me just talking at the front of the room, they also involve students working in groups, so recording it won’t be of any use.”

Solution:
– Provide a summary of what was covered during the session instead.
– Edit recordings and eliminate sections that are not useful.

The following resources are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

Enhancing Access

Innovative Teaching

All studentsUseful for revision, catching up, and flexible learning. Can improve comprehension and memory as students can revisit lectures at their own pace/schedule.
Autism, Anxiety, Dyslexia, ADHD, SpLDsAllows pause/replay for note taking and supports information processing.
Visual ImpairmentAllows students to use their own assistive technologies to create accessible formats.
Chronic Illness, FatigueEnables learning around health fluctuations.
Deaf, Hard of HearingCan use captions/transcripts and watch at a suitable speed.
International StudentsAllows pause/replay on terms and concepts that are not familiar.

Question to ask yourself:

  • What parts of my live session could be offered asynchronously?
  • Are my recordings accessible (captions, summaries, alternatives)?
  • Am I unintentionally excluding students by relying only on live delivery?
  • Could I try one asynchronous task this term?

3. Provide accessible learning materials

Ensuring learning materials are accessible before they are released means all students are able to benefit from them without encountering further barriers to their engagement and learning support.

The following tips are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

  • Identify 1-2 essential materials per session (e.g., lecture slides, essential reading) and make sure:
    • Documents are structured using heading styles.
    • Fonts and formatting are accessible (i.e. Arial font, at least 12pt word size in documents, left aligned text).
    • Images have alternative text.
  • Use the Accessibility+ Toolkit to bulk fix accessibility issues in Moodle.
  • Check all materials you create with an accessibility checker.
  • Always use a mic when giving lectures (if available) to support deaf/hard of hearing/t-loop users in the room and improve audio recording quality.
  • Ensure captions are available on video recordings and live captions on online sessions.

Enhancing Access

  • Upload new materials in their original format (e.g. Word Docs, PowerPoint slides) instead of PDFs.
  • Use links to support navigation and make link text meaningful and descriptive.
  • Use plain English free of jargon.
  • Ensure videos have accurate captions.

Innovative Teaching

  • Provide students with a glossary for unfamiliar terms.
  • Present material in multiple formats (e.g. audio recordings, text, visuals).
  • Present materials alongside clear instructions and expectations.
  • Use labels/patterns alongside colour as indicators for meaning (e.g. in graphs and charts).
  • Move around in your lecture – teaching the same material in different parts of the room can strengthen memory and retrieval.
  • Co-create materials with students having them test and provide feedback on how to improve accessibility.
  • Use GenAI to auto-generate alt text, summaries or alternative formats.

Concern:
“The materials are provided by an external, I don’t have the ability to make them accessible.”

Solution:
Key pieces of information need to accessible to all. If the context that information is presented in isn’t accessible look at alternative texts or videos to supplement the original resource. Both the original and alternative can be available to students, but let students know it covers the same information.

The following resources are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

Enhancing Access

Innovative Teaching

All studentsAccessible formats enhance flexibility – materials can be used on multiple devices and across different contexts.
Autism, Anxiety, Dyslexia, ADHD, SpLDsClear layouts, appropriate fonts, and flexible formats reduce cognitive strain and support understanding. Structured, clutter-free documents help maintain focus and improve engagement with key content.
Visual ImpairmentAccessible formats (e.g., alt text, screen reader–friendly docs) allow independent access to materials.
Students with physical and temporary disabilitiesKeyboard-navigable materials reduce barriers for those who cannot always use a mouse or standard input tools.
Deaf, Hard of HearingCaptions and transcripts for audio/video support understanding and equitable access.
International StudentsPlain English, visual supports, and definitions reduce language-based barriers and aid comprehension.

Question to ask yourself:

  • Would my learning material still make sense if a student accessed them without me present to explain it?
  • What is my students’ prior knowledge? Will they all be approaching the material in the same way?
  • If my material isn’t accessible, what else can I provide my students to ensure their understanding?

4. Structuring information clearly

There are many ways in which to support students through the way information is structured. These may include ‘chunking’ lecture delivery, signposting learning outcomes, using headings and chapter markers in learning materials, providing recap opportunities in subsequent sessions, as well as using a consistent Moodle template across the course.

The following tips are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

  • Clearly signpost contact hours, how and where students can contact you and what students can talk to you about.
  • Identify 1 or 2 new key concepts and connect them to previous knowledge.
  • Provide assessment deadlines well in advance.
  • Prioritise resources in your reading list to help students manage their time and focus their reading.
  • For new units use the Moodle templates with its organised sections and heading suggestions to set-up your unit.

Enhancing Access

  • Use the Bath Blend Baseline handbook and checklist for a framework and tips on structuring your digital information.
  • Explore connections between topics being taught and the bigger picture.
  • Provide a glossary of common terms.
  • Use polls to check student understanding.

Innovative Teaching

  • Work as a course team to structure information consistently and clearly across all units on the course.

The following resources are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

Enhancing Access

Innovative Teaching

All studentsReduces time spent on clarification. Increases students’ self-reliance as they will be able to navigate through the information presented independently.
Autism, Anxiety, Dyslexia, ADHD, SpLDsEasier on navigation and memory. Predictable sequence lowers stress.
Visual ImpairmentProper use of headings, lists, and alt text ensures accessible navigation and understanding.
Students with Specific Learning Differences (SpLDs)Enables easier scanning, comprehension, and note-taking with well-formatted and structured resources.
International StudentsExplicit organisation supports comprehension.

Question to ask yourself:

  • Have students done this before? If so, have I referenced to them when/where they have? If not, what steps have I set in place to prepare them to do the task?
  • What activities have I set for me to understand my students’ current level of knowledge and understanding?
  • Is the structure of my information similar to other units my students are taking? If not, am I making it clear to the students on my structure?

5. Removing assessment barriers

Anticipatory approaches include publishing marking criteria in advance, providing model answers, ensuring assessment rubrics are written in plain language, releasing assessment briefs well in advance. Building in appropriate student agency, e.g. choice of topic or presentation format, can also be beneficial.

The following tips are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

  • Provide assessment briefs and marking criteria as soon as possible.
  • Provide students with past examples of assessments.

Enhancing Access

  • Set assessments as a course team to ensure that deadlines are not bunched together.
  • Provide students opportunity to engage in formative assessments.
  • Provide students with marking guides/rubrics before the assessment deadline so that they can evaluate their own understanding.
  • Provide students examples of assessments with answers and feedback.
  • Provide students with feedback and feed-forward to their assessments so they can see areas to work on before their next assessment.

Innovative Teaching

  • Work with students to co-create assessments (ie. tasks, marking criteria).
  • Build in student autonomy in how they are assessed and how they can present their knowledge and understanding.
  • Create assessments that build on prior student knowledge and skills and communicate the connection to students.
  • Create a space where students can ask questions about their feedback to better prepare them for future assessments.

The following resources are organised in a scaled approach based on time, confidence and ambition.

Getting Started

Enhancing Access

Innovative Teaching

All studentsStructured rubrics and exemplars give clearer expectations. Advance information allows time for planning. Agency to pick assessment question can match cognitive strengths.
Neurodivergent students (e.g. ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia)Clear, literal criteria and consistent rubrics remove hidden rules, reduces decoding load, and can act as a checklist for students to stay on task. Predictable timelines support routine. Advance information enables planning.
Visual ImpairmentEarly access to digital briefs means time for Braille/screen reader conversion.
Students from widening participation backgroundsClearer criteria and scaffolded assessment reduce hidden curriculum.
Students with anxiety or mental health challengesKnowing expectations early reduces uncertainty. Agency in choice lowers performance pressure.
International StudentsClear, literal criteria and consistent rubrics remove hidden rules and reduces decoding load.

Question to ask yourself:

  • Can I work with my fellow teaching team to see how we can minimise barriers?
  • What formative assessment tasks have I set so students understand how to approach my assessment?
  • Does my feedback to students give them actionable advice on how to improve on their future assessments?
  • Can I provide my students choice in how they are assessed (ie. the task, the conditions or the timing)?

Specific and more detailed guidance has been created for oral & group assessments:

Anticipatory support and reasonable adjustments for oral assessments

Anticipatory support and reasonable adjustments for group work assessments

Find out more

See our support for students with disabilities page for more general guidance to help you plan and deliver your teaching.

For further guidance on supporting specific needs of students with DAPs, staff are encouraged to contact Disability Services.

The University is committed to supporting the diverse needs of all learners, including students with disabilities, long-term health conditions, and specific learning difficulties. The University’s Inclusive Education Project sharepoint site contains up to date information on the future development of inclusive approaches at Bath.

References

Daniel, B. K., & Bird, R. (2019, July). Attention! Student voice: Providing students with digital learning materials before scheduled lectures improves learning experience. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology (TOJET), 18(3), 1–9.

McGrath, D., 2015. Questions about lecture recording. Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation. The University of Queensland.

O’Callaghan, F.V., Neumann, D.L., Jones, L. et al. The use of lecture recordings in higher education: A review of institutional, student, and lecturer issues. Educ Inf Technol 22, 399–415 (2017).

Seery, M. K., & Donnelly, R. (2012). The implementation of pre‑lecture resources to reduce in‑class cognitive load: A case study for higher education chemistry. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(4), 667–677.

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