Creating Inclusive Higher Education Learning Environments: Supporting Students Who Stammer

Higher education increasingly values inclusive teaching practices and neurodiversity/disability awareness, yet standard seminar practices like "cold-calling" can create severe anxiety and barriers for students who stammer (stutter). Indeed, stammering is often misunderstood and overlooked. This workshop is aimed at learning more about stammering and designing equitable learning environments requires moving away from high-pressure, spontaneous verbal participation models toward inclusive, flexible pedagogical strategies that allow all students to demonstrate their knowledge without facing unintentional discrimination or anxiety.

This interactive 90-minute workshop equips higher education educators with practical strategies to foster a stammer-friendly learning environment. Participants will explore experiences of students who stammer, critically examine traditional
verbal participation methods (such as cold-calling), and co-design alternative, inclusive assessment-for-learning and discussion techniques that safeguard student wellbeing while maintaining high academic engagement.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

· Understand the impact of stammering and high-pressure questioning techniques (like cold-calling).
· Critically evaluate current seminar and lecture discussion practices for inclusivity barriers.
· Implement low-stakes participation models and alternative communication formats that empower students who stammer to contribute fully as well as establishing an inclusive environment for all students when contributing verbally.
· Design inclusive practices that normalise diverse communication styles.

​Workshop Facilitator: Dr Lucy Davies, School of Education, Durham University