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Broadened recruitment to higher education is on the agenda in many countries, and it is also widely recognized that the number of dyslexic students entering higher education is increasing. In Sweden, as in many other European countries, higher education institutions are required to accommodate students with dyslexia. The present study focuses on the study outcome for 50 students with diagnosed dyslexia, mainly in teacher education and nurses’ training, at three universities in Northern Sweden. The students trusted their own ability to find information on the Internet but mistrusted their own abilities in reading course books and articles in English and in taking notes. The mean rate of study was 23.5 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits per semester, which is slightly below the national baseline of 26.7. The results show that more than half of the students are examined at a normal rate of study but that about one fifth have a very low rate of study.

The purpose of this research was to study the content of the work of two special education professions in Sweden, special teachers and special pedagogues. In addition, we compare their work to the work of Finnish special teachers. The Swedish participants were 74 special educators: 27 special teachers and 47 special pedagogues. The Finnish data were from an earlier study, involving 133 special teachers. Participants in both countries were approached via a questionnaire. The results show that Swedish special pedagogues do more consultative work and Swedish special teachers more direct work with pupils. However, there is plenty of overlap in the work profiles of Swedish special pedagogues and special teachers. Most of the work content is in line with the Finnish findings, except that Finnish special teachers had a minor consultative role. It seems that the work duties across the two professions, special pedagogues and special teachers, are somewhat similar. Their ways of working in practice are discussed.

Vad händer när personer med dyslexi blir universitetsstudenter? De allra flesta klarar studiemålen, men några har lägre studietakt. Det visar sig att studenter med dyslexi till stor del kan beskrivas som långsamma läsare. De hinner inte läsa allt som de borde läsa och de har svårigheter med att hinna anteckna och med att skriva tentor, rapporter och uppsatser.

De använder varierande hjälpmedel, både sådant stöd som universitetet ger och personliga metoder och strategier.

Bland universitetslärarna finns meningar om att studenter med dyslexi innebär merarbete och en viss oro över hur studenterna skall klara sig i sin framtida yrkesutövning efter examen. Positiva tecken är att flera relativt enkla detaljer i undervisningens upplägg som gynnar studenter med dyslexi också är värdefulla för samtliga studenter.

Projektet Dyslexi, lärande och undervisning inom högre utbildning har tittat närmare på vad som händer när personer med dyslexi blir universitetsstudenter. Målet breddad rekrytering gör att vi kan förvänta oss en ökande andel sådana studenter. Det visar sig att studenter med dyslexi till stor del kan beskrivas som långsamma läsare. De hinner inte läsa allt som de borde läsa och de har svårigheter med att hinna anteckna och med att skriva tentor, rapporter och uppsatser. De använder varierande hjälpmedel, både sådant stöd som universitetet ger och personliga metoder och strategier. De allra flesta klarar studiemålen, men några har lägre studietakt. Bland universitetslärarna finns meningar om att studenter med dyslexi innebär merarbete och en viss oro över hur studenterna skall klara sig i sin framtida yrkesutövning efter examen. Positiva tecken är att flera relativt enkla detaljer i undervisningens upplägg som gynnar studenter med dyslexi också är positiva för samtliga studenter.

This article describes various views of special teacher students towards inclusion. In order to examine these, we analysed a series of statements made by students in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The specific aims were to see how these views can be seen as supportive or challenging for inclusion in schools. A questionnaire with one closed question and two open-ended questions was used in all countries. The results show that students in similar Nordic countries have different views about inclusion. Norwegian students mostly supported inclusion while Finnish students expressed the most reservations. The arguments about inclusion by Norwegian students were the most pupil-focused; those by Finns were teacher-focused, with Swedes being in between. The results seem to reflect the educational policy in these countries. Discussions, more information, as well as good models of inclusion seem to be needed. The implications of these findings for special and regular teacher education are also discussed.

This study examined how dyslexia affects students' ability to benefit fromhigher education, the strategies that successful students with these problemsuse, and the support offered by the higher education institutions. Results frominterviews, self-reports and testing of 53 university students and 42 lecturersfrom 3 Swedish universities showed that students with dyslexia have problemswith a number of skills and academic tasks, e.g. note taking and expressingideas in writing. Many of the students described that their difficulties werelong-standing and had been experienced already in elementary school. Thestudents seemed to compensate via additional time for examinations, access todyslexia tutors and support by information technology. The results indicate thatthere are significant knowledge gaps in the educational institutions regardingstudents who have dyslexia.

Många länder strävar efter ett breddat intag till universitetsstudier och att öka andelen ungdomar som går vidare till högskolestudier. Samtidigt som rekryteringen vidgas ökar antalet studenter med dyslexi i högre utbildning. Denna studie undersöker universitetsstudenter med dyslexi, hur deras studiesituation ser ut, samt de strategier som studenter med dessa problem använder.

Resultat av intervjuer, självrapporter och test från 52 studenter, huvudsakligen vid lärar- och sjuksköterskeutbildningar, visar att studenterna har tydliga svårigheter med snabb och effektiv ordavkodning men att de använder många olika kompensatoriska metoder för att klara sina studier. Studiemoment som upplevs som särskilt krävande är att göra föreläsningsanteckningar, akademiskt skrivande och att läsa engelsk kurslitteratur. Kompensation sker både med hjälp av stöd som ges av universitetet, som exempelvis förlängd tid vid skriftliga examinationer och användning av informationsteknologi, samt genom egna personliga strategier. Resultaten indikerar att det finns stora kunskapsgap hos institutionerna när det gäller studenter som har dyslexi.

Purpose: To investigate how dyslexia affects university students' ability to benefit from higher education, to describe the strategies that students with these problems use, and to examine the higher education institutions' support for these students.

Method: Structured and semi-structured interviews, self-reports and testing of 36 university students and interviewes with 30 lecturers from 3 Swedish higher education institutions (teacher training and nursing).

Results: The students with dyslexia were found to have problems with a number of skills and academic tasks, e.g. note taking and expressing ideas in writing. Many of them described that their difficulties were long-standing and had been experienced already in elementary school, but the nature of their problems often change over time. The students seemed to make use of resources available to them, including additional time for examinations, access to dyslexia tutors and support with information technology.

Conclusions: The results suggest that there are significant knowledge gaps in the educational institutions regarding people who have dyslexia, especially for students not identified formally and explicitly in the compulsory school. Such students may have a very different educational background compared to the traditional group with dyslexia and may be in need for a special type of support. It is suggested that knowledge about students with dyslexia is of great importance for the design of higher education in order to cope with new groups of students.