Transcript Access to Postsecondary Education through Universal Design

Access to Postsecondary Education through
Universal Design for Learning Consortium of Support Programs for Student
with Disabilities, June 2007
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Alternate format anyone?
 Packet with handouts and video
 All materials are available on our web site in
digital format
 Let us know if you would like the materials in
alternate format for today
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Today’s Objectives
 Give an overview of our DOE project
 Ideally, hook you and your campus with the
module content
 Identify how the project can meet your needs
and what you can do to assist the project in
it’s dissemination efforts
 Lay-out a dissemination plan for your
respective campus
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
ACCESS Project at Colorado State
University
 The ACCESS Project is a 3 year federal
Department of Education, Office of
Postsecondary Education Grant
( #P333A050015).
 1 of 15 OPE projects funded in October of
2005
 Primary aims are:
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Faculty professional development
Student Self-Advocacy skill development
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
CSU Demographics:
 25,000 resident instruction students
 land-grant institution
 Carnegie Doctoral/Research University-Extensive
 Composed of 8 Colleges
 Faculty
 A total of 1,400 faculty members
 A total of 930 faculty on tenure-track appointments
 99% of tenure-track faculty hold terminal degrees
 Student:faculty ratio is 18:1
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
UDL Philosophy – definition  Universal design for learning (UDL) is a set of
principles and instructional strategies
designed to improve the academic
experience of students with disabilities by
making instruction, and instructional
materials, more accessible to all students. In
other words, the UDL model predicts that
strategies designed to improve learning for
students with disabilities will have equal
benefit for other students in the class.
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Another definition
 UDL is the design of flexible learning environments that are
effective across the range of individual differences in learning.
A basic premise of UDL is that there is no perfect mode or
medium of instruction that will meet the needs of all
students. Instead, UDL encourages options and alternatives –
multiple means of teaching and learning that can reach the
diversity of students in a classroom.
 Universal, in universal design, does not imply one optimal
solution for everyone, but rather it underscores the need for
inherently flexible customizable content, assignments, and
activities.
Universally designed curriculum offers more ways to do the
same things.
 (See handout in packet)
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
ACCESS Project
Definition of Self-Advocacy
 To be a self-advocate you must:
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know yourself,
know what you need and want, and
know how to get what you need and want.
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(See handout in packet)
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http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Six Success Attributes that Correlate
with Self-Advocacy
 Raskind and Goldberg (2005) identified six
success attributes
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Self-awareness
Proactivity
Perseverance
Goal Setting
The presence and use of Support Systems
Emotional Coping Strategies
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based on a 20-year longitudinal study of
individuals with learning disabilities.
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Over-Arching Goal of the project:
 The primary aim of the ACCESS project is to
improve the quality and outcomes of
postsecondary education for students with
disabilities and a diversity of learners by
developing a replicable training program to
provide technical assistance and professional
development for Colorado State University
(CSU) faculty, staff and administrators.
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Four Primary Goals:
 1. )Development of innovative, effective and efficient
universally accessible and replicable teaching methods and
strategies, using the principles of Universal Design for
Learning, to provide faculty and staff with the skills and
supports necessary to teach students with disabilities and
atypical learning needs.
 2.) Development of self-advocacy materials, handbook and
webpage to help students with disabilities take initiative with
their educational pursuits and connect with needed
resources. Self-advocacy strategies will also be
incorporated into the faculty and staff training.
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Four Primary Goals:
 3.) Delivery of innovative, effective and efficient universally
accessible and replicable teaching methods and strategies,
using the principles of Universal Design for Learning, to
faculty and staff at Colorado State University (CSU), Front
Range Community College, CSU Pueblo campus and CSU
Cooperative Extension field offices.
 4.) Administration, widespread dissemination and evaluation
of the project.
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
What makes our project unique?
 1. Institutionalization – embedding content vs.
stand alone content
 2. Measuring impact of UDL on retention,
GPA and student satisfaction
 3. Holistic view of development of selfadvocacy skills
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Year 1 Accomplishments:
 Conduct Needs Assessment
 Survey of faculty
 Survey of students
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CSU and FRCC
 Video –
 13 minute overview of UDL
 Module development – (see handout)
 for faculty and staff
 for students
 for both
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Identify means and strategies for
institutionalization on our campus
 New employee orientation/GRA orientation
UDL principles are introduced, awareness of
disability and support services
 Institute for Learning and Teaching
 Primary focus is professional development
activities for faculty and graduate teaching
assistants, specifically the latest instructional
technology techniques
 Computer Training and Support Services (CTSS)
classes
 Central computing professional development
 e.g. Dreamweaver, Web CT, Power Point, Word UDL content ishttp://accessproject.colostate.edu
embedded
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UDLinstitutionalization – con’t
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 Target “Gateway” (weed-out) Courses and Faculty
in the College of Natural Sciences
 for outcome studies; measurement of retention
and overall GPA
 includes faculty incentives
 Professional Development Institute
 annual professional development event – broadbased
 Web Developers
 List serves; policy
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Self Advocacy Handbook
 Transition
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Transition from High School
to College
Promoting Self-Advocacy –
How Parents Can Help
 Know Yourself
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Find a Balance
Understand Your Disability
and Abilities
 Know What You Need
 Know How to Get
What You Need & Want
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Getting Organized
Using Effective
Communication
Making Decisions
Solving Problems
Developing a Support
Network
Setting Goals
Planning for the Future
and Want
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Accommodations and
Resources
Know Your Rights and http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Responsibilities
Self-Advocacy Institutionalization at
CSU
 Resources for Students with a Disability – Common listing
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shared by student service offices
Resources for Disabled Student Services – Use Self-Advocacy
Handbook worksheets and checklists as needed by individual
students.
Accessibility Map of Student Services on Campus
Mentor Program for Students with Disabilities through
Occupational Therapy Graduate Program – Grad students
provide individualized support as students work through the
Self-Advocacy Handbook.
Application for Vocational Rehabilitation funding for a “College to
Career” Program.
Develop a basic self-advocacy model / worksheet handout for
use with all college students.
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Year 2 Activities
 Continued development and finalization of modules
 Dissemination/ Delivery Venues:
 Web:
Access Project Web site and Accessibility Web
Site
 http://accessproject.colostate.edu/
 http://accessibility.colostate.edu/
 One-on-one consultation
 Small group workshops
 Large group workshops
 Implementation of strategies for institutionalization
 Embedding of UDL and self advocacy content in
existing professional development venues
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http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Module content:
 Preview a slice of our content
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Self – Advocacy
UDL
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Year 3 Activities
 Dissemination – at and beyond CSU
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Web
Conferences
 Information, Consultation and Professional
Development Support
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Consortium of Support Programs for Students with
Disabilities – postsecondary institutions in Colo/Wyoming
Front Range Community College
Colorado State University at Pueblo
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Field
offices – land grant school
Pertinent web pages beyond CSU – Consortium, AHEAD,
etc.
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Future directions?
 More outcome studies – research regarding
implementation of UDL
 Ways to influence existing entrenched
systems
 Solutions for inaccessibility (Web CT, portal)
 Defining reasonableness in regard to
implementing concepts of UDL
 How can UDL bring student services and
academia together?
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Dissemination via Consortium
 Time for Action Plans!!!
http://accessproject.colostate.edu
Contact information
 ACCESS Project at Colorado State University
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Department of Occupational Therapy
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1573
[email protected]
http://www.accessproject.colostate.edu/
Phone: 970-491-0784
Fax: 970-491-6290
http://accessproject.colostate.edu/proj_summary.htm
 This presentation was developed with funding from the
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary
Education
(Grant # P333A050015).
http://accessproject.colostate.edu