Transcript Universal Design for Learning Bryon Kluesner Adaptive Technology Coordinator UTC – Disability Resource Center.

Universal Design
for Learning
Bryon Kluesner
Adaptive Technology Coordinator
UTC – Disability Resource Center
Universal Design
• Defined as …
“The design of products and environments to
be usable by all people, to the greatest extent
possible, without the need for special
accommodations.”
-Center for Universal Design at
North Carolina State University
Why think about Universal
Design?
• In line with the UTC mission to embrace
diversity
• Ensures equal access to the educational
environment for all learners
• Celebrates human differences and promotes
an inclusion based approach to our culture
• Research has shown that this approach helps
increase GPA and increase retention of all
students
Microsoft Word, Universally
Designed
• Purpose
• This module outlines the benefits—to you and your
readers—of using Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
principles to create Word documents that are more
understandable, usable, and flexible. Many of these
benefits can be achieved using Word’s built-in tools
and features, such organizing content in outline view,
formatting with styles, employing best practices for
page elements like images and tables, and saving your
final work in multiple formats.
Presenting Information in Multiple Ways
• One of the hallmarks of UDL is its insistence
on multiple forms of presentation—visual,
oral, and textual. Providing information in a
variety of modalities can help you reach a
wider and more diverse audience. When this
inclusive principle is applied to the
preparation of Word documents, the need for
supplementing visual elements, like images
and tables, with text descriptions becomes
clear.
Images
• An image can convey information quickly and
powerfully—assuming it can been seen and understood.
However, some readers may not understand the context
of the image; others may not be able to see the image
due to visual impairment, personal viewing preferences
(especially on the web), or technological limitations.
• Whether the image is a photograph, a clip art
illustration, or an Excel chart, make sure the information
it contains is available textually as well as visually. This
can be achieved by describing the image in the text of
the document, by adding a picture caption, or by adding
an alternative text description.
How to add alternative text to an
image
• Select the picture and right-click (or
press Shift-F10) to bring up the
context menu, then choose “Format
Picture...” In the dialog box, select
the tab labeled “Web” and enter the
alternative text description.
Tables
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Tables provide a clear and succinct format for presenting information.
But like images, tables can pose a barrier to users who cannot see
them. To ensure that tabular information is useful to all readers, do the
following:
Keep tables as simple as possible. Use the simplest construction that
will adequately convey the data. Use two tables rather than one very
complicated table, whenever possible.
Design tables so that they make sense when linearized (i.e., when read
strictly from left to right).
Use logical naming conventions, and describe the function of the table
clearly in its title.
Make use of table headings.
Describe the table’s significant aspects. For example, “Steve’s office
hours are 10-11, Tuesday through Thursday,” rather than “The table
shows Steve’s office hours.”
Outline View
• Using Word’s outline view helps focus attention on the structure
of a document by creating a hierarchical outline of headings and
subheadings. Like a table of contents, outline view makes even
the most complex document easier to follow.
• Outline view also provides an easy way to take notes. You can
rough out the basic outline of a lecture or book chapter, then go
back and add details under each heading.
• Outline view can help you to:
• highlight main topics
• navigate more quickly
• move large sections quickly and efficiently
How to view a Word document as an
outline
• Choose View > Outline. Assign
headings, then collapse and expand
them to ensure that the document has
the desired organizational structure.
Outline View and PowerPoint
• Outline view and styles can also help you
create a basic PowerPoint presentation. A
Word document, styled only with headings,
can quickly lay down the text for a
presentation. Each paragraph formatted with
the Heading 1 style becomes the title of a
new slide, and each Heading 2 becomes a
bulleted list item. Further heading levels
become indented bullet items.
How to transfer a Word outline to
PowerPoint in Office 2003
• Choose File > Send To >
Microsoft Office PowerPoint.
View the text in PowerPoint’s
outline tab to make use of
further outline advantages.
General Tips to Improve Readability
• Make sure the fonts you use are legible and not overly ornate.
For body text especially, avoid fonts that look like handwriting,
calligraphy, or fancy headlines.
• Use a font size that is large enough for easy reading.
• Pick a text color and background combination that offers high
contrast.
• Define acronyms upon first usage, and avoid using slang,
jargon, or ambiguous terms that limit universal understanding.
• Explain any background context that might be crucial to
understanding.
• Hyperlinks to websites should clearly convey where they will
send the user and, ideally, what the user will find there.
Saving Documents in Multiple Formats
• As the popularity of electronic file distribution grows,
so does the importance of saving documents in
formats that everyone can access. By default, Word
documents are saved in a proprietary format (.doc)
that cannot be opened by other software. Fortunately,
it’s easy to save Word documents in alternate
formats. Some, like Adobe PDF, require additional
software; others, like HTML and Rich Text Format
(RTF) can be created by Word directly.
• The RTF format is considered “universal” because it
is so widely supported by software applications on all
computer platforms.
How to save in the RTF format
• Choose File > Save As. In the
dialog box, select “Rich Text
Format” from the “Save as Type”
pull-down list.
UDL Key Elements
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Curriculum
Instruction
Assessment
Environment
Curriculum
• Determine specific content to be learned and
strategies for ensuring access to that
information
• Develop a clear syllabus with a course outline
and expectations
• Post syllabus online for access for all learners
• Provide flexible media and materials
throughout
Instruction
• Incorporate multiple methods of
presenting materials.
• Allow for multiple methods of
presentation of knowledge
• Allow for flexibility in learning pace
Assessment
• Provide ongoing evaluations to determine
what is working and what needs to be
changed.
• Provide frequent and flexible possibilities for
assessments.
• Acknowledge whether time limits are needed
for the test.
• Take home tests are the most “universal” in
design
Environment
• Campus climate that is safe and
embraces all students.
• Arrange physical space to enhance the
participation of all learners
• Ensure access in physical space
UDL Resources
• http://www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/ud
esign.html
• http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/files/udi2_fact_she
et.pdf
• http://www.universaldesign.net/
• http://at.unh.edu/fitsi/2004/handouts/instruction.pdf
• http://www.lanecc.edu/disability/UDI.htm
• http://accessproject.colostate.edu/