Transcript Document 7153810

Universal Design for Learning
in University Class Instruction
Project HEDS-UP - Bank Street College of Education
(Higher Education Disability Support - Universal Design Principles)
U.S. Department of
Education
CSU Office of the Chancellor
Presentation Goals
 identify 3 ways all students benefit from basic
adaptations to typical class instructional
processes (note-taking, student interaction with
ideas/concepts, presentation strategies)
 review the accessibility of current class
procedures using a rubric;
 explore strategies to enhance accessibility of
classes for all students (with little or no additional
work for the instructor);
 share ideas across disciplines for increasing
learning for all students through accessible
classroom activities.
2
Universal Design for Learning
Is our pedagogical environment welcoming?
UDL is the process of
making our course
concepts educationally
accessible regardless
of learning style,
physical or sensory
abilities.
ASD Project-Utah State University
3
UDL Assumptions about Effective
Instruction in Higher Education
•
Role of a university faculty member is to teach all students
as effectively as possible – not weeding out the unqualified
•
Each student’s brain is wired differently, as individual as a
fingerprint; built-in variety of teaching approaches helps
address multiple learning styles
•
A proactive approach to designing instruction to meet a
diverse student body is preferable to making exceptions
case-by-case (accommodations)
•
Faculty want students to learn the course content in a
meaningful way
4
UDL Foundations:
Brain-based Learning Networks
Current brain research indicates three distinct yet
inter-related learning networks (Rose, Meyer,
Hitchcock, 2005):
1.
Recognition Learning Networks
 How we make sense of presented information
2.
Affective Learning Networks
 How motivation & participation impacts learning
3.
Strategic Learning Networks
 How we demonstrate our learning or mastery
5
Making the Connection
UDL Principles for Effective Instruction
 Faculty can offer various ways to
REPRESENT (show) essential course
concepts in support of recognition learning
networks
 Faculty can offer various ways to encourage
student ENGAGEMENT (participate) in
support of affective learning networks
 Faculty can offer students various formats for
EXPRESSION (demonstration) of what they
have learned through strategic learning
networks
6
What is REPRESENTATION?
Representation refers to how you design and
deliver information to your class.
Ask yourself: “How do I present the essential
course concepts to my students?”
Fundamentals in Practice:
Knowing that students access information in a
variety of formats (including auditory, visual and
kinesthetic), consider providing multiple formats
for how you express essential course content. This
increases the likelihood of information access and
ultimately, how well students learn these concepts.
7
Example
UDL in
Introductory Biology
Video Credit: Project U.P.S.I.D.E. (Springfield Technical Community College)
8
What is ENGAGEMENT?
Engagement refers to how students
participate in your class.
Ask yourself: “How do I involve my students
in the learning process?”
Fundamentals in Practice:
Knowing that active participation is key to
learning, consider adopting various ways that
students can actively participation in class.
Active participation strengthens learning and
ultimately, the effectiveness of your instruction.
9
Example
• Dr. Singh teaches Anthropology and is concerned that his
lecture dominated style using PowerPoint is not reaching
all students and he is unsure if his students have read the
assigned chapters before class.
• How else can he engage students in class while ensuring
that they have read the assigned chapter?
• By considering UDL, Dr. Singh redesigned how he begins
and conducts his lectures. He begins each lecture with a
“quick write” (posed question drawn from readings) that
require individual written student responses. He also
implements “guided notes” that require students to “fill-in
the blanks” from his PowerPoint handouts.
10
Incorporating UDL into your Teaching
Engaging in Reflective Teaching
1. Select a Course
What are critical course concepts?
4. Evaluate Outcomes
Did it work?
2. Reflect on UDL
What you teach?
How you teach?
How you assess?
What requires attention?
3. Implement Changes
& Assess Outcomes
11
UDL Case Study
Step 1: Select a Course
Mainstreaming the Exceptional Individual
Step 2: Reflect on the principles of UDL
1. Documents not accessible for assistive technology (_____)
2. Need to increase active student participation (_____)
3. Need to increase options for representing key concepts
(____)
12
3. Implement Changes:
Creating Accessible Documents
1.
Create Structured Documents
• Use true headers when creating documents
• Headers saved when converted to other formats
2. Consider Need for Images
• Is text sufficient to communicate idea?
• Add text equivalents for pictures
3. Save File as (filtered) HTML
4. Test Drive your Files for Accessibility
•
http://portal.opera.com/
Resources:
•
•
•
http://webaim.org/techniques/word/
http://www.coastline.edu/page.asp?LinkID=499
http://www.calstate.edu/accessibility/resources/
13
3. Implement Changes:
Increasing Student Participation
Quick Write
Considering what Ayala (p. 9) lists as the three
learning network strategies, describe an educational
event/activity in which you experienced the benefit of
utilizing one of these networks.
Guided Notes
Think/Pair/Share
1. Pair with a partner
2. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks
of student engagement
3. Share ideas w/group
02/11/06 PowerPoint
Resources on Guided Notes: http://telr.osu.edu/dpg/fastfact/notes.html
14
Evaluating UDL Outcomes
Does it Work?
• Increased accessibility features
• Major course projects closely aligned to course
goals and objectives
• Increase in quality of major course projects
• Increase in student satisfaction in terms of
course engagement, resources generated
based upon flexibility in demonstration of
learning
• Increased student satisfaction in terms of
relevancy of course to daily practice
• Streamlined and organized grading system
15
UDL Benefits for Students
• Greater access to course content
– Removing barriers to the learning process ensures that
more students will have a greater chance of
understanding what we are teaching them
• Greater opportunities for achievement
– Multiple ways of expressing what they know ensures
that students can accurately show what they have
learned
• Greater satisfaction with the learning process
– Varying how to engage students in the learning process
encourages active participation and student satisfaction
16
UDL Benefits for Faculty
• Enables you to reach a diverse student
population without necessarily modifying your
course requirements or academic expectations
• Provides you the tools to consider how and what
you teach in a structured and systematic manner
• Offers you an opportunity to critically examine
your Teaching Effectiveness in light of the
Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion process
17
UDL is not…
• Specialized privileges for a few students
– It is not about special accommodations
• Watering down your academic expectations
– It is not about making courses easier – school is
supposed to be challenging if learning occurs
• A “magic bullet” or “fix” for all students
– It is not going to solve all your curricular or
pedagogical problems
• A prescriptive formula
– No checklist will offer the “UDL solution”
18
14 Common Elements of
Universal Design for Learning
in the College Classroom
Review of Key Points
1. UDL is the process of making course concepts
accessible and skills attainable regardless of
learning style, physical or sensory abilities
2. UDL encourages faculty to consider varied
forms of Representation, Engagement, and
Expression
3. UDL offers clear benefits to students and faculty
20
Universal Design for Learning
Guideline from CAST
Resources
Ensuring Access through Collaboration and Technology (EnACT)
http://enact.sonoma.edu
Ohio State University
Faculty and Administrator Modules in Higher Education (FAME)
http://www.oln.org/teaching_and_learning/ada/Fame/FAME_Content/f2_11_145.
html
University of Washington
Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (Do-IT)
http://www.washington.edu/doit/
Center for Applied Special Technology
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/
Springfield Technical Community College
http://www.stcc.edu/ods/doe/nsf_faculty.htm
22