Postsecondary chemistry curricula and universal design for learning: planning for variations in learners’ abilities, needs, and interests

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 1216-1239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Scanlon ◽  
Tamra Legron-Rodriguez ◽  
Jillian Schreffler ◽  
Elijah Ibadlit ◽  
Eleazar Vasquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Chemistry ◽  
Curriculum Development ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Literature Base ◽  
Chemistry Education Research ◽  
Curricular Materials

Federal legislation requires equitable access to education for all students at all levels, including in the postsecondary setting. While there have been a few studies in the chemistry education research literature base focused on how to support students with specific disabilities, this work seems to exist as a separate stream of research without direct impact on curriculum development and the overall community. This study focused on investigating how well three sets of general chemistry curricular materials support variations in students’ abilities, interests, and needs. To accomplish this, we compared the curricular materials with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, which describes steps to account for variations in ability among learners during curriculum development. The UDL framework is organized into three guidelines (multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement), further delineated by nine principles and thirty-one finer-grained checkpoints for designing courses. We looked for examples of enactment of the UDL checkpoints in a representative sample of activities. Across all three sets of curricular materials, only four of the thirty-one checkpoints were enacted in at least 75% of the activities, indicating high enactment. On the other hand, eleven of the checkpoints were enacted in less than 25% of the activities, indicating low enactment. Overall, there is much room for improvement in consistently providing support for learner variation within these general chemistry curricular materials. We argue that some of the burden of making curricular materials supportive of all students lies with curriculum developers and provide recommendations for improving support and accessibility.

scholarly journals Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linn Jorgenson ◽  
Korey Singleton ◽  
Jane Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Curriculum Development ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Diverse Learners ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Instructional Goals ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Individual Needs

This presentation is designed to introduce a Universal Design for Learning (UDL)framework to participants and then explore the use of UD within student affairsand higher education. We will start with an overview of the three principles of UDL,which is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individualsequal opportunities to learn. UDL provides a plan for creating instructional goals,methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone—inot a single, one-size-fits-all solution, but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs. We will discuss some of the trends we are seeing here at Mason, including diverse learners and accommodations on how to structure a course.

Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Optimal Student Engagement in the Online College Classroom

2020 ◽  
pp. 291-313
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Boothe ◽  
Marla J. Lohmann
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
College Classroom ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Research Based Practices

To support the increased diversity in the college classroom, it is vital that research-based practices are used to ensure student engagement and success. Faculty must approach online instruction with a willingness to implement teaching practices that have proven to be effective in the virtual environment. One framework for supporting the needs of all learners and enhancing student motivation is Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a proactive instructional framework that is designed to make the curriculum accessible for all students through multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression. College faculty can use the UDL framework as they plan for interactions with students, design instructional modules, and create student assignments and assessments. This chapter will provide an overview of UDL in the online college classroom, a synopsis of the relevant research literature, and practical examples from the chapter authors' online courses.

From Deficit Remediation to Capacity Building: Learning to Enable Rather Than Disable Students With Dyslexia

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 864-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann ◽  
Alyssa R. Boucher ◽  
Miriam Evans
Keyword(s):  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Scientific Discovery ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Deficit View

Purpose In this article, we explore the deficit view of dyslexia and consider how it may narrow research so as to hamper the progress of scientific discovery and constrain best practices to the detriment of the overall well-being and growth of students with dyslexia. We consider the neurodiversity view of dyslexia as an alternative to the deficit view and explore how strengths-based approaches such as Universal Design for Learning can be used to support the overall well-being and development of students with dyslexia. Practical strategies are provided for applying a strengths-based approach in the speech-language pathologist setting to support students with dyslexia. Method We completed a focused literature review of the history of the deficit view of dyslexia, the alternate neurodiversity view, exceptional abilities related to dyslexia, and strategies for Universal Design for Learning. Results Although the research literature that deals with visual-spatial affordances associated with dyslexia is limited, there is significant evidence that a strengths-based approach to learning experience design can be leveraged by practitioners to improve student self-development, motivation, and academic outcomes. Conclusion We find that further research is needed to explore strengths associated with dyslexia and argue that a shift in mindset from the deficit view toward the neurodiversity view is required to build the capacity of students with dyslexia to thrive in learning and life.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document