scholarly journals Using Observations of Universal Design for Learning to Enhance Post-secondary STEM Teaching Practices

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Schreffler ◽  
Eleazar Vasquez III ◽  
Westley James ◽  
Jacquelyn J. Chini
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Stem Teaching

scholarly journals Post Secondary educators can increase educational reach with Universal Design for Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-36
Author(s):  
Kimberly Coy
Keyword(s):  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Environment Design ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Secondary Educators ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
College And University ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Environment Design

Meeting the needs of a variety of learners in college and university settings is of vital importance. By designing courses infused with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, guidelines and checkpoints; professors and instructors create environments targeted toward meeting the educational needs of a wider variety of students. UDL works most effectively at the design stage. This paper aims to support learning environment design by presenting ten specific strategies for infusing UDL within post-secondary courses at the university level. These strategies will include: identifying barriers to learning, alternatives for participating during class time, effective alternative assessments based on construct relevance and UDL meta cognitive goals and transparency.

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.

Universal Design for Learning Enables Significant Learning in Digital Courses

2020 ◽  
pp. 227-246
Author(s):  
Kimberly Coy
Keyword(s):  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Core Concepts ◽  
Academic Events ◽  
Wide Group

Universities serve a more diverse group of students than ever before, including students who are first generation, students from poverty, and students with learning disabilities. These institutions are also increasing the amount and types of digital learning environments students use. Meeting the needs of such a diverse student group with changing resources is a dynamic problem. The universal design for learning (UDL) framework has the potential to support professors, lecturers, and course designers as they create academic events for this wide group of learners in every field of study. This chapter examines the core concepts of UDL and presents specific examples in digital university teaching constructs. Students with diverse learning needs can be served in the same environments as more traditional students when this design framework is employed. UDL can be leveraged as an instructional superpower to the benefit of all learners in universities and post-secondary courses.

Belief without evidence? A policy research note on Universal Design for Learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 147821032094020
Author(s):  
Michael PA Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Research Note ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Implementation Plans

Developed first in the late 1990s by the Centre for Applied Special Technology, the pedagogical framework known as “Universal Design for Learning” (UDL) has drawn increasing investment from K-12 and post-secondary institutions. The promoters of UDL often frame the approach as being “based in neuroscience,” and further as an “evidence-based approach” to instructional design in teaching and learning. While the rhetoric is promising, no rigorous published research has demonstrated any improvement in an education intervention designed with UDL principles in mind. Furthermore, the community of practice around UDL appears to be hostile to questions around the rigor of analysis used to promote UDL interventions. Studies of UDL approaches do not follow best practices in terms of research design, and often solicit anecdotes rather than testing the effectiveness of the approach. The purpose of this policy research note is to survey the state of the art in researching UDL and to clarify the origin of the pedagogical theory. Because the effectiveness of this theory has not been proven, there are no grounds for UDL implementation plans to be framed as “evidence-based” decisions. Further, the reluctance of UDL advocates to rigorously study the effectiveness of their intervention raises important questions about their confidence in the theory. For these reasons, the only evidence-based conclusion that can be made about UDL is that further study is required, as its core claims remain unproven. Institutions of any educational level should proceed with caution before devoting significant resources to implementation of UDL.

scholarly journals Commentary: Navigating the Delicate Emerging Synchronicity Between Inclusion and Access

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-24
Author(s):  
Frederic Fovet
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Diverse Learners ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Policy Level ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
K 12

The author examines how the synchronicity between access and inclusion is emerging in both the K-12 and post-secondary fields. Previously, both agendas have too often been artificially distinguished, it is argued. The article examines the opportunities this creates for the hands-on implementation of inclusive practices in the class, and considers some of the repercussions this organic merge will have at policy level. The author also highlights how the progressive overlap between inclusion and access best practices—such as Universal Design for Learning—benefits the full spectrum of diverse learners.

scholarly journals Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Lynne N Kennette ◽  
Nathan Andrew Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Design For Learning

Universal design for learning (UDL) ensures that content is accessible to the largest audience by removing learning impediments (CAST, 2011). However, few scholars have surveyed students about how much UDL they encounter in their courses or how important they perceive these course modifications to be, especially in a post-secondary context. To this end, students at a Canadian college were surveyed. In a follow-up survey, faculty were also asked to report on how they thought their students perceived and valued their UDL usage. UDL perceived usage and perceived usefulness data were compared across both students and faculty and there was much agreement across the samples. Disagreements are discussed.

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