Postsecondary physics curricula and Universal Design for Learning: Planning for diverse learners

General education pre-service teachers are expected to teach diverse learners, including those with disabilities, in the general education settings. Yet many are not adequately prepared to teach all students. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to increase inclusive practices, however, it is unknown how to best teach this to pre-service teachers. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of using a practice-based approach to teach UDL as compared to a lecture-based approach to teach UDL to better prepare general education pre-service teachers. Constructs of interest include pre-service teachers' fundamental knowledge including UDL, self-efficacy and UDL application. A mixed methods triangulation design was employed. While pre-service teachers from both groups had significant gains in their foundational knowledge, reported self-efficacy, reported UDL knowledge and ability to apply UDL ideas, participants in the practice-based group did have some advantages, specifically in the area of UDL application.

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Using Universal Design for Learning as a Lens to Rethink Graduate Education Pedagogical Practices

Reshaping Graduate Education Through Innovation and Experiential Learning - Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-4836-3.ch009 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 168-187

Author(s):

Frederic Fovet

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Graduate Students ◽

Graduate Education ◽

Universal Design ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Diverse Learners ◽

Pedagogical Practices ◽

Design For Learning ◽

Inclusive Pedagogy ◽

The Many

Universal design for learning has gained interest from the higher education sector over the last decade. It is a promising approach to inclusion that allows instructor to design for optimal flexibility so as to address the needs of all diverse learners. Most implementation efforts, however, have concentrated on undergraduate education. The presumption is that graduate students have developed the necessary skills to perform, by the time of their admission into the graduate sector. It is also assumed, somehow, that the graduate population is homogeneous, rather than diverse, even if the literature does not support such assertions. Inclusive pedagogy therefore does not seem currently to be a priority in graduate education. This chapter will debunk these myths and highlight the numerous challenges graduate education faces, as a sector, with regards to the inclusion of diverse learners. It will then showcase the many ways universal design for learning is pertinent and effective in tackling these challenges.

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Using the Universal Design for Learning Framework to Support Culturally Diverse Learners

Journal of Education ◽

10.1177/002205741219200104 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 192 (1) ◽

pp. 17-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Meia Chita-Tegmark ◽

Jenna W. Gravel ◽

B. Serpa Maria De Lourdes ◽

Yvonne Domings ◽

David H. Rose

Keyword(s):

Culturally Diverse ◽

Universal Design ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Diverse Learners ◽

Learning Framework ◽

Design For Learning ◽

Culturally Diverse Learners

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Considering Diverse Learners in STEM: Incorporating Universal Design for Learning with Clickers

Active Learning in College Science ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-33600-4_59 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 953-964

Author(s):

Angela N. Google ◽

Grant E. Gardner ◽

Joshua W. Reid ◽

Diane Majewski ◽

Vera Tabakova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Universal Design ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Diverse Learners ◽

Design For Learning

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An Exploration of Multimedia Supports for Diverse Learners During Core Math Instruction

Journal of Special Education Technology ◽

10.1177/0162643418781298 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 41-54

Author(s):

Tara L. Kaczorowski ◽

Andrew I. Hashey ◽

Dane Marco Di Cesare

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Knowledge ◽

Universal Design ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Diverse Learners ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Math Instruction ◽

Learning Framework ◽

Whole Number ◽

Design For Learning

In the present study, mobile technology was leveraged as a learning tool for core math instruction during a whole number multiplication and division unit. The researchers redesigned paper–pencil worksheets from the math curriculum into multimedia-enhanced, interactive math practice (the eWorkbook) accessed by students on an iPad. With this eWorkbook, which was conceptualized within a Universal Design for Learning framework, we aimed to reduce barriers and capitalize on strengths by embedding flexible scaffolds/supports, allowing for student choice, and incorporating evidence-based teaching practices. Results of this case study suggest students with and without learning disabilities can leverage multimedia to foster unique opportunities for the understanding and expression of mathematical knowledge. Additional affordances of the eWorkbook include extending the reach of teacher support while encouraging self-support. Implications for teachers and researchers are discussed.

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Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education

Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference Proceedings ◽

10.13021/g84w3z ◽

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.

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Using Universal Design for Learning to Construct Inclusive Science Classrooms for Diverse Learners

LEARNing Landscapes ◽

10.36510/learnland.v7i2.651 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 59-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Neerusha Baurhoo ◽

Anila Asghar

Keyword(s):

Science Teachers ◽

Universal Design ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Diverse Learners ◽

Students With Learning Disabilities ◽

Science Classrooms ◽

Cognitive Access ◽

Design For Learning ◽

Academic Barriers ◽

Students With Ld

This article illuminates academic barriers that students with learning disabilities (LD) face in their science classrooms and the ways in which the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can offer practical ways to promote cognitive access to science education. This article also examines current research on intervention-based practices for students with LD in science classrooms. Drawing on the UDL model, the authors offer a framework for science teachers and practitioners to integrate inclusive practices in their teaching for diverse learners.

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Column Guest Editor’s Introduction: A Tactic for Clarifying the Teacher’s Role in Universal Design for Learning

Intervention in School and Clinic ◽

10.1177/1053451220944382 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 105345122094438

Author(s):

Dave L. Edyburn

Keyword(s):

Academic Success ◽

Universal Design ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Diverse Learners ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

College Professors ◽

Fundamental Challenge ◽

Design For Learning ◽

Essential Knowledge ◽

Design Challenges

Readers with an interest in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) will recognize the fundamental challenge presented in this month’s guest column, “Classroom Menus for Supporting the Academic Success of Diverse Learners.” That is, who is responsible for preparing the UDL environment before students enter a classroom? The authors describe three essential knowledge and skills needed by teachers, instructors, and college professors: (a) acquire UDL philosophy, (b) create a toolkit, and (c) create choice menus. They offer practical resources and tools for educators interested in each component. More importantly, after this baseline was established, they argue that it is necessary to evaluate teachers’ UDL knowledge and skills. Toward this end, they propose three UDL Design Challenges and provide a rubric for evaluating a teacher’s claim that they have designed an UDL intervention for their classroom.

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Voices From the Field

Journal of Special Education Technology ◽

10.1177/0162643417732293 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 40-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Eric J. Moore ◽

Frances G. Smith ◽

Aleksandra Hollingshead ◽

Brian Wojcik

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Universal Design ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Scaling Up ◽

The United States ◽

Diverse Learners ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Universities And Colleges ◽

Design For Learning

There is increasing pressure on universities in the United States to meet the needs of diverse learners. This fact increases the urgency for implementation and scaling up of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in higher education. This qualitative study draws two major insights from interviews with six faculty members from universities and colleges around the United States who have experienced a degree of success (personal to institutional) in implementing UDL. First, successful implementation and scaling up of UDL initiatives often occur when UDL is presented in response to a clear problem, issue, or inquiry rather than more direct approaches. Second, I articulate an emerging conceptualization of “levels” of implementation and apparent aspects that enable an institution or group to move from lower to higher tiers.

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Ten Years Later: Would You Recognize Universal Design for Learning If You Saw It?

Intervention in School and Clinic ◽

10.1177/1053451220963114 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 105345122096311

Author(s):

Dave Edyburn

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Academic Success ◽

Universal Design ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Diverse Learners ◽

The Third ◽

Special Series ◽

Universal Usability ◽

Design For Learning ◽

The Relationship

This is the third and final column of a special series on the topic of universal design for learning. Interested readers are encouraged to review the previous two articles: Enhancing Executive Function While Addressing Learner Variability in Inclusive Classrooms (Volume 56, Issue 3) and Classroom Menus for Supporting the Academic Success of Diverse Learners (Volume 56, Issue 4). In the following column, I examine the relationship between universal usability and universal design for learning (UDL).

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