More Than One Way: Stories of UDL and Inclusive Classrooms

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Alisa Lowrey ◽  
Aleksandra Hollingshead ◽  
Kathy Howery ◽  
John B. Bishop
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
General Education ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
The United States ◽  
General Education Teachers ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Severe Intellectual Disability ◽  
Design For Learning

Voices of practitioners are often missing in research studies. This project focused on examining general education teachers’ stories as they relate to implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and inclusion of students with moderate to severe intellectual disability. Seven general education teachers from Canada and the United States participated in this study. Narrative inquiry was utilized as a method of data gathering and analysis. Four themes emerged: designing for learner variability, talking about inclusion, teaming fosters success, and differing descriptions of UDL. Discussion of implications to research and practice is included.

Voices From the Field

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-53 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals The Goal of the Universal Design for Learning: Development of All to Expert Learners

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-57
Author(s):  
Julita Navaitienė ◽  
Eglė Stasiūnaitienė
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Personal Learning ◽  
General Education Curriculum ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Development

AbstractOver the past 10 years, every learner’s ability to achieve the highest level of learning success has become quite an important topic. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) sets a goal to allow all learners to achieve their optimal learning experience that matches inclusive education. Learners who can assess their own learning needs set their personal learning goals, and monitor their progress are termed the expert learners (McDowell. Developing expert learners: a roadmap for growing confident and competent students. Corwin, 2019). This chapter focuses on theoretical backgrounds for expert learners’ paradigm. It starts from fundamental constructivist theories and moves towards the theory of self-regulation and cognitive neuroscience approach. It concentrates on the theory of self-determination, which, in our opinion, validates in the best way the nature of the expert learners’ development. Implementation of the Universal Design for Learning allows all learners to access, participate in, and progress in the general-education curriculum. This chapter presents the specific profile of the expert learners covering their main characteristics and qualities and revealing the essence of the UDL framework. Educators could use the profile as the educational guidelines conductive to understand how the process of becoming the expert learner proceeds.

scholarly journals Universal Design for Learning to Support Access to the General Education Curriculum for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Nasser Al Hazmi ◽  
Aznan Che Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Intellectually Disabled ◽  
Students With Special Needs ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
General Education Curriculum ◽  
Design For Learning

The issue concerned with enhancing support to the intellectually disabled students for enabling them to access thegeneral education has gained significant importance in the recent years all over the world. The intellectually disabledstudents suffer from neurodevelopmental disorders that acts as a barrier to the normal functioning of the brain andslow down the learning abilities and proper development of an individual. The presence of intellectual disabilitiesaffects both the mental and physical well-being of the students by causing issues for them to understand, thinklogically, speak, remembering things, and find solutions to the problems. Many research studies are conducted acrossthe world for finding the ways and designing innovative models that can help in increasing the access to generaleducation for these students with special needs. The universal design for learning framework also aims at providingsupport to the intellectually disabled students for gaining access to general education by enhancing their intellectualfunctioning and ability to adapt.

Barriers With Implementing a Universal Design for Learning Framework

Inclusion ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 274-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
LaRon A. Scott
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
General Education Teacher ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Service Training

Abstract Inclusion of students with disabilities in general education settings is often contingent on teachers' liberties to use inclusive instructional strategies. The current qualitative investigation used focus group, observation, and interviews of 9 special education teachers to understand their attitudes and beliefs concerning challenges with implementing the universal design for learning (UDL) framework to meet the needs of students with and without disabilities. A constant comparative analysis method was used to categorize the data into the following themes that emerged as barriers for implementing the UDL framework: (a) general education teacher support for inclusion, (b) need for administrative support, (c) need for improving general education teacher knowledge of UDL, (d) additional preservice field-based training on UDL, and (e) additional in-service training on UDL. Although the teachers in the study continued to indicate a passion for implementing the UDL framework, the need to address the barriers faced by teachers, and future research and implications significant to moving UDL forward as an inclusive teaching framework are underlined for discussion in the study.

scholarly journals A practice-based intervention to prepare preservice teachers for inclusion using universal design for learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mary Elizabeth Decker
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
General Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Diverse Learners ◽  
Fundamental Knowledge ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
The Impact

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.

scholarly journals Inclusion, universal design and universal design for learning in higher education: South Africa and the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Dalton ◽  
Marcia Lyner-Cleophas ◽  
Britt T. Ferguson ◽  
Judith McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
The United States ◽  
Full Inclusion ◽  
International Policies ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning ◽  
Inclusive Learning ◽  
Design For Learning

Around the world, institutions of higher education are recognising their responsibilities to achieve the full inclusion of individuals with differing needs and/or disabilities. The frameworks of universal design (UD) and universal design for learning (UDL) offer unique ways to build inclusiveness in our systems. The role of UD and UDL to strengthen successful inclusion of persons with differing needs in higher education programmes is presented from literature, inclusive of national and international policies and resources. Examples from South African and US institutions of higher learning are shared. Discussions of online accessibility, environmental issues, professional development, barriers to inclusion and recommendations for future development in an international context provide a vision for developing inclusive learning environments in higher education.

Practicing What We Preach

2019 ◽  
pp. 230-260
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Kroeger ◽  
Susan A. Gregson ◽  
Michelle A. Duda ◽  
Anna DeJarnette ◽  
Jonathan M. Breiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
General Education ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Implementation Team ◽  
Midwestern University ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
K 12

Creating inclusive classrooms is a challenge in general education. To prepare new teachers for diverse K-12 classrooms, faculty at one Midwestern university redesigned their education program to prepare preservice teachers for dual licensure in general and special education. The redesign required middle childhood faculty to learn more about complex conceptual frameworks that are prioritized in school districts across the country. One of these, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), became a non-negotiable component of the new program. An essential learning outcome became preparing pre-service teachers to utilize UDL. After the program was approved, content-area faculty questioned whether they were prepared to implement the framework. Having varied expertise in UDL, faculty wondered if they were teaching UDL effectively, and questioned whether they were modeling UDL concepts with fidelity in their own teaching. Thus, the Dual Licensure Implementation Team (DLIT) was born. This case study describes the process and product of the team's effort to implement UDL with fidelity.

Inclusive Education and Universal Design for Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 107-125
Author(s):  
Megan E. Cartier
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Education Curriculum ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
General Education Curriculum ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Related Service

Special education is filled with variations of service delivery models, collaboration among multiple service providers, ongoing documentation, frequent testing, and the creation of individualized plans all designed to help a child with a disability access the general education curriculum. Many education and rehabilitation preparation programs across the country are compartmentalized. Although these preparation programs include overviews of other related service providers outside of their fields, often the overviews are cursory at best. Inclusive education and Universal Design for Learning offer a way to help bridge the gap across programs. This chapter will demonstrate why educators and multiple related service providers should work together as a team to provide students with disabilities with thoughtful and intentional supports that strive toward a collaborative goal of increasing access to the general education curriculum.

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