scholarly journals Ready-Made Technologies: Incorporating Universal Design into Everyday Activities

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley Smith ◽  
Anya Evmenova ◽  
Kara Zirkle ◽  
Courtney Shewak ◽  
Korey Singleton
Keyword(s):  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Learning Curves ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Education Courses

Universal Design for Learning is the scientifically valid framework for developing educational practices that provides flexibility in how information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students engage in learning. Instructors who adopt UDL principles in their teaching can reduce barriers and support all students regardless of their abilities, needs, and learning preferences. This presentation will focus on ways to establishing UDL environments in higher education courses through "ready-mades," hi-tech platforms with low-tech learning curves, while simultaneously energizing learning and nurturing collaborations.Attendees will learn to provide three principles of UDL, which include multiple means of:Representation: Screenchomp, Jing, Video presentationsAction and expression: Voki, Glogster, Popplet,Engagement: Dipity timeline, Voice Thread, PrimaryPadSuch ready-mades also energize collaboration between students. To demonstrate the flexibility of ready-mades, we shall execute an interactive presentation via some of these tools and challenge participants to a hands-on application of these tools to their own learning goals.

scholarly journals Reimagining Disability and Inclusive Education Through Universal Design for Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Doolittle Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
White Male ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Regular Classroom ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Design For Learning

In 1975, Congress enacted a law eventually known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which ensures that children with disabilities receive a free, appropriate, public education. Since then, scholarly and popular debates about the effectiveness of inclusive education have proliferated and typically focus on the ability or inability of students with disabilities to succeed in so-called regular classrooms. These debates reflect widespread assumptions that the regular classroom is rightly the province of nondisabled students and a neutral, value-free space that students with disabilities invade and disrupt via their very presence and their costly needs for adaptation. But as many scholars in the field of Disability Studies in Education (DSE) have argued, these discussions often fail to recognize that the space of the regular classroom, far from neutral, is constructed for a nondisabled, neurotypical, white, male, middle-class "norm" that neither reflects nor accommodates the wide range of diverse learners within it, regardless of whether these learners have been diagnosed with a disability. A DSE perspective sees the educational environment, not students with disabilities, as the "problem" and calls for a Universal Design for Learning approach to education, or the design of instructional materials and activities that allows the learning goals to be achievable by individuals with wide differences in their abilities and backgrounds. Agreeing with this DSE perspective, this article uses an autoethnographic approach to reexamine inclusive education and to consider how university classrooms, pedagogy, and curricular materials can be improved in order to accommodate all students, not just those with disabilities. Ultimately, the article argues that Universal Design for Learning has the potential to radically transform the meaning of inclusive education and the very concept of disability.

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.

Removing the Disability from Distance Education

2014 ◽  
pp. 156-168
Author(s):  
Christina Yuknis
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Instructional Design ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
Education Courses

Students with disabilities are increasingly opting to take distance education courses. As a result, many courses are not prepared to adequately meet the needs of their students. This chapter provides an overview of the main accessibility issues, including the delay in technology use and adaptation and assistive technology integration for people with disabilities in distance education courses. To mitigate these issues, a framework for instructional design, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), is presented. UDL is a set of three principles that, when applied from the beginning of the course design, can reduce the need for later modifications or accommodations. Instructors may use UDL to ensure that the course is accessible, not just for students with disabilities, but for all students in the course.

scholarly journals Examining a Universal Design for Learning Approach in Music Education

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Miedema
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Percussion Instruments

typical classroom in Ontario is filled with a variety of learners with diverse needs. These various needs require teachers to differentiate instruction or create a universal design for learning (UDL) so that all students can participate. As a result, research is needed to explore and describe successful programs that can support all learners. One way to do this is to develop pedagogical practices for atypical learners and examine how these could be broadened for more typical learners. This research examines a series of general music lessons, including singing, playing percussion instruments and musical games, for atypical twelve-year-old learners. An Action Research methodology was used to examine six weeks of lessons taught to three students by the primary researcher. Data were collected using reflective journals, portfolios and videos of the sessions. Thematic analysis was conducted to examine similarities and differences in learner profiles, trends in the content of the lessons and pedagogical development over time, as well as to define some strategies or activities that could form the basis of a UDL approach. Despite the students’ atypical learning profiles, only minor accommodations were required during lessons. Overall, this research demonstrates the value of a pedagogical approach that articulates learning goals while allowing the path to achieving those goals to be different for each student, reinforcing the importance of the UDL approach. Moreover, the action research methodology highlights the importance of incorporating opportunities to work with atypical students in music teacher education, so that future teachers can develop a UDL approach. 

Removing the Disability from Distance Education

2016 ◽  
pp. 254-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Yuknis
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Instructional Design ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
Education Courses

Students with disabilities are increasingly opting to take distance education courses. As a result, many courses are not prepared to adequately meet the needs of their students. This chapter provides an overview of the main accessibility issues, including the delay in technology use and adaptation and assistive technology integration for people with disabilities in distance education courses. To mitigate these issues, a framework for instructional design, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), is presented. UDL is a set of three principles that, when applied from the beginning of the course design, can reduce the need for later modifications or accommodations. Instructors may use UDL to ensure that the course is accessible, not just for students with disabilities, but for all students in the course.

scholarly journals Applying Universal Design for Learning to Center for English as a Second Language

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karwan Kakabra Kakamad ◽  
Zana Hasan Babakr ◽  
Pakstan Faiq Mohamedami
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
English Language ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
Goals And Objectives ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

This paper investigated the possibility of applying Universal Design for English Language Learning. Throughout the paper, both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection. The students were first asked to critique the ESL program using a methodology created by Paulo Freire to ascertain how much freedom students have in creating their learning environments and establishing their own learning goals and objectives. The results showed that the majority of students rated the ESL program very low regarding their ability to influence the program's curriculum materials or learning outcomes. Moreover, the research shows that the majority of students did not believe they were adequately prepared for graduate-level studies in the University upon completion of the ESL program. As a result of these findings, several recommendations are made about creating more opportunities for individual students to use UDL principles to control their learning environments and establish their own learning goals and objectives.

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

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.

Leveraging the UDL Framework to Plan Grade-Aligned Mathematics in Inclusive Settings

2021 ◽  
pp. 273247452199002
Author(s):  
Jenny R. Root ◽  
Bree Jimenez ◽  
Alicia Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Step Process ◽  
Inclusive Settings ◽  
Design For Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that can be applied when planning inclusive mathematics to benefit all students in a classroom, including students with extensive support needs. This article provides a step-by-step process for using the UDL framework to plan instruction, meeting the needs of all learners. Strategies such as collaboration, prioritizing learning goals, contextualizing mathematics to make it meaningful to learners, and planning for variability across the three principles of UDL—multiple means of expression, representation, and action and expression—are discussed.

scholarly journals Applying Universal Design for Learning to Center for English as a Second Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karwan Kakabra Kakamad ◽  
◽  
Zana Hasan Babakr ◽  
Pakstan Faiq Mohamedami
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
English Language ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
Goals And Objectives ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

This paper investigated the possibility of applying Universal Design for English Language Learning. Throughout the paper, both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection. The students were first asked to critique the ESL program using a methodology created by Paulo Freire to ascertain how much freedom students have in creating their learning environments and establishing their own learning goals and objectives. The results showed that the majority of students rated the ESL program very low regarding their ability to influence the program's curriculum materials or learning outcomes. Moreover, the research shows that the majority of students did not believe they were adequately prepared for graduate-level studies in the University upon completion of the ESL program. As a result of these findings, several recommendations are made about creating more opportunities for individual students to use UDL principles to control their learning environments and establish their own learning goals and objectives.

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.

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