scholarly journals How UDL can make learning work for all your students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dara Ryder ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Equal Opportunities ◽  
Design For Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles and guidelines for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL aims to improve the educational experience of all students by introducing more flexible methods of teaching and assessment to cater for the huge diversity of learners now participating in higher education. This approach is underpinned by research in the field of neuroscience and the learning sciences and is designed to improve the learning experience and outcomes for all students. The basic idea is simple but backed by decades of research – that all of us learn differently, have different life experiences and demands, and differing physical and cognitive strengths, and so a variety of teaching and learning approaches with choice and flexibility built in are required to reach and motivate everyone. This presentation will explore the origins of UDL, provide an introduction to its 3 key principles, encourage participants to examine the diversity within their own classrooms and offer practical take-aways for those seeking to explore further and get started on their own UDL journey.

Using Digital Tools to Foster Student Engagement Within the Universal Design for Learning Framework

2020 ◽  
pp. 411-428
Author(s):  
Lisa Harris ◽  
Lindsay Yearta ◽  
Allison Paolini
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Learning Framework ◽  
Design For Learning

Students are diverse. They vary widely in their background knowledge, interests, languages, academic strengths, and learning needs. In order to retain these students, higher education institutions must create flexible and engaging learning environments. Universal design for learning (UDL) is a research-based framework used to guide the development of instructional goals, teaching methods, materials, and assessments to meet the needs of all learners. The three overarching UDL principles and corresponding guidelines are discussed as a framework for making decisions about integrating digital tools into teaching and learning environments. Examples of how the authors have used technology to meet the guidelines in higher education classrooms are provided.

Universal Design for Learning and Active Blended Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 86-105
Author(s):  
Frederic Fovet
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Professional Experience ◽  
Learning In Context ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Design For Learning

This chapter examines active blended learning and universal design for learning in context within the lived professional experience of the author. The tension between both of these approaches to teaching and learning is first analyzed and explored through a series of vignettes. In the second stage, an analysis is carried out to identify ways in which the tension between both paradigms can be resolved by practitioners in higher education. The final stage of the chapter conceptualizes this empirical reflection and offers a model that can be used in professional development activities with faculty to guide them seamlessly as they attempt to reconcile these 21st century imperatives of teaching and learning in one progressive, cohesive, and coherent discourse.

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.

Beyond Novelty

2020 ◽  
pp. 22-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic Fovet
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Pedagogical Innovation ◽  
Design For Learning

This chapter examines how fully accessible teaching and learning, and particularly Universal Design for Learning (UDL), currently attracts much attention in higher education (HE) as an innovative pedagogical approach. Having highlighted all the dimensions of UDL that currently qualify it as “innovative”, the chapter further examines the concept of pedagogical innovation and what constitutes such a perception within the field. It is argued that far from being new, the notion of accessible teaching and learning draws from other pedagogical concepts and schools of thought that are well established in the literature and very much traditional and readily accepted. The chapter discusses that despite this recent “framing” or branding, UDL is not so much a novelty as a return to a fundamental questioning on the part of educators and instructional designers around engagement and social justice and their place in pedagogy.

scholarly journals A Reflective Analysis on Neurodiversity and Student Wellbeing: Conceptualising Practical Strategies for Inclusive Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott Spaeth ◽  
Amy Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Relevant Theory ◽  
Inclusive Practice ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Behaviours

With the number of neurodivergent students entering Higher Education increasing, it is essential that we understand how to provide an inclusive educational experience which facilitates positive wellbeing. In this reflective analysis we draw upon our position as neurodivergent academics alongside relevant theory and literature to foster understanding and provide practical strategies for those supporting neurodivergent students. We emphasise the importance of questioning normative assumptions around expected student learning behaviours, and the negative impact that these assumptions can have upon neurodivergent students. We then provide several practical strategies that can be used to develop more inclusive practice, drawing upon principles embedded within a Universal Design for Learning approach.

Enhancing Instructor Capacity Through the Redesign of Online Practicum Course Environments Using Universal Design for Learning

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Jennifer V. Lock ◽  
Carol Johnson ◽  
Noha Altowairiki ◽  
Amy Burns ◽  
Laurie Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Experience ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Bachelor Of Education ◽  
Recommendations For Practice

A current trend in practicum or field experience programs is online and blended learning approaches being implemented alongside traditional classroom experiences. Principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) should be integrated in the design of these online environments in order to better support learning needs of all students. Instructors must also have confidence and competence in designing and facilitating learning within technology-enabled environments. This chapter reports on research conducted using design-based research to support instructor capacity development within field experience in a Bachelor of Education program. Three strategies are identified and discussed to enhance instructor's capacity: scaffolded support, modeling UDL practice in the online environment, and coaching to foster developing capacity using UDL. The chapter concludes by reporting on a new study that emerged as a result of this work, along with recommendations for practice.

scholarly journals Universal Design for Learning in Assessment: Supporting ELLs with Learning Disabilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-91
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Delaney ◽  
Maiko Hata
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
English Language ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
World Population ◽  
Design For Learning

Studying English is challenging and, for many learners, undiagnosed learning disabilities can present a serious threat to their success. Recent studies indicate that up to 10% of the world population has a non-apparent disability, such as autism or dyslexia. At the same time, few English language learner (ELL) instructors in higher education have training in learning disabilities, and they are often unsure of how to support learners who seem to have extra challenges. This is especially true when it comes to assessment, as instructors often rely on traditional tools that could negatively affect the validity of the assessment outcomes. In this brief reflection, the authors share how instructors can apply the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to their assessment practices to support students with disabilities, regardless of diagnostic status. First, disabilities that affect language learning will be briefly discussed, followed by the explanation of how English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) assessments present specific challenges for students with disabilities. Then, the authors will provide an overview of UDL theory, which proposes that learners with disabilities are often best served by accommodations in representation, expression and engagement that can benefit the entire class. Most of the paper will focus on specific, practical strategies for implementing UDL within assessment in higher education. Such strategies include building executive function, implementing multi-channel assessment, and learning about students through an “evaluation loop.”

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