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.

scholarly journals Universal Design for Instruction and Learning: A Pilot Study of Faculty Instructional Methods and Attitudes Related to Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R David Black ◽  
Lois A Weinberg ◽  
Martin G Brodwin
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Faculty Attitudes ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Universal Design For Instruction ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Instruction And Learning ◽  
Attitudes Toward Students ◽  
And Training

Universal design in the education setting is a framework of instruction that aims to be inclusive of different learners to reduce barriers for all students, including those with disabilities. We used the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL focuses on the learner) and Universal Design for Instruction (UDI focuses on instruction) as the basis for this study. The purposes of this study were to determine if faculty were incorporating UDI/UDL into their instruction, and their attitudes toward students with disabilities, as these could be barriers to learning. The study revealed that some faculty were incorporating principles of UDI/UDL into their instruction, the variety of methods used varied, and faculty attitudes still create barriers to an equitable educational environment for students with disabilities. More education and training is needed in working with students with disabilities and adapting teaching methods for these students using UDI/UDL.

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.

Universal Design for Learning: Supporting College Inclusion for Students With Intellectual Disabilities

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L. Love ◽  
Joshua N. Baker ◽  
Stephanie Devine
Keyword(s):  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Transition Planning ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
College Level ◽  
Secondary Educators ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Education Opportunity

As college becomes an increasingly important prerequisite for employment, it is important that all students have access to postsecondary education (PSE). The passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act has provided students with intellectual disability (ID) a pathway to college, though some barriers in this transition still exist. This article is meant to highlight strategies instructors at the postsecondary level can utilize to support the transition and inclusion of students with ID in college-level courses. The role PSE programs play establishing what college readiness for individuals with ID is also discussed. A specific focus will be paid to how the universal design for learning (UDL) framework can be applied to instructional materials to support the inclusion of students with ID in college, and how these strategies can be modeled for secondary educators to support the transition planning process for students with ID.

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.

scholarly journals Universal Design for Learning and Instruction: Perspectives of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D Black ◽  
Lois A. Weinberg ◽  
Martin G Brodwin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Universal Design For Instruction ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Learning And Instruction

Universal design in the setting of education is a framework of instruction that aims to be inclusive of different learning preferences and learners, and helps to reduce barriers for students with disabilities. The principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) were used as the framework for this study. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the perspectives of university students with disabilities on teaching methods and strategies conducive to their learning, and evaluate how their perspectives align with UDL/UDI. The findings of this study revealed that there are barriers to learning for students with disabilities. Students with and without disabilities reported having a variety of learning preferences, and rated UDL/UDI principles as useful in improving their learning. The students gave several perspectives that supported the principles of universal design in higher education to enhance the learning of students who have disabilities.

The Administrator’s Role in Universal Design for Learning’s Successful Implementation

2021 ◽  
pp. 004005992110220
Author(s):  
Monica Grillo
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Inclusive Instruction

Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a critical issue for public schools in our country. UDL is an inclusive framework based on the science of learning. It supports and removes barriers to learning for all students while maintaining high expectations. Federal education policies have called for inclusive instruction based on UDL principles. Nevertheless, our educators and administrators are not sure they believe in it and do not know what exactly it is or how to implement it with fidelity (Jordan, 2018; Monsen et al., 2014; Russel & Bray, 2013). Previous researchers have found that teachers are more likely to implement inclusive teaching practices such as UDL when they have positive attitudes toward them shaped by their culture, experiences, and training. Administrators have a unique position to influence teacher attitudes by creating an inclusive school culture and providing instructional leadership. UDL benefits all students-not just those with unique needs-by increasing student engagement and removing learning barriers.

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