Improving Access to Higher Education With UDL and Switch Access Technology

2020 ◽  
pp. 495-508
Author(s):  
Luis Perez ◽  
Ann Gulley ◽  
Logan Prickett
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Access Technology ◽  
Technology System ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Ongoing Development ◽  
The Individual

This chapter presents an in-depth case study of the creative use of a mobile technology system by a diverse learner who is also one of the authors of the chapter. This learner is blind, has significant fine and gross motor impairment, and speaks in a whisper that is not understood by today's speech recognition technology. The learner's inclusion as an author is, in itself, a testimony to the empowerment the mobile communication system has brought to his life, which in turn has allowed him to be an active participant in the design of a learning environment based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. More specifically, the chapter details the ongoing development of a system for making math content more accessible not only to the individual learner who is the focus of the case study, but to other learners who struggle with higher level math content in higher education.

Improving Access to Higher Education With UDL and Switch Access Technology

2017 ◽  
pp. 13-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Perez ◽  
Ann Gulley ◽  
Logan Prickett
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Access Technology ◽  
Technology System ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Ongoing Development ◽  
The Individual

This chapter presents an in-depth case study of the creative use of a mobile technology system by a diverse learner who is also one of the authors of the chapter. This learner is blind, has significant fine and gross motor impairment, and speaks in a whisper that is not understood by today's speech recognition technology. The learner's inclusion as an author is, in itself, a testimony to the empowerment the mobile communication system has brought to his life, which in turn has allowed him to be an active participant in the design of a learning environment based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. More specifically, the chapter details the ongoing development of a system for making math content more accessible not only to the individual learner who is the focus of the case study, but to other learners who struggle with higher level math content in higher education.

Developing a Transdisciplinary Work-Based Learning Curriculum

2016 ◽  
pp. 144-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darryll Bravenboer ◽  
Barbara Workman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Open Learning ◽  
Industry Sector ◽  
Curriculum Framework ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Gain Access

Middlesex University's transdisciplinary work-based learning curriculum framework is presented as a coherent and innovative means to provide flexible and open learning opportunities for those in work. The chapter describes the underpinning theory that constitutes the work-based learning field of study as well as the structure and components of the curriculum framework. Through illustrative case studies, the chapter demonstrates how the Middlesex transdisciplinary framework has provided opportunities for a variety of working learners to gain access to higher education qualifications that would otherwise have been closed. Each case study illustrates a different aspect of the framework and how it has operated to create opportunities for open learning and credentialing at the level of the individual, the organisation and, lastly, within an industry sector. This demonstrates the potential for transferability of some of the principles and approaches to other higher education curricular settings.

Widening Access to Higher Education – An Australian Case Study

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-212
Author(s):  
Glen Postle ◽  
Andrew Sturman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
History Of Higher Education ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Diverse Student ◽  
History Of ◽  
Australian Case ◽  
Open And Distance Learning

In this paper the authors trace the development of equity within the Australian higher education context over the latter part of the last century. In particular they focus on the ways different perspectives (liberalist-individualist and social democratic) have shaped what has been a dramatic increase in the number and diversity of students accessing higher education in Australia. The adoption of a specific perspective has influenced the formation of policies concerning equity and consequently the way universities have responded to the pressures to accept more and different students. These responses are captured under two main headings – ‘restructuring the entry into higher education’ and ‘changing the curriculum within higher education’. Several examples of current programs and procedures based upon these are explained. The paper concludes with the identification of three ‘dilemmas' which have emerged as a result of the development and implementation of equity processes and procedures in higher education in Australia. These are: (a) While there has been an increase in the number and range of students accessing higher education, this has been accompanied by a financial cost to the more disadvantaged students, a cost which has the potential to exacerbate equity principles. (b) For one of the first times in the history of higher education, a focus is being placed on its teaching and learning functions, as opposed to its research functions. The problem is that those universities that have been obliged to broaden their base radically have also been obliged to review their teaching and learning practices without any budgetary compensation. (c) A third consequence of these changes relates to the life of a traditional academic. Universities that have been at the forefront of ‘changing their curriculum’ to cope with more diverse student groups (open and distance learning) have seen the loss of ‘lecturer autonomy’ as they work more as members of teams and less as individuals.

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.

scholarly journals And the Students Shall Lead Us: Putting Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in Conversation With Universal Design for Learning in a Middle-School Spoken Word Poetry Unit

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 226-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Coppola ◽  
Rebecca Woodard ◽  
Andrea Vaughan
Keyword(s):  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Classroom Community ◽  
Cultural Pluralism ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Spoken Word Poetry ◽  
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Grade Classroom

This case study explores how a research-practice partnership worked to cross-pollinate culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) over the course of a 9-week spoken word poetry unit in a seventh-grade classroom. The unit reflected CSP’s commitment to linguistic, literate, and cultural pluralism (e.g., centering culture- and identity-focused writing) while also intentionally embedding principles of UDL (e.g., multiple means of representation, action, expression, and engagement). The analysis examines how and why some students in this classroom centered dis/ability in their poetry writing and how the design and implementation of the unit invited more complex understandings of cultures and identities. Findings suggest that CSP supported students in making their identities more visible in the classroom, while the integration of UDL principles eliminated barriers for participation. Both were integral in focal students’ engagements with aspects of their identities throughout the unit. Ultimately, the unit’s design facilitated the movement of the focal students from the periphery to more centripetal roles within the classroom community.

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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