Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Optimal Student Engagement in the Online College Classroom

2020 ◽  
pp. 291-313
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Boothe ◽  
Marla J. Lohmann
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
College Classroom ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Research Based Practices

To support the increased diversity in the college classroom, it is vital that research-based practices are used to ensure student engagement and success. Faculty must approach online instruction with a willingness to implement teaching practices that have proven to be effective in the virtual environment. One framework for supporting the needs of all learners and enhancing student motivation is Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a proactive instructional framework that is designed to make the curriculum accessible for all students through multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression. College faculty can use the UDL framework as they plan for interactions with students, design instructional modules, and create student assignments and assessments. This chapter will provide an overview of UDL in the online college classroom, a synopsis of the relevant research literature, and practical examples from the chapter authors' online courses.

Designing and Teaching for Student Engagement in Online Courses Through UDL

2020 ◽  
pp. 314-329
Author(s):  
Ruby L. Owiny ◽  
Elizabeth Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Design For Learning

Any course must be goal-focused and consider the needs of all learners. However, online courses require instructors to be proactive in planning for learning. Recruiting and sustaining engagement in an online course must be carefully considered and planned for during all learning modules or units. This chapter addresses how to keep students engaged by considering their affect, the general way students feel toward their learning. Affect impacts motivation, which in turn can impact how a student persists in a course. The Universal Design for Learning principle of engagement addresses the affect through three guidelines. These guidelines are explained in this chapter with potential barriers to student learning and motivation explained as well. Furthermore, possible solutions are provided to give readers examples of ways in which they might reduce or remove barriers to engagement in their online courses.

Establishing Considerations for Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility in Online Courses

2021 ◽  
pp. 474-495
Author(s):  
Aisha S. Haynes
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
University Support

Students with and without disabilities are enrolling in online courses. Universal design for learning (UDL) and accessibility strategies should be implemented proactively when designing and developing online courses. Quality assurance and accessibility standards, university support, professional development, and instructional designers are important for instructors to successfully design online courses and teach online. The purpose of this chapter is to provide educators with strategies for implementing UDL and accessibility in online courses.

scholarly journals Reaching Students in Online Courses Using Alternative Formats

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Fidalgo ◽  
Joan Thormann
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Graduate Level ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Student Questionnaire

<p class="3">This research was conducted to explore whether students enrolled in graduate level courses found some Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies useful and if they actually used them. The strategies we investigated were presenting course information in alternative formats including PowerPoints with voiceover, screencasts, and videos as an alternative to text resources. In addition, students were invited to submit assignments in alternative formats as well as text. To examine these strategies, we used a student questionnaire, analytics from Blackboard, and assignment formats students used. The results indicate that text was the preferred format for accessing course information and resources as well as assignment submission. However, a substantial number of students acknowledged the benefits of using alternative formats and a smaller percentage used them. We suggest that instructors take advantage of UDL strategies that were examined since a sufficient number of students used them and because learning styles differ. We can reach more students by using these strategies.</p>

Designing Engaging Online Environments

2018 ◽  
pp. 280-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Hollingshead
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Design ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Asynchronous Instruction ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
Design For Learning

Engagement in learning is critical to students' achievement of meaningful learning outcomes. Educators often describe engagement as a multi component concept that involves emotional, cognitive, and behavioral domains. In an online environment, student engagement is challenging to achieve. Both synchronous and asynchronous instruction needs to be thoughtfully designed to engage students at a meaningful level. Moreover, within an online environment, some of the differences between the students from diverse backgrounds may be more challenging for the instructors to address and thus require an intentional and systematic approach. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional design framework that is based on a notion that all students are varied in their learning needs and therefore instruction needs to be flexible to ensure learning of all. This chapter will examine the construct of engagement, focus on learner variability, and offer practical instructional design solutions based in the framework of UDL.

The Role of Course Management Systems (CMS) in Addressing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in College Classrooms

2018 ◽  
pp. 60-78
Author(s):  
Laura R. Ficarra ◽  
Deborah A. Chapin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Course Management ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
College Classrooms ◽  
Experience Teaching ◽  
Design For Learning

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the use of a course management system (CMS) platform, Blackboard, which offers a framework for electronic resources accessed via technology (i.e., discussion boards, online tutorials, simulations, etc.), and will speak to how using CMS in this fashion allows teachers in higher education to address universal design for learning (UDL) in a way that is responsive to various learner profiles. This chapter offers an investigation of the implications of using CMS as a flexible method to employ UDL via blended learning and its influence on students in institutions of higher education (IHE). The authors provide strategies that emphasize best practice based on research in conjunction with their combined varied and extensive experience teaching face-to-face, blended, and asynchronous online courses in IHL.

Video Projects

2013 ◽  
pp. 204-220
Author(s):  
Marianne Castano Bishop ◽  
Jim Yocom
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Differentiated Instruction ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Bloom’S Taxonomy ◽  
Design For Learning

Video projects offer valuable opportunities for students to engage in the academic enterprise and demonstrate what they are learning. This chapter explores what will be referred to as the Helix-Flow: an amalgam synthesizing and strengthening three theoretical frameworks of instruction, including Project-based Learning, Universal Design for Learning, and Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain. The Helix-Flow captures the essence of these three theories and serves as a backdrop for understanding and appreciating video projects as a learning artifact. As a helix, the spirals wrap around the cylinder or cone. Each spiral represents one of the theories and the cylinder or cone represents student engagement with video projects. The spirals or theories support the cone or student engagement with video projects. Each theory or spiral has its own inherent and prescribed set of principles and guidelines. Each theory integrates with the others while keeping its own strengths, providing a comprehensive approach to instruction and student engagement. Each theory scaffolds differentiated instruction. This chapter will also examine the five Rs as guidelines for multimedia projects – Rationale, Roles, Resources, Rubric, and Readiness as well as the design of video assignments, assistance, production phases, and assessment.

Designing Engaging Online Environments

2021 ◽  
pp. 516-530
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Hollingshead
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Design ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Asynchronous Instruction ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
Design For Learning

Engagement in learning is critical to students' achievement of meaningful learning outcomes. Educators often describe engagement as a multi component concept that involves emotional, cognitive, and behavioral domains. In an online environment, student engagement is challenging to achieve. Both synchronous and asynchronous instruction needs to be thoughtfully designed to engage students at a meaningful level. Moreover, within an online environment, some of the differences between the students from diverse backgrounds may be more challenging for the instructors to address and thus require an intentional and systematic approach. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional design framework that is based on a notion that all students are varied in their learning needs and therefore instruction needs to be flexible to ensure learning of all. This chapter will examine the construct of engagement, focus on learner variability, and offer practical instructional design solutions based in the framework of UDL.

scholarly journals UDL in Online College Coursework: Insights of Infusion and Educator Preparedness

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
LaRon Scott ◽  
Peter Temple ◽  
David Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Online Learning Environment ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Coursework ◽  
Design For Learning

Teacher education programs are increasing the use of online courses to train and prepare teachers. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework is one strategy used to effectively train and prepare special education teachers in the online learning environment. The purpose of this study was to examine participants’ perception of UDL in online graduate-level courses and their preparation after completing the online courses using UDL. Mean ratings are reported for course alignment with UDL principles as are teacher preparation ratings. Participants reported that they perceived the online courses to be aligned with the UDL principles and that their learning and preparation was positively impacted. The results contribute to the application of these findings to online coursework and teacher preparation. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Universal Design for Culturally-Diverse Online Learning

2011 ◽  
pp. 239-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane H. Eberle ◽  
Marcus D. Childress
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Instructional Design ◽  
Instructional Strategies ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Global Learning ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Culturally Diverse Populations

This chapter outlines a framework for designing online learning using the principles of universal design. The authors define and give practical examples of instructional design models and universal design for learning as adapted for culturally-diverse populations and global learning. Online learning in a global society presents a variety of teaching issues that must be addressed if learning is to be universal, consistent, and culturally-sensitive. Adapting principles that the Center for Assistive Special Technology has developed for learners with special needs and combining those with practical instructional design techniques and instructional strategies can ensure that diverse learners will have equal access to the learning that will take place in their online courses.

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