Educause: Learning Lab

Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education

Overview:

The learning lab for implementing UDL in Higher Education contained four mini sessions facilitated by Thomas Tobin, Ph.D. The goals of the learning lab were: 1. To show how accommodations and UDL are different. 2. Learn what can be done today, within a week, and with a month to reach out to your biggest segment of learners on their mobile devices. 3. How to implement UDL across the campus, not just in the classroom.

Welcome session:

The welcome session was a great opportunity to network with others in similar roles. For instance, most participants were instructional designers or had some sort of role in a learning and teaching center, and there were very few faculty members. The first conversation prompt was to share what strategies your institution implements on the topic of UDL. In the group I was placed in, some interesting topics came out. In the University of Washington’s graduate programs, there is a major push back on incorporating any UDL principles and the reason was “they’re graduate students, they should be able to do whatever they are asked to, and exams are the only way to assess students.” This individual shared that their goal was to hopefully change the mindset of the faculty who teach in the graduate program. A different individual shared their use of Ally and explained how it was really helping increase accessibility in their LMS, and overall had positive thoughts on this. Ally was a major topic in the assignments in this learning lab. Others also shared how they were looking forward to this and how this is very new to them and others at their institution. I shared that this was one of my main responsibilities and I have facilitated workshops on this topic. I also shared that we were interested in acquiring Ally as well. 

Learning Sequence 1:

The first session of this learning lab was to go over the mindset of UDL and look at real examples of UDL in action. The goal was to examine and critique three examples of UDL in higher education courses, then to audit the materials. 

Readings for this session:

1. From Accommodations to Accessibility: Creating Learning Environments That Work for All. 
2. Universal Design for Learning in Postsecondary Education: Reflections on Principles and their Application
3. The UDL Guidelines

The big takeaway was to focus on the “five strategies for UDL.” 

Strategy 1: Start with text.

• Start with a book chapter, an article, outline etc. 

Strategy 2: Make Alternatives

• Share a video, amination, podcast, images, etc. 

Strategy 3 : Let ‘Em Do it Their Way

• Give students a choice to pick how they complete assignments

Strategy 4: Go Step by Step

• Scaffold the assignment by breaking them up into smaller task within an assignment

Strategy 5: Set the Content Free

• Expand, document and share interactions using format free tools. 

This gave me the idea of a workshop for how to break down a major assignment by using this action plan. 

The last part of this session was to evaluate a course and “look for” the six big factors to see if UDL was applied. 

The “look fors:”

• Student Choices
• Flexibility in Instructor Presentations 
• Metacognition: Choices in learning 
  • Help students learn
  • Plane ways to learn that work for them and 
  • Reflect on the choices they make
• Framing Choices
• Coaching on Choices
• Reflections on Choices

In small groups, we shared and reflected on these “looks for’s” and for many courses/faculty members, there were three out of the six “look fors” – rarely were there all six.

I’m going back to review this session and look at the discussion boards. I would like to see how others help faculty with “coaching on choices and reflections on choices.”

Learning Sequence 2: 

Resources for this session:

Equal Access: Universal Design of Student Services

From accommodations to accessibility: Creating learning environments that work for all

In this session, we looked at what UDL looks like in other areas that are not the classroom. For example, how does IT, library services, and admissions implement UDL principles into their areas. As a group, we went through each area on campus and applied “plus one” suggestions to them. This was a very interesting point. I was very curious if we (ITS) implement UDL principles. I looked at the following area and participated in a small group discussion. 

1. Application process: 
   • Accessible with screen readers? 
   • Mobile-device friendly? 
   • Multi-format? 

Carleton’s application is mobile friendly and easy to use- ✅

2. IT help desk:
   • Documentation forms
   • Ticketing/service channels 
   • Multiple forms of contact

Carleton’s IT help desk has KB articles, TDX tickets, and can be contacted via  phone, in-person, email and chat from all students, staff and faculty. ✅

3. Physical Layouts
   • Multiform spaces 
   • Public-to-private design 
   • Interaction choices

Carleton’s physical layouts have a great variety of spaces. As I was working through this exercise with others, I realized that I do not know the spaces well enough to speak fully on this topic, but I wasn’t alone. Some others in the breakout room felt this way too. COVID-19 has limited new employees from fully seeing and exploring the campus. I realized that I know where everything is located for the most part, but this summer I would like to focus more time on seeing the classrooms/student services and getting to know what we (physically) have on campus. 

This was a great discussion and this was probably the highlight of the learning lab.

Culmination Session: 

The final session of the learning lab discussed the cognitive neuroscience behind why UDL should be widely adopted in all higher education. We discussed how to speak with campus leaders and colleagues to make the case for adopting UDL practices, going beyond “it’s the law” into benefits for faculty members, staff members, and the institution as a whole. As a group we created talking points for UDL conversations with various campus audiences, from faculty members to IT staffers to student-support personnel to senior leaders.

Talking points: 

1. Introducing Blackboard Ally to Moodle
2. Creating a UDL website or post
3. Partnering with the office of accessibility 
4. Partnering with IDE teams
5. Hosting workshops
6. Increasing assistive technology

This was a great discussion and the biggest takeaway was this statement: “UDL = access, no matter why” and this is what I want to share with others at Carleton. The next time I get a chance to speak on this subject, this is going to be my focus statement.