Strategy 2: Using UDL (Universal Design for Learning)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 

UDL advocates for designing accessible and equitable courses. Creating all aspects of learning (lectures, activities, discussions, online interactions, assessments, etc.) with diverse needs in mind is at the heart of UDL. It avoids the assumption that “one size fits all” when it comes to learning.

The concept of UDL initially started in architecture. It is easy to see the ways that building access and design impact many different types of people. For example, steps are not practical for those in wheelchairs. But, when ramps are included in building entry designs, the ramp helps many additional people, like people pushing strollers, people using canes, people carrying a heavy load, and people with limited flexibility. By making one accommodation, access is increased for many groups. 

For a great TED talk on how designing for those with disabilities helps everyone, Elise Roy shares her experiences: 

This principle is now widely applied to higher education. Diversity of student experience and background is easy to see, but diversity of abilities and barriers is not quite as easy. Some disabilities are invisible. It is easy to fall into the trap that students learn the same way that we as faculty and staff do. Their preferences, barriers, habits, communication styles and other individual needs may be very different than ours. When we create a classroom that only works for people who learn exactly as ourselves, we miss the mark. 

For more information, as well as details about some of the best tools available to support accessibility, please utilize the resources developed by our amazing CCS eLearning Instructional Designers. Their Canvas-based module on the topic is available in their course, and it includes videos and walkthroughs of tech tools and processes. Start in the modules list, and scroll down for the UDL module. 

Additionally, Washington’s State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has created an entire Canvas course on the topic. Additionally, there is a short overview for online course accessibility developed for the remote learning environment, “Creating Accessibility in Online Classes Links to an external site..” SBCTC offers frequent training opportunities to support faculty implementation of the concepts. Look for these no-cost, online training opportunities. 

 

UDL and the Student Experience 

UDL encourages thinking proactively, not waiting until there is an issue where a student faces an unintended barrier and requests an accommodation. Consider this: an accommodation request is the best-case scenario. That means that the student has documentation for a disability, has contacted our Disability Access Services Office, and feels confident enough to be able to advocate for their individual needs. The worst-case scenario is that a student faces a barrier and decides that passing the class is not possible, not even asking for accommodations.

Designing with diverse learners in mind means that you have already considered common accommodations before anyone asks. This helps learners with specific needs feel welcome and valued in your classroom. 

Do keep in mind that most of us are not qualified to diagnose disabilities, so we must rely on either student disclosure or notifications from the Disability Access Services Links to an external site. office. We should never demand (publicly or privately) students to identify any disabilities to us or their classmates, and making assumptions that someone has a disability are extremely problematic (and often, incorrect). Student may disclose learning or other barriers they face, whether or not they are requesting accommodations, but it should be their choice to share.

Some easy classroom strategies to address this issue include:

You can provide support for everyone without singling any specific student out. 

 

Implementing UDL Strategies 

For a good framework for thinking through UDL in the classroom, the SBCTC shares the non-profit research and educational organization CAST’s approach of three UDL guidelines Links to an external site.: engagement, representation and action & expressions. The image below provides more information about each. 

There are many details in this image, and you are encouraged to visit the original site for more details: http://udlguidelines.cast.org/

 

From the Inside Higher Ed article “Teaching Tips for an UDL-Friendly Classroom Links to an external site.” by Natascha Chtena, here’s a list of strategies for different classroom settings:

Online

    1. Provide handouts ahead of time, in accessible electronic format. 
    2. If your teaching is lecture-based, provide students with guided notes. 

Lectures

    1. Create slides with a solid background (e.g., white text on black background) and use a sans serif font, such as Arial or Verdana (they are the easiest to read) with a minimum size of 24 points. 
    2. Read key information presented on slides, blackboard etc. aloud to ensure effective communication to all, including those with visual impairments, auditory learners and students sitting behind any obstruction.
    3. Make a conscious effort to speak slowly so that ESL (English as Second Language) students can understand you.
    4. Face class when speaking to allow students with hearing impairments to read your lips. 
    5. Avoid common oppressive words such as “crazy”, “lame”, “handicapped”, ”brain damaged,” etc., as they can be extremely painful for people with disabilities. Instead, speak in a way that puts the person before the disability. 
    6. Reinforce key points using a variety of formats (e.g. verbally, graphically, or through demonstration) and explain why they are important.
    7. Use open-ended questions to check for comprehension. Before calling on someone allow students enough time to formulate a response either by pausing for a count of ten, having students record their responses on a piece of paper or electronic device, or having them share responses with their neighbor.
    8. Find out what your university’s policy is for recording of lectures and consider allowing students to record the class. 
    9. If using videos, make sure they are captioned or contain a text transcript available for students with impaired hearing and those lacking listening comprehension.

Classroom Activities

    1. Throughout the course, provide multiple means for student participation and engagement. For example, encourage classroom discussion through the use of small group activities, role-play, debates, think-pair-share, case studies, one-minute papers, or other activities that give students more than one way to interact in class.
    2. When possible, offer students opportunities to make decisions about their learning. For example, you could give them a choice between multiple essay prompts for an assignment, or give them the option of working solo or in groups to complete an in-class exercise.

Assessment

    1. If you’re lucky enough to be designing your own course, use a variety of assessment methods (e.g. papers, learning journals, presentations, tests, quizzes, oral exams) throughout the semester to allow/encourage multiple ways of demonstrating learning.
    2. Alternatively, consider providing students with the opportunity to complete an assignment in various formats (i.e., a paper, podcast, class presentation etc.). 

 

SCC Support

For SCC-specific support on this topic, I encourage you to reach out to the Disability Access Services Links to an external site. office. Their contact info is: 

Location and Hours: SCC Bldg. 15, Mon. -Thu. 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., Fri.  8 a.m.- noon
Email:  DSS@scc.spokane.edu
Voice: 509-533-7169
Fax: 509-533-8877
VP: 509-321-4406

They are here to support students and faculty, so if you have questions about specific accommodations or supporting students in general, please reach out. 

Additional Resources

There are many available resources for understanding UDL, some of which are mentioned above - the eLearning and SBCTC courses are the perfect place to start. I hope that you will use this module as a launching pad for accessing additional materials. 

For help with captioning, you can use automatic captioning with Google slides Links to an external site. (which can be recorded for later viewing) or generate automatic captioning with Panopto recordings (see the eLearning course for more information). 

Additionally, I would recommend these good resources for additional information: