Firm Goals/Flexible MeansUDL in Postsecondary Practice

The StatuteSection 103(24) UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR

LEARNING.-- The term `universal design for learning' means a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that—

    ``(A) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and

    ``(B) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient.''.

Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

The PrinciplesMultiple Means of Representation

- provides flexibility in the ways information is presented,

Multiple Means of Action & Expression - in the ways students respond or demonstrate

knowledge and skills, and…

Multiple Means of Engagement - in the ways students are engaged…

The Neurological Foundation

Recognition

Strategic

Affective

Multiple Representations

Recognition

Why? Eliminate Ambiguity (Math!)

Why? Eliminate Ambiguity (Math!)

Why? Eliminate Ambiguity (Math!)

Write: 1 over X plus 1

11x

1 1x

Research: Dynamic Overviews Rendering an “overview” of an equation before rendering

all the details may help the listener fit all the details into the overall equation.

• First depth: “a fraction plus a variable equals a fraction”• Second depth: “start-fraction a square root over 5 end-

fraction plus a equals start-fraction a square root plus 5 a over 5 end-fraction.” gh,LLC

2 2 2 2 55 5

x y x y aa

Research: Dynamic Overviews• A special study was designed by Purdue with intentionally

ambiguous equations that students were asked to differentiate.

• The purpose of the study was to determine if MathSpeak could successfully disambiguate mathematics as compared to “conventional” math reading strategies.

• The initial results indicated that, as would be expected, students correctly identified the equations less than 50% of the time using conventional reading techniques.

• However, when using MathSpeak, students’ performance on similar items increased to 95% accuracy!

Practice: MathML & MathPlayer

Multiple Means of Expression

Strategic

Why? Allow for Alternate Understandings

Climbing Binary Trees A Binary Tree is a Non-Linear Data Structure which is

used to store data in a very efficient manner. In general Binary Tree looks like this.

From TechCrunch

Climbing Binary Trees A Different Approach from Vi Hart

From http://vihart.com/doodling/

Multiple Means of Engagement

Affective

Why? Support Persistence

Exploring Graph Theory More from Vi Hart

Promising Projects: Math MeTRC's mission is to learn how the

printed materials used by teachers and students in mathematics classrooms can be converted into electronic forms, and how the increased capabilities in the form, function, and content enabled by this conversion, might increase access to mathematics, and improve student learning and achievement

The Accessible Portable Item Profile (APIP) project goal is to develop an interoperability standard for assessment content. The APIP project consists of eight member states and three observing states working closely with IMS Global and Nimble Assessment Systems.

Up Next: Growing the UDL Field

Timeline of UDL in IHEs

20112005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20102002 2003 2004

Southern U.LSU, OSUMcNeese U.

U MaineSonoma StateN. Carolina State

CSU, SacrementoCal PolyCSU StanislausU. Vermont

Miami U.U. IowaTemple U.Natl Louis U.

More to Come!Colorado StateU. HawaiiLa CC SystemMich State U.

U. ArkansasLandmark C.SF State U.San Jose State U.CSU, Monterey Bay

Catholic U.GWU

Univ. S.MaineMarywood U.Boston C.Bank St. C.

STCC

Expansion of UDL Awareness National Center on Universal Design for

Learning – www.udlcenter.org

National UDL Task Force - http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/

Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network - http://udl-irn.org/

System–Wide Imperatives Accessibility – the lowest common denominator

for all goals, methods, materials & assessments Essential but insufficient for UD

2008 Section 133 of HEOA June 2010 “Dear Colleague” OCR Letter (Kindle) December 2010 OCR investigation at Penn State September 2010 – 2011 Postsecondary AIM Commission

System–Wide Imperatives “Born Digital” instructional Materials (and their

delivery systems) must have accessibility designed in. Most IHEs have the capacity to retrofit legacy print Few have the capacity to retrofit digital materials &

systems A comprehensive national solution needs to be

established (AIM Commission) A market-based accessible materials solution is viable

for most students

System–Wide Imperatives One possible solution: an Instructional Materials

Access Board. Board establishes accessibility criteria based on

existing Section 508 & WCAG specifications Commercial Products seek certification OERs seek certification IHEs gain “safe harbor” for requiring

use of certified products Hey, this might work…

Institutional Report Card Section V. Use of Technology (§205(a)(1)(F)) Does your program prepare teachers to:

(A) integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction (B) use technology effectively to collect data to improve teaching and

learning (C) use technology effectively to manage data to improve teaching and

learning (D) use technology effectively to analyze data to improve teaching and

learning Provide a description of how your program prepares teachers to integrate technology

effectively into curricula and instruction, and to use technology effectively to collect, manage, and analyze data in order to improve teaching and learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement. Include a description of how your program prepares teachers to use the principles of universal design for learning, as applicable. Include planning activities and a timeline if any of the four elements listed above are not currently in place.

System–Wide Imperatives Ensuring accessibility creates the foundation for

institution-wide UDL implementation: UDL is not just access to instruction UDL is not (only) technology UDL is about Learning Learning is the core business of postsecondary

institutions I feel a syllogism coming on…

What next for Higher Ed? What motivates systems to change? The components of systems are people What motivates people to change?

UDL works in Higher Education When…

it is a framework embraced by the entire institution (think binary trees)

efforts to plan for and address learner diversity are strongly interrelated (think Borromean Rings)

Challenge, mastery and making a contribution drive people; people drive systems – systems can effect change (think motivation)

The result is a responsive environment with the built-in capacity to meet the needs of all learners.