Student Centered Teaching Through Universal Instructional Design

1. Student Centered Teaching Through Universal Instructional Design

2. UD: Historical Context • Stems from legislation for individuals with disabilities • Emerged from the need to have environments that enhanced people’s ability to function well • Access features are built in, not added as an afterthought • Looks beyond the letter of the law to the spirit of the law emphasizing social justice and systemic change in attitudes and behaviors • Puts high value on both diversity and inclusiveness

3. Ron Mace: Father of “Universal Design” • Architectural term coined by Ron Mace “Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” The Center for Universal Design North Carolina State University

4. Examples of Universal Design • Curb cuts on sidewalks • Screens in public places • Automatic electronic doors • Closed captioning on TV • Wheelchair ramps to building entrances • Tool grips that can be used by left-handed or right-handed individuals • Universal symbols that communicate function (restroom signage)

5. Universal Design in Education • Is an approach to designing course instruction, materials, and content to benefit people of all learning styles without adaptation or retrofitting • Provides equal access to learning, not simply equal access to information (From Fast Facts for Faculty Ohio State University)

6. UID principles can be applied to: • Design of curriculum, instruction and assessment • Design of specific instructional materials • Design of facilities (buildings, classrooms) • Design of strategies (lectures, classroom discussion, group work, web based instruction, labs, field work and demonstrations)

7. UID is important because: Learners have • diverse backgrounds • diverse strengths • diverse challenges • individual learning preferences

8. 4 with auditory learning disabilities 1-2 with visual/ organizational learning disabilities 1-3 with medical conditions 1-2 with visual or hearing impairments 1-3 with mobility limitations 50 Postsecondary students 1 with lower ability 5-8 who are underprepared 2-4 with attention deficits 4 with different cultural background 2-4 with mental health issues

9. Universal Instructional Design • Universal - Not a single, “one-size-fits-all” solution but rather the focus is on flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs • Instructional - Maintains academic rigor even while offering options and alternatives for delivery of the curriculum • Design - Planned, purposeful, deliberate approach to optimizing all of the resources to serve the students and instructors alike

10. Universal Instructional Design • Create a welcoming classroom • Determine the essential components of the course • Communicate clear expectations • Provide constructive feedback • Explore the use of natural supports for learning, including technology, to enhance opportunities for all learners • Design teaching methods that consider diverse learning styles, abilities, ways of knowing and previous experience and background knowledge • Create multiple ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge • Promote interaction among and between faculty and students

11. Principle 1 Create A Welcoming Environment

12. Principle 1Create a Welcoming Environment Students, from all backgrounds, find this course a safe & fair learning environment because … • physical environment is accessible & comfortable • faculty promote and respect diversity • faculty establish ground rules to honor all students • students have an effective orientation to the course • faculty design an inclusive syllabus • faculty get to know students

13. Principle 1Creating an Accessible Environment • Can every student get into the classroom? • Can every student navigate the room? • Does everyone have a choice of where to sit? • Can everyone see and hear the instructor? • Are the accessibility features on the AV equipment on?

14. Principle 1Create a Welcoming Environment Possible Goals for the First Day of Class • Motivating students regarding course outcomes • Framing the course content • Establishing expectations for workload • Assessing students Informally • Creating a comfortable class climate • Engaging with course content • Informing on essential administrative and immediate Student Tasks

15. Principle 1Create a Welcoming Environment Strategies • Design inclusive syllabus • "Any students with a need for reasonable accommodations are encouraged to discuss this with me after class or during office hours. Students must be registered with Disability Services to receive accommodations.“ • Establish ground rules to honor all students • Acknowledge diversity of students

16. ACeS Faculty Strategies:Creating a Welcoming Environment • Mini-Biography Card • Debunking Math Myths • Syllabus Revisions

17. Principle 2Determine Essential Components of a Course

18. Principle 2Essential Course Components What are the outcomes skills knowledge attitudes all students must demonstrate with or without using accommodations Differentiate what is “essential” knowledge for a course vs. what the professor would “prefer” a student to know

19. Principle 2 Essential Course Components In determining essential components of a course, consider: • College standards and requirements • Departmental standards and requirements • Course description • Learning objectives/outcomes • External licensing requirements

20. Principle 2Essential Course Components • Purpose of the course – in lecture or syllabus • “Frame the course” – The five essential questions this course will answer are… • Use a graphic flow chart or concept map of the course to explain how the course fits in with the program or major • Outcomes required of all students • What must all students know and be able to do by the conclusion of the course? • Why must students be able to do or know it?

21. ACeS Faculty Strategies:Essential Course Components

22. Principle 3Communicate Clear Expectations

23. Principle 3Communicate Clear Expectations • What the students will be expected to learn • What the students will be expected to do • How the students will be evaluated • What resources are available to students

24. Principle 3Communicate Clear Expectations Syllabus elements • Introductory information • Contact information • Essential components and course prerequisites • Course goals and learning objectives • Textbooks and readings • Course calendar or listing of topics • Additional materials required • Grading procedures • Course policies • Helpful tips or strategies • Disability statement

25. Principle 3Communicate Clear Expectations Strategies • Organization • Organize materials, including course management sites, in a way that makes them easy to navigate • Provide consistent procedures for assignments, quizzes, etc. • Review important course information to enhance understanding • Review syllabus at the start of class and again a week later • Explain and discuss rules more than once

26. Principle 3 Communicate Clear Expectations Strategies • Quality work • Provide examples of good quality papers and projects • Post the examples online • Grading • Use rubrics to communicate how performance translates to grade • Provide a chart for students to use to track their own grades • Return graded items in a timely manner

27. ACeS Faculty Strategies: Communicating Clear Expectations • Student Friendly Language • Table of Contents with Simplified Language • Friendlier Format • Visual Icons • Color coded assignments with pie chart of grading percentages • Assignments in calendar format • Interactive elements within syllabus • Highlighters distributed for syllabus review

28. Principle 4 Provide Constructive Feedback

29. Principle 4 Provide Constructive Feedback • Provide feedback that is: • specific • relevant • timely • frequent • accurate • offers a mix of positive and corrective feedback

30. Principle 4 Provide Constructive Feedback • Provide feedback at regular intervals regarding: • In-class assignments • Short-term assignments • Long-term assignments • Group work • Class participation • Tests/evaluations

31. Principle 4Provide Constructive Feedback Strategies • Use rubrics to communicate how students’ performance translates to their grade • Structure long-term assignments providing students with the option of turning in sections and/or early drafts for constructive feedback • Provide feedback that includes an explanation for both correct and incorrect answers • Include suggestions for improvement

32. ACeS Faculty Strategies: Providing Constructive Feedback • Progress reports • Remediate multiple choice sections on exams • Homework checklist/chart for recording grades • Review assignments/provide feedback • Contract

33. Principle 5 Explore Use of Natural Supports for Learning, Including Technology, to Enhance Opportunities for all Learners

34. Principle 5Using Natural Supports • Non-accommodation based strategies that are built into the course to benefit all students • Usually leads to better outcomes for students

35. Principle 5 Using Natural Supports for Learning • Deliver content in a variety of ways: • Lectures • Discussion • Group work • Hands on activities • Internet based strategies • Educational software • Fieldwork • Use media in lectures – diagrams, charts, illustrations, videos, etc. • Use captioning in videos • Consider “podcasting” lectures

36. Strategies Provide multiple means of access to class lecture (Power Point, word doc,) posted on BlackBoard Allows all students to independently adapt materials to meet their needs (large print, print notes, preview lecture material, text to speech) Post instructions to access free assistive technology (Readplease, etc.) Consider a book selection that includes an electronic version Principle 5Using Natural Supports

37. Principle 5Using Natural Supports in Lectures • Repeat comments made and questions asked by other students before responding • “Chunk” information — grouping words, ideas, concepts and thoughts together to make comprehension easier • Use “Pause Procedure” – short periodic break that allows students to reflect, review or discuss content and can be beneficial for retention and comprehension of material • Provide Advance Organizers —assist with organizing thoughts and presenting material in an organized manner

38. ACeS Faculty Strategies:Using Natural Supports • Reorganize BlackBoard • YouTube videos • Narrated PowerPoint slides • Web animations • Read all quizzes aloud • Flash cards for important terms

39. Principle 6Design Teaching Methods that Consider Diverse Learning Styles, Abilities, Ways of Knowing, Previous Experiences and Background Knowledge

40. Principle 6 Design Teaching Methods • Use Multiple Means of Representation • present ideas in multiple ways • use multimodal instructional strategies to meet a variety of learner preferences • Learning style assessment and activities • Use Multiple Means of Expression • provide students with multiple ways to express their comprehension of topics • Use Multiple Means of Engagement • tap into students’ interests • challenge them appropriately • motivate them to learn

41. ACeS Faculty Strategies: Designing Teaching Methods • Learning Styles Assessment • Provide models for assignments • Video Clips of business presentations • AV texts for student comprehension • Reading texts for auditory learners • Projects assigned based on learning style • Provide written text of film narration to support student comprehension

42. Principle 7Create Multiple Ways for Students to Demonstrate Their Knowledge

43. Principle 7 Demonstrate Knowledge Using different methods of assessment • allows students to capitalize on their strengths • allows students to utilize background experiences • may produce less anxiety for the student • provides opportunity to try something new • should continue to reflect essential course components/outcomes

44. Principle 7 Demonstrate Knowledge Strategies • Use a variety of graded assessments (papers, shorter quizzes, presentations) • Use multiple formats on exams: essay, short answer, objective • Allow students to choose between equally weighted sections • Exam has 2 essays, multiple choice, and short answer questions from which students choose a specified number of sections to complete

45. Principle 7 Demonstrate Knowledge Strategies • Provide choices in graded assignments • final exam or final paper • Provide choices for demonstrating knowledge • writing a paper • presenting a speech • conducting a multimedia project • Consider administration circumstances • timed/untimed • individual/group administration • in-class/take home

46. ACeS Faculty Strategies: Ways to Demonstrate Knowledge • Portfolio Assessment • Offer assessment online or in hard copy • Read all quizzes aloud • Reformat examinations • Remediate multiple choice section on exams

47. Principle 8Promote Interaction Between Faculty and Students

48. Principle 8 Promote Interaction • Use instructional environment to promote interaction and communication between students, and between students & faculty • Offer an opportunity for student consultation with faculty • Allow for the development of relationships

49. Principle 8 Promote Interaction Strategies • Foster student-to-student interaction • chat rooms, discussion groups, email, study groups • Plan classroom activities that encourage cooperative interactions between students • Foster faculty-to-student interaction • learning names and information about students’ learning needs, interests & out of class experiences • discuss your personal experiences, as appropriate, i.e. in college, feeling overwhelmed, study mistakes

50. ACeS Faculty Strategies:Promoting Interaction • Base Groups • Mini-Biography Card