Dr.
McGuire presented the relationship between Universal Design for architecture
and the physical environment and Universal Design for instruction. The
Principles of Universal Design have become familiar to many. They were
developed by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State
University, and they are the guidelines behind many architectural features
found in modern buildings and consumer products that are highly accessible
by all people without the need for adaptations. Although the Principles
of Universal Design ensure access for people with disabilities, it turns
out that people without disabilities benefit from these design principles
too. For example, one of the Principles of Universal Design is Tolerance
for Error. To meet this principle, a building or consumer product can
be designed to minimize hazards and provide fail-safe features. A familiar
example of this design principle is the “undo” button on a
computer. This feature allows all users, with or without disabilities,
to fix the inevitable errors we all make in using the computer.
When instructors
design a college course they must make many design decisions. For example,
instructors must decide how they will deliver course content to the
students, the types of books and recommended readings they will use
in their class, and the methods for evaluating student learning. Diverse
student populations can make these design decisions very challenging
for college and university faculty. Just as Universal Design principles
are applied to architecture, Universal Design for Instruction applies
similar principles to make learning experiences accessible to learners
with diverse abilities. Dr. McGuire referred to the Universal Design
principle of Tolerance for Error as it relates to instruction. “Instruction
should anticipate variation in students’ learning pace and in the
pre-requisite skills they bring to the classroom,” she noted. “If
I accept that there will be a range of skills, what are ways to accommodate
that diversity?”
As an experienced instructor, Dr. McGuire had some practical
examples of ways to accommodate diversity, which she shared with the
audience. “You can set up your evaluation criteria so that you
accommodate students with varying degrees of written expression skills.
If you assign a term paper, you can give students an opportunity to
write a first draft and revise, give them an opportunity to hone their
skills.” She encouraged the audience to “look at the needs
of the whole range of learners and recognize that there is diversity
in higher education."
The discussion opportunities during Dr. McGuire’s presentation
led to audience members sharing examples of instructional methods that
illustrate the evolving Principles of Universal Design for Instruction. Disability service providers can make use of these
principles in developing an approach to diversity. Dr. McGuire recommends
the principles of Universal Design for Instruction as “a way to
work with faculty who are interested in facilitating student learning
among diverse learners.”
Note: The
U.D.I. principles will be available on the Facultyware website in Summer,
2001.
U.D.I. Online Newsletter Vol.
1.1
www.facultyware.uconn.edu
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