By applying this construct to college teaching, Universal Design for
Instruction provides a framework for anticipating student diversity
and making college instruction more "usable" by students
with a broad range of learning needs. Though Universal Design has
been around since the early 1970's, its application to instruction
is quite new and is still very exploratory in nature. Through our
project at the University of Connecticut, we are taking a three-pronged
approach to developing and expanding our understanding of UDI in the
context of higher education. We are: 1) building on existing literature
and research on effective teaching and the access principles of Universal
Design; 2) looking at inclusive teaching practices that already exist
in the field; and 3) working with faculty and administrators at collaborating
institutions and on our Advisory Board in various ways to explore
this construct and develop instructional tools and products for faculty.
Literature
and Research
The field already knows a great deal about effective teaching through
research and practice. As a foundation for our work in UDI, we have
conducted an extensive literature review of this research in tandem
with literature on Universal Design (summaries of these reviews and
helpful website links will be posted on our web site in the near future).
As a result of combining this literature base we have begun to develop
a set of Principles of Universal Design for Instructionã
that can assist faculty in making their classrooms more inclusive.
(See “UDI: A New Approach to Academic Access” in this issue.)
This is important in helping us encapsulate inclusive teaching practices
so that UDI is not reduced to a list of "tips" but rather
provides a broad way of thinking about instruction and is grounded
in research on effective teaching practices and accessible design.
The intent of these principles is to provide a tool for faculty to
examine their own teaching as they either develop a new course or
re-examine current instructional practices. We will continue to
revise and validate these principles over the course of the project
as we work with faculty and get feedback from the field. Watch for
emerging details and activities in upcoming issues of the newsletter.
Inclusive
Teaching Practices
Excellent teachers are already doing many things in their classrooms
that result in a more inclusive environment, that is, one in which
students with many styles and abilities learn effectively and where
factors such as disabilities are not a barrier to learning. We have
found from talking with faculty who have been identified as outstanding
teachers, that sometimes this has been the result of having a student
with a disability in their classes. Several faculty reported that
the accommodations that they made for students with disabilities turned
out to be good instructional tools or supports for many students in
their classes. For example, one faculty member described a time when
a student with a learning disability requested a notetaker for class.
The instructor instead offered to put his notes on the class web page
before each lecture. As a result, the student with a learning disability
had access to a complete set of lecture notes, but many other students
in the class found this a useful instructional feature as well (e.g.,
students with English as a Second Language, students with attention
deficits, or students merely wanting to preview the day's class session).
This instructional support resulted in a more "usable" environment
for students with a variety of learning needs. It also eliminated
the need for a notetaker-- a common accommodation for many students
with learning disabilities. This reflects the kind of inclusive approach
to instruction that embodies Universal Design for Instruction.
In
addition to faculty, we are conducting focus groups with students
with disabilities across several campuses. We are hearing first hand
the kinds of barriers students are experiencing and what makes a classroom
more inclusive from their perspective. In this and upcoming issues
of the newsletter, we will include insights and interviews from our
student and faculty discussions.
Collaborating
Institutions and the Advisory Board
A third source of information shaping our development of UDI is the
vital input we are receiving from college faculty and administrators.
Twenty campuses across the country have made a commitment to working
with us as collaborating institutions in a variety of ways in exploring
and examining UDI in the context of higher education. On some campuses,
faculty will be providing samples of current inclusive teaching practices
that reflect UDI. Other faculty are participating in an on-line juried
review process designed to identify instructional products and approaches
that reflect the Principles of UDI. Other campuses have faculty that
have expressed an interest in implementing the Principles of UDI and
adapting instructional practices in their classrooms. This is an
essential aspect of our project activities as we flesh out the construct
of UDI through both theory and practice and prepare to showcase inclusive
instructional products on our project web site.
Another
valuable resource to the project is the feedback and insights provided
by the Project Advisory Board. The Board consists of thirty-two
professionals including college faculty, administrators, disability
service providers, and experts in Universal Design. They represent
two- and four-year colleges and universities from across the country.
The Board will be providing perspectives and insights on a broad range
of Project activities. Once again, watch for more details and descriptive
accounts in upcoming issues of the newsletter.
As
we begin our second year of the UDI project, we are excited to see
the creative potential of this area of work and the promise of UD
applied to instruction. By focusing on both theory and practice we
are developing more concrete meaning for this very appealing approach
to improving instruction for students with disabilities and all students.
Stay tuned!
U.D.I.
Online Newsletter
Vol.
1.1
www.facultyware.uconn.edu
