Promoting Adaptive Educators Through Universal Design for Learning
Dr. Evelyn Reed and Dr. Frances Smith -VCU
Collaboration Opportunities with Jamaica
• Gaining understanding – seeking clarification.
• Learning about options that complement Jamaican approaches to teaching and learning.
• Building shared knowledge; building capacity online & face-to-face
Community of Inquiry
retrieved from https://coi.athabascau.ca/
What are the driving forces across the educational policy, technology, and the economy?
What are the current issuesin student learning and educator development?
How does theresearch about how peoplelearn inform our work?
Educational Challenges & Opportunities
• Teachers are challenged to meet all students’ educational needs but all students are not succeeding
• Cognitive science provides insights about learning & teaching that align with 21st century competencies
• New frameworks focus on promoting expert learners & adaptive teachers
• Educators need preparation and sustained support to use new frameworks effectively
Evolving Trends in the Literature
21st Century Knowledge & Skills (NRC, 2012)
Identified competencies correlated with education, career and health outcomes.
Learner expertise through deeper learning & sustained practice, guiding feedback, & metacognition.
• Knowledge transfer via deep understanding; instruction with clear goals, model, and progress assessment.
• Curriculum & instruction promote multiple representations; elaboration and questioning; challenging tasks; teach with examples and cases; prime student motivation; formative assessments.
.
21st century competencies (NRC, 2012)
Cognitive processesand strategies,
knowledge, creativity,
critical thinking,information literacy,
reasoning,argumentation,
Innovation.
Intellectual openness, work ethic,
conscientiousness, positive core of self-evaluation,
flexibility, initiative,
appreciation of diversity,
Metacognition.
Teamwork and collaboration,
leadership,communication,collaboration,responsibility,
conflict resolution.
Insights from Cognitive Science
How People Learn
Universal Design
for Learning
Adaptive Expertis
e
Key Factors in Teaching & Learning
Variability in LearnersVariability is the dynamic and ever-changing mix of strengthsand challenges that makes up each learner.Retrieved from http://udltheorypractice.cast.org/login
Adaptability in TeachersAdaptability: To change or be changed in order to fit or work better in some situation or for some purpose.Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptable
How People Learn
• Learners vary in background knowledge & interests
• Deep knowledge is critical & transfer is measure
• Frequent feedback drives learning
• Learning communities elevate expectations & performance
(National Research Council, 2000)
Teachers as Adaptive ExpertsAdaptive expertise, or the interaction of efficient and innovative uses of knowledge, is described as the “gold standard for becoming a professional” (Hamerness, Darling-Hammond, & Bransford, 2005, p. 360)
Adaptive dispositions, learning orientation, willing to ask questions
Metacognitive skills, self-assess thinking, monitor results
Cognitive skills, causal reasoning, data-driven problem solving
(De Arment, Reed, & Wetzel, 2013).
Technology’s role is important in the classroom to promote digital literacy.
Technology increasingly offers connected means for communication.
Multiple opportunities forinstructional flexibility anddifferentiation can be leveraged through flexible and accessible instructional designs.
The Role of Technology
Encouraging Students to BecomeAgents of Their Learning
Students at the Center Symposium Interview: Dr. Eric Toshalis, Lewis & Clark College
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sKiONr2r6w
UDL Theory and Practice
Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/
UDL Theory and Practice
Retrieved from http://udltheorypractice.cast.org/login
Emergence of UDL
Civil Rights
Neuroscience
Technology
Universal Design for LearningUniversal design for learning (UDL) defined in
the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) as “a scientifically valid framework for guiding instructional practice that 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" (HEOA, 2008).
Research: CAST R&D• Early 1980’s CAST begins development of talking digital
books; Bobby web accessibility tool debuts.
• 1993 CAST develops WiggleWorks; 1995 – Ereader Talking software developed.
• 2004 Thinking Reader digital book developed.
• 2006 CAST Book Builder and Lesson Builder developed.
• 2007 Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Center established.
• 2008 UDL Editions developed in partnership with Google and TextHELP; 2011 UDL Collections debuts.
• Research Evidence Supporting the UDL Principles and Guidelines: - Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/research/
An Appreciation of Learner Variability
Learner variability is systematic and we can plan for it!
Learners vary in the ways they take in information,
Learners vary in their abilities and approaches, and across their development,
Learning changes by situation and context.
The National Center on Universal Design for Learning (2012). Learner variability and universal design for learning. The UDL Series. Retrieved from http://udlseries.udlcenter.org/presentations/learner_variability.html?plist=explore
Universal Design Solutions
BEFORE Universal Design
AFTER Universal Design
Examples of Universal Design
• Ramps
• Curb cuts
• Electric doors
• Captions on television
• Easy-grip tools
Universal Design for Learning
• The Future is in the Margins
(Meyer & Rose, 2000)
Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/resource_library/articles/margins
UDL: The Big Picture
http://udlseries.udlcenter.org/presentations/learner_variability.html?plist=explore
“As a Platform for Student Centered Learning…
• “..the term UDL emphasizes the special purpose of learning environments….they foster changes in knowledge and skills that we call learning”
• “…success also requires that the means for learning– the pedagogical goals, methods, materials and assessments….are accessible…to all students”Rose, D. H. & Gravel, J. W. (2012). Curricular opportunities in the digital age
Boston: Jobs for the Future. Retrieved online from http://www.studentsatthecenter.org/papers/curricular-opportunities-digital-age
Technology’s Influence Today
To aid learners in their attempts to construct meaning from information/ knowledge, instructional designers will rely more and more on emerging educational technology.
This not so subtle shift toward a learner-centered instructional environment will, in our view, usher in a new instructional systems paradigm that has an increased emphasis on developing new-technology-based tools for aiding learning processes
Jacobs, J. W. & Dempsey, J. V. (2002). Emerging instructional technologies: The near future. In A. Rossett (Ed.)., The ASTD e-learning handbook: Best practices, strategies, and case studies for an emerging field. (pp. 322-337). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org
What Does it Look Like?• Multiple ways to learn
science vocabulary
http://udltheorypractice.cast.org/reading?7&loc=chapter4.xml_l1969808
Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org
UDL and Curriculum
GoalsAssessment
MethodsMaterials
Retrieved from http://www.cast.org
Recognition Goals (“what”)
• Compare and contrast quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to research.
• Explain what experimental, quasi-experimental and non-experimental research designs entail and describe their application to different research questions.
• Explain descriptive statistical techniques such as measures of central tendency, standard deviation and correlation.
• Explain the ethical principles that pertain to research involving human subjects and research conducted in educational settings.
• The ability to comprehend common research designs, methods, and procedures. Smith, F. G., (2012). Analyzing a college course that adheres to the UDL framework, Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Strategic Goals (“how”)• Evaluate (a) the methodological procedures that an author followed, (b) the
results that were reported, and (c) the practical significance of the study.
• Communicate the research results clearly, concisely, logically and in a coherent manner.
• Critically evaluate scholarly journal articles.
• Design your own research investigations.
• Select a research problem and formulate appropriate research hypotheses and/or questions.
• Conduct a review of educational literature from texts, journals and computer library databases.
• Write a coherent synthesis of such literature as it relates to the research problem.
• Prepare a viable research proposal.Smith, F. G., (2012). Analyzing a college course that adheres to the UDL framework, Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
UDL Guidelines and Learning Design
I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation
I. Provide Multiple Means of Action & Expression
I. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement
Perception Physical action Recruiting interest
Language, expressions, and symbols
Expression and communication
Sustaining effort and persistence
Comprehension Executive function Self-regulation
Guiding Questions:
• How do I support learners to show their understanding?
• How do I support students to set goals, plan, organize, and monitor progress?
Retrieved from http://www.cast.org
UDL is Complementary to Many Instructional Approaches • Reinforcing opportunities for
teachers to model and illustrate the big picture or target key points to support comprehension.
• Encouraging instructional moments that guide student planning, problem-solving and practice.
• Provide engaging learning settings that encourage interaction, ongoing feedback, and individual choice.
• UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 1 Mathematics
• http://youtu.be/KuTJJQWnMaQ
Retrieved from http://www.cast.org
Research: UDL and Reading Support
• A 4-week study of thirty 4th-grade students reading narratives with and without embedded digital vocabulary and comprehension supports. The initial results indicated that embedded digital vocabulary and comprehension supports helped to promoted learner comprehension for ELL elementary age students (Proctor, Dalton, & Grisham, 2007)
• 16 K-2 grade students with significant intellectual disabilities displayed higher reading comprehension gains on UDL-enhanced literacy by design online program (Coyne, Pisha, Dalton, Zeph, & Smith, 2012).
Research: UDL and PreK-12 Education
• Students with high incidence disabilities (N=1061) in algebra (N=714) and biology classes (N=347) reported high levels of satisfaction with classes including UDL interventions (Kotering, McClannon, & Braziel, 2008).
• 621 fourth grade students from eight rural, suburban and urban schools in a US southeastern district displayed improved science content learning when using a UDL-enhanced web-based science notebook (Rappolt-Schlichtmann, Daley, Lim, Lapinski, Robinson, & Johson, 2013)
Research: UDL and Lesson Planning
• Through the implementation of UDL into instructional lesson plans, researchers found educators in four university teacher-education courses to design more accessible lessons; better targeting specific learning needs (Jimenez, Graf, & Rose, 2007).
• Implementation of UDL by faculty receiving training on UDL principles were favorably perceived by student responses to questionnaires (Schelly, Davies, & Spooner, 2011)
Research: UDL and Lesson Planning
• UDL training of graduate level special education teacher candidates showed significant differences in ratings of lessons developed with UDL features (Courey, Tappe, Siker, & LePage, 2012).
• UDL direct and guided instruction in lesson development increased preservice elementary education teachers self-reported UDL knowledge through pretest/postest scores and positively impacted ability to apply UDL in lesson planning (Williams, Evans, & King, 2012).
Research: UDL and College Instruction
• UDL applied to a university courseon individual differences at a large university in the Northeast found positive reception by students in their capabilities to understand and acquire information (Rose, Harbour, Johnston, Daley, & Abarbanell, 2006)
• The UDL framework applied to teaching a graduate Research Methods course over four semesters found a significant relationship of student perceptions to the faculty use of UDL. The faculty member increased the alignment of goals, practices and student engagement in the course (Smith, 2012).
Multiple Means of Representation
Smith, F. G., (2012). Analyzing a college course that adheres to the UDL framework, Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Research: Evolving Studies @ CAST
• Next Generation Literacy Ecosystem – Developing new digital tools for teaching adolescent literacy.
• Composition Builder – Develop and evaluate an online writing tool for grade 6-8 students
• NSF Science Collaborative – Develop and evaluate UDL-based biology and chemistry curricula for grades 6-12
Retrieved from http://www.cast.org
Retrieved from http://www.cast.org
• As a framework, UDL encourages educators tooffer multiple options forstudent action and expression.
• An example using CAST’sfree online software tool BookBuilder
• http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view&book=12332&page=1
Multiple Means of Expression
Retrieved from http://www.cast.org
Multiple Options for Teaching and Learning
• A Teaching Example:
Dr. Katie Novack “Exploring Imagery through Beowulf”https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/descriptive-details-sensory-language
UDL is a framework for designing curriculum (goals, methods, materials assessments) that offer options for how information is represented, how information is understood, and how students engage in the learning process.
Technology can offer a flexible medium but is not required for the true spirit ofUDL.
Building Learner Expertise
• UDL Guidelines are targeted to develop learners who are
• resourceful and knowledgeable;
• strategic and goal directed;
• purposeful and motivated learners
http://udltheorypractice.cast.org/reading?68&loc=chapter5.xml_l1970067
What Does it Look Like?• Multiple ways to
consider the UDL lens across our teaching
• The UDL Guidelines
http://udltheorypractice.cast.org/reading?37&loc=chapter4.xml_l1969949
Retrieved from http://udlexchange.cast.org/home
An Online Resource for Building Practice
UDL Studio
LDC-UDL Crosswalk: A Study of the Declaration of Independence using UDL Studiohttp://udlstudio.cast.org/login
UDL Implementation• An two year pilot investigation of UDL
implementation across four school districts in the United States found stakeholders embracing the UDL framework, improved decision-making and instruction, and ongoing support through a professional learning community and on-site facilitators.
• Adoption of the UDL framework to guide postsecondary education efforts at California colleges, Colorado State University, The University of Vermont, and Boston College
UDL Implementation• Adoption of UDL by the Maryland Department of
Education requiring all districts to use UDL for developing curriculum.
• Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation in Indianapolis, IN has implemented UDL into their school district since 2003 and found results have “lowered its number of students eligible for special education, eliminated many discipline issues and seen student achievement gains” (Van Horn, G. Senate Comments, National UDL Taskforce, Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/advocacy/field_highlights)
Collaboration Opportunities with Jamaica
• Gaining understanding – seeking clarification.
• Learning about options that complement Jamaican approaches to teaching and learning.
• Building shared knowledge; building capacity online & face-to-face
Community of Inquiry
retrieved from https://coi.athabascau.ca/
Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010
Promoting an International Community of Practice