Research Based Impacts of Universal Design Strategies

in Postsecondary Educational Instruction

Kelly D. RobertsAssociate ProfessorUniversity of Hawai`i at ManoaCenter on Disability StudiesAccessing Higher Ground,

Objectives

Increased understanding of UDL principles

Demonstrated understanding and use of graphic organizers, guided notes, and the pause procedure

Increased understanding of recent research on graphic organizers, guided notes, and the pause procedure

Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by everyone, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” (DO-IT, www.washington.edu/doit)

Universal Design for Learning/Instruction

Universal Design for Learning

“[Universal Design for Learning] UDL provides a blueprint for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that accommodate learner differences. ‘Universal’ does not imply a single optimal solution for everyone. Instead, it is meant to underscore the need for multiple approaches to meet the needs of diverse learners.” (CAST, www.cast.org)

What is UDL?

“The design of instructional materials and activities that makes the learning goals achievable by individuals with wide differences in their abilities to see, hear, speak, move, read, write, understand English, attend, organize, engage, and remember…. by means of flexible curricular materials and activities that … are built into the instructional design and operating systems of educational materials—they are not added on after-the-fact.” (Council for Exceptional Children)

What is UDL?

Simply stated, UDL is good teaching.

The Need for UDL Increasingly diverse college student body

40% 25 or older 31% racial/ethnic minorities 34% attending college part-time 20% increase in international students from

1998-200 Students with disabilities increased from 2.3% in

1978 to 9.8% in 1998 (Henderson, 1998) Estimates are upwards of 11% in 2013

(Landmark)

The Need for UDL Increasing focus on student retention Shift in pedagogy from delivering

instruction to promoting learning (Fink, 2003)

Barriers reported by students with disabilities include: Unclear expectations Textbooks inaccessible Classes taught in lecture format requiring

extensive notetaking Difficulty attaining accommodations

Origins of UDL The foundation for UDL is architecture Buildings, like instruction, are often

designed for the “average” person Buildings then need to be retrofitted

to accommodate other individuals Retrofits (e.g., wooden ramp) are often

expensive, ugly/call attention to user, solve only one problem at a time

Origins of UDL

Universal design “consider[s] the needs of the broadest possible range of users from the beginning” (Ron Mace, architect; CAST, 2003)

Buildings designed universally from the beginning, not as an add-on

Increases access for many unintended users

E.g., Ramps, curb cuts, electric doors, captions

Seven Universal Design Principles (Story, Mueller, & Mace, 1998)

Equitable use Flexibility in use Simple and intuitive Perceptible information Tolerance for error Low physical effort Size and space for approach and

use

Universal Design for Learning Adds two more(Scott, McGuire, & Shaw, 2001)

A community of learners

Instructional climate

Equitable Use Instruction is designed to be useful to and

accessible by people with diverse abilities. Instruction is identical whenever possible, equivalent when not.

E.g., All students use pause procedure, guided notes, and graphic organizers; not just those with disabilities/low achievers.

How do you do this in your classroom?

Equitable Use

Flexibility in Use Instruction is designed to accommodate a

wide range of individual abilities. Allow for alternative means of expression for demonstrating mastery of course content.

E.g., Using varied instructional methods such as lectures with a visual outline, group activities, hands-on activities, & web based discussions. Allow students the option of doing an oral presentation, writing a paper, or taking a test.

How do you do this in your classroom?

Flexibility in Use

Simple and Intuitive Instruction is designed in a

straightforward and predictable manner. Eliminate unnecessary complexity.

E.g., clear grading rubric, accurate and

comprehensive syllabus, guided notes, graphic organizers, notes provided in advance.

How do you do this in your classroom?

Simple and Intuitive

Perceptible Information Necessary information is communicated

effectively to the students. Provide alter-native representations of essential concepts to allow students to learn course content through their preferred mean.

E.g., use multimedia and have textbooks and other reading materials available in digital format or online for students who learn through hearing.

How do you do this in your classroom?

Perceptible Information

Tolerance for Error Instruction anticipates variation in

individual student learning pace and prerequisite skills.

E.g., option of turning in project components for feedback, online “practice” exercises, pause procedure, guided notes.

How do you do this in your classroom?

Tolerance for Error

Low Physical Effort Minimize nonessential physical effort

in order to allow maximum attention to learning (does not apply when physical effort is integral to the course).

E.g., Allow students to use a word processor for writing essay exams or a recorder to “take” notes.

How do you do this in your classroom?

Low Physical Effort

Size and Space in Approach and Use

Consider appropriate size and space for approach, reach, manipulations, and use.

E.g., In small class settings, use of a circular seating arrangement allows students to see and face speakers during discussion.

How do you do this in your classroom?

Size and Space in Approach and Use

A Community of Learners The instructional environment promotes

interaction and communication among students and between students and faculty.

E.g., Structure study groups, discussion groups, e-mail lists, and chat rooms; make a personal connection with students; learn students’ names; individually acknowledge excellent performance; & use pause procedure (w/lectures).

How do you do this in your classroom?

A Community of Learners

Instructional Climate Instruction is designed to be welcoming

and inclusive. High expectations are in place for all students.

E.g., Highlight diverse thinkers who have made significant contributions to the field or share innovative approaches developed by students in the class.

How do you do this in your classroom?

Instructional Climate

UDL – The Research Base

Limited experimental research located examining the effectiveness of UDL in postsecondary environments.

UDL is an umbrella term (i.e., a set of principles) that is difficult to assess.

UDL - Operationalized

There are practices consistent with the principles of UDL.

Researchers at the University of Hawai`i operationalized the principles of UDL to conduct research.

UDL Operationalized

Pause Procedure

Guided Notes

Graphic Organizers

The Pause Procedure: What is it? Provide students with short (e.g., 2-

minute), periodic breaks to review notes and discuss content

Pauses typically given at natural breaks in class approximately every 15 minutes

Pauses can be An independent review of notes and/or

short reflective writing assignment A group (often dyad) discussion of notes

Guided Notes: What are they?

Guided notes are teacher prepared handouts that guide students through a lecture

Identify the most important course content that students must learn and retain via lecture. Less can be more.

Delete key facts, concepts, and relationships from the lecture outline, leaving the remaining information to structure and contextualize students’ note taking.

Guided Notes: How to …

Insert cues (e.g., asterisks, lines, bullets) to indicate where and how many facts or concepts to write.

Use other symbols to indicate where students can add own examples/answer questions for review () or to emphasize “big ideas” ()

Leave plenty of space to write and don’t require too much writing

Include additional resources such as URLs and references

GUIDED NOTES – EXAMPLE

Research-based PracticesResearch-based practices are supported as being effective by Science is a systematic and logical approach for avoiding false and false

Research can be a powerful and reliable method for determining what works However, science is a process and evidence accrues over timeNo one study is

Graphic Organizers: What are They? A graphic organizer is a visual and

graphic display that depicts the relationships between facts, terms, and or ideas within a learning task.

Examples include: Advanced organizers, Venn diagrams, concept/spider/story maps, flowcharts, hierarchies In contrast to one-dimensional outlines

Graphic Organizers: How to … Can provide completed GOs to

students Learn by viewing

Students can construct own GOs Learn by doing

Students can complete partially completed GOs

Best Practices_________________

__________________

__________________Research-based Practices_________________

__________________

__________________

Evidence-based Practices______________________________

______________________________

__________________

1. All evidence-based practices (EBPs) are _________________ and ____________________.2. All research-based practices (RBPs) are _________________, but many RBPs are not_________________ .3. Many best practices are neither _________________ or _________________ .

GRAPHICORGANIZEREXAMPLE

Research on UDL - as Pause Procedure, Guided Notes, &

Graphic Organizers

Video Lecture on Evidence Based Practices Lecture Only Using Pause Procedure Using Guided Notes Using Graphic Organizers

Recruitment Students recruited from UH system

institutions Students receive $10 gift card for

first quiz Students receive $20 gift card for

quiz completion 2-week later

Procedures Students watched a video lecture

under one of the four conditions Students took a quiz immediately

after the lecture Students took a quiz two weeks

later to access long term recall

Student Demographic Information, UDL Video Lecture Series

Control vs. Treatment Immediately after LectureFigure 1. Graph of, t-test results on 10 question quiz immediately following lecture by group. *Difference between treatment and control group highly significant (p < .001).

Control vs Treatment – 2 weeks Post*Difference between treatment and control group not significant at Wave II. Note. Drop in scores between time points was significant for both groups between waves.

Control & Each Treatment Group, Immediately and 2 Weeks AfterGraph of ANOVA, t-test results on 10 question quiz by time point and group. Note. All groups’ mean scores significantly declined between time points

Immediately Following Lecture

Implications for postsecondary education instruction. Each procedures appears to

improve initial recall Participants using Guided notes

had significantly better recall 2 weeks later

Hopefully this study will influence additional research

Limitations to the Study Recruitment Difficult test Students not randomly assigned to

groups

Questions?

Kelly D. Roberts

robertsk@hawaii.edu