Ashanti A. Blue Ashford University UDL Guidelines Examples and Resources EDU 620: Meeting Individual Student Needs with Technology Professor Gina Conner 6/19/2015

Multiple means of representation is the principle I will be discussing which means” providing students with alternatives to learning information beyond solely using textbooks”. (Edyburn, D. L.2013) The check point that I choose is checkpoint 1 which will offer ways of customizing the display of information. Engaging students in learning information in different formats is an important concept that educators are striving towards daily. “AIM is a program that is designed for an array of students, including those with disability, AIM refers to instructional materials that have been transformed into the specialized formats of braille, large print, audio, or digital text”. (2014, NATIONAL CENTER ON ACCESSIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AT CAST, Inc.) Multiple Means of Representation

Resource Accessible instructional materials, or AIM, are materials that are designed or converted in a way that makes them usable across the widest range of student variability regardless of format (print, digital, graphic, audio, video). IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) specifically focuses on accessible formats of print instructional materials. In relation to IDEA the term AIM refers to print instructional materials that have been transformed into the specialized formats of braille, large print, audio, or digital text.

Resource Examples The AIM Explorer combines server-side account creation and maintenance with a downloadable application that can be used with or without an Internet connection. It takes approximately 20–30 minutes to complete an exploration. The application download is large—approximately 50 MB. IMPORTANT: Student record-keeping is only available with both an account and an active Internet connection. The AIM Explorer may be used offline but user account and student records will not be available.

The AIM Explorer is created for readers who obtain physical challenges, low vision, learning and also attentional difficulties who may profit from enlarged, spoken, highlighted, or re-formatted text. AIM does not address Braille use, and the Explorer assumes that the guide using the application has vision. Navigation elements on each of the AIM Explorer pages support keyboard navigation, but grade level text presented for reader use is not selectable; therefore, a guide using a screen reader must use the application controls to have sample text read aloud( NATIONAL CENTER ON ACCESSIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AT CAST, Inc.2014). Key Considerations

Using AIM, which is accessible instructional materials, will have an exceptional impact on students because students of all levels of learning can utilize this program. Even though a student does not have internet connections at home, they will still be able to access the program for practice. Upon the actual instructional lesson in class, students will be familiar with the material, and will be able to successfully complete the assignment and have the data recorded giving the teacher a record of their progress. Future usage

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