Technology & Universal Design Sarah C. Wayland, PhD Katharina Boser, PhD

DependenceIndependence Therapies (remediation) Assistive Technology (accommodation) Environmental Modifications (accommodation) Traditional Human Supports (accommodation & remediation) Teaching Modifications (accommodation) Independence Assistive Technology is uniquely designed for the individual; IEP and GT services will still be needed under UDL curriculum Reduce Barriers Universal Design For Learning UDL Overcome Barriers

Independence School (Universal Design for Learning) Home (Universal Design & UDL) Work (Universal Access)

Presentation Overview  Accomodations and the Law  What is Universal Design?  Technologies that serve ‘visible’ disabilities  Technologies that serve less ‘visible’ disabilities (LD, ADHD, Emotional/Social impairment)  Focus on Listening, Speaking, Reading, Thinking, Organizing, Socializing/Regulating)  Engaging students with mobile tech, web 2.0, and  Gaming  Equal Access and Self Advocacy

Accommodations must be Individualized  Each person has unique set of weaknesses  Each person has unique set of strengths  Obligation to create technology that people will use  Headstick  Alphasmart, Dynavox

Technology supports and the Law  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973  - Prohibits exclusion of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance.  Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990  - Prohibits discrimination of the basis of disability.  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997  - Ensures a free appropriate public education to all children with disabilities.  Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (1998)  - Prohibits federal agencies from procuring, developing, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology that is inaccessible to people with disabilities.

“Universal”  Curriculum must be flexibly designed from the beginning  Must be customizable to provide both challenge and supports for many levels of abilities and learning styles

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)  Applies concept of Universal Design to education  Principles developed in the 1990’s by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST- Federal support since 1999  Three learning networks: Strategic networks Recognition networks Affective networks © CAST, Inc.

Strategic Network UDL Principle:  Multiple Means of Action and Expression  Supports learning by providing:  options for executive functions  options for expressive skills  options for physical actions

© CAST, Inc. Recognition Network UDL Principle: Multiple Means of Representation  Supports learning by providing:  options for understanding concepts  options for understanding language  options for perception (interpreting sensory information)

© CAST, Inc. Affective Network UDL Principle:  Multiple Means of Engagement  Supports learning by providing:  options for creating interest  options for sustaining effort and persistence  options for self-regulation

Implementing UDL guidelines/version1.html All the brain networks engaged simultaneously. All the brain networks engaged simultaneously.

Teaching Methods Compared UDL:  Avoid limiting presentation style.  Frequent questions, clarification, interactivity  Heterogeneous working groups  Provide adapted materials for note-taking  Allow student to move at own pace Traditional:  Lecture style, homogenous grouping, unsupported note- taking  Passive learning  Teacher determines who answers—’round robin’ (timed)

Assessments Compared UDL:  Individual choice allowed for accomplishing learning tasks  Consider alternate means of assessment  Technology provides immediate feedback to student and for teacher to adjust Traditional:  Mostly multiple choice and short essay answers.  How the student shows what they know determines their grade (e.g., timed test)

The Archeology of Human Learning. Learning requires:  Movement  Challenge and frustration--exploration  Emotional arousal  Confidence  Repetition  Adequate sleep  A sense of being in control  Multisensory stimulation  Lots of pictures Dr. John Medina “Brain Rules”

Technology for People with Motor Impairments Braces Canes/crutches Trikes Walkers Curb cuts Wheelchairs - motorized and self- powered Extension grabber Prosthetics Driving vehicle access vehicle conversions wheelchair lifts, loaders, carriers, restraint systems Postural supports Velcro!

Technology for People with Motor Impairments Voice synthesizers Joystick instead of mouse Keyboard Alternatives Intellikeys Head stick Voice Recognition Expanded keyboards Key guards Mini-keyboards (use with one hand) Switch-operated equipment Splints & supports Lift chairs & lift cushions

Architectural Modifications for People with Motor Impairments Ramps Rails Lifts and elevators Lever handles (not knobs) Doors that open automatically Wide doors and hallways Lower countertops & sinks for people in wheelchairs Bench in the shower stall …?

Technology for People with Hearing Impairments Hearing aids Cochlear implants Visual alert & signal systems Amplification Systems audio loop FM infrared TDDs/TTYs (teledata and teletype devices) Replaced with video conferencing with sign language interpreters Telephone adaptations Closed-captions Sound -> pressure pattern vest (R&D) Accelaglove By Anthrotronix, IDRT

Technology for People with Vision Impairments Braille Talking clocks & watches Talking equipment Seeing eye dogs Cane Audio books Book readers (e.g., Kurzweil) Screen readers Sensors for safety & security Speaker phone Talking calculators Labeling Large button phone Large print books Magnification systems

Amigo Amplifier

Specific Learning Disabilities Orthopedic Impairment Multiple Disabilities Other Health Impairment Visual Impairment Hearing Impairment Emotional Disturbance Deaf Blind Mental Retardation Autism Speech or language impairments Developmental Delay Traumatic Brain Injury U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2009). Digest of Education Statistics, 2008 (NCES ), Chapter 2. Children 3 to 21 years old in federally supported programs by type of disability: % of all children in public school

Types of Disabilities  Hearing impairments  Visual impairments  Orthopedic impairments  Specific learning disabilities  Speech or language impairments  Other Health impaired (ADHD, Diabetes)  Emotional Disturbance  Autism  Developmental Delay Accommodate and/or Remediate?

Look Behind the Mask

Areas of Focus for our Examples  Impairments Associated with Executive Functions  Impairments Associated with Language  Impairments Associated with Social Knowledge and Skills

Armstrong Model Executive Functions (work together in various combinations) Organizing, prioritizing, and activating to work Focusing, sustaining, and shifting attention to tasks Regulating alertness, sustaining effort, and processing speed Managing frustration and modulating emotions Utilizing working memory and accessing recall Monitoring and self- regulating action 1. Activation 2. Focus3. Effort4. Emotion5. Memory6. Action 6 Aspects of a Complex Syndrome From Brown, T. 2005

Disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using spoken or written language resulting from an imperfect ability to: Specific Learning Disabilities listen, speak, read, write, spell, think, or do mathematical calculations. Language Based May be language or Executive Function Based May be visual, language or Exec. Function based

Language Input and Output Model Heard Word Seen Word Picture Orthography Phonology Conversion Visual Word Features Graphemes Orthographic Lexicon Output Lexicon Graphemes Motor patterns Writing Output Input Visual Features Object Description Speech Semantics(Meaning) Phonetic Features Phonemes Lexicon Boser, 2005 Phonology Orthography Conversion Output Lexicon Phonemes Articulatory Features

Listening (receptive language deficits, auditory processing disorder ) Amplification system Noise-canceling headphones (difficulty filtering out noise) Earplugs (oversensitive) Earobics FastForward Accommodation: at work and school Remediation: in the clinic

As loudness increases, fireman climbs higher Dr. Speech’s vocal visual feedbackChatbox ‘speaks’ common phrases Speaking (expressive language deficit, apraxia) Pitch skill development by navigating boats

See Reading (dyslexia, low level Phonemic Awareness, High level Comprehension) Work on Fluency (see read aloud Please!) Teach Vocabulary--graphics See wordgirl app, fablevision Use a range of Comprehension Enhancing techniques: Summarizing, Question and Answer Graphic Organization--Story Structure Note Taking See Don Johnston produces and “rationale’” Phonemic Awareness: Phoneme blending and segmenting Manipulation of phonemes: add, delete and substitute Remediation

Reading Software Remediation and Accommodations

Reading/Language Technologies ebookman Accommodation Remediation Audible books--online See bookshare.com etc. Highlighters/markers & tape Clozepro Rationale

To make a podcast you need an audio file-- use freeware--Audacity A podcast host (podbean) and an RSS feed-- Podcasts and Podcasting Accommodation

Accommodation: Spelling (Dyslexia and Phonemic Awareness (PA) impairment) Earobics, Fastforward, Laureate and Parrot software Turning letters into sound Remediation: Spell Check Focus on Content, allow creative spelling Allow verbal, kinesthethic pictoral (or other) rather than written expression

Writing (dysgraphia, executive function impairment) Pencil Grips Digital Recorder PAWS, Portable Assistive Writing System Writing With Symbols Assistive Keyboard with Word Prediction, and writing features Remediation and Accommodation Accommodation Microphone

Tools to Aid Thinking and Writing (cause my head’s going to explode with ideas) In Writing view, pictures are Converted into hierarchical outline

Thinking ( or Executive Function deficits ) Extra time Mind maps Goal setting tools Alarms, Timers Organizers iPhone, iPod Touch Blackberry Google Calendars Working memory training CogMed PositScience Parrotsoftware Games Mind mapping software Kidspiration Accommodation:Remediation:

From shoder.org/interacti ve UDL Math- two examples Math

Social and Sensory Issues Social groups Mood regulation Service animal Sensory Toys Sensors Symtrend Compression Conversation clock Robots for Joint Attention Accommodation: Remediation:

Robots that aid social learning (C.Lathan, M. Mataric) Facial expression games ( Baron-Cohen, Strickland) Virtual Buddy to help narrative story telling (J. Cassell) Emotion sensors (M. Goodwin) Ubiquitous Computing (G. Abowd ) Robots That Care, The New Yorker Oct (by J. Groopman)

Universal Design for Learning ‘wordle’

Mobile Computing and Web 2.0  “Really Simple Syndication” sends stuff to you whenever--where ever you are You’ll need a reader or ‘aggregator’ like google.reader for written Text or articles or use And application in ‘itunes’ to get ‘new episodes’ audio/video Accommodation

Moodle

Using Technology to Produce and Share Products  Phase III – Student As Producer Student As Publisher Student As Audience Student As Reviewer Communication Collaboration Creation 21st C Skills From rjleister at sanjuan.edu

Video Games and Learning  Good video game design leads to:  Innovation not replication  Knowledge designed into tools, virtual worlds, systems  Knowledge is distributed and sharable in social networks, technologies other people (see mue’s--multi-user environment)  Encourages thinking in terms of complex systems and interactions, not just isolated facts and events ▪ Still need more goal structure, reflection, mentoring and debriefing See latest books/Chapters: The Ecology of Games K. Salen (Ed.) and papers by James P. Gee

Examples

Kinesthetic Learning

Accessible , Searches etc.  Using recorded voice via  Coglink, Ican , Springdoo, V3mail, V  Firefox and Internet Explorer also have good tools  Customized Browsers will convert mathematical text into auditory file for blind (for example)

Self Advocacy Sites..  Blogs, chats, podcasts  Assistivetek.blogspot.com  Ldpride.net/chatguidelines.htm  Ldpodcast.com, disability411.jinkle.com  Autismvoice.com  Addresources.org/adhd_webcasts.php  Find groups at linked in, Myspace, facebook or wikispaces  Video  Use skype to video conference  Doit.wisc.edu/accessibility/video

DependenceIndependence Therapies (remediation) Assistive Technology (accommodation) Environmental Modifications (accommodation) Traditional Human Supports (accommodation & remediation) Teaching Modifications (accommodation) Independence Assistive Technology is uniquely designed for the individual; IEP and GT services will still be needed under UDL curriculum Reduce Barriers Universal Design For Learning UDL Overcome Barriers

From Agricultural to Conceptual Age Agricultural Age (farmers) Industrial Age (factory workers) Information Age (knowledge workers) Conceptual Age (creators & empathizers) ATG: Affluence Technology and Globalization 18th 19th20th21stCentury Daniel Pink From D. Pink’s “Why Right Brainers will Rule the World”

National UDL Task Force  Coalition of 38 national general education and disability groups  Mission: promote implementation of UDL through policy/legislation and dissemination of information to stakeholders  Higher Ed Opportunity Act, Literacy bills, recommended use for Recovery Act funds For more UDL resources: See MATN UDL Toolkits 

UDL Bill in Maryland  Supported by stakeholder coalition between general and special education, educators and parents  Purpose-to incorporate UDL into the policy, practices and curriculum of elementary, secondary and higher education  MSDE to convene a Task Force to propose recommendations for statewide implementation, including regulations, to the State BOE

Key UDL Websites  National UDL Center-  UDL guidelines-  National UDL Task Force (including FAQs for parents and teachers)-  US AT;  