The ACCESS Project, Colorado State University  Jesse Hausler, Assistive Technology Coordinator  Craig Spooner, Project Coordinator The Universally Designed Learning Experience

Have you heard the following from faculty? “I don’t have any students in my class with disabilities.” A.Yes B.No

How can we confront this problem? A.Hold more workshops and training sessions on AT and Accessibility. B.Implement a set of rules and regulations for faculty to follow. C.Bribes. D.Something else entirely.

Promote UDL, not accessibility

Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles and techniques for creating inclusive classroom instruction and accessible course materials. Defining UDL teaching technology “ ”

The ACCESS Video

Roots of UDL  Universal Design (UD) - Accommodate the widest spectrum of users without the need for subsequent adaptation  UDL makes teaching and course materials accessible to more students and reduces the need for individual accommodations

UDL and Technology

We know these help students with disabilities  Accessible Web Pages  PDFs with OCR, Tags, Bookmarks  Descriptions for STEM Diagrams  Word documents with Structure  Consistent use of CMS

What are the benefits of PDFs with OCR and Tags  Accessibility via the Tag structure  Search through multiple documents for keywords  Navigation through Bookmarks  Reflow for users with small displays  Text to Speech  Copy and Paste

Who benefits from PDFs with OCR and Tags?  Students with Disabilities  Students without Disabilities  Faculty Everyone! Universal Design?

UDL anticipates classroom diversity UDL and Teaching

Students are diverse in many ways  Abilities and Disabilities  Age/Life Experiences  Cultures/Ethnicities  Native Languages  Academic Preparation  Learning styles

Learning styles 1. Visual a) Visual-Linguistic (reading and writing) b) Visual-Spatial (graphs and pictures) 2. Auditory (listening) 3. Kinesthetic (touching and moving)

UDL: a framework for inclusive pedagogy 1.Information and concepts are represented in multiple ways and in a variety of formats. 2.Students are given multiple ways to express their comprehension and mastery of a topic. 3.Students engage with new ideas and information in multiple ways.

Representation  Ideas and information are represented in multiple ways  Lecture  Hands-on activities  Graphics/Audio/Video  Text

Representation  In our video, who benefits from the:  Descriptive audio?  Transcripts?  Captions?

Expression  Students express their comprehension in multiple ways  Oral presentation  Written essays  Projects/Portfolios/Journals  Performance  Multimedia (graphics/audio/video)

Expression  Colin from our video  Student with Quadriplegia  Undergraduate in Landscape Architecture  Assignment: Create a 3D model  Physical model  Computerized model

Engagement  Students have multiple opportunities for engagement  express enthusiasm for topics; explain real- world application  challenge students with meaningful assignments  give prompt and instructive feedback on assignments  make yourself available to students during office hours in flexible formats

Engagement  Indian Physics professor has students video tape him during office hours  Individual questions answered for everyone on the course website  Video  Written explanation

Challenge 1 You create a class climate in which student disability is respected.  Which UDL principle does this represent? A.Representation B.Expression C.Engagement

Challenge 2 Allow students to submit assignments electronically.  Which UDL principle does this represent? A.Representation B.Expression C.Engagement

Challenge 3 Provide digital equivalents of all paper handouts.  Which UDL principle does this represent? A.Representation B.Expression C.Engagement

Challenge 4 Problem-Based Learning (PBL): Start with the problem; instructor guides students as they work together to discover the information required to solve the problem.  Which UDL principle does this represent? A.Representation B.Expression C.Engagement

Benefits of UDL  UDL focuses on enabling the learning environment  Disabilities are part of the broader range of student diversity  Emphasizes benefits to all learners, including students with disabilities  Shifts focus from disability and accommodations to broader issues of teaching and learning

Institutionalizing UDL  Embed UDL into all existing professional development  In particular, bundle it with existing efforts to improve teaching and learning  Form a committee or advisory panel made up of “movers and shakers” for innovative instruction  Tie UDL to the strategic goals of your institution  Address the concerns of your audience — What keeps them up at night? WIIFMs?  Provide incentives, create a buzz, get UDL on the radar  Build on the work of the ACCESS Project

Thank you