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Education changes constantly and the same  can be stated about universities and colleges, teaching methods and formats have to meet the needs of the students and evolve using research based methods. The following explains some information on UD and UDL for higher education, each individual setting has it’s own way of adopting the concept.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) McGill University, presents a great format to faculty and staff in order to embrace and learn regarding Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning, including video examples, a blog, and many resources. Professors and staff can learn what and how to integrate UDL in post secondary instruction. The OSD, McGill has integrated the following specific objectives on UDL to their mission:

The OSD strives to:

• facilitate wider access to learning
• promote Universal Design as the model selected to achieve appropriate access for all learners
• support students who feel access remains an issue for them

http://www.mcgill.ca/osd/facultyinfo/infoimpairments

From: The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) McGill University(customizing materials, to meet their university and needs in UDL concepts) The mission states UD and the graphic/picture also explains UDL. 

Another interesting concept is that McGill also has a link for New Resources and workshop request form for more training; I think this is a great example to follow for post secondary institutions. The approach is to integrate, provide resources, examples, and train, a great way method or approach for post secondary settings. Including clearly stating UDL, in the mission and goals of the university is imperative.

From: The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) McGill University.                    Training and true buy- in are essential.

Universal Design for Learning in Post Secondary Education by Rose, D. H., Harbour, W. S., Johnston, C. S., Daley, S. G., & Abarbanell, L. (2006) presents some important concepts regarding UDL and post secondary education.  Aside for presenting principles and examples of UDL frameworks, it discusses topics regarding textbooks and lectures: “Typical courses in universities are dominated by two types of media: lectures and textbooks. It is legitimate to ask whether such a prominent position is warranted: are lectures and textbooks effective media for instruction? Not surprisingly the answer is: it depends (p.9)”. Textbooks and lectures can be effective and ineffective to some students; the idea is that readings, lectures, media, and other activities be available- embedded within a course website as a “backbone” to the course, where all students have access. The recommendation made in the article is that attention needs to shift from emphasis on students with disabilities to the disabilities of the learning environment.

It might take some time for universities to get away from the typical course lecture, textbook, and assessment but universities must become more updated in research, and the shift will be necessary for all higher education. Especially, because of the Higher Education Opportunity Act and many universities already implementing UDL initiatives, the old teaching methods will soon have to come to an end.  With many online programs, courses, and technology,  UDL can be embedded easily into the classroom and the shift will be inevitable.  If I worked at a university or college, I would seriously considered what some of the universities like McGill, Boston College, and Colorado State University are currently doing.

The future of UDL makes for a bright outlook for all students !!!

As I consider my current work settings as Transition Specialist for a high school district with five high schools, my role consists of building transition programs at all the high schools. I can easily begin to see how UDL can be integrated into the transition programs and plan how UDL can systemically put in place. The transition programs can be used as demonstration and trainings, to create a systemic change in every school. My director of special services, is also director of Career and Technology Education (CTE) and the Vista Alternative High School, so after integrating UDL in the transition programs, integration into the other two areas may be smoothly. The CTE programs may already have many UDL concepts in place with their curriculum and regulations.

In order to begin creating UDL systemic change in my district some technology resources will be necessary, beginning with what we already have for example: computers, software, net-books, and ipads in some classrooms.  We need to consider features that are embedded in the systems that are not currently being used for students because of teachers, and staff unawareness. Some examples of features are accessibility features in word, text to speech, apps, and software programs.  In aspects of technology, not all the schools are in the same level in terms of devices, knowledge, and training. Training and technology teacher assistance will be necessary in order to advance all staff to similar level and assist with UDL guidelines. Research and references will be very important and necessary in order to strengthen my position of UDL.  The following examples will be very useful:

• CAST.org- website
• UDL Guidelines and Examples(research)
• National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum
• Universal Learning Center
• Universal Learning Edition

• 

  CAST.org

Reference from Chapter 8, Intro: Rose, D., Meyer A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age. Alexandria, VA: ASCD Publications

Rose and Meyer (2002) presents, The Concord Model: Key Components of UDL Implementation, it can be used as a useful model for creating systemic UDL change. I used the template to brainstorm some examples of implementation for my district and transition programs.

Concord Model Component       Implementation Examples for Transition programs and district

There are barriers in curriculum as it is, the district has moved to net-books starting with two years ago freshman, every class after that received a net-book assigned to them and they were meant to replace textbooks. The concept was not planned accordingly and they did not purchase the digital copies of all textbooks for the net-books, in addition teachers were not trained on what accessibility features the net-book may have. The district also has moved to Cambridge Curriculum for English and several other subjects, of rigor but the staff was not trained on how to provide accommodations or alternative assessments, which has caused confusion. Since discussions regarding the problems will have to occur anyways, it will be a good time to add “What barriers will this student encounter when participating in the unit of the curriculum?”(Rose and Mayer, 2002, p.158) and discuss UDL framework. Overall, buy-in and administrative support will be imperative to begin the shift to UDL.

Think back to an assessment of your learning in school, on the job, or in a different situation. How was the assessment administered? Was it a summative or formative approach? Did you find it helpful? How would you have designed that differently given your understanding of UDL?

As think back at assessments in my educational experience at the school, most of the assessments were summative approach assessments, for example multiple choice with a couple short answer questions, if that at all. In English, I can remember some more formative approaches being used by some of my teachers. But in reality formative approach was more common in college and university, in some classes.  I don’t believe I found most assessments helpful in till about college/University where we given the “how” the learning applied in different setting in real life. The assessments that related  what we understood and how we would apply concepts, was a lot more helpful overall, than remembering facts and memorizing information in classroom settings. Professors made really good points that professionals don’t have to memorize and know every single fact or information but know where to research and/or find answers and resources.

            Given my understanding of UDL, the design of assessment should include some variety in methods, including option and flexibility. A great example of something that could be used as a resource tool to design assessments following UDL guidelines is Nimble Tools which was in this week’s session. The included web link is to a wiki page that has a video demo of Nimble Tools, which I found useful with simple descriptions. It almost seems that it could have been, of a past student of this class. I found it, as I was trying to research and find possible live-video of students using the tool but I only found the attached link. I found that it interesting and useful in understanding how it could be used.

http://edet735-udlassessments.wikispaces.com/D.+Software+Demonstration-+Nimble+Tools

In your opinion, how can the UDL framework inform assessment approaches? What are the strengths? What might be the challenges?

In my personal opinion, in order for UDL framework an inform process in assessments approach it was to be embedded in all aspects, curriculum, teaching, and assessments. A shift in theory of assessments from states and districts would have to occur, similar to the shifts in teaching like co-teaching, UDL, and RTI. This would include state assessments which I believe would be the real challenge overall. A strength, in the approach would be that all students would have access breaking down the barriers using UDL approaches to assessments.  I think it would be a long journey ahead for UDLguidelines to reach assessments, even in curriculum aside at state level tests; it would take a massive amount of effort because many of those changes would have to be considered by laws and legislatures. CAST Articicle, Perspectives on Large-Scale Assessments, Universal Design, and Universal Design for Learning (2010) states very important points that may able to in force the framework on assessments approach, “As one leading expert on educational assessment, Robert J. Mislevy has stated:  If UDL is applied in a principled manner, it will actually increase construct validity for a larger population of student”(p.5). Research in these specific areas of assessment maybe the opening door for UDL framework in assessment approach soon.  

UDL and Assessments can create a more clear picture of what a student actually knows and provide all students access.

“The burden of adaptation should be first placed on the curriculum, not the learner. Because most curricula are unable to adapt to individual differences, we have come to recognize that our curricula,rather than our students, are disabled.”
~CAST~

Blog Prompt 1: “Think about the strengths and challenges of some of the materials and methods that you have used in your classroom, in your transition setting or in the workplace, How could you enhance those resources through a UDL lens? Who would benefit from these changes?”

Transition classes and programs could be enhanced in a variety of ways; one great way is by “The Power of Digital Media” as explain in Chapter 3 of “Teaching Every Student in the Digital Media” (2002).  As Rose and Meyer state in the textbook, “ By virtue of one essential feature -flexibility- digital media surpass traditional media their ability to meet diverse students’ varied needs in variety of instructional contexts”(p.62) . Many teachers now days use digital media as a way to meet the needs of students, with audio, visual enhancement with videos, smart-boards, audio, and interactive components. The recognition, strategic, and affective networks in regards to the qualities of speech, light, text, reading and images, including individual differences should be considered when teaching and enhancing instructional methods. Overall, no single traditional instructional format works for all students. Through the lens of UDL we need to enhance each individual network, qualities, components, and digital media by offering variety instructional methods and expanding access to learning. The people that benefit from enhancing the resources through a UDL are definitely the students, but teachers ultimately will benefit since students will learn materials easier and possibly quicker.  

Blog Prompt 2: Reflect on the information you’ve read and experienced. Consider a goal that you have developed or have in mind for your instructional setting. Again this goal may pertain to a classroom setting, a work setting, an assessment or training situation. Share in your blog post both how the goal might typically be written and how you would now revise that goal.

I couldn’t think of a specific goal, so I looked in my file folders from my pass class:  Student will learn to role play and asking for advice. Some students may excel at this learning task but for others may find role play as a difficult concept. Instead of being so specific to the task or method of demonstration, it could be restated to: Student will demonstrate competence in asking for advice, given a situation. The goal is a strategic goal as explained by Rose and Meyer(2002), goals that ask students to learn “how “ to do something emphasizing skills and strategies(p.93) Goals should give the students a variety of methods to prove or show competence whether it is role play, written respond, image, digital media or any other. We shouldn’t narrow down how students are to respond but the context, can they demonstrate they learned the specific content, objective, or goal. I think in even when we leave the assessment open to a variety of methods for assessing the performance, as educators we forget to give the options or demonstrate to the students the methods they could use. I found the UDL Goal Setter Tutorial from our lecture, a useful tool in reviewing goals and all the components involved in having an appropriate goal.

Being an expert learner can mean several different things. It means to being an expert in learning or different styles/ways of learning. As educator we should become an expert to how our students learn and well provided variability so all students get the opportunity to learn. The powerpoint “Learning Variability and UDL explains that we design better, improve learning that can truly reach all students. Just like development has variability so does learning and teacher we need to become experts in the aspect of learning variability. We should consider learning variability as we consider transition opportunities for students, especially as in different environments and when working on things like: community-based instruction, volunteer work, and on the job training. UDL principles, guidelines, and tools to assist in developing- designing and set up for rich learning experiences. The readings and articles can be used to pass the knowledge and understanding to why we need to design in specific ways. Many times I see things just being thrown in place without any really thinking of how we could design it better to reach all learners.

My reflection this week is simple… I have alot to learn regarding laws, policy, and history. But I guess, that’s why I am taking classes…right

I have to explain as I explored my work environment that I work district-wide and I travel to each but my main office is at the Special Services office of the district. The office are connected to an alternative program, computer based classes. The building use to be an old church and was originally purchased to be demolished and build a Tech Alternative High School. So need less to say many things are needed in order to be Equitable use and Flexibility in use in general from doors, lighting, and access. If its not possible in a computer, it’s probably not available.
But on the contrary the schools(5 and 1 alternative) especially the new ones are built with a more UD concepts and the older schools have made changes needed at a slow pace. Because of curriculum changes all regular high school have freshmen, start last year all students have netbooks with digital texts, text to speech, and links with supports. Schools use all of those including scaffold, variety instructional methods, smart boards, and many more. It has been a slow process but at least now UDL has become expected, as programs are built and curriculum is developed it now being considered. Now… Information is being presented in different ways, students can express what they know differently, and student’s are getting engaged.