3.2 UDL in higher education: An example
Although the UDL principles provide teachers with a basis from which to begin thinking about how to design accessible and inclusive materials and activities appropriate to their respective learning contexts, they are not explicit guidelines. To see how UDL can be applied within a higher education context, let us now take a look at a real-world example from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.
During the 2004/2005 academic year, Rose et al. (2006) presented a course titled T-560: Meeting the Challenge of Individual Differences, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which aims to better prepare students to teach a diverse range of students. In their presentation of the course, Rose et al. (2006) modified the learning materials and methods of instruction and assessment to reflect (as far as possible) the UDL framework. This section briefly looks at how aspects of the T-560 course were altered to address the principles of UDL, and therefore provided students on the course with a more inclusive learning experience.
3.2.1 UDL and course lectures
Lectures are valuable in the way that spoken language is used to effectively stress salient information, clarify tone and intent, provide contextualized meaning (of concepts), and provide an emotional background to the course content. Lectures often make use of additional media to support the core material, thereby providing students with (what can be) a rich multimedia experience. Therefore, they feature in T-560. However, lectures are not accessible to all students (Rose et al., 2006).
To make the lecture material more accessible, Rose et al. (2006) provided deaf students with sign language interpreters. They also recorded the lectures and posted them online, to allow students who missed the lecture to access this content. These recordings also aided students who struggled to meet the linguistic demands of the lecture, or for whom the lecture is presented in a second language, as they could work through lectures at their own pace. Additionally, Rose et al. (2006) collected student notes (a course requirement for participation grades) and made these available to all students via the course’s website. The various note-taking styles of individual students provide rich alternatives to the traditional lecture.
Lastly, Rose et al. (2006) provided students with cognitive and structural supports to ease the cognitive demand of the lectures. This was done through using PowerPoint slides that show visual (and more easily understandable) depictions of the content (Rose et al., 2006).
3.2.2 UDL and discussions
Course discussion groups are often positioned as complementary or supplementary to lectures and reading materials. They are especially valuable for students who find lectures and text inaccessible. Discussions also address the passivity of lectures and texts, and allow students to actively engage in knowledge construction (through individual expression and group collaboration). However, discussions may also be inaccessible to students who do not prefer, or may not be able to, participate in verbal expression and engagement, for example. As with lectures, verbal discussions may also be too cognitively-demanding for some students.
Pause and reflect:
Consider the discussion forums on this course and how they speak to the principles of UDL. How do they address the more didactic ways of consuming, constructing, and engaging with new knowledge (for example, this set of notes)?
To address this concern, all discussions in T-560 were optional, allowing students who cannot participate in, or do not prefer, such discussions to opt out as needed. Certain discussions acted as review sessions during which students could get clarity on concepts they found difficult to comprehend, while others covered advanced topics for those with a nuanced understanding of the content. Additionally, students had the option of attending in-person or online discussions based on their needs and preferences (Rose et al., 2006). By providing such alternatives, Rose et al. (2006) were able to increase both the level of student engagement in, and the quality of, the discussions.
3.2.3 UDL and textbooks
Textbooks are another common feature of most higher education courses, including T-560. However, as mentioned above, the structure and format of written texts (such as textbooks) makes them inaccessible to certain students. In T-560, Rose et al. (2006) therefore provided students with alternative textbooks to increase accessibility. Before the start of the course, students could choose between two textbooks on introductory cognitive neuroscience: one predominantly text-based and academic, the other predominantly visually-based, depending on their preferences (Rose et al., 2006).
Later in the course, students were given the choice of purchasing or accessing the print version of a prescribed textbook on inclusive teaching in the digital age, or reading a freely-available online version. This online alternative guaranteed access to students who prefer, or require the use of, text-to-speech browsers or screen readers (Rose et al., 2006). In cases where print textbooks do not have digital versions, it is a good idea to provide students with alternative resources from which to obtain the same, if not similar, information.
3.2.4 UDL and assessments
As mentioned earlier, UDL is concerned not only with how information is presented and taught, but also with how students construct and express their knowledge. Therefore, in T-560, Rose et al. (2006) provided students with alternative and flexible guidelines in the completion and submission of their course assignment. For their assignment, students needed to review research literature on a type of student (part one) and create a website (part two) in which they were to discuss the student’s strengths and weaknesses in a subject or learning context (Rose et al., 2006:21).
The first part of the assignment was traditionally presented as a 10-page paper, which Rose et al (2006) amended to a 1,500-word submission. By introducing this word limit, Rose et al. (2006) encouraged students to find and make use of other forms of expression (such as images and videos) to convey what they had learned. This information was then presented on a website to support said use of multimedia. Students who lacked or had little experience in web design were encouraged to get support from their more-knowledgeable peers through labs or sessions. Additional support in completing this assignment was also provided through models of previous and peer assignments (Rose et al., 2006:22).
Note:
The discussions above provide limited examples of how the UDL framework can be applied within the context of higher education. It is important to make use of resources like CAST’s UDL on Campus website, which provides teachers with detailed resources on how to design courses in the higher education context, using the UDL framework.
The aim of looking at how Rose et al. (2006) used the UDL framework to modify their course design is not only to show how the UDL framework supports inclusive teaching in practice, but to also encourage you to consider how you may redesign current or future courses to ensure they speak to a diverse student profile. The final section of these notes further expands on how to adequately support student learning by exploring how teachers can tailor learning experiences to meet students where they are in their academic and learning journeys.