4.6 Universal design for access and equity  (Page 8/11)

Instructional Climate. The learning environment is designed to be welcoming and students feel a sense of belonging and inclusiveness. Selected strategies include:

• Include university non-discrimination and ADA accommodation statements
• Introduce yourself with personal statement and contact information. Describe your teaching philosophy and expectations
• Present yourself as approachable and accessible
• Communicate course purpose, goals and expectations
• Affirm and state the need to value and respect diversity in course interactions
• Value and encourage accommodations as needed
• Solicit student feedback throughout course
• Ask students to articulate personal goals for course, current skill levels and concerns
• Create unstructured course conferencing session for unexpected issues or questions
• Offer online office hours for chats
• Collect student information about education, work and learning background
• Learn student names
• Offer student support or assistance if needed

As faculty design courses the principles of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) offer a framework for learning and teaching that address diverse needs of students. Instructional strategies are clearly student centered, and by anticipating student diversity, distance courses will not need to be retrofitted or adapted for individual students. While some students with disabilities may require assistive technologies for learning, using UDI principles may reduce the number of accommodations requested.

Universal design for learning (udl)

All learners possess functional strengths and limitations that determine how they acquire information and demonstrate content mastery (Meyer and Rose, 2005). This model focuses on the strengths and needs of the individual engaged in learning and how they process content through recognition, strategic and affective networks. Neuroscience is providing opportunities to examine brain activity during the learning process. Researchers report that these learning networks are interconnected and each individual possesses different characteristics and skills that can be used to design learning experiences. The cognitive processing model is complex and involves multiple modalities, working in parallel structures along a continuum of abilities. UDL is a functional approach to learning based on Vygotsky’s learning theory (1962/96). Recognition networks help learners to process information by assigning meaning to patterns, and to understanding and identifying ideas and concepts. Strategic networks enable executive functioning skills of planning, implementing, monitoring and adjusting actions in the learning environment. Finally, affective networks assign emotional significance and importance of actions or objects in connection to the world (Rose and Meyer, 2002). This network is most significant for diverse learners who bring emotional experiences related to challenges due to culture, self perception, family support, financial considerations and responsibilities, language, and perceived abilities and disabilities. Each student brings a series of skills, preferences and needs across these three networks which can assist educators in considering appropriate curriculum materials and instructional methods.