About this Module
Learning Objectives
- Discover the principles of Universal Design in Learning (UDL)
- Examine the difference between accommodations and UDL
Activities
- Introduce Yourself on the Introductions discussion forum, and welcome your colleagues as well
- Review resources on UDL and inclusion (Part 1), and the difference between accommodations and UDL (Part 2)
- Explore by selecting one resource on student diversity and UDL
- Discuss your thoughts by sharing and responding to others on the Module 1 discussion forum
- Copy & Review the Open UDL Planning Tool that you will use later for your workshop project
- Optional: Review disability etiquette and disability services at CUNY and CUNY SPS
Module Summary
In Module 1, UDL & Accessibility, we’ll explore the principles of Universal Design in Learning (UDL) and their practical application to teaching and learning. We’ll also review how a UDL approach relates to and differs from providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities.
We’ll start by considering the diversity of our students and their experience in our (virtual) classrooms. After that, we’ll take some time to review the principles and guidelines for UDL, developed by CAST, and a few examples showcasing the practical application of UDL principles in the classroom. We ask that you then pick one of the optional resources—or take the #NoMouse Challenge!—and post your reflection on the discussion forum for this module. We won’t get started with the main project for this workshop yet, but we have included instructions below on creating your copy of the Open UDL Planning Tool to be ready for use in Module 2.
Optional: Because this workshop is focused on the overlap of UDL and Open Educational Practices, we cannot dedicate time to related and important accessibility topics, such as disability services for students, faculty, and staff, or disability etiquette. But if you’d like to explore some of that information, we have included a few resources in the folder at the end of Module 1 (also posted under Additional Resources on the course menu).
Module Activities
Introduce Yourself
Welcome to the workshop! Please create a new thread, and let’s get acquainted!
First, please tell us a bit about you, such as how you’d like to be referred to, what your pronouns are, what you do at our school, and (since it’s fall) what your favorite comfort food is. If you’d like, include what drove your interest in this workshop.
Then, please share a time when a learning or working situation felt inaccessible to you or someone you know.
Note that for this and all workshop discussions, you are welcome to respond by typing OR recording audio or video. Brightspace’s built-in recording options make the process fairly easy.
Review Resources
Part 1: Principles of UDL
Please read the following short pages in the CUNY SPS Accessibility Toolkit:
Please also review the first three sections of the Principles of UDL by CAST: About UDL, Getting Started, and UDL Examples. (CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Special Technology, is a non-profit education research and development organization.)
Part 2: Accommodations vs UDL
How does designing with UDL relate to the legal right to reasonable accommodations by students with disabilities, which you might be familiar with from the letters you receive from your campus’ office of disability services? In short:
- Accommodations offer a reactive accessibility adjustment or modification for an individual student with a disability.
- UDL is a proactive approach intended to make participation in an inclusive setting possible for everyone, as much as possible, from the start.
An accommodation means offering a reactive adjustment or modification to make learning accessible to an individual with a disability, for example by providing a notetaker in an in-person class or allowing extra time on an exam. Students with disabilities are legally entitled by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to reasonable accommodations, and these accommodations are meant to afford them equity in the classroom.
While there will always be situations where accommodations are necessary and meaningful, UDL seeks to go beyond the legal mandate for accessibility by proactively considering the diversity of students, from the start—for example, by providing accessible learning materials, such as captioned videos or screenreader-accessible readings, to potentially minimize the need for accommodations as much as possible.
Take a deeper look into the legal requirements for accessibility and how they relate to UDL, as well as a multi-tier approach to accommodation and UDL planning.
Explore
Choose one of the following resources and include your reflection about it in your discussion post for this module:
- Diverse Abilities and Barriers page, created by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
- Podcast episode on UDL with Thomas Tobin, by Teaching in Higher Ed.
- Podcast episode on inclusive practices through digital accessibility with Christina Moore, by Teaching in Higher Ed.
- If you feel adventurous, try the #NoMouse Challenge on a website of your choice!
Discuss
After reviewing materials for Module 1, write or record a reflection on UDL and accessibility, including (but not limited to) answers to the following questions:
- How does the information covered in Module 1 relate to your experience teaching diverse students, including those with disabilities and/or providing requested accommodations on your campus?
- In your view, what is the fundamental difference between providing accommodations on request, and designing your courses according to the principles of Universal Design in Learning (UDL)?
- If you dared: tell us about your experience taking the #NoMouseChallenge!
Also, feel free to add any questions about the topics covered in this module so we can discuss them together. Remember that you are welcome to respond by typing or by recording audio or video.
Submit your initial discussion post by Wednesday. If you’d like, check back in and reply to your colleagues’ posts as well.
Copy and Review: Open UDL Planning Tool
We’ll start working on the main project for this workshop in Module 2. For now, to get ready, please create a copy of the Open UDL Planning Tool for your use throughout the workshop (and beyond!). Choose whichever version makes you most comfortable from the options below: either the Google Docs version or the Word version.
This Google Docs Version of Open UDL Planning Tool should prompt you to create a copy that you can save in your own Google account.
As an alternative—in case you run into any issues creating the Google doc, or prefer working in Word instead—download the Word (.docx) Version of Open UDL Planning Tool.
