About this Module
Learning Objectives
- Understand and apply the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- Understand accessibility and accommodations as they relate to UDL
- Discover the intersection of UDL and Open Educational Practices (OEP)
- Evaluate course content from an OEP-informed UDL perspective
- Implement UDL and OEP to improve accessibility for all students
- Identify the ways that accessibility tools can detect and remediate accessibility issues
Activities
- Explore, revisit, catch-up, or just do the rest of the activities on this list
- Complete Your “Next Steps” Plan on your Open UDL Planning Tool
- Share your plan and thoughts on the discussion board
- Reflect on your workshop experience and next steps
Module Summary
Module 5, Reflection and Next Steps, is all about making space to realize our intentions. There are no new materials to review. We offer this module, instead, as a space for you to choose what you need next—perhaps a re-reading or re-watching of a workshop resource or an exploration of an optional resource you didn’t get the chance to view, perhaps time to read peers’ posts to get additional perspectives or to complete or revisit a section of the Open UDL Planning Tool. Or, if time is particularly tight, to just attend to the remaining tasks of the workshop.
Whatever you need next, we ask that you complete the Open UDL Planning Tool section entitled “Your ‘Next Steps’ Plan.” This plan, identifying three lowest-effort/highest-yield steps you can take to improve accessibility and openness, can take any form. (We have provided a table only for those who like the structured format.) As we know, making learning more open and accessible is a matter of a series of these small but effective steps, one after the other, over time.
When you’re done, we ask that you share your plan on the Workshop Project discussion forum. And, as good Open UDL practice, we then ask you to post a reflection on your journey in this workshop (and with the exceptional participants like you who have been a part of it) on the “Workshop Reflection” discussion forum.
Though the workshop isn’t officially over until Monday, we also wanted to leave you with two final thoughts, from our personal experience, about setting expectations: change doesn’t happen overnight, and we will never be 100% accessible. Don’t be surprised if the first or second try with an Open UDL practice is bumpy. Students who pride themselves on having mastered traditional approaches may feel uncomfortable departing from routine, even if they find it helps them grow and show what they know. Similarly, the complex nature of accessibility means that we will never be able to lower all barriers for all students at all times. What matters is our commitment to continued improvement and our willingness to listen to and build with an eye toward students’ needs.
Ocean Stock photos by Vecteezy
Course Activities
Complete: Next Steps Plan
Please complete the “Your ‘Next Steps’ Plan” section on your Open UDL Planning Tool, and share the link to or file of your tool on the Workshop Project discussion forum.
In the form of your choice – such as a paragraph, audio recording, video, marked-up screenshot, or photo of hand-written work, OR using the table listed on your planning tool – identify the three lowest-effort, highest-impact alterations you can make to increase accessibility in your course.
In your plan, please be sure to articulate the following:
- The three alterations you plan to make
- The rationale—what spurs you to make those changes and how you believe the changes will reduce barriers for students
- Implementation deadlines you propose to yourself
- Any barriers you anticipate to completing your plan
Optional: Feel free to include any strategies you have for executing your plan that might be beneficial to other participants, such as setting a Google Calendar reminder or having an accountability partner.
Share and Submit
We will use this discussion forum for the submission of your workshop project and share-out to colleagues.
In the form of your choice—such as a paragraph, audio recording, video, marked-up screenshot, or photo of hand-written work, OR using the table listed on your planning tool—identify the three lowest-effort, highest-impact alterations you can make to increase accessibility in your course.
In your plan, please be sure to articulate the following:
- The three alterations you plan to make
- The rationale—what spurs you to make those changes and how you believe the changes will reduce barriers for students
- Implementation deadlines you propose to yourself
- Any barriers you anticipate to completing your plan
Optional: Feel free to include any strategies you have for executing your plan that might be beneficial to other participants, such as setting a Google Calendar reminder or having an accountability partner.
Important: Please include the link to your Planning Tool on Google Docs or attach the Word file to your post.
Workshop Reflection
Please tell us a bit about your experience of this workshop. You may use any of these questions as a prompt for reflection:
- What aspect of Open UDL practices resonated most with you? What was surprising or new to you?
- Do you feel combining best practices from UDL and OEP aligns with your ideas of inclusive teaching practice? How so, or if not, what is causing a disconnect?
- What concepts do you plan to revisit or explore further in the future?
- How has the conversation with other participants supported or challenged your exploration of Open UDL?
- How can we support you in continuing the work you’ve begun here?
Feel free to share as much or as little as you are inspired to, and please comment on colleagues’ posts if you wish. Remember that you are welcome to respond by typing or by recording audio or video.
