Firm Goals/Flexible Means UDL in Postsecondary Practice

The Statute  Section 103(24) UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING.-- The term `universal design for learning' means a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that— ``(A) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and ``(B) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient.''. Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

The Principles  Multiple Means of Representation - provides flexibility in the ways information is presented,  Multiple Means of Action & Expression - in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and…  Multiple Means of Engagement - in the ways students are engaged…

The Neurological Foundation Recognition Strategic Affective

Multiple Representations Recognition

Why?  Eliminate Ambiguity (Math!)

Why?  Eliminate Ambiguity (Math!)

Why?  Eliminate Ambiguity (Math!) Write: 1 over X plus 1

Research: Dynamic Overviews  Rendering an “overview” of an equation before rendering all the details may help the listener fit all the details into the overall equation. First depth: “a fraction plus a variable equals a fraction” Second depth: “start-fraction a square root over 5 end- fraction plus a equals start-fraction a square root plus 5 a over 5 end-fraction.” gh,LLC

Research: Dynamic Overviews A special study was designed by Purdue with intentionally ambiguous equations that students were asked to differentiate. The purpose of the study was to determine if MathSpeak could successfully disambiguate mathematics as compared to “conventional” math reading strategies. The initial results indicated that, as would be expected, students correctly identified the equations less than 50% of the time using conventional reading techniques. However, when using MathSpeak, students’ performance on similar items increased to 95% accuracy!

Practice: MathML & MathPlayer

Multiple Means of Expression Strategic

Why?  Allow for Alternate Understandings

Climbing Binary Trees  A Binary Tree is a Non-Linear Data Structure which is used to store data in a very efficient manner. In general Binary Tree looks like this.  From TechCrunch

Climbing Binary Trees  A Different Approach from Vi Hart  From

Multiple Means of Engagement Affective

Why?  Support Persistence

Exploring Graph Theory  More from Vi Hart

Promising Projects: Math  MeTRC's mission is to learn how the printed materials used by teachers and students in mathematics classrooms can be converted into electronic forms, and how the increased capabilities in the form, function, and content enabled by this conversion, might increase access to mathematics, and improve student learning and achievement  The Accessible Portable Item Profile (APIP) project goal is to develop an interoperability standard for assessment content. The APIP project consists of eight member states and three observing states working closely with IMS Global and Nimble Assessment Systems.

Up Next: Growing the UDL Field

Timeline of UDL in IHEs Southern U. LSU, OSU McNeese U. U Maine Sonoma State N. Carolina State CSU, Sacremento Cal Poly CSU Stanislaus U. Vermont Miami U. U. Iowa Temple U. Natl Louis U. More to Come! Colorado State U. Hawaii La CC System Mich State U. U. Arkansas Landmark C. SF State U. San Jose State U. CSU, Monterey Bay Catholic U. GWU Univ. S.Maine Marywood U. Boston C. Bank St. C. STCC

Expansion of UDL Awareness  National Center on Universal Design for Learning –  National UDL Task Force  Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network -

System–Wide Imperatives  Accessibility – the lowest common denominator for all goals, methods, materials & assessments Essential but insufficient for UD  2008 Section 133 of HEOA  June 2010 “Dear Colleague” OCR Letter (Kindle)  December 2010 OCR investigation at Penn State  September 2010 – 2011 Postsecondary AIM Commission

System–Wide Imperatives  “Born Digital” instructional Materials (and their delivery systems) must have accessibility designed in. Most IHEs have the capacity to retrofit legacy print Few have the capacity to retrofit digital materials & systems A comprehensive national solution needs to be established (AIM Commission) A market-based accessible materials solution is viable for most students

System–Wide Imperatives  One possible solution: an Instructional Materials Access Board. Board establishes accessibility criteria based on existing Section 508 & WCAG specifications Commercial Products seek certification OERs seek certification IHEs gain “safe harbor” for requiring use of certified products Hey, this might work…

Institutional Report Card  Section V. Use of Technology (§205(a)(1)(F))  Does your program prepare teachers to: ( A) integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction (B) use technology effectively to collect data to improve teaching and learning (C) use technology effectively to manage data to improve teaching and learning (D) use technology effectively to analyze data to improve teaching and learning  Provide a description of how your program prepares teachers to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction, and to use technology effectively to collect, manage, and analyze data in order to improve teaching and learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement. Include a description of how your program prepares teachers to use the principles of universal design for learning, as applicable. Include planning activities and a timeline if any of the four elements listed above are not currently in place.

System–Wide Imperatives  Ensuring accessibility creates the foundation for institution-wide UDL implementation: UDL is not just access to instruction UDL is not (only) technology UDL is about Learning Learning is the core business of postsecondary institutions I feel a syllogism coming on…

What next for Higher Ed?  What motivates systems to change?  The components of systems are people  What motivates people to change?

UDL works in Higher Education  When… it is a framework embraced by the entire institution (think binary trees) efforts to plan for and address learner diversity are strongly interrelated (think Borromean Rings) Challenge, mastery and making a contribution drive people; people drive systems – systems can effect change (think motivation) The result is a responsive environment with the built- in capacity to meet the needs of all learners.