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
1
x 1
1
1
x
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.
x y
a 
5
2
2
x  y  5a
5
2
2
•First depth: “a fraction plus a variable equals a fraction”
•Second depth: “start-fraction a square root over 5 endfraction 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 http://vihart.com/doodling/
Multiple Means of Engagement
Affective
Why?

Support Persistence
Exploring Graph Theory

More from Vi Hart
Promising Projects: Math


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.
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
Up Next: Growing the UDL Field
Timeline of UDL in IHEs
2002
U Maine
Sonoma State
N. Carolina
State
Southern U.
LSU, OSU
McNeese U.
STCC
2003
Catholic U.
GWU
2004
CSU,
Sacremento
Cal Poly
CSU Stanislaus
U. Vermont
2005
Univ. S.Maine
Marywood U.
Boston C.
Bank St. C.
2006
2007
U. Arkansas
Landmark C.
SF State U.
San Jose State
U.
CSU, Monterey
Bay
2008
Miami U.
U. Iowa
Temple U.
Natl Louis U.
2009
Colorado State
U. Hawaii
La CC System
Mich State U.
2010
2011
More to Come!
Expansion of UDL Awareness

National Center on Universal Design for
Learning – www.udlcenter.org

National UDL Task Force http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/

Universal Design for Learning Implementation
and Research Network - http://udl-irn.org/
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 builtin capacity to meet the needs of all learners.