Think UDL

In today’s conversation, we discuss how Mike and Osu updated an entry level biology assignment in a large enrollment course to offer students choice and flexibility in topics and delivery. And when they presented this topic at ADCET’s UDL Symposium (which I highly, highly recommend), during the actual session they offered to the group if their work should be presented as a podcast or poster or in some other fashion and then did exactly what the group wanted. It was an excellent way to demonstrate how engaged participants can be when given ownership of a task. You’ll learn quite a few ways to make your assessments better and how to improve group work from this conversation.

In this episode, we discuss “Breaking the Code – Using the (In)CLUDE framework to support the implementation of Universal Design for Learning 3.0 in the classroom through the use of Drama in Education,” which delineates easy to use and creative ways to use principles learned in drama education that can be applied to any course whether in the humanities, arts and sciences or social sciences. And what I really appreciated in the article, which is linked in the resource section of this episode, is a helpful color coordinated chart of the UDL guidelines with a co-listed drama in education technique that correlates to each UDL consideration. And then she provides a useful acronym (In)CLUDE which asks each instructor to consider the Where, Who, What, Why and How of each learning environment and learning goal to implement these strategies. Start with the C=Context (Where and who?), L=Learning outcomes, U=UDL Guidelines, D=Drama in Education, E=Enact or put into action. Louise is also a fabulous storyteller and truly it is the stories that carry this conversation so I know you will enjoy this chat and be able to take away at least one more strategy in your teaching repertoire after hearing what is possible.

In our conversation, we discuss the connections between UDL and expressive and creative arts therapies and consider how her work in play therapy and equine-assisted therapy provides an empathetic lens for her to better understand learner variability and the various pathways for learning in her students.

In this conversation, Sarah and I discuss options for faculty members who are considering low tech, no tech, or more analog classroom activities or educational environments. We talk about access friction and decisions that might need to be considered in order to meet the needs of current students with competing access and technology needs.

Today we will discuss the Sensory Room Initiative, a grant funded venture from OFDAS and the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, which created a sensory room for faculty, staff and students along with the research about its effectiveness. You’ll learn everything you need to know about how to start your own and why it could be important to your campus.