Group items tagged

Universal design for learning includes "thinking about what has to happen at the level of (course) design that makes accommodation less necessary." The article has some interesting things to say about the affective level of "requests for accommodation."

Fascinating discussion of the semantics of "trigger warnings" through the lens of universal design for accessibility. It seems to imply a question about when (if ever) surprising students with course content is a useful strategy. Thanks to Jeanne Griggs for the link.

A new resource from Tulane University gives design tips for making syllabi more accessible and engaging. "Countless instructors complain that students don't read the syllabus. We believe students would use the document more effectively if it were designed more accessibly."

Universal design for learning ultimately saves labor, and benefits all learners in the class. "So if I take a little more time and effort to make my writing large, legible, and organized on the white board, I am going to help the student with visual impairments - but I'm also going to help everyone in the room take better notes on our discussion. If I take the time to create slides with a minimal amount of text or images - and then encourage students to take their own notes by filling in the examples and ideas from the lecture or discussion - I'm helping everyone push beyond simply copying down lecture notes and regurgitating the course content."

Great introduction to the guiding principles of Universal Design for Learning, as well as no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech tips for providing learners with multiple means of engagement so that we can make sure every learner has the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise and use their unique strengths to be successful.

I appreciate the way this podcast episode structures accessibility tips to talk about which steps toward universal design are easiest to achieve, or have the most bang for the buck.