I learned to use a computer when I was in 5th grade (1988) because my elementary school had just installed its first computer lab in an old boiler room. This was back when you had to use a load command to open programs from your floppy disk. The load command looked like this: LOAD “*”,2,1. Wow! It’s pretty incredible that I remember that! Anyway, I’ve been using computers for 30 years- since 1988, so I feel fairly confident with my ability to create documents and materials for my personal and professional life. I just learned about making documents accessible in 2016 when I attended my first UDL conference (the UDL Symposium), and over the last year or so I have become more comfortable with creating and evaluating accessible documents. But, when I create documents today my process almost always goes like this:
This little 10-step dance occurs almost daily for me. So, the next goal I’m setting for myself, is to switch my default setting from the one you saw listed above to one that starts with accessibility. I would like to begin designing documents and materials with accessibility at the front of my mind instead of having to re-do my own work. Afterall, this is what UDL would ask us to do in all areas of our lives, right? Think about universally designing first, then plan accordingly. Some may say, “Well, yeah, but aren’t universal design and accessibility the same thing?” While they have similarities, they aren’t necessarily the same thing. Many people at my institution consider accessibility and universal design to be synonymous, they aren’t necessarily the same thing. When someone suggests that we need to evaluate a program, course, video or document for UDL, what they actually mean is that we need to run accessibility checkers and add alt text. But, if you look closely at the UDL guidelines, you will see that issues of accessibility like closed captioning and alt text represent only 3 out of 31 checkpoints of Universal Design for Learning. UDL includes tons of other important topics like supporting planning and strategy development and facilitating personal coping skills and self-assessment. A UDL-trained instructor can design true universally-designed documents by thinking about components that will aid in things like planning, strategy development and self-assessment. They can build in graphic organizers, charts for keeping track of goals, and utilize headings to emphasize structure and big ideas. If you ask me, a document’s accessibility regarding ADA compliance, isn’t enough to officially designate it as a universally-designed document. While ADA compliance is certainly important, universal design and UDL are much bigger topics.
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I was sitting in a workshop in beautiful Savannah, Georgia when I first heard about Imposter Syndrome (also called Imposter Phenomenon). Not knowing what this meant, I did what anyone under the age of 50 does when they don’t know what something means: we Google it (can we all agree that ‘Google’ can now be officially used as a verb?). So, I Googled “Imposter Syndrome” and came across a 2016 article from the Chronicle of Higher Education called Imposter Syndrome is Definitely a Thing. This article, written from the point of view of a university lecturer to her “past graduate-student self,” explains that Imposter Syndrome is “the feeling that you don’t belong — in graduate school or in your first academic or alt-ac job — and it’s more common that you might think. It makes people believe that they aren’t good enough, smart enough, or deserving enough” (Herrmann, 2016). This reminded me of an experience I had at a conference a couple years ago. After participating in a 3-hour long universally-designed, hands-on workshop, and, enduring a grueling 50 minute “sit and get” session, I was struck by the contrast in the way I felt about myself as a learner in each setting. In the “sit and get” session, I was lost. I felt like I didn’t fit in. I felt like a kid sitting at the adult table at Thanksgiving, trying to participate in conversations I didn’t actually understand. I hated it. I hated every minute of it. I learned nothing, and I was frustrated and felt like giving up. I think I actually left after about 30 minutes because, as an ADHD adult, I was crawling out of my skin. In the universally-designed, 3-hour workshop, however, I felt smart. I felt like an equal among equals. I felt like I fit in and like I was an asset to the session. I only looked at my watch once, and when I did, I remember thinking, “there’s no way it’s already been 2 ½ hours!” The following is a document I typed up after this experience: If two contrasting instructional settings can make the same person feel completely different about themselves as a learner, then there’s got to be something else going on…other than Imposter Syndrome. Now, let me be clear, I’m not saying that Imposter Syndrome isn’t “a thing”. What I am saying is that the effects of Imposter Syndrome; low self-esteem, lowered retention rates, and declining feelings of self-efficacy, can be ameliorated by infusing instruction with Universal Design for Learning (UDL). So, here is my top 3 list for how to reduce students’ symptoms of Imposter Syndrome with UDL: 1. Assume Nothing!- Educators often assume that students come into their classrooms with a certain level of background information readily available within their working memory. This reminds me of something my high school drama teacher, Mr. Russell, used to say, “Assuming makes an A**out of U and ME (ASSUME)”. So true! When an educator hits the ground running in a lesson, without reviewing prerequisite background knowledge, they are essentially running over some of their students as they drive off in the distance. Now, that’s a little dramatic, but you get the picture. UDL suggests that we provide options for Comprehension by:
2. Always explain- “And Here’s Why…”- Students can become disengaged when they don’t understand how content applies to them, and this can often lead to students checking out emotionally, or worse, dropping out. While we, as professional educators, completely understand why certain knowledge and skills are necessary for future success in school and careers, students often can’t see those connections for themselves. It is our job, as educators, to explicitly show students how the readings, assignments, activities, labs and exams are relevant to their future hopes and dreams. UDL suggests that we provide options for Recruiting Interest by:
3. Support Executive Functioning- One of the areas in which students most often request help at our institution, is executive functioning. They are asking for things like help with scaffolding assignments by breaking them down into smaller chunks, help with planning and study skills and help with organization. Many educators assume that because they, themselves, have these skills, their students should have them as well. However, this is not true. Give students explicit instructions for how to break down large reading assignments, writing assignments, and projects into smaller pieces, or how to organize their materials. UDL suggests that we provide options for Executive Functions by:
For more information on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), check out the CAST UDL guidelines website. Herrmann, R. (2016, November 17). Impostor Syndrome Is Definitely a Thing. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/Impostor-Syndrome-Is/238418 Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be a game-changer for students with print and/or learning disabilities because UDL provides learners with multiple means of engagement, representation and action/expression. Here are some great tools to enhance reading for all students through UDL: Engagement: One of the guidelines of UDL that leads to greater engagement suggests that instructors provide options for Recruiting Interest by giving students a choice in the materials and methods used during teaching and learning. One tool that can help teachers differentiate instruction for students with a variety of reading levels is Newsela.com. With Newsela, teachers can find articles about the same content, but with different versions written at different reading levels. Instructors can print off several copies of various reading levels and allow students to choose the reading level that feels like a good fit for them. For more information on Newsela, go to Common Sense Education’s product review or sign up for a free Newsela account at Newsela.com. Representation: One simple way to introduce content without overwhelming students who are reading below grade level is to use infographics as a starting point. Infographics combine icons, charts, diagrams and photos with minimal text to give students a “Cliff’s Notes” version of content. Using an infographic is totally in line with the UDL guideline of comprehension which asks instructors to guide information processing and visualization. Teachers can create their own infographics, or, browse tons of infographics created by other users at Easel.ly, a user-friendly web tool for designing infographics. Action & Expression: Read Write Gold (RWG) isn’t your typical screen reading software. When using RWG, students are provided with support for reading, writing, studying and researching. One guideline within the Action and Expression category of UDL highlights the need that many students have for help with executive functioning problems like organization, time-management and study skills. RWG is a great program to help students manage these executive functioning deficiencies. Students at the University of Kentucky are lucky to have access to a university-wide copy of RWG which can be downloaded from the UK ITS software downloads page. For more information on RWG, watch Read and Write Gold Demonstration, a video that shows many of the product’s features. |
AuthorJennifer Pusateri is a Universal Design Consultant at the University of Kentucky's Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT). Archives
January 2019
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