Application of UDL and Successful Practices in Working with Students with Disabilities

Brett Christie and Beez SchellSonoma State University

Brief History of UDL and FLC at SSU

• Began incorporating UDL in Instructional Design and SPED courses in 2004/2005

• Further UDL research in Spring 2005 toward federal RFP that led to EnACT

• CAST; DO-IT; ASD

• Initial inquiry regarding “Critical Friends Group” in 2005.• Implemented in 2006• Changed to Faculty Learning Community in 2007

Sell UDL and FLC Process

• Getting support from administration• How to get buy-in from senior faculty

• Does professional development matter?• Where does/Does it fit into RTP?

• Competition with many other duties• Intercept negative ATI reactions

Step 2: Align Activities and Supports

• Partnerships on campus• Faculty Development Unit• Professional Development Subcommittee• Accessible Technology Initiative

• Executive Sponsor• Coordinator

• ATI as whole or IMA• Open forum

• 1 hr ATI, 1 hr UDL, FLC “hook”• Show “Introduction to UDL” movie clip

ATI & UDL Open Forum

• Call to all faculty to attend an Open Forum on ATI and UDL:

• Pre-session• UDL Guidelines (CAST, 2006)• 22-minute Breeze UDL Presentation

• Session• 1 hour ATI overview• 1 hour UDL workshop• Brief description of FLC (The Hook)

Call for FLC participation

• What is FLC?• What commitment is involved?• What are the benefits to faculty?• What incentives are offered?• What are the benefits to students?

Pre-FLC

• FLC members are asked to do a few simple things prior to the first FLC meeting

• Select a course for upcoming semester• Select critical course concepts• Select a key assignment to those concepts

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Beginning the FLCBeginning the FLC

• Have faculty review core course concepts– What are students to learn?– How will you know they learned?

• How do you represent* core concepts?• How to engage students in the learning

process?• How do you ask student to express* what

they know about this concept?

*Initial data show need for more focus here

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FLC ProtocolFLC Protocol

• Select a facilitator• Could be campus faculty developer

• Could be well-respected faculty member

• Faculty Presentation (5 minutes)• Syllabus

• Critical course concepts

• Key assignment(s)

FLC Protocol

• Clarifying Questions (5 minutes)• Could you tell me more about...?• When do your students complete online assignments?• How many questions are included in the final exam?

• Probing Questions (10 minutes)• Why is it important for your students to...?• Is there another way you could show your students how

to...?• What assumptions have you made about your students?

FLC Protocol

• Warm & Cool Feedback (10 minutes; presenter silent)

• How they met their stated goals• Disconnects, gaps, problems

• Reflection (approximately 5 minutes)• Presenter gets to address feedback• Presenter shares take-aways• Presenter can ask for clarification• Presenter shares where they think they will make changes

first• Debriefing of whole group

How Well Is It Working?

• To date, we have been able to collect pre and post UDL data from one FLC and their students.

• We have also been able to collect pretest data from our second FLC

• Follow-up data from second FLC and their students will be collected in December.

UDL-FLC Case Stories

• Through partnership with ELIXR, we are developing a series of online video case stories to capture the process and outcomes of those who have completed the FLC process and implemented UDL.

UDL Interview Questions

1. How and when did you become involved with UDL? Why?

2. What was it like to learn the UDL principles and strategies?

3. Describe how you modified your course in order to implement UDL?

4. Why did you select these modifications?

5. How is it going? Who are students responding? How do you know?

UDL Interview Questions

6. Do you have, or have you had students with disabilities in your course?

7. What are you planning to do next via UDL?8. What advice do you have for other faculty who

are just starting with UDL? How would you encourage those not involved?

9. What technologies have your and/or your students used to foster their success in learning?

What Has Worked

• A look at FLC group 1• Faculty perspective- Kirsten and learning styles

movie clip

What Has Worked

• A look at FLC group 1• Data regarding impact on Students with

Disabilities• Grade Point Average• Completion rate• Graduation rate

What Is Next

• Reflection on how to continue to improve by applying UDL

• Kirsten “What is next” clip.