Addressing student variability in educational design Dr. Alan Bruce ULS Ireland ODS Summer School Marathon, Greece 15 July 2014

Setting contexts Global change and emergence of new learning priorities: crisis, power and ownership Transforming educational systems: linkage to quality, outcomes and employment The Inclusion Imperative: access, equity and innovation Understanding difference: student diversity in a changed world Policy to best practice design, integration and sustainable values Introducing Universal Design for Learning

1. Global change Patterns of constant change Permanent migration mobility Outsourcing Flexible structures and modalities Obsolescence of job norms Knowledge economy Ecological pressures End of certainty

Challenges to the system Persistence and increase in inequality Permanent hopelessness of excluded Embedded violence and internal underclasses Social polarization Stripping away rights Invisibility, ethnic difference and the retreat to denial Role of learning

Accelerating inequality 12 m.: numbers with more than $1m. to invest (9,2% increase since 2011) $46,2 trillion: aggregate wealth of this group (10% increase since 2011) Ultrarich (>$30m.) surged 11% (now 35,2% of all millionaires) World Wealth Report: RBC Wealth Management & Capgemini Financial Services (June 2013) Declining social mobility Rising income inequality reflected in declining equality of opportunity Global Wage Report 2012/13, ILO (Prof. Miles Corak, Journal of Economic Perspectives 2013)

Mainstream: nightmare or opportunity? Mythology of the normal Defining the mainstream: what have we become? Robust probing of social structure required as a preliminary to defining mainstream Masking power, relationships and inequity Need to avoid clich and assumptions Learners are immersed in and emerging into this changed constellation of which educators may know little

2. Transforming educational systems Education is both structure and process Aims and goals vary considerably Education systems mirror world, society and relationship-matrix of which they are part Education systems are as much constraining as liberating Forum for ideas or market for products? Or both.?

Critical perspectives Traditional schooling in the spotlight Learning systems both reflect and lead society Informationwisdomunderstanding Critical enquiry - back to Illich Reflection and inquisitiveness Engaging with difference

Knowledge in transformation Commodification of knowledge Impact on education systems (Freire, Illich, Field) Impact on work (Braverman, Haraszti, Davis) Impact on community - alienation and anomie From community to networking Knowledge and learning now centrally linked as product and process dimensions

Traditional models Conservative Strict Hierarchic Inflexible Memorization and recall focus Examination-driven Resistant to application of new technologies

Potential models Pupil/learner centered Competence driven Community focused Technologically enhanced International engagement focus Learning process (application modes) Individual value (humanistic approach)

Current realities Disruptive classroom behaviors Absenteeism Early school-leaving Teacher burnout Migration, integration and sustainability Literacy, numeracy, basic skills Languages Quality and governance DG EAC (2008) European Education and Training Systems in the Second Decennium of the Lisbon Strategy, NESSE and ENEE.

3. The Inclusion Imperative Five key issues: 1. Measures to reduce early school leaving 2. Priority education measures in relation to disadvantaged pupils and groups 3. Inclusive education measures in relation to pupils with special needs 4. Safe education measures in relation on the reduction of bullying and harassment 5. Teacher support measures.

Defining inclusion Social inclusion can be defined as a number of affirmative actions undertaken in order to reverse the social exclusion of individuals or groups in our society INCLUSO (EU 7th Framework, 2009)

Defining exclusion A multidimensional process of progressive social rupture, detaching groups and individuals from social relations and institutions and preventing them from full participation in the normal, normatively prescribed activities of the society in which they live. H. Silver, Social Exclusion: Comparative Analysis of Europe and Middle East Youth, Dec. 2007. (Wolfensohn Center for Development, Dubai)

Probing inclusion Not necessarily benign Not necessarily desired Not necessarily valued Inclusion or conformity? Exclusion often seen minimally as lack of access Exclusion is a systematic policy of inequality and denial of rights Hugely different implications

Shaping real inclusion If learning, working and production are controlled inclusion is at best token, at worst sinister At the core of inclusion must be ability to assess critically and express freely Fundamental to inclusion is ability to ask questions that challenge existing relations Inclusion re-examines existing reality while posing viable alternatives

Trajectories of inclusion Youth and mass unemployment Demographics: ageing and life expectancy Women and labor market participation Immigration, cultural and religious difference Disability Conflict, stress, anomie Urbanization, dissent and democratic deficits

Meaningful inclusion Inclusion changes both sides the act of mainstreaming is to change the mainstream not the excluded From objects to subjects Narratives of adaptation and discovery From target group to citizen Critical role of teachers Inclusion and the dialectic of rights

4. Understanding difference Student variability what does it mean? First there was access the struggle for universal education Education as a right not privilege Starting with gender Ending with society

Schooling history Relatively recent mass public schooling only in 19th Century Highly segregated: gender class language religion ability

Catering for all how and why? Is education a right? Who pays? Setting standards Assessing outcomes Purpose and vision Impact of ICT

Legacies of excluding systems Legacies of segregated schooling Gender Disability Religion Ability Language Class Unequal school systems mirror unequal society Schooling is not separate from wider socio-political environment

5. Universal Design for Learning Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles for curriculum development that gives all individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials and assessments that work for everyone - not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs

Universal Design Originally it referred to designing buildings, products and environments that are accessible to all sections of society including the aged and those with disabilities of all kinds. The 9 principles: Equitable use Flexibility in use Simplicity Perceptible information Tolerance for error Low physical effort Accessible size and space for approach A Community of learners Instructional climate

Design for All (DfA) The name of the European initiative associated with ICT inclusive products and e-accessibility (Web Accessibility Initiative/WAI) Design for All (DfA) embraces the idea that it is possible to produce ICT goods, which can be accessed to all potential users without modification, or, at least products should be easy to adapt to different needs, or should use standardized interfaces that can be accessed simply by using assistive technology. International standardization considers principles of universal design, ISO 20282-1:2006 provides requirements and recommendations for the design easy-to-operate everyday products, taking into consideration design requirements for context of use and user characteristics aiming at ease of operation.

Key focus Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that addresses the primary barrier to fostering expert learners within instructional environments: inflexible, one-size-fits-all curricula. Inflexible curricula raise unintentional barriers to learning. In learning environments individual variability is the norm, not the exception UDL addresses learner variability by suggesting flexible goals, methods, materials and assessments that empower educators to meet these varied needs.

Universal Design for Learning The universal design concept was transferred to the education field and applied to the learning process and learning environment, so now termed universal design for learning (UDL) Universal Design Learning is a framework for learning that includes all students. Being grounded in socio-cultural theory, UDL views learning environments and social interactions as being key elements in development and learning. The key principles driving UDL include: flexibility, simple and intuitive instruction, multiple means of presentation, success oriented curriculum, appropriate level of student effort, and appropriate environment for learning.

UDL Curriculum The purpose of UDL curricula is not simply to help students master a specific body of knowledge or set of skills, but to help them master learning itself to become expert learners. Expert learners have developed 3 broad characteristics: 1. strategic, skillful and goal directed 2. knowledgeable 3. purposeful and motivated to learn more

Components of UDL Curricula Goals Methods Materials Assessment

Structural framework CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) established 1984 First Federal grant from NSF 1994 UDL defined. CAST invents Bobby 1995 CAST Advisory Council established 2005 National UDL Taskforce established 2006 First Statutory definition of UDL 2008 National Center for Universal Design established 2009 University of North Carolina academic expertise

UDLnet focus Among first UDL projects in Europe Implement foresight process to map and propose effective methods to support modernization and development of digital competencies Review international scientific evidence and educational stakeholders views to identify and analyze emerging trends, opportunities and challenges in education and eLearning Collect, implement and test a series of participatory engagement activities to improve uptake, sharing and reuse of inclusive teaching and learning practices

General objectives To improve classroom practice and raise awareness of European educational communities on inclusive teaching and learning practices To improve teachers work practice, combining ICT skills with innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, and institutional organization To redesign, adapt and personalize curricula and instructional methods To create a learning environment that helps each student develop his or her full potential

Principles At the core of Universal Design for Learning is the principle of equity and inclusion. UDLnet Best Practice Guidelines for design and implementation of inclusive resource- based educational activities as a reference to be adopted by educational stakeholders To develop a detailed and systematic methodology with the view to provide/collect inclusive teaching and learning practices

Challenging times How do we include at a time of crisis and economic efficiencies? How do we distribute resources equitably? How do we alter minds, prejudices, inherited bias? How do we extend inclusion in an innovative manner? Ho do we establish the primacy of educational vision?

Thank you Dr. Alan Bruce ULS Dublin abruce@ulsystems.com