The role and fuction of Universal Design for Learning as a technique in cereating more inclusive learning systems at a time of change for schools and teachers. Presented at ODS Summer School in Marathon, Greece on 15 July 2014
Text of Addressing student variability in educational design
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?