Document Type
Poster Session
Department
Education and Human Development
Faculty Mentor
Jeff Beaudry
Keywords
UDL Online Course Postsecondary college HE Higher Education
Abstract
The Universal Design for Learning framework offers a synthesis of 40 years worth of discovery in the fields of education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. UDL describes itself as a framework that can be used by educators to create inclusive learning environments that acknowledge the inherent variability in all learners. This mixed-methods, exploratory study investigates the application of UDL in two post-secondary online courses. It examines and portrays the instructors of the courses involved as learners through a series of interviews; explores the process of applying the UDL framework to modify a portion of their courses they are unhappy with; and reveals how these modifications affect the students in these courses using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. For both instructors involved in the study, comparisons were made between data collected in an unmodified control section, and a subsequent section of the same course containing the modifications. The implications the results have for the practice of teaching and learning design and education research at the post-secondary level are discussed.
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Technology Commons
Thinking Matters Poster - Applying UDL in Online Courses
The Universal Design for Learning framework offers a synthesis of 40 years worth of discovery in the fields of education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. UDL describes itself as a framework that can be used by educators to create inclusive learning environments that acknowledge the inherent variability in all learners. This mixed-methods, exploratory study investigates the application of UDL in two post-secondary online courses. It examines and portrays the instructors of the courses involved as learners through a series of interviews; explores the process of applying the UDL framework to modify a portion of their courses they are unhappy with; and reveals how these modifications affect the students in these courses using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. For both instructors involved in the study, comparisons were made between data collected in an unmodified control section, and a subsequent section of the same course containing the modifications. The implications the results have for the practice of teaching and learning design and education research at the post-secondary level are discussed.
