Universal Design Education

Transcription

1 Prepared by: Krey Singletn, Kara Zirkle and Liz Miller , , and Sectin 1: Visin Share yur visin f hw yur prpsed tpic has the ptential t transfrm an issue related t student learning at the institutinal level. Cnsider yur audience f the Masn cmmunity members why shuld we embrace this tpic and hw will it enhance student learning at Masn? GMU Missin Statement Gerge Masn University is innvative.. Natin s capital t attract utstanding faculty, staff and students. The natin s capital is ne f the largest areas t prvide infrmatin in regard t educatin, disabilities, diversity, transitin and the prfessinal envirnment. A number f federal, state and private resurces are available t the skilled faculty, staff and students f the Masn cmmunity; thus prviding a unique learning experience. Gerge Masn will: Educate the new generatin. shaping a glbal cmmunity with visin, justice and clarity. Using universal design principles we can shape a new generatin f learners by emphasizing inclusive envirnment and remving barriers t educatin. Encurage freedm f thught, speech and inquiry in a tlerant, respectful academic setting that values diversity. Freedm f thught and expressin is at the cre f universal design which fcuses n diversity and inclusin t the bradest extent pssible f the cmmunity. Prvide innvative and interdisciplinary.. curses f study that enable students t exercise.. ethical decisins. Masn already prvides superir graduate and prfessinal training that prepares students fr the transitin int the wrkfrce. Ensuring that curses appeal t the largest ppulatin f learners ensures that students cntinue t reach ut t the Masn cmmunity (e.g., emplyment, dnatins, etc.) thrughut their prfessinal careers. Nurture and supprt.. a brad range f intellectual and cultural insights, and is respnsive t the needs f students and their cmmunities. Universal design wuld decrease the needs f individuals regardless f cultural backgrund, disability, language, etc. This wuld als enhance the learning and wrking envirnment fr thse individuals wh d nt chse t self identify. Nvember 6, 2008 Page 1

2 Maintain an internatinal reputatin f superir educatin and public service.. amng Nrthern Virginia, the natin and the wrld. With campuses lcated just utside the natin s capital and within the United Arab Emirates has already reached ut t varius cmmunity members. By prviding Universal Design Masn ensures an enriched educatinal envirnment that is attractive t students, staff and faculty wrldwide. Universal Design is a cutting edge strategy twards building an inclusive educatinal envirnment fr a brad range f learners; Gerge Masn culd be n the frefrnt f this evlutin. Visin Statement: Universal Design Educatin is a university-wide cmmitment t incrprate accessible physical and infrmatin envirnments with multiple learning styles thrughut the curriculum and c-curriculum. This venture has the ptential t meet the needs f every student, faculty, staff and cmmunity member regardless f backgrund, culture, gender, primary language, age, disability, r style f learning. Universal Design strives fr the fllwing principles: 1) equitable use, 2) flexibility in use, 3) simple and intuitive, 4) perceptible infrmatin, 5) tlerant fr errr, 6) lw physical effrt, 7) size and space fr apprach and use, 8) a cmmunity f learners, and 9) instructinal climate. (Sctt, S.S., McGuire, J.M., & Embry, P. (2002). Universal design fr instructin fact sheet. While this affects bvius physical design, it als plays an integral rle in electrnic and nn-electrnic infrmatin and teaching pedaggy. UD invlves a shift in hw we as an institutin view diversity, including disability, and meet the needs f a diverse cmmunity. It invlves a shift in hw we design the university envirnment as a whle -- spaces (ffice, classrm, recreatinal, etc.), curriculum, websites, and mre. Aura M. Hirschman writes, Schlars in the field f Disability Studies suggest that we adpt a scial mdel f disability, recgnizing that disability is anther part f the institutin s diversity. It is the barriers in the design f the institutin and its activities that create disabling envirnments. A disability is nly disabling t the individual if the envirnment des nt allw fr ease f access. Institutins f higher learning have in recent histry apprached diversity by creating welcming envirnments fr students f varying minrities by making it clear that diversity is welcmed and sught after ( Reframing Disability: Multiple Intersectins and Universal Design, Assciatin n Higher Educatin and Disability, ALERT September 2008, Accrding t The University f Washingtn s D-It prgram, UD is a gal that puts a high value n bth diversity and inclusiveness (Universal Design: Prcess, Principles, and Applicatins, Sheryl Burgstahler, Universal Design prmtes usability by all peple, t the greatest extent pssible. As stated previusly, the cncept f Universal Design Nvember 6, 2008 Page 2

3 encmpasses all members f the campus cmmunity and strives t meet the needs f its diverse ppulatin by prmting ease f mvement, cmmunicatin, and interactin. Its intent is t reduce barriers fr everyne by making prducts, cmmunicatins, and the envirnment mre usable by anyne at little r n cst and effrt. Universal Design makes life easier n campus fr an athlete with an ACL injury, a visiting prfessr frm anther cuntry, a senir citizen using the library, a faculty member rlling a laptp with her arms full f visual aids t class, a student with a hearing impairment in a distance learning class, an administrative assistant with clr-blindness rdering ffice prducts, and cuntless thers. Sectin 2: Cngruence with Missin and Gals Demnstrate hw yur prpsed tpic is cnsistent with Masn s missin and 2014 Strategic Plan. Universal Design and Diversity in Strategic Plan: The term universal design is brrwed frm the mvement in architecture and prduct develpment that calls fr curb cuts, autmatic drs, vide captining, speakerphnes, and ther features t accmmdate a vast variety f users, including thse with disabilities. Experience shws that all such flexible designs are less expensive and cumbersme than cstly retrfits, and that, in fact, everyne benefits frm universal design features, as anyne wh has watched vide with captins in a busy gym r airprt can attest. Masn s 2014 Strategic Plan specifically states the gal f Maintaining accessibility fr students frm varius sciecnmic backgrunds and highlighting the diversity f the student bdy in relatinship with the changing cmpsitin f the larger ppulatin, while expanding the benefits f this diversity in the educatinal prcess and in graduate instructin Universal Design fr Learning (UDL) is a framewrk fr designing educatinal envirnments that enable all learners t gain knwledge, skills, and enthusiasm fr learning. This is accmplished by simultaneusly reducing barriers t the curriculum and prviding rich supprts fr learning. Incrprating accessibility and diversity int the basic planning fr enrllment and int the definitin f student quality is exactly in accrdance with Masn s 2014 Strategic Plan. It is estimated that ver 80 different languages are spken here n Masn s campus. The 2014 Strategic Plan pints t a...diverse student bdy... and diverse academic prgramming spread acrss bth urban and suburban campus envirnments. Students cme t the classrm with a variety f needs, skills, talents, and interests. Fr many learners, the typical curriculum which includes gals, instructinal methds, classrm materials, and assessments is littered with barriers and radblcks, while supprts are relatively few. Faced with an inflexible curriculum, ur diverse ppulatin f students and faculty are expected t make extrardinary adjustments. UDL turns this scenari arund by placing the burden t adapt n the curriculum itself. Nvember 6, 2008 Page 3

4 Educatrs can imprve the educatinal utcmes fr these diverse learners by applying sme f the fllwing UDL principles t the develpment f gals, instructinal methds, classrm materials and assessments. Prvide multiple and flexible methds f presentatin t give students with diverse learning styles varius ways f acquiring infrmatin and knwledge. Prvide multiple and flexible means f expressin t prvide diverse students with alternatives fr demnstrating what they have learned, and Prvide multiple and flexible means f engagement t tap int diverse learners' interests, challenge them apprpriately, and mtivate them t learn. As stated elquently in ur 2014 Strategic Plan, the Masn cmmunity needs t prvide multiple pprtunities t bring the campus cmmunity tgether t becme enriched by ur diversity. UDL grants us the pprtunity t create a mre inclusive educatinal envirnment fr a diverse grup f learners, as well as staff and faculty. Sectin 3: Student Learning Outcmes Identify at least fur measurable student learning utcmes that yur prpsed tpic expects t address. Specifically, if yur plan were t be adpted, what wuld students knw and be able t d as a result? 1. Learners will be able t identify the varius ways f acquiring infrmatin and knwledge that specifically meets their learning needs. 2. Learners will have alternative methds fr expressing and demnstrating what they have learned. 3. Learners will be able t wrk with faculty t identify means f engaging them and tapping int their diverse interests. This will mtivate students and challenge them apprpriately by including them in their wn educatin. 4. Learners will be able t access all aspects f the Masn curriculum and envirnment by the remval f all barriers t learning (e.g., physical, electrnic, etc.) and the incrpratin f necessary supprts. Other Resultant Outcmes frm UDL - 5. Higher retentin rates fr varius grups (i.e., learners with disabilities, English as a secnd language learners, lder learners, veterans, etc.) within the student ppulatin that frequently encunter barriers in the curriculum. 6. Increase in distance learning initiatives, thereby increasing student enrllment. 7. Creatin f a mre attractive learning and research envirnment fr students and faculty. 8. As aging and temprary disability can and will affect the entire Masn cmmunity, a universally designed envirnment supprts changes in an individual s lifestyle while allwing them t Nvember 6, 2008 Page 4

5 cntinue their educatin r maintain their emplyment withut interruptin; thus allwing Masn t retain critical assets t the university. Sectin 4: Pssible Avenues fr Implementatin Describe hw yur prpsed QEP tpic relates t an issue where there is mmentum building n campus r an issue that wuld be significantly strengthened thrugh added attentin and resurces. Include yur ideas abut pssible strategies fr implementing this tpic s that we culd btain meaningful results. Where pssible, highlight pprtunities t build n current institutinal initiatives and resurces. Implementatin Plan 1. Identify barriers/bridges t campus access as perceived by students, faculty, and administratrs. 2. Establish a cmmittee, frming subcmmittees fr the purpse f implementing Universal Design acrss all elements f the University (e.g. physical, infrmatinal, and instructinal) and create plicy. a. Example f Physical members - Equity and Diversity, Facilities Management b. Example f Infrmatinal and Instructinal - Center fr Teaching Excellence, ITU, Assistive Technlgy Initiative, ODS, Faculty/Staff representative frm varius prgrams within Masn. 3. Apply the cncept f Universal Design t the curriculums and c-curriculums t develp appraches and view prducts that will ensure students a quality higher educatin. 4. Review prducts and materials that enhance educatin, such as distance learning technlgy. 5. The cmmittee culd review and evaluate prducts and materials thrugh cllabratin with the varius Masn entities. Implementatin Phases 1. Identify current ffices and prgrams which incrprate elements f UD. (e.g., Office f Equity and Diversity Services) 2. Identify key ffices and prgrams which have immediate interactin with faculty, staff, and students. (e.g., Admissins) 3. Identify all ther prgrams nt yet reached. (e.g., research r schls) Nvember 6, 2008 Page 5