Universal Design of Learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is framework in education that aims to give students an equal opportunity to succeed. Differences between learners may require certain adjustments in teaching strategies to accommodate the various learning needs of students. UDL attempts to foresee the needs of all types of student, rather than making these sudden adjustments after challenges occur.
How UDL Creates Inclusive Learning Environments
One of the main ways to create an Inclusive Learning Environment is by implementing the UDL framework. Here are some of the key ways UDL tries to create an inclusive environment:
- Eliminating Barriers: UDL brainstorms and tries to eradicate all the possible barriers that can exist in the learning environment.
- Diverse Approaches to Action and Expression: UDL enables students to showcase their learning through various types of methods (ie., writing or public-speaking) so students can engage with material that resonate with their strengths/preferences.
- Open to Diversity:UDL strives to promote a diverse environment. A more culturally inclusive space makes the learning experience more valuable as it expands student’s perspectives, preparing them to succeed in a globally.
While these are just a few ways UDL tries to create an inclusive environment, the overall goal is to empower all learners by providing multiple ways of engaging with the learning.
UDL in Physical and Digital classrooms
UDL can be implemented in both physical and digital classrooms to support diverse learners. For physical classrooms, instructors can incorporate a mixture of different instructional material. For example, instead of the traditional textbook learning, they could use more hands-on activities that encourages communication among their peers. Additionally, they could also use multimedia resources such as podcasts, videos, or games (with a focus on learning) to make learning more accessible to all. Instructors for digital classrooms can also use many of the aforementioned examples as well. Online environments can also facilitate more online collaboration through discussion forums or video conferencing. By introducing more collaborative tasks in digital environments, it makes it more exciting for students who prefer a more engaging learning experience than simply staring at a computer screen alone.
Accessibility in Online Settings
There are many factors needed that make online learning more accessible for all students. Firstly, the course page should be strategically planned out so that the students do not face challenges accessing their resources. In particular, the course page should use clear headings and a sophisticated navigation system allowing their students to easily maneuver between pages. Additionally, for an online setting, where the course will most likely have online lectures, having transcriptions and/or captions for video content is essential. Students who have hearing issues will face immense challenges with online courses that do not include transcriptions. Thus such accessibility support allows students of all abilities to interact with the material fully.
Accessibility has a significant role in my learning and teaching. Throughout my three years in University, I have experienced many instructors who had different approaches to accessibility. Some made a strong effort to make the material available easily accessible to all. This often meant that they studied the course page substantially, making it so they can configure it so it is accessible and easy to use for all. Others, unfortunately, overlooked the concept of accessibility, which often made the learning experience very challenging. They made it extremely difficult to locate the required documents, or did not outline the course structure clearly, leaving many students confused about the expectations. These experiences made me value the importance of accessibility even more. I will take these prior experiences of poor accessibility into considering for any of my future teaching by prioritizing clear organization in my teaching material.
Ethical Challenges of Educational Technology
Listed below are three of the main ethical issues that relate to Educational technology (EdTech):
- Privacy Issues: Many educational softwares collect private information about students personal information. Often times, such platforms don’t make clear about what they do with this data, how it is stored, or if it is shared to other people. Thus, it raises a lot of ethical concerns with privacy.
- Equity Problems: Not all students will have the same opportunities to indulge in technologically driven education. Some people don’t have the financial availability or may not have access to proper technical connectivity. This can lead to inequalities in learning experience, where such students may struggle to keep up with their peers who have better resources.
- Surveillance: Educational softwares can track how long the student is on the particular platform or even track their mouse movement/clicks. Such features can affect a students engagement in the course material because of the feeling of being continuously monitored.
It is crucial instructors balance the benefits of technology with the concerns listed above. I believe that instructors should ensure students are aware about the software products they are using and some of the technical details such as how the data is being stored and used. By maintaining transparency, it will help build trust, making students feel more comfortable about using the product.
Ethical Considerations in Digital Interactions
Ethical considerations in the digital world focuses on behaviour and communication. There are a myriad of ethical considerations that arise in digital interactions, whether in learning environments or social settings. One of the main points that arises is academic integrity. In online learning environments, cheating and the usage of unapproved resources (i.e., AI) to complete tasks stands out as a big challenge for educators. In one particular study, it is found that 60^ of students confessed cheating during an online exam, while 30% admitted to cheating at least once (Malik et al., 2023). Teachers must establish clear guidelines about coursework expectations, what resources are allowed, and how academic misconduct will be handled. Another ethical consideration is improper behaviour in online settings. Individuals must respect each others in digital networks. Instructors should clarify that toxic behaviour such as cyberbullying will not be tolerated and will be dealt with seriously.
As a participant in an online learning community, it is crucial that people report harmful behaviour to their instructors. If someone is witnessing someone else get bullied in an online-setting, it is crucial they report such incidents quickly. Silence often makes such incidents be seen as acceptable, allowing such behaviour to increase rapidly. Thus, it is important people learn to stand against negatives in an online learning setting – or any setting to be exact – to prevent worsening conditions. Moreover, as an online-participant, it is also important to be a good contributor. Each person should engage in group discussions, share knowledge, and support each other. By encouraging each other and celebrating on each others success can help create a positive, respectful, and inclusive learning experience.
UDL and Accessibility Principles
EDCI 339 is a course which does an excellent job showcasing the principles of UDL and accessibility. The professor does an outstanding job of providing ways to motivate/engage students. He uses a diverse set of resources (i.e., lecture videos, articles, podcasts, etc) to make it effortless to learn and understand the main learning outcomes. Moreover, he also provides excellent feedback on each task, making it easy to understand what one has done well and what they must focus on for improvement. Furthermore, the accessibility of the course content is also well structured. All assignments are clearly explained through videos, he provides a user-friendly course webpage, and is always willing to provide help and support. Clearly, the professor has gone above and beyond to address each and every aspect of the course, making it so it’s not only well-structured and engaging but also accessible for everyone!
References
Malik, A. A., Hassan, M., Rizwan, M., Mushtaque, I., Lak, T. A., & Hussain, M. (2023, March 2). Impact of academic cheating and perceived online learning effectiveness on academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic among Pakistani students. Frontiers in psychology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10019462/