Developing a UDL Mindset Training Faculty in Universal

Developing a UDL Mindset: Training Faculty in Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education Conference 1 October 31, 2017

Today’s Presentation Presenters from Onondaga Community College: • Christopher Hromalik Professor/Coordinator, Universal Design for Learning Academy • Nancy Carr Director, Office of Accessibility Resources • William N. Myhill Project Director, Onondaga Pathways to Careers

Developing a UDL Mindset: Training Faculty in Universal Design for Learning October 31, 2017 Nancy Carr, Director of the Office of Accessibility Resources Christopher D. Hromalik, Coordinator of the Universal Design for Learning Academy William N. Myhill, Director of Onondaga Pathways to Careers

Goal Postsecondary education institutions can improve retention and graduation rates by implementing an inclusive learning strategy known as Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Every student learns differently, so postsecondary education faculty and staff need to appeal to a variety of ways students think, learn, and problem solve independently and effectively. In order to increase the use of UDL in college courses, the Onondaga Community College (OCC) has implemented a UDL Academy for faculty for the past two summers. In this webinar, OCC staff will share their approach to professional development and ongoing technical assistance to support UDL implementation throughout the college.

Agenda • Overview of OPC and UDL Academy • Recruiting Workshop Participants • UDL Academy - Summer Workshop • Fall Implementation • Fall Programs & Events • Strengths and Challenges • Resources • Questions

Overview of OPC and UDL Academy William N. Myhill, Director of Onondaga Pathways to Careers

Onondaga Pathways to Careers Funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U. S. Department of Labor (2014 -2019)

Onondaga Pathways to Careers Aims to increase the capacity of community colleges and other eligible institutions to provide inclusive, integrated education and career development, and training services to youth and young adults with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities. 1. Increase postsecondary credential attainment, 2. Increase job placement, and 3. Decrease the wage earning differential between students with and without disabilities, and between students with different types of disabilities.

Onondaga Pathways to Careers Fall 2017: 116 OPC students registered. Career Pathways: Electronic Media Communication, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Humanities, Hospitality Management, Mechanical Technology, Computer Forensics, Criminal Justice, Health Information Technology, Electronic Technology

Universal Design for Learning Academy • Multi-day workshop • Overarching Goal: • Train faculty in the application of UDL principles to their courses • Primary focus: faculty of OPC degrees • Secondary focus: other interested faculty and administrators

UDL Academy Timeline Spring and Summer: Recruit Faculty UDL Summer Academy Faculty Design and Develop their Enhanced Courses Events, Trainings & Evaluation Faculty Train Others in their Departments Fall: Faculty Implement Changes

Recruiting Workshop Participants Nancy Carr Director, Office of Accessibility Resources Onondaga Community College

Workshop Participants • Submitted a written application indicating why they were interested in attending. • More applicants than anticipated! • We had to select applicants

Workshop Participants (2) • We based the selection on: • the application • OPC majors • Need for a diverse cross section of departmental representation

Universal Design for Learning Academy – Summer Workshop Christopher D. Hromalik Associate Professor of Spanish Onondaga Community College

Summer Academy • Two years: • Year 1: 3 -day workshop (9 am-4 pm) • Year 2: 4 -day workshop (9 am-3 pm) • Onondaga Community College • Participants • Year 1: 20 faculty participants • Year 2: 14 faculty participants, 7 workforce development faculty and staff • Represented many departments

UDL Workshop - Analysis • Recruited in Spring 2016 • Instructional Goals • Develop a UDL training for faculty • Faculty implement UDL in Fall 2016 courses • Content - Faculty needed: • Overview of applicable disability law • Overview of UDL • Time and scaffolding to retrofit their courses

UDL Workshop - Design • Objectives of the Academy: • Define UDL and explain its principles and guidelines • Select appropriate UDL principles and guidelines and apply them to the redesign of a course • Structure – based on ADDIE • Model UDL through the workshop

ADDIE • 5 elements that are common to most instructional design models: • Analyze • Design • Develop • Implement • Evaluate

Workshop - Development • Worksheets to guide learners • Loosely based on 10 steps of Motivational Design Model (Keller, 2010) • Example worksheets to complete • Homework for participants each night

Workshop – Implementation – Year 1 • First day went according to schedule • Second day was off schedule • Many questions and discussion among faculty • We adjusted as needed during the workshop • Worksheets were not strictly required of faculty

UDL Academy - Year 1 - Lessons Learned • Lessons learned: • Flexibility in the schedule is key • Adhering to the schedule is also important! • Fall projects were very diverse • Some struggled to choose a project

UDL Academy - Year 1 - Lessons Learned (2) • Faculty needed more time to workshop their ideas • On their own • Together • Faculty needs shaped our Fall workshops • Blackboard and UDL • Designing more accessible digital resources • Student panel

UDL Academy - Year 2 • Provided pre-readings to faculty • Extended to four-day workshop • Each day was shortened • Content Changes: • Guest speaker from CAST • 2016 UDL Faculty Panel • Student Panel

UDL Academy – Year 2 (2) • Worksheets were required of all participants • Meetings with all faculty implementing UDL in the fall • Required pretest and posttest • More higher education examples

Fall UDL Implementation

2017 Faculty Projects • Multiple Means of Representation: • Mathematics – illustrating vectors through multiple media (Checkpoint 2. 5) • Reading and Sociology – Creating guided vocabulary worksheets (Checkpoints 2. 1 and 3. 1)

2017 Faculty Projects • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: • English – Making learners aware of tools available to learners in the Office of Accessibility Resources • Sociology – Providing options for assignments (Checkpoints 5. 1 and 5. 2) • English, Reading and Communications – many projects guide learners to break large projects into smaller goals (Checkpoint 6. 2)

2017 Faculty Projects • Multiple Means of Engagement: • Sociology – varying activities (less lecture, more interactive). Revising questions to prompt learners to relate sociology to their own lives (Checkpoint 7. 2) • Spanish (online) and English – students reflect on their learning

Fall Programs & Events William N. Myhill OPC Project Director

UDL Academy Fall 2016 Programs: Webinars • CAST Webinar #1: Action and Expression by Ari Fleisher - Nov. 1 • Webinar #2: Engagement by Kirk Behnke - Nov. 4

UDL Academy Fall 2016 Programs: Trainings • Blackboard and UDL Workshop by Adam Prestopnik - Oct. 4 & Oct. 20 • Accessible Digital Materials Workshop by Chris Hromalik - Oct. 26

UDL Academy Fall 2016 Programs: Trainings • CAST UDL General Session, Philip Voorhees: “Universal Design for Learning: Building Environments that are Usable by Everyone” - Nov. 11 • CAST UDL Half-Day Advanced UDL Training, Philip Voorhees - Nov. 11

UDL Academy Fall 2016 Programs: Guest Speakers Kristin Fleschner: “Blind Ambition for Universal Accessibility” - Nov. 7 Foreign Affairs Officer, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U. S. Department of State

UDL Academy Fall 2016 Programs: Guest Speakers Jason Benetti: “Media and Disability: Fighting First Impressions” - Nov. 16 Television sports play-by -play announcer for the Chicago White Sox and ESPN.

UDL Academy Spring 2017 Programs: Guest Speakers Beth Ferri, Ph. D: “Unpacking Histories of Race and Disability, Undoing Legacies of Exclusion and Marginalization” - Feb. 27 Professor of Inclusive Education and Disability Studies at Syracuse University

UDL Academy Fall 2017 Programs: • Sept. 25 “Making Your Digital Documents More Accessible” (Chris Hromalik) • Sept. 26 Census Access • Sept. 27 “Social Justice 101” Webinar (Jen Dee) • Oct. 4 “From Revolution to Evolution to? ” (Brian Mc. Lane) • Oct. 12 “Service Animals and Their Training” (Clear. Path for Vets) • Oct. 16 “Searching for the Penguin Huddle We All Need” (Oscar Jimenez-Solomon)

UDL Academy Fall 2017 Programs: • Oct. 17 -19 Allies for Inclusion: The Ability Exhibit • Oct. 25 "Disability Justice In the Age of Mass Incarceration" (Talia Lewis) • Nov. 3 "Advanced UDL Training" (Phil Vorhees) • Nov. 15 "Universal Design for Learning: Addressing the Variability of All Learners" (Ari Fleisher) • Dec. 4 “Accessible Online Instruction” (Kim Blanchet & Laura Matechak)

Strengths and Challenges

Strengths / Most Useful Aspects • Led by a fellow faculty member • Faculty inspired during summer • Ready to make positive changes! • Adaptive Technology is a favorite! • Small group work and learning from others • Legal information

Challenges • UDL is a complex framework • Struggle for participants to separate accessibility from UDL • We have yet to find the perfect classroom… • Balancing group work time with instructional content

Resources

CAST Resources • CAST: About UDL (http: //www. cast. org/our-work/aboutudl. html) • UDL Center (http: //www. udlcenter. org/) • UDL On Campus (http: //udloncampus. cast. org)

Other Resources • Web. AIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) (http: //webaim. org/) • Amara (http: //amara. org/en/)

Thank you for your time Questions? Nancy Carr – carrn@sunyocc. edu Christopher D. Hromalik - hromalic@sunyocc. edu William N. Myhill – myhill. w@sunyocc. edu

Other NCWD/Youth Webinars for Postsecondary Institutions • Universal Design for Learning Webinars: • Improving Student Outcomes in Postsecondary Education Through Universal Design for Learning • Accessible Instructional Practices: Reaching All Learners • All topics: http: //www. ncwd-youth. info/webinars#Postsec • Learn about upcoming webinars & resources by subscribing to NCWD/Youth’s monthly e-news: http: //tinyurl. com/ztzl 4 tu