http UDL concord org UDL Science Robert Tinker

http: //UDL. concord. org/

UDL Science Robert Tinker bob@concord. org Principal Investigator

The Concord Consortium is proud to announce the Post-Textbook UDL Materials project. These materials are based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. ESI-0628242. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Advisory Board Meeting Goals of the Meeting Review Project Plans Advise the Project Report to the NSF Where we are We are just beginning a three year effort. Warning: Vaporware. We want your ideas for the best designs.

Universal Design “Applying universal design to learning materials and activities can increase access for learners with wide disparities in their abilities to see, hear, speak, move, read, write, understand English, attend, organize, focus, engage, and remember. ” -- Rose & Meyer, 2000

UDL: Instructional Materials To ensure equal access for all students, use flexible materials to increase opportunities for individualization • Individualized display • Individualized selection • Individualized sequences © CAST

UDL: Teaching Methods To provide effective instruction for all students, use classroom strategies to increase opportunities for individualization • Use flexible grouping • Encourage peer support • Practice collaborative teaching • Use customizable instructional media and materials © CAST

UDL: Assessment Methods To accurately measure progress for all students, use assessments to optimally inform individualized instruction • Assess early and often to monitor progress • Provide timely feedback • Provide feedback on instructional options © CAST

UDL Science: Why? There are no classroom-ready STEM curriculum materials that use Universal Design for Learning. There is a particular urgency to develop UDL materials now, because the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included provisions for a process that will result in a voluntary National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). Exemplars are needed that demonstrate what is possible when UDL materials are designed from the start for electronic delivery.

UDL Science: Goals The goal of this project is to create practical science materials designed with UDL principles for students and teachers in inclusive classrooms. The project will create sufficient materials to test the effectiveness of the approach and provide an exemplar that can inspire additional content and further development.

UDL Science: Modules The project will develop seven modules that each require two to three weeks of class time. Each will include a discovery question that leads to investigations with probes and atomic-scale models. Energy conservation and conversion will be highlighted in each module, providing a unifying theme.

UDL Science The science modules will provide a range of alternatives for the way tools are used in the classroom. • • • Alternative Representations Alternative Communications Alternative Instructional Strategies Alternative Assessments Additional Alternatives

UDL Science The materials will be constructed from three kinds of objects: text boxes, graphs, and models with a range of display options: • Type of display • Size • Colors • Line width • English and Spanish • Vocalization

UDL Science: Models and Sensors Each module will include activities that use: • Models Computer models can simulate situations that are hard to see (molecular motion) or hard to understand (complex systems). They allow students to study and manipulate phenomena that are otherwise inaccessible. Students can also modify the models and experiment with different rules and starting conditions. They learn programming and technology skills and science content at the same time. • Sensors Using sensors attached to real-time graphs, students can do real experiments and take vivid and compelling measurements. This encourages active engagement in science and exploration of the natural world. Students also learn the technology underlying the sensors and how they collect and display information.

Alternative Communications The text can be selected and read in meaningful parts (e. g. , words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs) and it can explain text using a glossary. Smart Graph and Smart Model will be able to describe important features, e. g. , a graph’s maximum, minimum, and slope; atoms that are part of a solid, liquid, or gas.

UDL Science: Modules Why are there clouds? This earth systems activity focuses on weather, air pressure and temperature, latent heat, and evaporation. What do plants eat? This is a life science activity that introduces light and photosynthesis. Is it getting hotter? This is an ecology activity on climate and climate change. Why does water boil? This physical science activity addresses states of matter and phase change. What's electricity? What if there was no friction? How do we hear sound? Discover why it takes two wires to light a bulb. This is a physical science activity focused on force, motion, and energy at astronomical and atomic scales. Climb aboard a sound wave and experience different vibrations.

Alternative Instructional Strategies Scaffolding Level 1: One or more examples of good responses are provided. Level 2: The student selects the best of several suggested responses. Level 3: Parts of a response are provided, but the student is asked to fill in missing content. Level 4: Clues are given for data or information that students should use. Level 5: Only context-independent scaffolding is provided.

Alternative Assessments Explicit and embedded assessments • • Tracking Performance assessment Electronic portfolios Automatically graded quizzes

Alternative Representations Carolyn Staudt carolyn@concord. org Project Manager

UDL Science: Sites Four sites were chosen across the United States: Acton, MA, Anchorage, AK, Maryville, MO, and Fresno, CA

UDL Science: Anchorage, AK Anchorage School District enrolls over 50, 000 students with 46% ethnic non-Whites. Over 33% of ASD students now live in poverty, and this proportion is increasing.

UDL Science: Anchorage, AK “The project will be a creative way to help us meet the academic needs of our diverse K-12 population. ” Texas Gail Raymond, K-12 Science Coordinator, Anchorage School District

UDL Science: Acton, MA Douglas Elementary School, in Acton, MA, has a K-6 program with a 25% non-White population. The school has a 13 station computer lab staffed by computer specialists. “Our 21 classroom teachers and 495 students are dedicated to realizing mastery of the state standards and the use of technology to facilitate our understandings. Of course this is a challenge given the wide range of students with whom we work. A project based on Universal Design principles will target the needs that we face to teach ALL students the science concepts that we know they can learn. ” -- Dr. Christopher Whitbeck, Principal

UDL Science: Maryville, MO Horace Mann Laboratory School is located on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. Maryville serves a rural, farming region experiencing a high rate of poverty. Currently, they provide free and/or reduced federal lunch program to 15% of the student population and the diversity rate averages between 12% and 15%. “The teachers and administrators at Horace Mann Laboratory School are committed to implementing the tenets of the UDL into our school’s curriculum using theme of ‘energy’ across the third through sixth grades. We are excited to be able to provide all of our students with this sound, technology enhanced, student centered science instruction. ” – Rebecca Belcher, Ph. D. , Director, Horace Mann

UDL Science: Fresno, CA Fresno Unified School District has a very diverse student population of 78, 000 students. More than 80% qualify for free or reduced meals.

UDL Science: Fresno, CA “UDL is exciting because it represents a convergence of thinking about the best uses of technology. It is inspired by the needs of special students, but it can improve the learning of all students. By helping students who are marginalized in traditional classrooms, we will develop educational methods and materials that are flexible and powerful enough to help all students, regardless of their ability. ” – Jerry D. Valadez, Ed. D. , K-12 Science Coordinator, Fresno Unified School District

UDL timeline

UDL website http: //udl. concord. org/

Research Plan Andy Zucker (azucker@concord. org)

Research Questions 1. Descriptive Questions – E. g. , how many teachers and students used this or that accommodation? 2. Opinion Questions – E. g. , which features did teachers most value? Why? 3. Student Learning Questions – Possible question: Did students who used accommodations learn more than those who did not?

Questions About the Research • Will we be able to “embed” enough pre- and post-test items? • Will students have 1: 1 access to computers? • Will we have a control group? If so, how can that be arranged?

Login and Registration Paul Burney (pburney@concord. org)

Teacher Interface Before using the software in the classroom, the teacher will prepare it for his or her classes using our tools.

Class Setup The teacher will be able to set many of the UDL parameters on a class-wide basis.

Class Setup (by Student) The teacher could then customize those class settings on a per student basis.

Class Setup (by Student) Clicking on an option that isn’t a checkbox will open an editor for that option.

Class Setup (by Student) Clicking on an option that isn’t a checkbox will open an editor for that option.

Class Setup (by Student) Clicking on an option that isn’t a checkbox will open an editor for that option.

Class Setup (by Student) Clicking on an option that isn’t a checkbox will open an editor for that option.

Teacher Reporting After the teacher’s students have used the software, he or she will be able to see reports based on the work that they’ve done and the progress they’ve made.

Teacher Reporting The teacher will start with an overview — icons indicate different levels of progress.

Teacher Reporting Clicking an icon will offer details about a student’s activity progress.

Teacher Reporting Teachers can adjust scaffolding upon noting patterns of concern.

UDL Components Brad Heilman (bheilman@concord. org) Ed Hazzard (ehazzard@concord. org)

The 7 UDL Lessons 1. Why are there clouds? Take a trip through the water cycle. 2. What do plants eat? Travel around inside a tree. 3. Is it getting hotter? Hitch a ride on an incoming light beam. Crash into the atmosphere. (various options at that point – hit cloud, hit earth or snow, "bounce" off as IR, etc. ) 4. Why does water boil? Go diving in a teakettle, equipped with a thermometer. 5. What's a flame? 1. What if there were no friction? Visit a world with no friction. 2. 7. What does soap do? Take a trip in a mini-submarine along the surfaces of water and oil. Bring along a soap dispenser.

Lesson Format Lessons are in the form of an Adventure Story “side bars” provide many different kinds of extensions that are related to the story. • “Side bars” can use sensors, drawings, writing, models, flash movies to appeal to a wide variety of students. • “Side bars” can be grade specific. (Ex. Molecular Workbench for higher grades)

Storyline and Sidebar Print Example Cole, Joanne and Deegen, Bruce. The Magic Schoolbus. Scholastic. USA, 1995.

Storyline and Sidebar Print Example Main Storyline “Sidebars” Cole, Joanne and Deegen, Bruce. The Magic Schoolbus. Scholastic. USA, 1995.

Storyline and Sidebar Print Example Storyline is simple. Some form of adventure that the student is invited to go on. It is linear. Side bars are related to the storyline, but not necessary for understanding it. Cole, Joanne and Deegen, Bruce. The Magic Schoolbus. Scholastic. USA, 1995.

Example Lesson Why Are There Clouds? Main Storyline: Take a ride through the water cycle (Home – Adventure – Home) • • Sidebars Identifying Clouds (from photos) Cloud journaling (from outdoor observations) Phase change experiment (temperature sensor) Phase change model (Molecular Workbench)

Online Activity Format Can you help me name the clouds in my photo album? “Sidebar” Save my answer Main Storyline Navigation Bar Name this kind of cloud

User Interface Navigation Student navigation bar at the bottom of the screen Sound Preferences Back Next Progress Chart

Navigation – where am I? “Sidebars” End Start You are here Main Story Line

Online Activity Format Can you help me name the clouds in my photo album? “Sidebar” Save my answer Clicking on Sidebar Activity Main Storyline Name this kind of cloud

Side Bar Example – Experiment Build a Cloud Tracker! • Place and attach the convex mirror in the center of a piece of poster board. Most mirrors of this type have adhesive on the back so they just stick on. If there is no adhesive on the back of the mirror, use masking tape to attach the mirror to the center of the poster board. 1. Mark the points on the poster board as shown below with a permanent marker. Save my answer 3. Locate a piece of flat level ground outside that is not blocked by a tree or building. Once you have found your location either use a compass or ask your teacher which way is north. Place your convex mirror on the ground with N facing north.

Side Bar Example – Model Look at a cloud close-up! Zoom in on the cloud to the right. What do you see? The small particles you see are molecules of air and water. In real life, they are not still, but move. Run the model to see the molecules in motion. Save my answer

Side Bar Example – Sensor How much water evaporates off the ocean? Make a mark on a container about 1 cm from the top of the container, which will serve as a water level mark when you fill the container. Fill the container with cold tap water up to the mark on the container and arrange a relative humidity sensor as shown below. Refer to Technical Hints to connect the relative humidity sensor. Save my answer

Online Activity Format Can you help me name the clouds in my photo album? “Sidebar” Save my answer Main Storyline Scaffolded Help Name this kind of cloud

Scaffolded Help Name this kind of cloud Student clicks for scaffolded help. Scaffolding Level 1: One or more examples of good responses are provided. Level 2: The student selects the best of several suggested responses. Save my answer Level 3: Parts of a response are provided, but the student is asked to fill in missing content. Level 4: Clues are given for data or information that students should use. Level 5: Only context-independent scaffolding is provided.

Example: Scaffolded Help Draw a diagram to show water from the sea can fall as rain on land. Level 5: Student sees a blank drawing tool and the following help: Make sure your drawing clearly answers the question and add labels if needed. Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help Draw a diagram to show water from the sea can fall as rain on land. Level 4: Student sees a blank drawing tool and the following help: Don’t forget to include the sun and a cloud as well as rain and the sea. Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help Draw a diagram to show water from the sea can fall as rain on land. Palette contains necessary images. Level 3: Student sees a blank drawing tool with stamps: Use the palette to help create your answer. Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help Draw a diagram to show water from the sea can fall as rain on land. Palette contains necessary images. Level 2: Student sees a blank drawing tool with stamps: Use the palette to help create your answer. Some suggestions are: Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help Draw a diagram to show water from the sea can fall as rain on land. Level 1: Student sees a drawing tool with background image of the water cycle, explaining the answer to the question. Label the image. A few examples are shown below. Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help A car with its doors closed and windows up sits in the sun on a warm, sunny day. Is it warmer inside or outside the car? Level 5: Student sees an open text box and the following help: Think about all the information contained in the question as your formulate an answer. Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help A car with its doors closed and windows up sits in the sun on a warm, sunny day. Is it warmer inside or outside the car? Level 4: Student sees an open text box and the following help: Try the following short experiment. Using a Temperature Sensor, measure the temperature inside a closed baggie that is in direct lamplight. What happens to the temperature in the bag? Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help A car with its doors closed and windows up sits in the sun on a warm, sunny day. Is it warmer inside or outside the car? Level 3: Student sees an open text box and the following help: This is a graph of the temperature inside the car. Use it to help you answer the question. Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help A car with its doors closed and windows up sits in the sun on a warm, sunny day. Is it warmer inside or outside the car? Why? Level 2: Student sees an open text box and the following help: Some possible answers include. There is more sunlight coming into the car than leaving, so the car heats up. The car is warmer than the outside air. Light comes in The “greenhouse through the windows effect” causes Save my answer easily. When the light radiation to be trapped tries to leave, it by the car’s glass. bounces around. This raises the inside warms the inside of temperature. the car.

Example: Scaffolded Help A car with its doors closed and windows up sits in the sun on a warm, sunny day. Is it warmer inside or outside the car? Why? Level 1: Student sees an open text box and the following help: Both the graph and the text can help you answer the question. It is warmer inside the car. Sunlight gets trapped in the car as a result of the “greenhouse effect. ” Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help Could you walk on a floor without friction? Why? Level 5: Student sees an open text box and the following help: Think about all the information contained in the question as your formulate an answer. Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help Could you walk on a floor without friction? Why? Level 4: Student sees an open text box and the following help: Think about walking on ice. Ice has friction, although the amount of friction is less that many other surfaces. Save my answer

Example: Scaffolded Help Could you walk on a floor without friction? Why? Level 3: Student sees an open text box and the following help: As you try to step forward, you push your foot backward. Save my answer Friction holds your shoe to the ground.

Example: Scaffolded Help Could you walk on a floor without friction? Why? Level 2: Student sees an open text box and the following help: You could not walk without the friction between your shoes and the ground. As you try to step forward, you push your foot backward. Friction holds your shoe to the ground, allowing you to walk. Save my answer When you push on your foot to take a step, there would be nothing to stop it! It would keep sliding until you fell over. You would not be able to walk.

Example: Scaffolded Help Could you walk on a floor without friction? Why? Level 1: Student sees an open text box and the following help: You could not walk without the friction between your shoes and the ground. It would be difficult even to stand. As soon as you tried to push off to walk, your foot would keep going and you would quickly lose your balance, and fall. Much like being on ice, Save my answer but even more so.

UDL Tools – Smart Graph Features • Rescale axis with explanations • Translate graph (with hand) • Label a data point • General text comment (can be put anywhere) • Name the graph • Describe the graph (an accompanying textbox, rather than text on the graph) - again, forces one to describe the context of the measurement. • Draw a dataset (prediction, but also after the fact) • Zoom in to a selected area • Read a dataset value - crosshair line to X and Y axes (reinforces meaning of Cartesian plane) • Highlight a portion of the graph, and label it. (the line changes color, bolder, etc. . ) • Analysis (keep this limited, for primary grades): maximum and minimum, slope (of a highlighted segment for instance), time between two measurements, difference of two measurements, average y-value of a segment. • Save, go back to it and continue to analyze and add comments.

UDL Tools – Smart Model Features (Molecular Workbench) • • • Semantic intelligence about molecular dynamics models Ability to communicate in terms of important features of the display. For example: Number and kind of atoms and molecules Location of selected atoms Temperature Pressure Volume Average potential and kinetic energy States present – liquids, solids and gases When bonds are made or broken Whether the distributions are random.

UDL Tools – Flash Macroscopic to Microscopic Example: Zoom Tool

UDL Tools – Others Input Options - Text boxes - Buttons - Sliders - Check boxes and radio buttons - Drawing Tool Live Polling Sensors - real-time data collection with a variety of sensors

Technology Scott Cytacki (scytacki@concord. org) Stephen Bannasch (sbannasch@concord. org)

Technology UDL Technology is based on: OTrunk: a Java software framework developed at CC that supports assembly and scripting of Java components using a declarative xml-based language. SAIL: a Java software framework developed at Berkeley and CC that supports network-persistence of pedagogic data about learners.

Brainstorming Bob Tinker (bob@concord. org)