There has been focus and discussion here at Conn regarding “full participation” in all aspects of the College, including in the classroom. The working definition of full participation we are using is from Susan Sturm:
Full participation is an affirmative value focused on creating institutions that enable people, whatever their identity, background, or institutional position, to thrive, realize their capabilities, engage meaningfully in institutional life, and contribute to the flourishing of others. http://wordpress.conncoll.edu/connections/full-participation/
Interestingly, this is very similar language used by educators who focus their work on teaching students with learning disabilities.
In fact, students today come to college very familiar with this notion of full participation because this concept has been applied in K-12 classrooms since before they were born. Today’s K-12 teachers are expected to reach and teach all of their students, with most special education occurring in the classroom as well. The range is huge – students with intellectual impairments, students with learning disabilities, students who are underprepared, English Language Learners, typical learners, gifted learners, etc. The way that K-12 teachers do this is through what is called “differentiation.” This essentially entails determining where a student is academically and then how to support each and every student – bringing those who need remediation up to speed and challenging and pushing those who are advanced beyond grade level, and everything in between.
Differentiated instruction requires a teacher to vary his or her approach to each student by customizing content, teaching techniques, learning strategies, and assessment tools. In order to do this, instructors need to identify the learning outcomes they want students to achieve, must understand how each student learns best, and then design differentiated instructional approaches and assessments. If they’ve tried something that doesn’t work, they go through the process again to adjust and adapt the learning experience for the student. Sounds like a lot of work? It is (not to mention adding classroom management and developing social skills into the mix) . . . thank your K-12 teachers!
We can use some of these same approaches that have been applied during students’ K-12 years to teaching students in college. A significant step in this direction that has gotten attention at Conn is in applying principles of universal design for learning (also referred to as universal design for instruction). Universal design for learning is a framework based on the philosophy of inclusion – making learning accessible to all students, addressing diverse needs, interests, and abilities. Universal design for learning provides for different methods for students to take in information and to demonstrate what they know. The approach increases student motivation, which contributes significantly to improved learning.
Universal design originated in architectural design, making physical space accessible to all, both those with and without disabilities. In the same vein, universal design applied to learning is meant to benefit all students, with and without disabilities. In addition to this benefit for all, a particular benefit for students with disabilities is that it can greatly reduce their need to ask for accommodations when access is given to all from the outset.
Next week we will focus on some specific examples of applying universal design for instruction and learning in the classroom.
