Universal Design was first applied to the physical surroundings of buildings in the late 1960’s. I first heard of UD in the late 1970’s as it was applied at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. It was exciting to hear that the school was fully able to accommodate students with disabilities on campus by use of ramps, walks, elevators, railings and other physical attributes of the new buildings that were being built on campus. At this time, UD was simply architectural design in physical structures in response to physical needs of people and driven by special education. With an increased awareness of these needs, the design of bathrooms, walks, door and hallway widths, drinking fountains and elevators were some of the things addressed.
The second phase of UD extends to field of technology and web page design. It was obvious to proponents of UD that people with educational challenges, and with physical challenges, would need some type of accommodations when working with computer applications. The W3 consortium is a group who work on web accessibility Initiatives and have their own website. They state that accessible web design is crucial, especially for those who are blind or have low vision, and benefits everyone in the end. A solution can be as simple as designing simple software, like BigShot, which enlarges the computer screen and is controlled by the student with low vision or using the applications that come with Word.
The third direction of UD is connected to learning. If UD works so well for the physical environment, and for web page design, why can’t it also work well in designing learning for everyone? By using the principles of universal design, it is possible to meet the learning needs of many different students, not only those with learning challenges, but those who are acquiring another language and need extra support, those slow learners who fall between the cracks, so to speak, and it can enhance learning for the gifted student, as well as boosting education for all stages of learners. Educators are becoming more aware of universal design of learning and ways that it can help them meet the challenges of wide diversity in today’s classrooms. The idea CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) puts forth about viewing students on a continuum, rather than labeling or pigeonholing them with terms, is very appealing. It implies – no, really – it demands, that curriculum must be flexible to meet all the various needs of students on the continuum.
UD has become an important framework for researchers, developers and educators. It is becoming known as an important discipline involving learning and its instructional design and technology – both educational and assistive The implication is that there is a need for interactive learning settings. North Carolina State University’s Center for Universal Design (CUD) has taken the lead in UDL by creating a new course for Fall, 2008, called Universal By Design. The university is one of the important research centers in the United States that provides data, technical assistance, and performs and evaluates research on UD in housing, public buildings, outdoor environments and other products in order to improve them.
A good definition of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) is that it is an approach that designs class instruction, materials and content to benefit all learning modalities without other adaptation. It then provides equal access to learning, and allows student to be self-sufficient and in control of ways to access the information he needs. The teacher is still important in the process as he/she keep an eye on the learning process. The teacher is still responsible for the learning process. The statement that “(Universal) Design does not remove academic challenges; it removes barriers to access,” is, simply stated, “just good teaching.” (OSU website)
The three guiding principles of universal design for the learning are 1) to support recognition learning, 2) to support strategic learning, and 3) to support affective learning. Each of these three principles requires provision of multiple, flexible options for presentation, for expression and for engagement. To meet Universal Design principles, educational processes need to be accessible and fair, consistent, supportive, and provide a learning environment that is accommodating to students. In this sense, technology can be a great equalizer. It can open doors and overcome many barriers for a variety of students. Assistive technology (including devices, software, recordings, and much more) can increase, maintain, or improve the capabilities of individuals with challenges. Some common technology that is used by everyone is spell check, which can be particularly helpful to people with learning disabilities. There is also the Big Shot screen magnifier mentioned before. There are many new developments in technology that can accommodate diverse people.
Three sample websites were thoughtfully offered for exploration and evaluation. All three use universal design with student learning in mind. I felt that Windows to the Universe used the most UD strategies on its site.
The first site I explored was Starchild, Imagine the Universe, was great. It is sponsored by NASA. The topic is science software on the web for different age groups of students. Elements of UDL are found in the number of choices students have, the languages it offers, (Italian, German with Spanish and Portuguese under construction). In addition, there are graduated levels to some of the activities. An age-appropriate glossary is provided for each level. This site has acquired many awards (Dr. Matrix award for science excellence) and has been sited for excellence by Schoolzone, received the Safe Site Seal by wiredkids and was featured in Lightspan’s Study Web and on Homeworkspots.com. A teacher resource center is included with lesson objectives and descriptions. A question of the month keeps kids interested and is geared to the appropriate age level for each of the groups. I think students would like this site the best of the three.
The second site was Windows to the Universe. It used hands on activities for Science and Literature and contained special curriculum from NASA. Teacher resources were abundant with lesson plans aligned to standards, material lists for activities, summaries, procedures, and more resources than I had time to examine. Snapshot Exercises and Sensory Detail Word Bank had word banks for all grade levels. Choices included Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels to choose at the beginning of the webpage. You could choose Spanish or English. I think teachers would like this one the best because of all the resources.
The third site was Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government by grade level. It seemed a simple site when I first started looking at it, but there were lots of resources for educators and parents with many links to other subjects. It presented the same material in more than one format for universal design. An example is information presented as a timeline and also as a list. Interactive games and puzzles were interesting, but I felt once they were played a few times, they might become boring for students. The variety was adequate. I believe that the value of this site is in the resources for teachers. ELL students would probably enjoy these sites during the first three or four stages of language acquisition.
Principles of universal design are seen in websites that are designed so that they are accessible to everyone by using text to speech software, are easy to understand no matter what the user’s level of experience, language ability or skills are. The design uses button menus for easy access and low physical effort. It includes captioning (noise control for sensory issues), and appropriate size for reach and manipulation for a wide variety of physical characteristics and abilities. An error guard is built in to prevent unintended actions. Some student abilities that are addressed by UDL include differences in abilities to read, write, speak, hear, move, understand English language, organize, engage, and remember. UDL is achieved by using flexible curriculum and activities and offering alternatives that are built into the design and systems of education tools. (Research Connections, Number 5, Fall 1999, p. 2)
Teachers who employ UDL in their classrooms create an inviting, safe class climate and develop safe procedures for all students. They use hands on activities, cooperative learning groups, plenty of graphic organizers, and allow extra time for everything. Plenty of feedback is given in this dream classroom and students are assessed in group work as well as individual work, with accommodations included where they are needed. As teachers themselves learn new technologies and begin to use UDL in their classroom instruction, they will face many challenges, but the opportunities to help students realize their potential through accessible learning will be extremely gratifying.
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Bibliography
Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government by grade level http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
Big Shot Magnifier http://www.aisquared.com/Products/BigShot/BSFreeTrial.cfm
Center for Applied Special Technology, 1984. Differentiated Instruction and the Implications for UDL http://www.cast.org/
Class Act, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, College of Rochester Institute of Technology http://www.rit.edu/~classact/side/universaldesign.html
Fourteen guidelines for UDL http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/
Graphic Organizer Home Page
http://www.graphic.org/index.html
Imagine the Universe (Starchild) http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/homepage.html
North Carolina State University Center for Universal Design http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/
Ohio State University, Partnership Grant: Improving the Quality of Higher Education for Students with Disabilities http://teir.osu.edu/dpg/index.html
Starchild http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/homepage.html
Universal Design for Learning –learning disabilities http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/technology
Web Accessibility Consortium http://www.w3.org/WAI/
Windows to the Universe: Science site for life science, geology, physics. http://www.windows.ucar.edu/
http://www.wright.edu/lwd/technicalsession2.html
Wright State University still is involved in universal design concepts, Learning with Disability PH.D program
Zoom Text, Magic and Jaws as well http://drbillfoundation.org/Main/SpecializedSoftwareForThoseWithVisionImpairment#toc2
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