Facilitating a Universal Design for Learning

Faculty Learning CommunityNigel Davies & Leslie Cook

Administrating

FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITY - DESIGN•Topic:• Universal Design for Learning (UDL)• Based around CAST framework

•Design:• Three Phase Commitment:• Phase 1 – Learn and Course (re)Design• Learning about & exploring & researching UDL• Attending Lilly Conference• FLC meetings, forums & projects• Attending course (re)design retreat• Course (re)design with external evaluations

• Phase 2 – Research Design - pedagogical action research (Norton & Owens, 2013)• Designing assessment instruments (rubrics)• Course (re)Design implementation & peer observations (3)• Data collection

• Phase 3 – Research Sharing (SoTL)• Data analysis & summary• Presentations &/or publications

•Member Recruitment:• Application• Sequentially offered to faculty of varying experience• 0-3 years; pre-tenure; all faculty

• Identify course(s)• Departmental Chair approval/recommendation

•Completion:• Stipend payments• Recognition (yet to occur)

•Successes:• Recruited 6 dedicated faculty that really wanted to learn• Completion of the 3 phases (met deadlines)• Support to enable ALL to present SoTL findings

•Challenges:• Recruitment & commitment to FLC• Scheduling meetings • Data collection

Facilitating

FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITY - FUNCTION

•Activities:• Administrative (contracts, commitment/expectations, etc.)• Advocacy for faculty & financial support for activities• Meetings• Meeting stated contractual deadlines• Conference attendance• Maintenance of FLC:• Website• Blogs & forums• Shared files

• Investigating UDL• Course design• Rubric development & consensus• Data collection (video, rubrics, student feedback, student ratings of

instruction)• Cheerleader• Homework activities• Data analysis & summaries• SoTL

•Successes:• All completed teaching & data collection• SIX peer-reviewed presentations accepted, so far• Working on publication submissions• Honest & open discussions

•Challenges:• Limited understanding of UDL implementation best practices• Usefulness of rubrics we developed• Technology limitations• Turn around of observation feedback• Departmental recognition/value

UDLMultiple means of:•Representation

•Action & Expression•Engagement

Participating

FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITY - LEARNING•Role:• Perceived by other FLC members as:• Having greater expertise in UDL• Authority

• Personally perceived as:• Multi-function• Administrator• Facilitator• Participant

•Role(s) Impact:• Slowed initial progress• Gained momentum as we developed as a team• Point person for all ideas

•Successes:• Learned a great about:• FLCs• Group dynamics (across disciplines• Course design• UDL (conceptually & practically)

• Strong bond between group members• Group wants to continue to learn & research• Changed as instructors• Also, what & how we reflect

•Challenges:• Much to learn about UDL• Frustrations with topic/concept (UDL) • Data collection & analysis challenges• Cautious observation ratings & comments

• Maintaining group momentum• Offering direction