Obstacles to Implementation of UDL in Post Secondary Environments
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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990 dictate that qualified students with disabilities are entitled to equal access
to postsecondary education. Postsecondary students who disclose disabilities
are granted individual accommodations based on individual documented needs
to ensure this access. In the 1970s and 1980s, students with disabilities constituted
a small portion of the college population. Today growing numbers of college
students have apparent and / or hidden disabilities; and, providing
individual accommodations catered to students’ unique and diverse learning needs
is no longer practical or effectively feasible. New approaches are required
“to provide accessible and effective instruction for this diverse cohort of college
learners." Colleges and universities place too much emphasis on the disability
of the student and not enough on the disability of today’s post secondary
learning environments. “Students come to us now with a wider range of abilities and
disabilities, and as educators, we must develop sound pedagogy and curriculum
that is universally designed and not retrofitted after the fact.”
This can be accomplished and is being successfully accomplished by applying
Universal Design Principles to college instruction.
The guiding principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are:
Multiple Means of Representation: provide a variety of ways for learners to
perceive and comprehend information being presented to them.
Multiple Means of Expression: provide a variety of options for learners to
work in a learning environment and express what they know.
Multiple Means of Engagement: employ a
variety of methods to engage and
motivate learners.
Postsecondary instructors, especially at research colleges and universities
generally rely heavily on lectures and printed text to represent information
to students. Students are typically given one format to express what they
have learned: written assignments and exams. And, often little effort goes into
engaging college students in learning content material outside of graded
feedback at the completion of the course. This format does not provide equal
access to education for diverse learners; it favors the subset of students who
learn best within a lecture/text/written assessment model. Through multiple
options for representation, expression and engagement, Universal Design for Learning
presents means to provide access for all students, with and without disabilities.
Inclusion of UDL in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 evidences its
rising importance in the education field. However the majority of post secondary
faculty is not integrating UDL principles into their teaching strategies. Why is this?
What are challenges that face postsecondary schools in implementing the
principles of Universal Design for Learning?
At research-intensive colleges and universities, there is much pressure on
non-tenured faculty to devote considerable time to research, publication, and grant
procurement in efforts to secure tenure and promotion. Although some may be
interested in improving teaching competencies, most place greater
investment of time and resources into their research agendas. While there is clear
reward to instructors for investing time in research, there is no apparent reward to
instructors for time invested in developing effective teaching strategies.
Pedagogy is not a priority.
Unlike K-12 institutions, most postsecondary institutions face no requirements for
teacher training in effective instruction strategies, let alone strategies to use in
working with students with disabilities. Faculty members are well educated
in content, not pedagogy. Most elementary and secondary teachers must be licensed
and participate in continual professional development in order to retain licensure.
Postsecondary faculty are required to have expertise in their respective fields of study,
not in teaching. As a result, many faculty are unaware of teaching strategies to enhance
learning for students with disabilities; and few are even marginally familiar with the
principles of Universal Design for Learning. Many faculty choose to implement
UDL principles into their teaching, but there is little institutional policy to support UDL
implementation. College and university policies, mission statements, and course
designs lack clear terminology for UDL and inclusion of UDL. The result is that many
faculty do not recognize an explicit institutional goal of supporting a population
of diverse learners. Without a clearly communicated commitment to diversity and
inclusive approaches, widespread UDL implementation is unlikely.
The term “universal” in universal design reflects an intent or goal to recognize and
accommodate the unique nature of each individual learner. It does not imply a
“one size fits all” solution, but many at the university level interpret it as such.
And many faculty interpret “universal” as a “generic approach to instruction that will
lower standards”. UDL is also often confused with other terminology such as
Response to Intervention, inclusion and Positive Behavioral Supports; this confusion
leaves faculty less interested in learning more about the potential of adopting a
UDL framework. There has been little widely
disseminated, systematic research on the
effectiveness of UDL in postsecondary
teaching and learning. In deciding whether
to invest resources in implementing a UDL
framework, administrators will require data
and findings on outcomes for college
students as a result of UDL implementation
and on the affect implementation has
on the need for accommodations for those
with disabilities.
What are some solutions
to these challenges?
Support and reward effective instruction, especially for untenured junior faculty,
through grants, subscriptions to professional journals, money to purchase software
and recognition awards. Continued development of legislation and initiatives
such the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 and the 2010 National Education
Technology Plan that define UDL and integrate it into post secondary program
planning. Create a consortium or national network to set standards and supply
knowledge for postsecondary implementation of UDL principles.
Offer simple, easily accessible information for faculty on validated UDL practices
that exist to enhance learning for all students; University of Connecticut offers a
great resource at: www.facultyware.uconn.edu.
The passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act has helped with this with its
definition of UDL and provisions for implementation. Develop a national
communication plan including DOE broadcasts on UDL, UDL leadership
academies, a UDL Community of Practice. Promote systematic research to measure
outcomes of implementing UDL in postsecondary environments using student
perceptions and student learning outcomes such as grades and retention rates.
Raise public awareness on the benefits of
UDL to today’s population of diverse
learners through public awareness media
campaigns and through successful
implementation of UDL in elementary and
secondary education. When it comes down
to it, postsecondary students are consumers
to whom colleges must market
their product: instruction.
Educated consumers will demand
quality products and seek them out.