Ideas in Practice: Professional Development to Promote Universal Design for Instruction

Given changing enrollment patterns in higher education that include more diverse learners, efforts to design instruction to be more inclusive are well documented. Developmental education programs comprise a dynamic environment for applying inclusive teaching strategies that promote learning. A grant...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of developmental education 2015-01, Vol.38 (2), p.24-31
Main Authors: Rodesiler, Carrie A., McGuire, Joan M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic failure
College Instruction
College students
Community colleges
Design
Disability
Distance learning
Education
Educational Strategies
Feedback
Higher education
Hispanic students
Minority students
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Professional development
Public access
School Holding Power
Secondary school students
Student retention
Students with disabilities
Teachers
Teaching
Teaching methods
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Summary:Given changing enrollment patterns in higher education that include more diverse learners, efforts to design instruction to be more inclusive are well documented. Developmental education programs comprise a dynamic environment for applying inclusive teaching strategies that promote learning. A grant-funded initiative for professional development that used the framework of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) included activities in developmental reading, writing, and math courses. Participants, most of whom were part-time instructors, engaged in an intensive administrator-led, 2-day workshop followed by participant-led activities that extended over multiple semesters. Elements of the training are described; examples of strategies used by these instructors based on UDI principles are included; and insights into the value of designing teaching to incorporate UDI principles are shared. Participant feedback affirmed the benefits of professional development time with colleagues to share teaching ideas and to reflect on elements in the instructional cycle that lend themselves to deliberate planning. Recommendations for future initiatives to foster inclusive teaching practices are offered.
ISSN:0894-3907