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Supporting Learner Diversity with UniversalDesign for Learning for the Intermediate Elementary Classroom(Design Project Proposal)Lisa Falconi, Tania Longinotti, Sandra Magnussen, Trevor Price, Sandra TiceUniversity of British ColumbiaETEC 510, Section 65A, Diane JanesFebruary 14, 2015The biggest mistake of past centuries has been to treat all children as if they were variants of the same individual and thus to feel justified in teaching the same subjects in the same ways. - Howard Gardner (Gardner, Siegel & Shaughnessy, 1994, p. 564)The focus of our design project is to create a learning environment that will support a diversity of learners based upon the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) while exploring the appropriate technology usage to support differentiation in intermediate elementary classrooms. We will develop an interactive “teacher’s toolbox” website – as a functional and practical framework based on UDL principles, that will give teachers the tools they need to provide broadly differentiated access within their own classrooms as well as support professional development.Key FrameworksThe theoretical context for differentiated instruction (DI) and UDL is based on the constructivist approach that grew from the work of psychologists, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, who both viewed learning as an active and interactive process of building knowledge. According to Piaget, learners construct knowledge through accommodations and assimilation, that is, they construct knowledge and a system for understanding the world, through an active engagement with the world (Stone & Reid, 1994). Vygotsky (1980) suggests that learning occurs through interactions with others and that the “internalization of encounters with the world result in higher order thinking” (p. 90-91). The effect of these types of theories on modern pedagogy is to emphasize that teaching “with more purposeful activities, provides opportunities for students to construct their own knowledge while solving puzzles, replaces rote learning with meaningful lessons, substitutes direct instruction with incidental learning, and emphasizes the construction rather than the transmission of knowledge” (Null, 2004, p. 182). It follows that, if the learner constructs knowledge, then different learners require different instruction. Differentiated instruction emphasizes the diversity of learners in modern classrooms (Tomlinson, 2000; Stanford & Reeves, 2009; Schumm & Vaughn, 1991). Tomlinson (2000), for instance, identifies three areas that can be differentiated depending on the needs of individual children: content, process, and product. ?The teacher uses diagnostic assessment to identify the need to adjust approaches depending on student readiness, interest and learning style. ?In the differentiated classroom, the teacher structures instruction to highlight the most important learning outcomes and provides different paths to success depending on individual student needs.The term Universal Design for Learning originated from an architectural movement concerned with ensuring universal access for persons with disabilities, called “Universal Design”. ??Universal access, it was discovered, “benefitted not only those with disabilities, but all users” (Hall, Strangman & Meyer, 2004, p. 6). The founders of UDL then “addressed the disabilities of schools rather than students” and “leveraged the flexibility of digital technology to design learning environments that from the outset offered options for diverse learners” (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2014,?ch. 1, para. 12).Another important theoretical foundation for UDL comes from research based in neuroscience. There are three neural networks that have been identified as crucial for learning: the affective network, related to learner engagement; the recognition network, related to perceiving information and turning into knowledge; and the strategic network that organizes and plans “purposeful action in the environment” (Meyer et al., 2014).-2857530734000Source: (Meyer et al., 2014, ch 3)New brain scan imaging technologies have given us greater understanding of diversity and how learning occurs in the brain (Kendal, 2000). These tools allow us to see the brain as it learns, giving us the understanding and a sound research base indicating the need for flexibility and choice in learning environments.Corresponding with these neural networks are the UDL guidelines for instruction that should “provide multiple means of engagement,” multiple means of “representation,” and multiple means of “action and expression” (CAST, 2011). ?Or as it is succinctly phrased in Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice, “to learn we need to care about what we are learning and want to learn it; we need to take in and build knowledge; and we need to develop skill and fluency in our actions “ (Meyer et al., 2014, ch. 3, para. 23).The relationship between UDL and digital technology is essential for differentiated instruction. While assistive software was crucial to the development of the theory, digital technology in general has made individualization of curricula, consistent with UDL guidelines, more practical. As well, the National Center on Universal Design for Learning points out that the learning of technology is a goal in itself, considering how pervasive it has become. However, the adaptation of curricula according to UDL principles should not be identified as exclusively the domain of digital technology (CAST, 2014).Intentions and PositionsOur intention within this proposal is to create an interactive resource to support teachers of students in the intermediate elementary level. Diversity is the norm in all classrooms and we believe that the educational learning environment best serves the needs of its members when it is designed from the onset to serve the majority of its learners (Tomlinson, 2011; Rose, David, & Meyer, 2002). This resource will support differentiation of instruction in the design-learning environment, regardless of the content area. This is especially important as teachers are facing numerous challenges in creating learning environments to complement the participatory culture of the learners alongside them.Students who struggle with learning disabilities, visual impairments, and processing are well served in an environment structured by the principles of UDL (Katz, 2012; Rose et al., 2002). UDL guidelines offer strategies for teachers on how to differentiate across the curriculum and all students can benefit from using the principles of UDL. In the past, accessibility tools were the exception in the classroom; small numbers of students with dyslexia may have used text reading software such as Kurzweil 3000, but the buy-in and usage were both low. Access to technology tools within teaching environments has made it much easier to offer choices to all learners about how to represent their understanding of concepts regardless of ability or educational level.UDL builds in the support for all students, so those who need it can choose it without the stigma of a disability. “A person who appears learning disabled in a print-bound, text-based environment may look extraordinarily skilled in a graphics or video-based environment” (Rose et al., 2002, p.6). Today’s software improvements include built-in accessibility features such as speech-to-text and text-to-speech at the touch of a button, so that most laptop and tablet operating systems can easily provide improved student access without significant added cost. ?Research supports the concept that when accessibility is increased, specifically relating to typically content-heavy text, all students, not just those for whom assistive technology was originally intended, will benefit (Rose et al., 2002; Hehir, Thomas & Katzman, 2012; Katz, 2012).A fundamental change occurring in education is the understanding of the importance of learning goals. The ultimate educational goal will no longer be about the mastery of content, as content is available everywhere, but the mastery of learning. The emphasis of expert learning will be a vital skill to 21st century students. These students will know their own strengths and weaknesses, know the kinds of media adaptation strategies and technologies to overcome their weaknesses and to extend their strengths, and be the kind of group members that participate and collaborate with peers and colleagues (Rose et al., 2002; Mouza & Lavigne, 2013; Kalantis & Cope, 2010). We must aim to develop students who are critical thinkers that can read, write and speak effectively. To develop these higher order skills, students need to take part in complex meaningful projects that require sustained engagement, collaboration, research, and management of resources (Darling-Hammond, 2008).None of these changes can be achieved without a transformation of the teaching profession. If we are to have a new learner, we need new teachers, and the new teacher will be a designer of learning environments (Kalantis & Cope, 2010). New technology changes everything; it is both a gain and a loss; a blessing and a burden. (Postman, 1992). It is not always clear who may benefit most at the onset of a new technology. Teachers and students are both struggling with the fact that traditional classroom settings are not the ideal learning spaces for today’s students. Our students are now considered to be digital natives, having been born with technology and access to information at their fingertips, while many educators are digital immigrants, finding the technology a steep learning curve. (Baytak, Tarman, & Ayas, 2011). Students have evolved beyond simply being digital natives to being part of what is now termed Generation P, or a participatory learning culture, that is quite used to producing online content as part of everyday life. Kalantzis and Cope (2010) believe teachers today must adapt toward and begin to nurture this new type of participatory learner. Teachers will need the support and professional development to create an environment of inquiry, where the principles of UDL support the use of technology to increase a student’s understanding about themselves as learners and citizens. A lack of infrastructure also may impede this, as technology has appeared in classrooms, but not truly been integrated to increase learning (Puentadura, 2002; Rose et al., 2002).Key Concepts and ContextsBased upon the combined background knowledge, classroom and district level teaching experience of the five educators involved within this project, we have formulated our hypothesis that using appropriate technology to support differentiated learning styles within the elementary classroom, combined with principles of UDL, can benefit all learners and ultimately contribute to increased student success. Additionally, we believe that a static “one-size-fits-all” curriculum can be a barrier to student learning. From this initial starting point, we begin with an examination of the proposed changes to the British Columbia Ministry of Education Curriculum.The BC Ministry of Education (2010) initially embarked on a process intended to help transform education in BC to better meet the needs of all learners. With input from quality educational researchers and from current practicing teachers, the new BC Curriculum proposes to allow educators greater freedom and teaching autonomy to create a learning environment in which students will be able to showcase their learning based on their individual needs and differentiated learning paths. The most recent BC Education Plan (2015), continues to cite the research emphasizing that no two students learn the same way, or at the same pace, and that effective learning is far more than just memorizing information – rather it is about getting students to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. The new curriculum will increasingly emphasize key concepts, deeper knowledge, and more meaningful understanding of subject matter and will also reflect the core competencies and skills that students need to succeed in the 21st century. The Ministry of Education in British Columbia has been active in the promotion of UDL as an environment within which to achieve these competencies. In collaboration with Special Education Technology British Columbia (SET BC) over the past few years, a number of UDL projects have been funded in school districts across BC. The ministry has a core belief that a UDL curriculum is designed from the outset to be accessible to the widest possible range of students. Guided by the new curriculum, we will situate our specific project within the upper elementary school grades 4-7, sometimes referred to as “Middle Years,” comprised of students, ages 10-13 years of age.Because the proposed BC curriculum (BC, 2015) strives to address needs of the full range of students, reaching across socioeconomic, and geographic divides; our project for middle-year students will support teachers in offering more student choice and allowing students to explore areas of passion, as well as providing opportunities to apply foundational skills from the formative early primary years to inquiry- and project-based learning that will link their learning to the wider community. BC’s proposed curriculum is based upon cross-curricular competencies intended to facilitate “whole child development – intellectually, personally, and socially,” through teaching skills within the areas of critical thinking, creative thinking and reflective thinking through increased personal, social and communication competencies, placing emphasis upon addressing “Big Ideas” in subject areas and allowing for broad interpretation by professional educators within the classrooms. Increasing students’ digital literacy is another area touched upon within the BC Curriculum changes, with the hope that students will have multiple opportunities to increase understanding and skill usage of digital media and communication tools as part of learning, social participation, and professional preparation.With UDL as our model for classroom teaching and learning, our project will identify useful teaching tools that endeavour to place each learner at the centre of their own learning. Dumont, Instance & Benavides (2010) and Hall, Meyer and Rose (2012) state that curricula should be defined by how adequately the diversity and variability of learners can be supported and that a successful or rigorous curriculum is one that provides genuine learning opportunities for all. It should be responsive and nimble enough to adjust to the needs and interests of all users, including students, teachers, and members of the wider educational system. A UDL framework helps educators plan for diversity in the classroom.We also propose that educators embrace a model of interdisciplinary integration that can best be achieved via a team-based, collaborative approach, providing students with problem-based learning opportunities and connections between varying disciplines across the curriculum. An interdisciplinary context helps students to think critically while developing the skills needed to evaluate the materials used in their learning (Sandwell, 2003).The New London Group (1996) coined the term “multiliteracies” to address a need for literacy learning across a broad spectrum of skills and knowledge while connecting to available technologies and new communications media. O’Rourke (2001) also addresses the need to engage students through a multiliteracies approach, so that students are able to draw upon knowledge and contexts from many disciplines, as well as on multiple communication modalities. Preparing students for a future where they are able to critically think in many contexts also shapes their direction of technology use and social relationships with each other rather than society being shaped by the technology itself.In a world where students outside the classroom are often media producers as well as consumers (Kafai, 1995), educators work with students and find that out-of-school experiences greatly impact the way that their students learn within the classroom walls. Student interest is highly relevant and valuable as a means to understand the world in a personally meaningful manner (Papert, 1993; Shively, 2014). Dewey argued that interest-driven experiences engage people in deep, purposeful activities exhibiting one's power (Dewey, 1913, 1916, 1938, as cited by Shively, 2014). Education in more recent years drifted away from Dewey’s interest-based approach instead providing a more standardized delivery model. The pendulum today swings back to the premise that educational pedagogy should support the individual learner’s needs. In fact, Glass, Meyer and Rose (2013) advocate for a curricular reform designed from the outset to embrace and enhance the natural variability of learners.Our proposed learning environment and educator toolbox for middle year students will be supported by technology that is useful to a diverse set of learners. Maker, Sonmi and Muammar (as cited by Newton and Newton, 2014) describe a problem-solving, project-based model in the classroom that supports creativity and emphasizes students’ freedom of choice. In this model, students:set their own goals and decide how to meet themhave opportunities to openly discuss possibilitiesexperience the challenge of creating somethinghave opportunities to work alone or with peershelp to define expectations of the outcomeWe will endeavour to provide technological tools that guide creative teaching methods supporting these types of student learning opportunities.Throughout Maker et al’s model outlined by Newton and Newton (2014), teachers support creative thinking processes by using probing questions, encouraging justification and explanation. Our toolbox will help teachers embrace this approach to design a learner-centric environment that fits into the new BC curriculum with a strong focus on UDL principles that support the diversity of students’ needs encountered into today’s upper intermediate elementary classrooms.InterActivitiesAs we are attempting to meet the needs of many different learners, we need to provide a variety of tools for our teachers to use. This includes meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities and those from different cultural backgrounds. It is a challenge for teachers to create diverse classrooms so the architecture we will develop for this project will be a website designed to meet the needs of as many learners as possible. It will be effective for teachers with specific instruction to connect to the curriculum and not just the technology. Using the guidelines of UDL our interactive toolbox will offer multiple ways to display information, scaffolding, and comprehension by providing students, through their teachers, with options.The site will focus on the elementary panel, be interactive and collaborative. One challenge for teachers is the time to plan lessons, especially with technology in which they are unfamiliar. Therefore, this is to be a toolkit providing teachers with the opportunity to get started and encourage them to take risks just as we ask our students to do.Below are the proposed headings for the site:196852413000Since not all teachers know what the concepts of UDL are, we will provide a branch to further explore UDL and explain the principles to the novice teacher. ?Surveys and/or checklists will be provided within this section for teachers to assess their current teaching and determine the needs of their students through a multiple intelligences survey. Effective learning is based on the students’ background knowledge and the experiences they bring with them.501653302000The UDL Tools section of the website will provide teachers with resources to assist in the obstacles of differentiated instruction and learning. One of the principles of UDL is giving students a number of ways to demonstrate their proficiency of learning while the third principle is to provide students with many opportunities for engagement. This means finding the tools that will support new delivery methods of curriculum and making learning more meaningful for students.-19685762000The Lesson Plan section of the site will be developed to provide meaningful assignments under the UDL umbrella such as cooperative learning, gradual release of responsibility, project based learning, and inquiry learning.-19051714500This website is designed for sharing of information; therefore, parts of the site should be fluid. The interactive wiki is where teachers can upload their own examples and/or lesson plans. Here will be a discussion activity perhaps via Padlet, or even built in discussion threads (comment posts) for teachers to share their ideas of how to implement UDL in the classroom.-190503873500Just like students, not all teachers learn the same; therefore the videos will provide some visual examples of teachers using UDL strategies in their classrooms.10795635000Assessment strategies need to be differentiated for each student. This section will provide tools for student expression so they may demonstrate their learning in alternative ways.Overall, this interactive website will meet the needs of various learning styles, provide teachers with tools to make engaging lessons, and opportunities for flexible expression of learning.VerificationsThe purpose of our project is to create an online learning environment that supports diversity of learners in elementary school based on the principles of UDL. The website will provide teachers with online professional development. In order to achieve this, we will incorporate various constructivist practices to allow for a cognitive presence to develop critical thinking skills, a social presence that allows for collaborative learning, and a teaching presence in the design of the website (Anderson, 2008). This will encourage teachers to take advantage of knowledge, growth and discovery, in their own subject area and within the scholarly community of other educators. In order to validate that our goal in educating teachers in assistive technology will be effective we will implement both formative and summative evaluations.Our formative evaluation will assess the value of the information we provide while the program activities are in progress. For this evaluation we will embed a pre-survey on the website to determine teachers’ background knowledge of UDL. The results will eventually help with the analysis and/or modification of learning material and the design’s effectiveness. Our summative evaluation will be the method of assessing the value of our learning environment at the end of the learning activities. The focus will be whether teachers achieved the learning outcomes stated in our proposal. A Google survey link will be sent out to teachers who registered to the online learning environment to give anonymous feedback regarding the website’s ease of use, collaborative learning opportunities, and overall design. Our proposed activities will be designed to give data that is significant in obtaining user feedback and will be carefully executed to ensure the data is accurate and valid.ReferencesAnderson, T. (2008). Towards a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson (Ed.), The theory and practice of online learning. Edmonton, Canada: Athabasca University Press.Assess Project. (n.d.). Universal design for learning. 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