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