Month: July 2023

The following course Course Outline 2021 was redesigned using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guideline framework (Meyer et al., 2014).

Redesigned Learning Objectives and Assessment Format Incorporating UDL

Any time a student has to present what they have learned, they should present information relevant to the course and that they find interesting. The representation of learning can be in any way they choose, it could be audio, visuals, writing, or another format the student deems suitable and effective. Allowing the students to present what they find to be interesting and relevant, gives a stronger sense of autonomy and additionally increases interest and motivation, thus efforts put forth.

The student should be given adequate time to complete any tasks, while also having guidelines set in place to promote meeting expectations and to allow the student to develop learning strategies. Another benefit of allowing the students to represent their knowledge in any format of their choosing ensures inclusivity for different skill sets and learning methods.

Students may select peer-reviewed resources themselves and/or they may ask the professor for suggestions. Finding effective resources on their own can enhance comprehension and promote student autonomy. Additionally, asking the professor for suggestions enhances learning how to be guided through information.

By the end of the course, students should practice expressing their learning and knowledge using multiple different forms of media and multiple different cited sources. They should have the opportunity to use any technology tools for presenting information they choose and they are allowed to ask for professor recommendations on tools.

The specific goals of the course should be met by all coursework being completed and presented using the tools of their choosing.

Incorporating these changes to the course learning objectives and assessment formats ensures the UDL guidelines are being followed thus optimizing learning.

To summarize,

Giving students the choice of what tools, resources, and formats they are using fosters interest, thus increasing effort and motivation. Ensuring there are still guidelines and expectations in place teaches self-regulation and strategies. These changes all follow the UDL engagement guideline.

Furthermore, giving students the chance to choose various tools and media formats to utilize allows them to practice different ways of presenting their knowledge and how they want to represent it. The opportunity to receive professor recommendations on helpful resources and tools can help enhance comprehension, and this all contributes to the UDL representation guideline.

Finally, allowing freedom of formatting allows the student to vary the tools and methods of response used, as well as allowing using different media for communication. Having deadlines and expectations in place encourages the students to set goals and timelines and this all contributes to the action and expression UDL guideline.

Required Readings

Required course readings should ensure accessibility by providing the reading options along with visuals, optional supplemental information, and audio.

Audio & Visual Recording

Permitted with permission from the professor, this is a helpful option for students with different learning needs.

I chose this activity because revising a course I was already very interested in and found to be quite well-run with a UDL framework approach showed me just how effective these methods could be to benefit a course. Incorporating a UDL approach to the course outline before my taking it would have optimized my interest, motivation, and efforts while also teaching me to set goals and utilize the various tools at my disposal. Although I found the course to be very engaging and educational, I believe utilizing more online tools and being allowed to choose my format for assessments would have expanded my skillset regarding the material and taught me a greater sense of autonomy. I chose this activity to develop what I deem to be effective methods for learning while still meeting course expectations and getting the opportunity to use many tools and resources. This aligned with my learning goals of broadening my views on flexible and personalized learning methods that are still effective and making use of all the tools currently available to students. In changing this course outline I learned that there are generally not many alternate options for students to explore for assessments, readings, and meeting course objectives, however, giving the option for students to personalize their learning could be beneficial for students to gain valuable skills.

References

Meyer, A., Rose, D.H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and Practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.

My Learning Map consists of the two courses I am currently enrolled in, EDCI 339 and EDCI 338. Aside from the general similarities of the two, that they are both completely online and asynchronous, thus I work on them from the same locations, the most surprising connection between the courses was how they utilize all the same online tools, allowing me to use what I learn in the courses reciprocally. Both courses are helping me become proficient in using Brightspace, Mattermost, and WordPress. To note, I am finding that I am generally interacting with these online tools the same amount for both courses, however, interestingly I use different networks to connect with my peers between the two. For EDCI 339 I use Zoom and for EDCI 338 I use Instagram. I have become quite familiar with both as the world becomes more and more adapted to online networking, however, in my experience, Instagram is regarded as more of a personal network and Zoom as more of a professional network, although both can be used either way. The reason for the difference in which platform we use for communication is likely due to student preference and familiarity. Additionally, EDCI 338 is about personalized learning and social media, and with Instagram being a prominent form of social media in today’s society, we may have unconsciously gravitated toward it. The preference for using Zoom for EDCI 339 may also be due to the subject of the course, specifically with it being about remote learning. Many students likely associate remote learning with using Zoom seeing as how that became the main way of communication when the covid-19 pandemic required school to transition to online.

Overall, I found EDCI 338 and EDCI 339 to be very connected with both courses covering different methods of learning, personalized and distributed respectively. Personalized learning focuses more on creating your learning pathway and determining your learning methods, whereas distributed learning focuses on all forms of remote learning. In my opinion, I find the two to be similar because I believe personalized learning can be distributed and vice versa. Due to my courses being so connected, I can apply concepts from one course to the other, enriching my understanding of topics and my educational experience. Using the same resources across courses has provided me with the opportunity and practice to become skillful and adept at navigating different online networks, and thus in the future I am confident I will be able to adapt and learn to use whatever network is required of me.  In doing this exercise I realized the value of course connectedness for learning and teaching, it gives one a wider skillset and builds confidence.

I chose this activity because it was a valuable opportunity for me to reflect upon what is similar between my courses and how my learning experience can benefit from the similarities. I learned the usefulness of acquired learning skills, how to connect them, and how to utilize these connections. Being able to recognize and form connections is extremely beneficial because it enhances learning and knowledge by stimulating more diverse and creative thoughts, and deepens knowledge on a topic. Upon completion of this activity and reflection, I determined Brightspace to be the most useful online network for learning as it has many helpful tools and is engaging. I achieved my learning goal of evaluating what I look for in a platform to optimize my learning. Deeming Brightspace the most useful platform may have been influenced by my familiarity and my experience using it throughout my various university courses. Thus, this activity brought me to the realization of how helpful it is to keep practicing and developing online networking skills to gain the most confidence and benefits out of your use. In completing this activity I learned that oftentimes university courses are more connected than they may initially appear and hence what you learn and the methods you use in one class may help you decide how you want to personalize your learning for maximum effectiveness.

To further clarify my map regarding the legend in the top right corner of the map, frequency describes how often I am engaging with the tools and resources highlighted, connection 1 or 2 ways means whether or not I am the only one participating in the connection or if I am receiving a response, and finally physical/digital/both describes whether the connection is occurring in the physical world, digitally online, or whether it can occur both ways.