UDL@RWU
Welcome to Universal Design for Learning at Roger Williams University
One key goal of RWU's strategic plan is Preparing our Learners. We have consistently focused on our students and this goal reflects that commitment. The concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to pedagogy that will allow us to engage all our students and provide them with opportunities to succeed, regardless of background and previous educational experiences. It also connects to our Equity Action Plan’s focus area of Student Access, Success and Equity.
WORKSHOPS /DISCUSSIONS
WHAT IS UDL?
UDL @ RWU: Introduction & Engagement
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Introduction and Engagement
Powerpoint Presentation
Recording
Engagement Checklist
Recruiting Interest:
- To do lists (Lessons)
Sustaining Effort:
- Lessons (Goals and Objectives
- Rubrics
- Forums
Self-Regulation
- Surveys
Additional Links:
UDL @ RWU: Representation
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Representation
Powerpoint Presentation
Recording
Representation Checklist
Perception:
-Accessibility in Bridges
- Panopto & Captions
- ALT+text for Images
-Accessibility checker for Word
-Descriptive Hyperlinks
-Accessibility checker for Bridges
Language and Symbols:
- How to insert images into Bridges(Video) (Text)
- About the RichText editor
- Audio in Bridges
- Rubrics
- Forums
Comprehension
- LinkedIn Learning
UDL @ RWU: Action & Expression
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Action & Expression
Powerpoint Presentation
Recording
Physical Action:
Bridges Accessibility Information
Keyboard functions for RichText editor
Using audio in Forums (record audio clip)
Expression and Communication:
How to create a Panopto Assignment (Instructor)
How to submit a Panopto Assignment (Student)
Executive Functions:
Lessons
UDL IN ACTION
UDL @ RWU: Engage students with Poll Everywhere
Join us for our second inaugural Latte and Learn workshop on using Poll Everywhere in your classes.
Giving students a way to express what they know in various ways, as well as encouraging engagement are precepts which make up one of several frameworks in UDL (Universal Design for Learning).
In this hands-on workshop, you'll have the opportunity to bring your own laptop and start creating activities using Poll Everywhere in your courses. We will also have a RWU instructor go over how she uses it in her classroom. A representative from Poll Everywhere will be available via Zoom to answer any questions you may have and our ID team will be available to assist with account setup and provide guidance to faculty members.
We'll start with an initial walk-through of Poll Everywhere, followed by a hands-on session where you'll receive support and guidance as you incorporate these tools into your own courses.
Plus, we'll provide coffee and cookies to fuel your learning!
No prior experience with Poll Everywhere is required. So, grab a latte and your laptop, and join us for a fun and productive workshop!
UDL@RWU Multimodal Projects: Using Peerceptiv and Panopto in CNST 200
Giving students a way to express what they know in various ways, as well as encouraging engagement though peer review are precepts which make up one of several frameworks in UDL (Universal Design for Learning).
Ann Anderson, Associate Professor of Construction Management has encompassed both in her course with a multi-modal group project that involves video (Panopto) and also peer review (Peerceptiv). Students were to film their projects, upload them to Panopto, then submit the videos as a group to Peerceptiv, and then have the videos peer reviewed.
Join ID, Peerceptiv and Professor Anderson to learn how she was able to integrate both technologies in her class, and perhaps walk away with ideas of your own!
UDL @ RWU: Engaging your students with Rubrics
As we continue with our sessions about UDL@RWU, the subject of student feedback and its importance appear as one of the main precepts of the UDL framework (Engagement).
While there are many facets of formative feedback, Rubrics have increasingly been used to help students know what is expected of them, demystify the grading process as well as set expectations for an assignment thereby increasing engagement.
In this workshop, we will revisit UDL and the precepts of Engagement, review rubrics, and how you might go about incorporating rubrics into a Bridges assignment.
Helpful links:
How to Create Rubrics in Bridges
How to Associate a Rubric with an Assignment
How to Associate a Rubric with a Test (instructor graded question type)
UDL @ RWU: Making your Bridges courses accessible
Ever wondered how to make your Bridges course more accessible to all students? Did you know that doing so helps all students learn?
As we continue to take our deep dive into UDL, providing options for Perception (Representation) and accessibility are at its core. Being able to provide students different ways to ingest content not only gives those who need it access but also provides a benefit for everyone.
In this workshop, we will briefly revisit Representation and then review the different facets of accessibility in a Bridges course (video captions, best practices, documentation formats etc.) While this precept was covered briefly in the summer series on UDL, this workshop will give us the opportunity to dive a little deeper and to engage questions about accessibility and our technology.
Helpful links:
Documents:
Ask your Publisher for accessible versions first!
Publishers are also required to provide accessible content to their customers.
Use MS Word templates.
Create accessible headers throughout your document.
Run the Accessibility Checker in MS Word.
PDF: How to make your scanned document accessible (video) (Umass Dartmouth)
*If you have questions surrounding disabilities and/or accommodations please contact SAS at sas@rwu.edu
UDL@RWU: Social Annotation in action
Increasing student engagement is one of the precepts which make up several frameworks in UDL (Universal Design for Learning).
Join ID, Hypothes.is and Elaine Stiles, Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation to see how she has used social annotation in her classes using Hypothes.is. Having now had several semesters and students using this unique way of engaging students, Professor Stiles has been able to seamlessly integrate the technology into her class. Join us for a very unique workshop into how she has used the tool, how it's use has changed over time, what challenge she was trying to address using this tool and outcomes. Hypothes.is will also be on hand to answer any questions about functionality.
You might walk away with ideas of your own!
UDL@ RWU: Finding and embedding library resources into Bridges
Did you know that presenting accessible, varied documents and media is an important part of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? Have you tried offering your students accessible materials but are having a hard time finding them? Have students complained that they cannot read your scanned articles?
Join ID and the Library to go over how to start finding and integrating accessible materials, as library materials by their very nature are already accessible. You will not only be offering your students materials that fit into the precept of Universal Design for Learning (Representation) but you might also find resources for your students you had not considered.
Goal: To invite faculty into a conversation about finding and using library resources to supplement their teaching and to help them see how they can utilize existing tools in Bridges with them (i.e. Hypothesis).
Learning objectives:
After this workshop, faculty will be able to
-Locate and embed library resources (such as streaming media, journal articles, e-books, etc.) into Bridges courses
-Request and embed Libguide subject and course guides into Bridges courses
-Explain basic copyright concepts that relate to uploading resources to Bridges
-Explain how library resources support UDL concepts
-Utilize Hypothesis annotation on library resources
UDL@RWU: Game-based Learning
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 @ 12:00 PM
As we delve into our UDL framework, the topic of student engagement is one of the precepts of Universal Design for Learning.
Providing different avenues to engage students is key and game-based learning can be one of the modes instructors can captivate student attention.
Lisa Boragine, Associate Professor of Communication at Cape Cod Community College will provide the audience with a deeper understanding of the benefits of using game-based learning in the virtual and face-to-face classroom. Game-based learning embodies interconnectedness. Games create opportunities to co-create narratives in ways that support creativity, critical thinking and problem solving. When students can see and imagine an issue played out, it can reveal new connections. Whereas experiential training games have been used in many fields for decades (e.g., medicine, business, outdoor adventures, and military operations), educational gaming is relatively new to the higher education landscape. Games present a unique opportunity to teach about complex systems.
Audience members will learn the difference between educational games and gamification and learn about simulations and escape rooms. They will be introduced to principles of good game design, including the importance of including debriefing when using educational games. By providing multisensory immersive experiences, games serve as transformative pedagogical tools that serve as a powerful mechanism for educating on complex systems and enormous world problems.
UDL@RWU: Social Annotation, Hypothesis and UDL
As our conversation continues around Universal Design for Learning, we will highlight a tool within Bridges through the UDL framework that has now been used at RWU over the last year - Hypothes.is. Hypothes.is engages students in their reading, gives them different modes of expression on what they are reading, and also provides them with different representations of the content - a complete package that touches on all of the aspects of the UDL framework (Action&Expression, Representation, and Expression).
Join us in a discussion of how Hypothes.is can work in this context, how to create a Hypothes.is assignment in Bridges and how you might use this in one of your classes. Once registered for the class you will also be enrolled in a class in Bridges with Hypothes.is assignments so you can get a hands-on student experience of what it is like to annotate socially.
Helpful Links:
Hypothes.is (Bridges Essentials) - requires Login
Hypothes.is Workshop (March 2021)
Video introduction for students: Brett McKenzie
Back to School with Annotation
Introduction to Hypothesis for Students
Annotation etiquette for students
Using images, links, and videos in annotations
UDL @ RWU: Let's Reflect
For those that have taken part in our UDL (Universal Design for Learning) workshops over this Summer and Fall, or who have watched the workshops, this will be a perfect opportunity to join a quick discussion of how UDL might have influenced your course design or made you present your material differently.
This will be an open discussion where you can bring your insights and ideas. If you cannot attend but have a question, you can also send it to id@rwu.edu.
Did something work?
Not work?
Do you have any questions about a UDL concept?
Do you have any ideas on how this might work next semester?
UDL @ RWU: Increase executive function with a Bridges Gradebook
As our conversation continues around Universal Design for Learning, the topic of giving students consistent and timely feedback is an essential theme under the precept of Action & Expression (Enhancing Executive Function). An up-to-date grade book provides a student (as well as anyone that is helping them) the ability to observe their progress over time and notice where they need to improve. An electronic grade book can also provide a digital record of work that can be referenced later.
In this workshop, we will review the UDL precepts and go through a simple grade book setup.
As grade books are very unique to courses and are customizable, this demonstration assumes basic knowledge of Bridges tools.
Helpful links:
Gradebook (Bridges Essentials) - login required
NOTES: Each grade book setup is specific to each class.
If you have a specific case scenario, please reach out to id@rwu.edu to schedule an appointment with an instructional designer to go over your gradebook and any special configurations.
UDL @RWU: Lecture Capture: Reimagining Zoom by recording your live class
Don't let this past year-plus experience keep you from using Zoom as part of your portfolio of learning enhancement tools. You may not have considered how useful those Zoom recordings were to your students by allowing them the opportunity to review lecture material at their own pace, e.g., watch a challenging segment multiple times, ensure their notes are accurate, think more deeply about material you present.
In these sessions about UDL@RWU, lecture capture is included as an example under two of the main precepts of the UDL framework - Providing options for Perception (Representation) and Using multiple media for communication (Action & Expression). While many don't associate lecture capture with Zoom, it is in fact a straightforward way to capture your live classroom, record the session and then provide it to students after the class. Many studies have shown offering recordings of live lectures almost never negatively affects attendance and is correlated with higher grades. Scheduling through Zoom also enables a quick pivot to online in case class cannot happen.
In this workshop we will revisit the two UDL precepts and then review how you might go about recording your live class (Zoom scheduling, waiting rooms, taking attendance, class considerations, classrooms)
Recording
Helpful links:
Studies on Lecture Capture
Spring 2022:
To schedule a 30 Minute Classroom technology appointment:
Information Technology is offering (onsite) individualized one-on-one classroom training sessions for faculty. “Quick” (5-10 minute) trainings are available as a quick refresher or to demonstrate a specific function of a classroom. Comprehensive (30 minute) sessions provide a more in-depth training. Sessions are available in both Bristol and Providence. Please note that training location is dependent on room availability. If your classroom is not available during your chosen slot, we will identify a similar room for your training or suggest an alternate time.
To sign up, please use the links below:
Quick Training: https://mediatech.rwu.edu/support/catalog/items/66
½ Hour Comprehensive Training: https://mediatech.rwu.edu/support/catalog/items/65
Classroom technology help: Mediatech@rwu.edu or call 401-254-6363