Welcome to your first UDL Explorer Challenge Activity!
This activity falls within the UDL Principle of Engagement.
In this activity, we’ll focus on the following four key points:
- Why is flexibility a key value of accessible design?
- How are student accommodations different from accessible course design?
- How does accessible course design philosophy complement Universal Design for Learning?
- What are some of the barriers to learning we can address through accessible course design, and what are some of the barriers we may need to navigate when implementing accessible course design?
Please feel free to watch the brief intro video from AC Deger before you begin your first Explorer Challenge activity.
Our Challenge for You
To begin, take a moment to reflect on your professional experience at UBC and on your own personal experiences in school. Are there patterns you can identify at UBC involving student barriers to learning? Were there times in your own learning journey when a lack of flexibility caused stress or other negative impacts?
What are some ways your current course or departmental structures already support accessibility through flexibility? For example, do you already offer grade weighting options, recorded lectures/hybrid learning, or multiple assessment formats? What are some ways your current structures might currently restrict flexibility? Are those restrictions necessary for students to meet learning outcomes, or might there be some space for change?
Now brainstorm two or three potential structure changes that are currently open to you. Do you face any personal barriers to implementing these changes – like a lack of TA support for grading multiple assignment types in high-enrollment courses, or a lack of flexibility in your own schedule? Do you face any institutional barriers in implementing these changes – like minimum requirements for contact hours/attendance, or strict policies for specific types of course assessment/qualifying exams? Are there other concerns that make you hesitate about these challenges – like a worry that offering course recordings will lower attendance or a worry that grade-weighting options might negatively impact students’ study practices?
You may wish to create a three-column chart or set of lists for your findings.
Next, review these findings, and consider whether the labour involved in making changes might be offset by the benefits, like improved student engagement or reduced requests for extensions and make-ups. Can you think of ways these changes might help ease other barriers to access in the course? Are there ways these changes might support broader groups of learners beyond your initial “target audience” or provide other potential “knock-on” benefits?
Why is This Important?
With a little proactive planning, the need for reactive problem-solving on the instructors’ part is reduced: students are less stressed and therefore better able to focus and engage. There is a lower likelihood of additional unanticipated labour, like fielding requests for “make-up” assessments on tight timelines, working with advisors to grant concessions, or dealing with standing deferrals after the course ends.
Some students will still need extra support through academic accommodations, like extended time or private exam space, and some students will still need additional options like standing deferral or course withdrawal, depending on their individual circumstances, but accessible course design can help reduce the need for those workarounds. Making coursework accessible from the start reduces the burden on instructors, staff, and students!
Explore
We have already touched upon student mental health needs in our conversations on accessibility, but if you’re ready to delve deeper into the connections between mental health and learning, check out the Campus Mental Health Toolkit for Faculty and Staff.
It’s also important to recognize that learning more about the role mental health plays in learning can bring up feelings about our own past (or current) experiences. As you learn more about supporting students with diverse needs and about implementing the philosophy of accessible design, you might be reminded of times in your own learning journey where you felt unsupported or you struggled. You might recognize previously-diagnosed or currently-undiagnosed issues of your own, or recognize patterns of burnout, avoidance, or other mental-health-related issues in your current work-life balance.
Sometimes we can feel resentful, stressed, or anxious about changing our practices and designing for accessibility, especially if we felt a lack of support during our own student days or are currently feeling overwhelmed ourselves. It’s important to honour those feelings and to recognize that we, as faculty and staff, can help break that cycle of struggle for our students. If you feel you might benefit from additional support relating to such issues as a staff or faculty member, consider reaching out to the folks at the UBC Centre for Workplace Accessibility.
Next Steps: Reflect and Integrate
Think about the activity you’ve just completed. What is one key takeaway or insight you gained from it? How did this activity enhance your understanding of the concept? Identify one action you can take to apply this new knowledge or skill in a real-world context.